Joelle Prochera of Coach Joelle
Meet Joelle Prochera, founder of
Coach Joelle, Inc., a life and executive coach.
What is Coach Joelle Inc?
For executives
, we empower business leaders to achieve success on their terms. We provide them with the tools and support to thrive in their business while sustaining a rich and meaningful life.
We guide individuals through a process of forward thinking and bold action so they can design their lives on purpose, go after their dreams and find personal happiness.
How did you come to be an entrepreneur?
It was 2000, I was a successful leader working in corporate America but I felt like there were pieces of me not being used up. So I set out to understand what I could do that would leave me fulfilled and having fun in my work.
One of the exercises I did was to write out my perfect day in my dream job.
If I could do anything I would work from home with a great view and a cup of tea and I would talk to people about life; what they were excited about; what they were afraid of; and I would give people back to themselves.
The description went on for pages, describing an "enlightened" peer group and wise mentor. A few short weeks later I began to see tiny articles about this thing called life coaching. It seemed that my fantastical wild out-there job actually existed, this thing was legit and within a month I had signed up to be trained as a certified coach.
The transition to entrepreneurship came fast and furious when troubling news at work shook me to the core. I remember distinctly thinking, “If they don’t fix this issue I am going to have to leave.” I sat with the idea for about an hour as I imagined my life as a full time professional coach.
By the end of the hour, I was clear. Even if they did fix the issue, I had to leave. I gave my boss two months’ notice and stepped out into the life I had dreamed up and I have never looked back.
Can you share a funny or amazing entrepreneurial experience with our readers?
I was in my late 20s and I was testing out my fresh new coaching skills facilitating a team of leaders at a mechanical contracting company.
Picture a room of 25 middle age construction guys and me there trying to get them to put the past away, resolve old grievances and engage in creating a united vision for the future. There were moments in that four-hour session when I looked out at the group and thought, what the heck am I doing here?!
At the break I went into the restroom and looked at myself sternly in the mirror and told myself, “These people need you to show up and serve them. They are ready for this. You can do this. Now get your butt out there and rock that room!”
After the event the executive who hired me caught up with me in the parking lot and not only was he totally satisfied with the event, he wanted us to do the same thing with his Austin team.
I share this story to remind everyone who is reaching outside their comfort zone that believing in yourself is an essential part of the equation.
What inspires you?
Few things inspire me more than people speaking their truth and fulfilling on their dreams. When I hear about someone like Roz Savage who quit her corporate gig to row across oceans for the environment, that inspires me.
Or when clients email me to share the bold action they have taken, the hard conversations they have had, the wild out-there serendipities that are transpiring and the dreams they have made come true, that inspires me.
What’s next for you and your company?
As Coach Joelle Inc. continues to grow and evolve I find alignment is essential.
Basically, you can make money or you can make money and make a difference. As a coach you can put life vests on individuals in a dysfunctional and harsh business environment or you can go all in and set out to shift the culture.
When a company is committed to profit and healthy culture, when they are willing to put people as a priority and are interested in being a great place to work and engaging in conscious capitalism, that is the company where we can make the biggest difference for individuals, for the organization and for the world.