"When I started the People Pleaser No More™ Program with Cookie, my career was in chaos. I had a long string of jobs and business ventures on my resume, none of which met my needs for income or fulfillment, and I was desperate for clarity and a sense of direction.
Even though I was a little skeptical about life coaching (I thought that life coaching was only for people like Oprah), I decided to give it a shot. And I am so glad I did. Within a few sessions I was on track to creating the life I wanted. Cookie helped me understand that I have the power to shape my life and career, and she gave me practical strategies to make things happen. By the end of the People Pleaser No More? Program, I had accomplished my goal of creating a financially rewarding career that fit around my life, not the other way around."
Myrna E. Arroyo
Attorney, Author & Entrepreneur
Baton Rouge, LA |
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Client Interview with Cookie Tuminello
Please take a moment to read this before hiring Cookie.
How long have you been a business and personal success coach and how did you get to be a Success Coach for Women?
I have been a coach for more than 12 years. To answer this question, I will share with you my defining moment and "my story" that brought me to where I am today; coaching professional women and entrepreneurs on how to get rid of overwhelm, unleash their potential, and create more success and less stress in their business than they ever dreamed possible.
Well, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. Here's my story.
As women we all struggle with being people pleasers, but as Southern women your worth is measured by it. I think it's a gene we get at birth. Add to that, my full-blooded Italian, Catholic roots and you have a "gotta feel guilty to feel good" double whammy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my heritage. I come from a very close knit, passionate, Italian Catholic family that I dearly love. However, because I was taught to be a nurturer and server from birth, it took me a lot longer (50 years to be exact), to figure out what I wanted and where I was going.
Like many Italian girls, I married early at age 19. Two children and 11 years later, I was divorced, dazed, and feeling like a failure. With a family to support, I got a job and started over. Five years later, I met and married the man of my dreams. After only 14 months of wedded bliss, I unexpectedly became a young widow at 36. Even though I was numb with grief, giving up was not an option. Unfortunately, I knew this scenario well. My own mother became a widow at 46.
After several attempts to find my place, I started my own image consulting business. After many years of burying myself in my work and family, I began to question a lot of things in my life.
A friend knew I was struggling and suggested I attend a personal development workshop with her. My life was changed forever. The defining moment for me was when the coach asked me to stop and "check in" - I thought he meant the hotel! I had no idea I'd been living my life so cluelessly and unconsciously. I finally got "it". And "it" was three powerful revelations. They were:
- ...I had choices.
- ...I had to please myself first before I could please others.
- ...I had to take back my power.
As a result of these amazing revelations, I climbed out of the deep hole I had dug for myself. I became a coach and started my own company at 50. Some of us take a little longer than others to get "it".
After I took that first big step, I thought, "OK, now what?"
The problem with people pleasing is that it's woven into the fabric of your life and into the expectations of others. Once you make the choice to climb out of that deep, dark hole, the universe is going to challenge you every day to see if you're really serious. Even though I was considered a gutsy Southern lady, people pleasing had diminished me. It had squelched my passion, my power, my purpose, and my dreams. Most importantly, it had taken away my precious freedom.
The time had come for me to reclaim the pieces of myself that I'd given away throughout my life. It was time to take back my power.
I now had to identify the "it" that was holding me back. "It" was?
- ...I was afraid to ask for what I wanted.
- ...I was afraid to say "NO".
- ...I was afraid to set boundaries.
- ...I was afraid to charge more for your services.
And why was I so afraid?
Well, my history, my traditions, and my parents had taught me well how to be "seen and not heard", Yes Ma'am and Yes Sir. Now I had to risk not being liked. To illustrate, when I started my coaching business, it was suggested that I use my given name, Beverly, because it sounded more professional than Cookie. And of course, believing others knew more than I did, I acquiesced. After about a year, I was having a major identity crisis with the name thing. I had been nicknamed "Cookie" since birth and that's all anyone had ever called me plus I liked it. I decided to risk not being liked. Hence, Success Source was born, featuring yours truly, Cookie Tuminello, Success Coach. Ah, I felt whole again. And off I went to claim my place as a successful business woman and help other Southern women do the same.
