Step-ball-change and pivot

About two years ago, I noticed my once-thriving freelance writing business beginning to wane. When opportunities did arise, the hourly rate was startlingly low. What was happening? I soon learned I wasn't alone. Many of my creative colleagues were also scrambling for work and dealing with pay cuts despite the escalated cost of living. The message was clear: the skills I'd honed over the course of nearly three decades were no longer as valued as they were before.

What sparked this abrupt change? The launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT.

The writing was on the wall. In fact, it was everywhere. Chatbots have since become ubiquitous. After all, why should a business pay a human for hours of work when an AI assistant could spit it out in seconds?

I knew I needed to pivot. Pronto.

What to do?

As the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." I needed to figure out which skills, interests, and strengths I could leverage in order to make a viable change.

Since I already had a masters in psychology, along with two years of training in counseling (before landing a life-changing editor job after graduating), I contemplated becoming a therapist. However, Vermont's required 4000 hours of supervised counseling dissuaded me. Instead, I signed up for an ICF-certified coaching program based in Canada called 8th Element, which proved to be even better than anticipated. Not only did I have the opportunity to learn from master coaches and an international cohort, I also discovered how much I enjoyed this burgeoning profession and how natural it felt — an opportunity to support others in a healthy, proactive way. This past June I earned my certification as a professional coach.

Coming full circle

Knowing how essential it was to specialize, I decided to focus on three primary areas: Transition and Change Coaching, Creativity Coaching, and Transformative Writing.

• Transition/Change Coaching: Having experienced countless changes in my life, and also knowing how many people are enduring head-spinning transitions themselves, I felt uniquely suited to offer this essential service.

• Creativity Coaching: While writing for Greater Good Magazine, I had the opportunity to learn about creativity directly from several scholars in this field, inspiring me to help others reconnect with and explore their creative selves.

• Transformative writing: I’ve taught and practiced this form of writing since 2017 and have witnessed its remarkable ability to unearth, reveal and heal through the simple process of letting words flow from pen to paper.

On the upswing

The question remained: What to call this new practice? I wanted it to reflect the forward-thinking, goal-oriented nature of coaching. The word upswing seemed to fit the bill. Thanks to the talented designer Lauren Turetsky, Upswing Coaching is officially launched!

Contact me at elissegabriel@gmail.com to arrange a free discovery call.

I look forward to connecting with you,

Elisse

My son Noah swinging