October / November / December 2010

DCF Member Spotlight:  Michael Cushman

We are delighted to announce that the Denver Coach Federation has chosen Michael Cushman as our October Coach of the Quarter.

Michael has been a member of the DCF since 2007 and has been a vital contributor to the success of the DCF.

Having received his training at the OTJ Coaching training at CAP Gemini 2000, Michael has also completed Leadership Development training with AMS and Personal Development with ARC. Michael began his career as a coach by introducing executive coaching to the CAP Gemini Clients and the CG Engagement Managers in 2000. He has worked with small business owners and entrepreneurs as well as providing laser career coaching to clients around the country. In response to our countries financial crises, Michael traveled by bus around the country offering his coaching services to those in need of support exploring career options. Michael was consistently available to support the community when the DCF offered coaching opportunities for Jobing.com.

Currently Michael is using Key Change Institute techniques as a replacement for Remedial Coaching and to work with coaching clients who struggle with self-sabotaging habits. In this new venture, Michael is able to utilize his expertise of being able to assist others in the use of nonverbal communications and low-resistance change techniques in the workplace.

Michael was President of the DCF in 2008 and a key contributor to the new DCF web site. He has participated on both the marketing and education committees lending his support and creative ideas in the ongoing development of the DCF. Michael has great respect and appreciation for the excellent community of coaches and colleagues that he has had the opportunity to learn from while serving on the BOD and while serving the larger coaching community.

When describing his coaching focus and philosophy, Michael said, "Ever heard the expression 'Can't change people who don't want to change?' What if that wasn't true anymore? What if you could help very challenging employees change, even those who have no interest in changing? What if you could change your difficult boss without resistance? Or, what if you could stop struggling with repeating the same patterns that limit you from reaching your leadership potential? How about a guarantee? Not only do relationships improve, but there's an organizational performance breakthrough too. Hard to believe, right? I'm proud to be the President of Key Change Institute and be part of the fabulous team bringing this new twist to coaching to the marketplace. When children are playing and a fire breaks out, if they don't hear you yell 'fire,' yell 'toys!'"

In describing the value of coaching, Michael is an inspiration in his suggestion that we ask ourselves this question on a daily basis… "What is impossible that I am going to do today?" In addition, Michael holds the philosophy that "If we truly knew the destructive power of a negative thought, we would never have another."

Michael can be reached at: mcushman@keychangenow.com or 720 937-2729.

By Barbara Flood
DCF President

July / August / September 2010

DCF Member Spotlight:  Zoilita Grant

“Coaching creates the vision of success…Hypnosis makes it happen. Change Your Mind and Change Your Life” is how Zoilita Grant, our DCF Member of the Quarter for July, views the value of coaching. Her passion and commitment to the coaching profession is apparent in all aspects of her work. Since the beginning of 2008, Zoilita has been involved in both the International Coach Federation and the Denver Coach Federation. She served as the DCF Membership Director for two years and not only successfully grew the membership but also continually promoted how the DCF offers education, support and professional contacts that help to develop the individual coach as well as the coaching profession.

After working as a psychotherapist, specializing in hypnosis for 34 years, Zoilita closed her practice in 2007 and attended Patrick Williams’ Institute of Life Coaching. Upon finishing her training, Zoilita began to combine coaching techniques with hypnosis and created her own type of coaching called Hypnotic-Coaching. Hypnotic-Coaching was accredited as a new modality of hypnosis in 2009 by the American Council of Hypnotists Examiners and certified as new occupational training by the state of Colorado in the same year. Zoilita is the founder and owner of the Colorado Coaching and Hypnotherapy Training Institute, where she teaches Hypnotic-Coaching.

Zoilita specializes in working with coaches, therapists and independent business owners to create personal and business success; her coaching techniques utilize a combination of coaching tools with hypnosis in very effective ways to help clients create lasting changes at the subconscious level. Zoilita’s powerful techniques teach clients and students that when your conscious and subconscious disagree, the subconscious always wins! When you line up your subconscious mind with your conscious goals, you unleash peak performance.

Zoilita has a successful line of effective hypnosis CDs, and she is beginning a business coaching group program called Mindset for Success in the fall of 2010.

You may learn more about Zoilita and her coaching services by visiting her website: www.ColoradoCoaching.net or www.ZoilitaGrant.net by contacting her directly: info@zoilitagrant.net or 303-834-5040.

By Kelly Johnson
DCF Marketing Committee member

April / May / June 2010

DCF Member Spotlight:  Denise Clark

Denise Clark, our Member of the Quarter, has been DCF's Treasurer since 2007. Often times her work isn’t seen by our members, yet is essential for the function and continuation of our organization. Thank you Denise for all your behind the scenes hard work!

Denise is founder and owner of Denise Clark, LLC, an independent consulting and coaching business serving the nonprofit sector. Her background includes being a special education teacher, victim advocate, and sex-positive boutique salesperson/consultant. In addition, Denise has worked for 20 years in the nonprofit sector—ten of those serving as an Executive Director.

Denise knows what it takes to run a nonprofit organization and adds that she would have given anything to work with a coach during her time as an ED, but didn’t learn about the field of coaching until transitioning our of her last ED position. She believes that one of the greatest values of coaching is increased self-awareness that helps us get clear on what matters most, get out of our own way, take action and fulfill our dreams!

Recognizing the lack of coaching in the nonprofit sector, Denise trained as a coach through the Coaches Training Institute – Co-Active Coaching and Organizational and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) and the Center for Right Relationship – with the intention of bringing coaching to nonprofit organizations. She has been exclusively coaching nonprofit leaders and their teams for over five years and is dedicated to increasing the visibility and understanding of coaching in the nonprofit community.

Denise's areas of expertise include: nonprofit management and governance, fundraising, leadership development, team building, strategic planning, and executive coaching. She is also a popular presenter on leadership, management and governance topics. She brings authenticity, innovation and enthusiasm to her work, and her philosophy is "Coaching is the key that unlocks the door to living the life you really want."

You may learn more about Denise and her coaching services by visiting her website: www.deniseclarkllc.com or by contacting her directly: denise@deniseclarkllc.com or 303-433-4195.

By Levya Braman
DCF Marketing Director