Our theme for this year is “Creating Alliances” and the January meeting got us off to a great start! We want to make sure that every ICF-OC meeting that you attend is full of new opportunities to either create an alliance with another coach or for you to walk away with new ideas for creating an alliance.

Alliances are opportunities to make 2 + 2 = 5. We are not talking about one shot deals but real opportunities for ongoing relationships with someone else whose talents complement your own. What is it that you really excel in? Is it finding new business, coaching clients on personal issues, creating teams, or removing mental roadblocks to creativity? What is it that you really do not like to do in your practice or do not do well? Can you find someone who is your opposite and create that long term relationship that will take your business to the next level? This is what alliances are all about and this is what we want you to get out of our Chapter meetings this year.

If you were not at the January meeting, call someone who was and find out how we converted ordinary networking to dynamic alliance building opportunities. I started getting feedback the very next day from coaches who either connected with someone new or who got inspired at the meeting to go out and find a new alliance. Don’t miss this opportunity. We will continue the theme at our February Valentine’s Day meeting with insights on how to use the internet and social networks to form alliances and grow your business. We will also continue our own brand of networking ala alliance building.

Besides Valentine’s Day, February 3 – 9 is the tenth International Coaching Week. This is an opportunity for us to educate the public about the value of working with a personal, business or executive coach and to provide an opportunity for coaches and their clients to acknowledge the results and progress made through the coaching process. Coaches around the world are offering a variety of activities and pro bono services in their communities during this week, including free coaching sessions, lectures and workshops.

We will be hosting with Chapman University a full day of free programs on February 8th. This event is being led by Randy Tabor, who is our President elect this year. He and his committee have spent many hours working out the details to bring together over fourteen different coaches who will be leading one hour programs on various topics. In addition, we will be offering free coaching sessions during the breakouts for those who want to see first hand what coaching is all about. You can find more information about this event in the newsletter or on our web site.

Although this is just the start of the year, I want to thank the people who have committed to spend many hours to help support our local ICF Chapter. Some you will see at our meetings and events and others, like our fabulous news editor, Beth Griffith, work hard behind the scenes. So thank you to all of you:

President-elect                      Randy Tabor
Immediate Past President      Nahid Casazza

Treasurer                              Lee Pound

Secretary                              Emily Woodman-Nance

Director of Programs              Frumi Rachel Barr

Director of Publications          Beth Griffith

Director of Operations            Beverly Simmons

Director of Membership          Patricia Hirsch

Director of Member Values     Linda Hodge

Director of IT                         Rachel Pradhan

Director of Workshops           John Hall

Director of Special Projects    Glenn Stevenson

Advisors at large                    Hilary Bendon, Allison Haynes, Anita Goldin, Heather Wieshlow, Joan Freidlander

Committee Members              More than I can name, but thank you all

Virtual Assistant                    Angee Robertson

We do have an opening for our Director of Marketing position. Contact me if you are interested.

See you in February!

Doug Gfeller, MCC
President, ICF-Orange County Chapter