Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Yu.
Hi Vanessa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I had a surprise pregnancy with child #3. I was 40, happy with my UT job in grant administration, my kids were at a wonderful, more independent age where traveling and sleep were easy, and life overall was great. This pregnancy threw me for a loop as there were many surprises along the way. I decided it was best for everyone to quit my job and return to a full-time life at home for various reasons, even though deep down I knew this probably wasn’t the best for me. A year after I had child #3, I had to take a hard look at myself and realize I was restless and unhappy. The guilt around these feelings made it hard to move forward; I found myself stuck. The pandemic had hit, we were homebound, and I decided it was time to take care of me. I finally had the time to focus on me since I wasn’t driving around kids to school, extracurricular events, friend’s homes, etc. I had space for myself, so I took it!
I hired a life/career coach to help me navigate my next move. I knew I wanted to help people and be on my own schedule, but I was unclear on which path to take. I had narrowed my next career move to three choices: 1) real-estate 2) graduate school for family therapy or 3) life coach. After a few months of working with my life coach, the clarity I gained, the confidence that blossomed and the self-awareness that I experienced allowed me to move forward with life coaching with so much joy and enthusiasm. I enrolled in a coaching program certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and never looked back.
I started my coaching practice in October 2020. The first year I coached anyone who wanted to be coached. I worked with teens, college students, an engineer, medical professionals, stay-at-home moms, moms wanting to return to the workforce, managers in tech, insurance, some in oil and gas, a physical therapist, business owners, and those seeking career pivots. I had an array of amazing individuals that needed help getting unstuck.
Through partnering with a variety of clients with many different needs and backgrounds, I found myself gravitating and enjoying those who were in leadership or wanting to be in leadership. Coaching the new manager was invigorating. Coaching the director who impacted several other teams was impactful for me. Coaching the manager in tech lit me up. After much reflection on why working with leaders brought so much energy and joy, I realized that this was probably going to be my niche. To test this thought, I launched a women’s only leadership coaching group I designed and created. Our six weeks together helped me understand the synergy between educating and coaching: educating women on tools to grow into an authentic, compassionate, strong leaders coupled with powerful coaching was magic for me.
Now I am flushing out my work within this niche of leadership development. My style is to combine life coaching with leadership development in a warm, fun, honest, and compassionate way. I work with both men and women who desire to be leaders who want to grow themselves and grow others around them. I am out to help leaders know who they are, what they bring to the table, and strengthen their inner compass so that they can lead with clarity, confidence and compassion and grow their teams.
I love my job and am thankful I can support people in their own journeys personally and professionally. I am always honored when someone chooses me to work on their personal foundation work or professional development needs. This fall I plan to launch a couple of coaching groups and workshops for small to mid-size businesses who want to grow their leaders. The power of coaching is amazing and I want to share it as much as I can.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a small business has not been a smooth road. Many times I doubt myself. Fears come up and at times I feel paralyzed. Not having a team to support me or be a sounding board can feel daunting. However, I have been able to push through, reach out for help, coach myself through the fears, the limiting beliefs, and the doubts. What has helped immensely is knowing my own core values. If I can just lean into one of them, I light up and I can keep going. In business ownership, when I lean into “adventure”, I can do anything and my fears dissipate. I have also learned that failing is normal. I can’t make this business work if I don’t allow myself to fail and learn from the experience. The first time I launch my coaching group, I failed miserably. I didn’t market myself well, and I had zero inquiries. I quickly pulled my marketing from the social platforms and had a pity party. A few months later, I revisited the group coaching idea because i truly was passionate about the work I was doing. I decided to go about it all a different way, a way that was aligned with my values, the most important one of connection. I decided to personally invite women in leadership who inspire me. I emailed each one and told them my vision and how they would be an asset to this pilot program. I reached out to 8 ladies, and 7 signed up. I found a way to get my big idea started and it was easy and in alignment with who I was and how I enjoyed operating.
We’ve been impressed with Vanessa Yu Transformative Coaching, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a life and leadership coach certified through the International Coach Foundation (ICF). My desire is for you is to gain clarity on your why, your purpose so that you make a big impact on everyone around you. My want for you is to lead well by learning tools to be coach-like with your team. I partner with clients and organizations who are ready to level up their impact by being confident in who they are and leveraging their strengths, core values, and coaching tools. How do I do this with my clients or organizations? Keep reading!
I focus on your core values, critical needs, and strengths. I empower you to know who you are so that you can take on life and your profession with vision, clarity, and confidence. I will guide you to know and trust your inner compass for decision-making that aligns with who you are and where you want to be. I will also partner with you to be coach-like, learning the tools that create growth, trust, safety, and development for your team. The ripple effect is truly amazing to witness. Your life and career will be more impactful, and life is fuller and meaningful, and your team will appreciate that you care about their growth, too.
I have coached one-on-one with teens, college students, creatives, teachers, stay-at-home moms, business owners, therapists, physicians, engineers, managers, and executives. I have been blessed to have an array of clients who are all truly amazing humans. Right now, I am focusing my coaching work with professionals in leadership roles who want to grow and lead with confidence, impact, and drive. If you are hungry for change, let’s talk!
What sets me apart from other coaches is my unique style of holding both warmth and compassion with honesty, directness and edge that allows for my clients to get out of their comfort zone, stretch, and grow in a safe, trusting environment. I have often been called a “warm blanket” that affords a way for my clients to get to their core and find their inner compass. I also incorporate an array of tools within my work: cognitive, somatic, and heart-based tools. Because of my teaching background, I believe everyone learns and grows in their unique ways. I provide different modalities for my clients to reflect, stretch, grow, learn, and take action.
I offer two programs for my clients: 1) Groundwork program that focuses on the personal foundation work that is needed to live a life of impact and 2) Leadership Growth Program.
My Groundwork program covers tolerations, boundaries, core values, critical needs, discovering strengths, cultivating community, strengthening relationships, inner mentor, dealing with fears, unhooking from praise and criticism, exploring limiting beliefs, quieting your inner critic, callings, powerful communication, letting growth be easy and impactful self-care.
My Leadership program covers a coaching mindset, growing stronger relationships among teams and colleagues, cultivating trust and safety, maintaining presence, deep listening, evoking awareness, facilitating learning and growth, effective feedback, and conflict resolution.
When I am not coaching, I love hanging out with my husband and our 3 kids in Austin, TX. When I am out and about, you can find me meeting new people, hearing their stories, and giving hugs. Life is an adventure so I’m ready to take it all in.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I moved from El Paso, TX 27 years ago because I longed for water, greenery, diversity and the energy that Austin brings. I have really enjoyed and been fascinated with the way our city has grown. I love the diversity of people, the geographical landscape of water, the hill country, and urban architecture. I enjoy the vast options of cuisine, entertainment, and the outdoors. My favorite part of Austin that I have leaned into has been the outdoors. The hiking trails, the creeks, neighborhood parks, kayaking, and the wildlife have been a balm to my soul. I find that I can quickly anchor myself when I am out in nature pausing from the hustle and bustle of work and family life. Austin offers such beauty in so many hidden places throughout the city.
What I like least about the city: allergies and the humidity. However, I have an effective alternative allergy treatment that has improved my quality of life here in Austin.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coachvanessayu.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachvanessayu/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073832465438
Image Credits
Photo of me: Jennifer Knopp Photography
