An Interview with Chieko

Q. How did you get to be a Business Coach?

To answer that question, it’s probably best I take you back and share with you my story of how I got to where I am today, coaching people to create a lifestyle of success. As a young child, I was really active – I did well academically, went to Japanese school on Saturdays, and I was a competitive swimmer from the age of six. All my out-of-school time was packed with extracurricular activities.

My life was one of abundant blessings—a family that loved me, good friends, and endless opportunities to learn and grow. But somehow I still felt lost and appreciated none of it. I was unhappy and angry because I didn’t understand where I belonged, or why I was so unhappy. Soon, I started making enemies of those closest to me. In high school, I stopped applying myself and eventually I quit everything – Japanese school, swimming, dance, music, and at seventeen I dropped out just a few credits shy of graduation.

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I was depressed and disappointed with myself and my life, and I moved out on my own on a search for something more. Deep down, I felt I had something special, but I had no idea what direction to take. I had neither the skills nor, more importantly, the mindset, to recognize and harness the opportunities available to me. But my desire to grow and achieve was still there, so I began reading books, listening to tapes, and doing research on what makes people strong and successful. I then began to vigorously apply the concepts I learned to my life, and with a lot of trial and error, I began making some big changes, from the inside out.

These changes allowed me to:

  • Finish high school and graduate from college with a business degree in entrepreneurship
  • Be picked for a leadership program for a major corporation
  • Land a career in business consulting
  • Be confident and love my body just the way it is
  • Attract love in a big way
  • Overcome some major fears, which made me feel like I could do anything
  • Embrace my true purpose in life and have the courage to pursue it
  • Build a successful business helping small business owners do the same

I continue to practice what I now call my "Success Habitude"—success as a way of living and being. As a result, I have an abundance of love, happiness, and fulfillment in my life and work.

My own success has led me to want to share what I have learned with others. Since embarking on a career as a business and life coach, I have worked with hundreds of people to make big changes in their lives. In the process, I created Smart Foundations—a step-by-step, life-changing program that gives you the tools to grow your business and enjoy life and allows you, too, to create success from within.

Q. Who do you work with?

I work with small business owners who are serious about creating success in their businesses and their lives, and have a strong appetite for personal and professional growth. Successful entrepreneurs know that in order to grow your business, you must also grow along with it. That being said, I’ve worked with many different professions:

  • Plumbers
  • Event Planners
  • Bankers
  • Mortgage Consultants
  • Home Organizers
  • Interior Designers
  • Home Inspectors
  • Landscape Designers
  • Electricians
  • Painters
  • Artists
  • Teachers
  • Pet Services
  • Photographers
  • Videographers

Q. What happens if you haven't yet worked with people in my field?

I’ve worked with many clients from many industries, so it’s likely that I’ve worked with someone in your field or a similar field. However, if I have not, it’s not a disadvantage, because you are already the expert in your field. As your coach, I help you increase your productivity and strengthen your success habits in your life and business, no matter what the industry, so you can have the confidence, focus and motivation to create big results.

Q. What type of personality do you work best with?

My core strengths are growth and achievement, and I work best with clients who are also high achievers and also share that strong desire for growth both personally and professionally. My clients are ready and willing to do what it takes with a no excuses approach to creating their success.

They also:

  • Are intelligent and self-aware professionals
  • Like to be stretched and understand that growth can happen quickly when you have accountability and take 100% ownership for everything in your life.
  • Understand the importance and value of being in an environment of learning and support

Q. How are you different from other “life or business coaches?”

It’s my belief that in order to be truly successful, we must make success more than just a destination we strive for, but a lifestyle. Rather than just taking a look at the nuts and bolts of your business, I take a holistic approach, working with you to build a strong foundation of success from the inside out, in addition to smart business strategies. I help you get back in the driver’s seat of your life.

I bring over 10 years of corporate, small business, and entrepreneurial experience to my coaching practice. I have a business degree from University of Washington, and am a graduate of Coach U, the leading, internationally recognized institution for professional coaching. My background also includes extensive experience in business management consulting, project management, and training development and delivery. I bring a no-nonsense approach and leverage my strong intuitive sense to uncover the truth.

As your coach I will be:

  • Your Catalyst and Change Agent - I will help you unearth your potential, get crystal clear on what you want in your life and business, and give you the tools to make it happen. I will ask tough questions to break you out of patterns that are hindering you from moving forward and achieving success, and I will ask a lot out of you and hold you to high standards.
  • Focused and Professional - Effective coaching involves a process of accountability. I have created the tools and environment to help you achieve breakthroughs. As a result, you will achieve greater effectiveness, productivity, balance and motivation in both your professional and personal life.
  • Experienced - My education and career allow me to offer new insights into daily business activities that have a dramatic impact on improving the methods, systems and procedures you rely on for continued success.
  • A Service vs. Power Advocate - To obtain true success your business goals must be in alignment with your life goals. Focusing on service vs. power will give you the roadmap to aligning your skills with your life purpose. This focus reflects the essence of how I run my business.

Q. What are the results I can expect?

You can expect to:

  • Create a synergetic alignment between you, your business, and your life
  • Identify and shift those beliefs that are holding you back from your potential
  • Learn to leverage the power of focus to get things done more quickly and powerfully
  • Have greater confidence in yourself and in your business
  • Gain clarity about what you offer and create a powerful marketing message
  • Develop strong boundaries for yourself and your business
  • Manage your time and energy for higher productivity and more time for the things you love
  • Set powerful, motivating goals that pull you forward with excitement and energy
  • Design action plans so you know exactly what you need to be working on
  • Build in consistent accountability to keep you on track to achieve those goals
  • Establish easy to follow processes and systems for your business that save you time and energy.
  • Get the support system you need in and outside of your business, and stop going it alone
  • Receive ready to implement tools, templates and other resources

Q. Does this really work?

Yes! The result of our work is an approach to building a business you love, and creating a lifetime of success. What’s great is the skills you’ll learn and strengthen will impact all areas of your life, for the rest of your life.

Q. Chieko, based on everything I've read and heard about you, I know you're the one I want to work with. What are my options for getting started with you?

Congratulations on making a decision and taking back control in your life! I'm delighted to work with you to achieve your goals. To get started contact me today for a complimentary 15-minute coaching consultation!