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Pianist and DMA, Juilliard School
I initially began coaching because my boyfriend, a big fan of Astrid's, saw that I was confused about a lot of things regarding the direction my life was taking career-wise. He purchased five coachings for me for my birthday with the caveat that nothing was binding and that I could opt out any time if I felt uncomfortable. From my very first session, it was clear that Astrid is one of the most insightful and generous people I have met. I walked into this session last fall, thinking that I had come to a dead-end in my music career and that perhaps I would benefit from heading in a new direction. After only a couple sessions, I renewed my sense of love for music and began to see possibilities for myself that I never dreamed of. Astrid is extremely dedicated and focused in each session. One major breakthrough I have had is the idea that being authentic is a major value for me and that I have spent so much of my life trying to please others or do activities I feel like I "should" do. I feel like I have blossomed in so many ways this year, taking on creative projects that I might have been cautious of before, meeting incredible colleagues, and being excited about the future instead of fearful of it. Astrid has a great gift of seeing the beauty in each person and allowing their strengths to come through.
— JC, New York, NY
Composer
Astrid has turned around the way I look at my career in the most extraordinary way. I used to think that the professional part of what I do was very separate from the creative and deeply personal aspects of being a composer. Going after professional opportunities to get my music out there felt to me like a very daunting task--one that I found a little distasteful because it felt like "selling myself." Astrid really helped me realize that building a career has to come from the most genuine part of myself--in the same way as building a piece. With this understanding, the professional world looks much less scary to me now, and I'm able to reach out to my professional network with the courage of my conviction, and with the kind of personal investment and care that makes professional experiences deeply meaningful. Career building is about believing in what you do, and its validity; it is about communication and courage. It only works if it feels true to who you are.
With her supportive and positive attitude combined with her incredible sensitivity and intelligence, Astrid has created for me a wonderful safe space to discover how I want to develop my goals from the inside out. I have found in her a true kindred spirit as well as a powerful ally and coach.
—Hannah L,. New York, NY
Attorney and ??????
There seem to be an infinite number of resources available to people looking to make career changes these days, and I think I looked into most of them before I met Astrid. Numerous books advised me to do what I loved. That sounded good, except that I didn’t know what I loved. A career test provided some insight and long lists of possibly compatible jobs, but ultimately directed me to do what I loved - back to square one. Another career coach, dispensing with frivolities like love, laid out a practical approach to a career path that objectively made some sense, but I knew in my heart that I would hate it. I felt deficient for not knowing what I loved, unreasonable for rejecting a sensible path that didn’t appeal, and in general, completely hopeless about my situation.
When I began coaching with Astrid, I was struggling with a strong feeling that there was some ‘perfect’ thing out there for me to do, if only I could think of what it was. I had a vague idea that finding the answer would involve going through the racks of possible jobs and holding each one up in front of the mirror to see if it might fit, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that we would take a more bespoke approach. There would be no squeezing me into a readymade career in this process - instead, we would be focusing on my strengths, values, work style, etc., to think about what might be right for me. Astrid’s willingness to cheerfully abandon any exercise that wasn't working for me kept me comfortable with everything we did, and helped me to get the most out of the process.
The work we did helped me to form a foundation for understanding why certain things, career-related or otherwise, are a better choice for me than others. With Astrid’s warm encouragement, I have also started to reconnect with the creative, less self-limiting side of myself that I feared was permanently lost. I feel more like myself than I have in a long time, and I have a career direction that I am looking forward to exploring. This may or may not turn out to be the ‘perfect thing‘ that I was looking for, but I no longer feel the pressure of that search; rather, I am hopeful that by taking actions that are consistent with my character, staying open to the possibilities that arise with each action, and correcting my course as necessary, I will enjoy the process just as much as whatever result I reach. I am grateful to Astrid for helping me to readjust my direction and my outlook, and I highly recommend her services to anyone who feels lost, stuck or anything less than wholeheartedly enthusiastic about what they are doing.
— Andrea K., New York, NY
Cellist and music entrepreneur
A good friend recommended I see Astrid because I was stuck. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck, and suffering. She has helped me parse through all the detail in what seemed panoramic hopelessness. She has worked in a distinctly different way than my psychotherapist, more pragmatically, and the combination of the two ... has been, for me, very effective. I have made tectonic shifts in the way I see myself, my place in the world and how I move through it. There have been some very painful changes and realizations, but most important, I have found a source for joy, hope and energy, undiluted by difficulties, so that I actually feel better, and stronger. This is my testimony to Astrid.
