Entrepreneurial Edge 04/01/2002

The 'Vision' Thing
by Linda Mele

A coach with no whistle or clipboard, Carole Jacoby helps clients take the long view of their careers - and their lives.

As people think of coaches, names live Vince Lombardi and Geno Auriemma immediately pop up. But don't suppose that Milford resident Carole Jacoby might appreciate a 25-gallon jug of Gatorade dumped on her head. She's not that kind of coach.

Jacoby is what is known as a professional personal and business coach - "one who helps others define their lives" or company's goals, and further helps clients devise a path to make those goals a reality.

Her five-year-old Orange business is called LifeVisions. Jacoby has helped hundreds of people, both individually and as part of a team or company-wide program, start down the path toward fulfillment of those goals.

After a number of years in the non-profit, public/mental health and education sectors, Jacoby contacted a career coach to help her decide what to do next in her own life and career. It wasn't long before Jacoby realized what she wanted to do, so she started down the path her coach helped her to define.

After ample research, Jacoby concluded that a career as a life/personal coach would allow her to employ the skills she had honed in her previous jobs as a special education teacher, non-profit youth and family service bureau counselor, a psychiatric consultant and psychotherapist.

Jacoby received her certification from the Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California, has also earned the designation of Professional Certified Coach from the International Coaches Federation and has completed courses at Corporate Coach University. Jacoby also has master's degrees in counseling and special education.

Personal coaching is particularly well suited to working with those who want to create balance in their lives, Jacoby says.

For those who try to be all things to all people - the "super-mom" theory run amok - Jacoby helps them sit back and take a long-term view of what's going on in their lives, identify where conflicts are and define ways to balance or mitigate them.

"It's a partnership," Jacoby explains. "I don't have all the answers and I'm not here to give advice: I'm here to help my clients discover what they need to do to move forward in whatever it is that they are dealing with in their personal or professional lives."

Jacoby works with corporate teams, executives and managers to help them "discover their potential, identify and reach their goals and align their life visions with their corporate visions. She calls it "the ultimate balancing act."

Most recently Jacoby has made presentations to employees of People's Bank, Merrill Lynch, Yale University, Connecticut Mental Health, Southern Connecticut State University and Padgett Business Services, among others.

Jacoby's latest venture is the development of all-day retreats that transport individuals and/or teams away from familiar home and work surroundings to neutral locations where they can concentrate on themselves.

There are women's retreats, mid-life transition retreats for men and women and life-balance retreats. The day-long sessions can also be customized.

Does coaching work? Well, Jacoby retains her own life coach - whom she generously credits for guidance in her quest for fulfillment.

©Business New Haven 2002