Today we’d like to introduce you to Zeina Kronfol.
Hi Zeina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From the time I started my first job out of graduate school, I knew I was destined to do more. I remember someone asking me early on “where do you see yourself in ten years?”, a question I used to love answering, but at the time when I looked around, everyone seemed miserable. I saw colleagues and people in leadership roles who never saw their families. I saw others suffering from stress-related health issues or projecting their discontent onto everyone around them. I knew that was the opposite of what I wanted, but I struggled to figure out what it was that I did want instead.
Regardless, I spent years successfully moving up the ladder in the corporate world, doing all the things I was “supposed” to do. Despite a laundry list of wins and accomplishments, the work that once lit me up started to make me feel less and less fulfilled. I wanted to help people. Like really make an impact and change people’s lives, but I had no idea how. That’s when I turned inward and started my self-healing journey.
Today, after years of repeating patterns and learning some painful lessons, I’m doing things that even a few months ago I didn’t think were possible. In the areas of my life where I never received mentorship or guidance, I learned the tools to give those to myself. I enrolled in intensive training programs. I received a handful of certifications. I did the work. And as I continued to invest in myself and accept all of the parts of me that I had once rejected, I became more and more equipped to leverage my experiences to help and guide others to do the same.
It wasn’t until I started to embrace all of the differences that once set me apart, that I began to thrive in both my personal and professional life. All of these experiences, combined with my desire to make a difference in the lives of others, led me to change career paths and transition into Coaching. I started by getting certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a Holistic Life, Career, and Executive Coach, then decided to start my own Coaching business, which ultimately led me to lean into being an entrepreneur full-time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As the child of two amazing immigrant parents, growing up first-generation American had its challenges. I became hyper-aware and sensitive to my differences pretty early on and always felt like I struggled to fit in or feel at “home,” both in living in the US or spending summers abroad in Lebanon. I spent years people-pleasing, trying to be a chameleon in order to be accepted in opposing cultures and amongst friends and family, but that ultimately got me nowhere.
As I’ve reflected on my past experiences, I’ve learned that my biggest struggles have been with myself, which caused me to be loyal to a fault to many people and stay in toxic situations much longer than I should have. For years I struggled to know myself and what I wanted because I was so accustomed to basing my happiness and self-worth on those around me.
While it has taken me a while to unpack a lot of this, it’s now clear to me why I had to go through all of these experiences to be where I am today. My diverse cultural background and upbringing have allowed me to see things from different perspectives and become passionate about working with people who struggle with fully accepting every part of who they are.
Having deconstructed my own deeply layered identity issues, many stemming from language and cultural dilemmas, I can now leverage my experiences to help others learn the tools to overcome the limiting beliefs holding them back in their careers and other areas of their lives. By empowering people to find their voice and purpose, they’re able to gain the confidence to come out on the other side and thrive.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Sea Rock Coaching?
I’m the Founder and CEO of Sea Rock Coaching™, where I help people discover their purpose in life, lean into what lights them up, and navigate change so they can start living more fulfilling lives.
I specialize in supporting and empowering people to confidently work through career transitions, with a soft spot for those looking to exit the corporate world or thrive in their existing entrepreneurial and creative endeavors. My work is unique because I go much deeper than just taking a surface-level look at my clients’ problems. I partner with them to take a holistic look at their lives to create awareness, identify blocks, work through limiting beliefs and determine the tools needed to continuously move forward in areas they feel stuck in or afraid to leave. Since I’ve walked the walk myself, I pride myself on being able to offer personalized guidance and help others in ways that I wish I had access to years ago.
I’ve poured a lot of thought and energy into my brand and am extremely proud of everything I’ve created so far. The name and logo pay homage to a famous landmark in Beirut (Rock of Raouché, also known as Pigeon Rock) near where my grandma used to live, and I love being able to carry that with me.
The brand and logo also hold a lot of symbolism. The sea has always been very calming and grounding for me, but that peace and serenity can also be short-lived, so knowing how to stay grounded and create a strong foundation is crucial in order to persevere through change. My tagline “make waves,” speaks to owning your truth, making a difference in the world, and shaking things up if that’s what you want to do. Someone once told me that you have two paths in life, one is your purpose, and the other comes about from experiences, circumstances, conditioning, etc. Many of us start feeling angry, resentful, and unfulfilled when these two paths are not aligned. This can also physically manifest itself in our bodies and show up as “dis-ease.” That’s why it’s essential for me to genuinely see and coach the whole person, not just the problems that clients come to work with me on.
I’m very passionate about the work that I do and love being able to serve clients all over the world. I currently offer three coaching packages, all of which are tailored to each of my client’s unique needs, with the option for add-ons or extensions. All sessions are done virtually unless agreed upon otherwise, so it’s very flexible.
Hands down, the fighter in me. This relentless part of me has paved the way for my success by creating a solid foundation of consistency, determination, and dedication that shows up in everything I do. As an entrepreneur (and Projector, if you’re familiar with Human Design), I’m very grateful for this quality because it helps me show up and get through even the toughest of times.
Contact Info:
- Website: searockcoaching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/searockcoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/searockcoaching
Image Credits
Personal photo and 2 additional professional photos Diana Davis @ddgoesdigital
