Derrick Snow is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with him. He impressed us with his unshakeable faith in the human potential.

Ever since he was a kid, he discovered the power the narratives we keep telling ourselves have over our lives.

He saw amazing people with huge potential live mediocre lives just because of what they chose to believe.

Derrick is able to see the inner beauty in each person. But most importantly, he is able to guide you and help you see it for yourself so you can transform. Here is what he said.

Meet Life Coach Derrick Snow:

Name: Derrick Snow
Pillar: The Mind
Who is this coach for: Anyone who wants to eliminate their sabotaging assumptions.
How they can help: Through various techniques like wheel of Life, imaging exercises, breathing exercises, role playing, just to name a few. The approach is customized to each individual.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these Pandemic times?

We’re doing well. Our 7 year old son is healthy and happy, so I cannot ask for more!

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

Every client I’ve had during the pandemic stated it affected their lives in one way or another, whether it was the simple act of seeing loved ones or questioning their entire purpose in life, it touched all of them.

It prompted thoughts and reflections that otherwise may not have happened, which often centered on making the most out of their lives.

As a coach, that’s an exciting part: the self awareness and the feeling that more is out there. My clients took something terrible, like the pandemic, and used it to spark positive change in their lives.

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

There’s no better time to start than now because you never know what tomorrow will bring. I learned it early in life at 8 ½ years old when my father passed away, and the pandemic cemented this lesson.

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

I was a curious and empathetic child, who loved hearing stories from everyone around me.

I found it fascinating to learn what inspired them, how they interpreted life circumstances, how everything came together to form a whole, and how they narrated their stories.

I realized that the “narrated their stories” part was instrumental in one’s ability to live a happy, purposeful life.

My mom, who battled life long depression, narrated her story as one of failure, saying on a near daily basis that I was the only good thing to come out of her life.

This had a profound impact on me because I knew it wasn’t true, she was one of the most loving and emotionally gifted people I ever met, whose talents extended to animals as well (seriously, wild animals would come to her).

She just couldn’t see her own inner beauty and worth, but I always saw it. Because of her, I see a light in people that they sometimes do not see themselves.

Once I entered the corporate world, I found myself drawn to different roles that allowed me to coach and mentor… even though, I didn’t know that was what I was doing!

Whether it was as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Scrum Master, and now as an Agile Coach, the people I serve and their growth inspires me on a daily basis. It was through this journey that I learned of the coaching profession, allowing me to follow my heart into Holistic Life and Career Coaching.

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

Myself!

Life has thrown many things my way, as it does all of us, but the things holding me back were largely manifested by me. Liberating myself from sabotaging ideas like “perfect” or “error proof” has been a lifelong journey.

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

That’s the amazing part about coaching, because the innovation, that creative process feeding the client through exploration, awareness, and action, changes based upon the individual client.

For me, coaching is like dancing. One client comes in and says, “Today, let’s tango!” Okay, let’s tango. Another client comes in and says, “I want to waltz today.” Absolutely! Let’s waltz.

The key is attention, which you need to move together as a singular unit during the session, so the client can breakthrough and design actions, that’s the innovation.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

I focus on the whole person. What I’ve found personally and professionally is that we are interconnected in all facets of our lives.

When clients come to me for more corporate style coaching, it’s not unusual for personal circumstances to come into play and vice versa.

If a potential client asks for my niche, I say my niche is you.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

My clients constantly tell me that our partnership empowers them to overturn sabotaging assumptions to produce positive, actionable results in multiple areas of their lives.

Seeing it happen is the most rewarding part about what I do.

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

I like to explore based upon the client’s needs, so I’ve used a variety over the years: the Wheel of Life, imaging exercises, breathing exercises, role playing, and brainstorming with IdeaBoardz, Mural, Miro, and Jamboards to name a few.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

Inside you, right now, there’s something you are ready to unlock.

You know it, you feel it. Each day is a precious gift, so why not start today?

Stop thinking about the person you want to be and start being it!

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

It doesn’t matter the road you take, just as long as you are getting there.

The beauty of life is this short, wonderful little journey we’ve each embarked upon. Birth and death are the only two certainties in this form, the rest of it is up to us!

Your final thoughts?

Transformation happens one step at a time, so be kind and love yourself.

You have ideas and dreams, and you want to bring these things to fruition. I understand. As someone who rose out of my childhood low income environment, taught myself how to play music, went from a failing high school student to graduating from a top 10 public U.S. university, and losing 100 pounds, I’ve had my fair share of ideas and dreams.

I can tell you it’s a journey, and nurturing yourself is key! Feed your mind, body, heart, soul, and your environment. Tend to your inner garden, making sure your roots are strong, and you will reap a lifetime of bountiful harvests.

Where Can You Find Derrick Snow?

If you liked this interview and you would love to discover and eliminate your sabotaging assumptions, connect with Derrick via LinkedIn and see how he can help you.

It’s not that often that we find someone who has such faith in the human potential as Derrick. It was an honor having this interview with him.