— TM, Rhode Island
Educator
Astrid Baumgardner is a true facilitator, and in that capacity she has guided me to discover the values and deeply held beliefs essential to my happiness and fulfillment in the workplace, wherever it may be....Through our coaching sessions, I was able to draw out and fortify my self-confidence, without which my ambitious relocation would not previously have been conceivable. When you are determined to strive diligently for change in your life, Astrid will be there to help you to create a roadmap to navigate and overcome every obstacle you encounter throughout your life-altering transition.
— MH, New York, NY and Tokyo, Japan
How to Discover Your Core Values I - What the Mad Men Can Teach Us
I am fascinated by Don Draper, the star of the hit show Mad Men, who infuriates and offends me with his sexism and abuse of women, his lust for power and his lack of moral fiber. I was not at all surprised when we learned of his dark secret past where he assumed the identity of someone else and used that new identity as his entree to the world of success. What does Don Draper truly value? Clearly he craves respect and his shame of his past causes him to overcompensate and go beyond normal bounds because he puts a premium on power. I can only imagine the stress that Draper experiences on a daily basis in leading this life. In fact, I suspect that Don operates out of fear and that leads me to think that he cannot sustain his success. But I have to thank Don because he reminds me of the importance of being true to my values and living my life in accordance with the principles that define who I am.
So let's take a closer look at values and see how they can be a powerful tool in figuring out your authentic success.
First, what are values?
Values are the principles by which you live your life. Core values help to define who you are and what is truly important to you. In effect, values are the essence of who you really are: i.e., the core to your authenticity.
There are no "good" or "bad" values; nor are there right or wrong values. I coach a lot of lawyers. What values do you think they have? Power? Recognition? Leadership? Sure. And also fun, family and balance. My musician and artist clients value their creativity, along with things like affluence, service and creating a legacy! The main thing is to find the values that resonate for you.
As for values that you "should" have, I had a musician client who was not sure if he wanted to be a musician. Creativity was not one of his top 5 values and he took that as a sign that he was not destined to be a musician because he did not have the "right stuff." His top value was authenticity. And when I asked him what that meant to him, it turned out that authenticity meant creativity!
Why is it important to know your values?
First by knowing your values, you can begin to filter all your important decisions and choices. For example, in your career, think about what matters more to you: your autonomy or your security. If you are someone who values autonomy and you work in an environment with strict rules or you have a micro-manager boss, you are undoubtedly feeling a lot of discomfort and you may long for a free-lance or entrepreneurial career. On the other hand, if security is important to you, you may put up with the rules because you value the security of having that paycheck.
In fact, if you compromise your core values, you may be experiencing inner imbalance and stress. Think about your relationships: if you value honest communication and commitment and yet you are in a relationship where you feel that you have to play games in order to get what you want, this will lead to a lot of dissatisfaction for failure to honor a top value.
So knowing your values is a critical component to finding authentic success because
o You realize what is essential to you in leading your life.
o You gain clarity around an issue or a challenge that is keeping you stuck or unsatisfied.
How do you find your values?
One way to find your values is to look at people, characters or situations that infuriate or deeply offend you. In thinking about these people or situations, you become angry because something that is very important to you is not being honored or respected. Your anger then becomes a powerful clue in helping you to understand what is really important in your life, i.e., your values. That's why Don Draper is such a good example for me because he is not honoring my core values of
o Authenticity and Integrity
o Relationships built on honesty, trust and generosity
o Service to others
o Personal Growth/Fulfillment
How can you discover your core values?
Action Steps:
1. Think about situations or characters or people that infuriate or offend you.
2. What values are not being honored in these situations or by these characters or people?
3. Write down the values that these situations, characters and people bring up for you.
4. Start testing your values. The next time you have to make a tough decision, think about what values are at stake and which values you want to honor. Then, think about what values are not being honored by your choice.
Stay tuned for Part II of this exercise!
I would love to hear what you come up with so please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
(C) Astrid Baumgardner 2010
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I would be delighted if you should wish to reprint (for free) any part of this article in your newsletters, blogs, websites, and message boards. Please include the following attribution:
Astrid Baumgardner, JD, PCC is a professional life coach and lawyer, Coordinator of Career Strategies and Lecturer at the Yale School of Music and the founder and President of Astrid Baumgardner Coaching + Training, which is dedicated to helping musicians, lawyers and creative professionals take charge of their lives and experience authentic success. In addition to her work at YSM and her individual coaching practice, Astrid presents workshops at leading conservatories and law firms on topics including Career Planning, Goal-Setting, Time Management, Dynamic Communication, Conflict Management and Personal Branding and Networking. She is the author of numerous articles on the various aspects of how to achieve and live authentic success.