Hello ICF-OC Participants!

There are a few things I would like to share with you today.

First is our first marketing success at the Womanaire Extraordinaire Conference (WEC) this past Monday and Tuesday. If you let it pass without a thought, let me tell you that you may not wish to do so next year. In a nutshell, the WCE is a working business conference for women, by women where which the participants listen to a business presentation and afterwards over the course of an hour, the groups work with their coaches to move forward in the distinction that was presented (money, business foundation, boards, barriers, confidence, and negotiation). Many of the participants knew nothing about coaching and over the course of two and a half days learned the benefits of coaching. The Sponsors and the Affiliates, which the ICF-OC Chapter was one, were setup in the room for the entire conference and hence the volunteers were able to take advantage of being in the WEC during the entire business-supporting presentations.

Elaine Provencher and our Board did a wonderful job of ensuring that we as a chapter showed up as a professional organization of coaches. We had a table right in the center of the action with lots of information for the participants, which included our Vision and a flyer for the “Find-A-Coach” feature on our website. Our fabulous and market-wise coaches that volunteered at the highly visible table, Scott Peck, Glenn Stevenson, Sandy Scheppmann, Linda Hodge and Nahid Casazza were able to speak with the attendees of the conference and the non-ICF coaches who were offering their services to the WEC attendees. On stage, we as a chapter of coaches were represented by Scott Peck, who did a wonderful job of sharing with all in the room who we are, where we meet and to come and visit one of our meetings. Please take a short moment to thank each of them for representing you as the ICF-OC Chapter.

Next is my pending excitement of attending the ICF Conference in St. Louis! Last year was my first and I arrived a bit skeptical about what would happen. I was hugely surprised and thrilled of the quality of presentations, books, and information and coaching resources available to me as a coach. Besides, think of a thousand plus coaches – coming from ‘what’s possible’ in theirs and others lives – all being together for a span of 4-5 days. If movement can happen in the world out of energy that convenes than the world can be shifted to ‘a world that works’ just during the ICF Conference. I’ll be intending it! I’ll also come from ‘what I don’t know that I don’t know’ in listening to the learning in my chosen profession over the course of the conference.

The 2007 ICF International Conference will be right here in our own backyard, Long Beach, California, from October 31 through November 3, 2007! Put it on your calendar NOW! Plan for it! Budget for it! Have I made myself clear? It will only move you forward in your professional career as a coach. By the way, early bird registrations open in May 2007, and we will remind you over the course of the year.

More… and fun news! Anita Goldin and your Board are planning a fabulous and ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ Holiday Party for our December meeting. We will be offering you the chance to figure out the Mystery at our Dinner Mystery Party all geared around coaching! Please do plan to come and bring your spouses or spousal equivalents to the party! We will share more with you at our next chapter meeting.

On 9th November, we are having two powerful conversations for both our “Business and Coaching Excellence Program” (BCE) where Susan Hansted Kuntz, MA, will be sharing with us, “How the Heck do you Facilitate a Group?” from 5:00 - 6:00 PM, and Christian E. Mickelsen will be speaking to “How to Rocket-Launch Your Coaching Business!” during the 6:30 – 8:30 PM time frame. Do sign up at the ICF-Orange County website (www.icforangecounty.org) and join us for a information rich evening!

As always, thank you for reading my little blurb and I look forward to seeing you at our next chapter meeting! …and don’t forget to come up and give me a big hug!

Patricia Hirsch, MBA, MCC, RN
2006 ICF-OC Chapter President