The good news about climbing out of the people pleasing hole and up the ladder of success is that the more you apply what you learn, the more you grow and the more confident you become.
I learned that the difference between success and merely surviving was the ability to discover and recognize my own core values (those things I hold most dear), and then integrate them into every aspect of my personal and professional life.
Remember my first two revelations? Well, this brings me to my third revelation:
Owning The Power Within.
What a revelation finally waking up and realizing I had all the tools I needed to be successful right inside of me. I just needed to learn how to use them. What a relief! I thought that was a gene I didn?t get at birth.
From that moment on, I have dedicated myself to helping other professional and entrepreneurial women go from being overwhelmed, overcommitted, and overpowered, to more productivity, more balance, and more money while having more time off. Since then, I've worked with hundreds of private clients, spoken in front of countless women's groups, and have created my own People Pleaser No More™ System: a series of 8 powerful steps that every professional and entrepreneurial woman needs to know to be a successful NOW.
What personality type do you work best with and what is expected of you?
The Success Source Coaching Program was created for high achieving, high powered professional women who are drop dead serious about getting rid of the "Over Syndrome" - overwhelmed, overcommitted, overworked, and overpowered. They are tired of doing the same thing over and over and not getting the results or the success they want and deserve. They are ready to get support and take more focused action to get where they want to go. They want more time, more money, more success, more confidence, and more balance in their lives so that when they put their head on the pillow they can feel relieved knowing they are implementing the right SUCCESS SYSTEMS and the right MINDSET to attract MORE of what they DO want and LESS of what they DON'T want in their business and their lives.
Being a high achieving, go-getter myself, I work best with other high achieving go-getters who are super ready to get going and just want to know what steps to take to get there.
What I will expect from you as a client is to be open to possibilities and ready to take focused consistent action toward your goals. I don't work well with clients who whine consistently, make excuses, don't complete assignments, and challenge every new idea with a "Yeah, but", We're not going to get results that way.
How are you different from other business coaches?
I am different in two ways. One difference is that I only work with professional and entrepreneurial women. So my coaching is specifically designed to help you work smarter not harder, get rid of personal limitations that hold you back, and reach your full potential. The other difference is that I have been where you are and I know what it's like to feel frustrated and lack the support and encouragement to pursue your dreams. My expertise and passion lies in inspiring and empowering women, just like you, to attract more of what you do want and less of what you don't want in your life. Not to mention, my compassion, honesty, humor, and straight forward attitude makes the learning process fun. And, I practice and live these skills everyday in my own life.
What happens when you begin to work with your clients?
You begin to learn the 8 Strategies of my People Pleaser No More™ System to get you out of the overwhelm of everyday business life and into the ease and success you want and deserve. See what you begin to learn:
Define what success means to you.
Use your Core Values to make all decisions.
Begin to set boundaries, say NO.
Ask for what you want.
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Master the art of presenting ideas and handling difficult conversations.
Plan to succeed daily.
Carve out "YOU" time regularly.
Does this system really work?
Before I answer that, let me ask you this. How long are you going to wait to have your life become the way you want it to be?
I bet you're thinking to yourself right now (I know because I've been there and said the same things to myself). "Well, maybe I'll just hold off hiring a coach until things slow down or until I can make more money." Is that you talking or is that your fear and overwhelm talking? Think about this. There is business, money, and opportunities slipping through your hot little fingers because you are too overwhelmed, overworked, and overpowered to see and take advantage of them. Isn't it time to break the cycle? This program is what will reverse that cycle for you, for good, NOW.
So to answer your question... YES, THIS SYSTEM REALLY DOES WORK. To see results, you need to be totally committed to taking action and have the resources - time, energy, and drive- to carry you through. This is not a quick fix and I don't have any magic pixie dust to sprinkle on you, and it takes at least 6 months or more for the seeds to grow, but all of my clients who have diligently applied every step of my People Pleaser No More™ System have successfully grown themselves and their businesses, in much less time than they would have on their own and are "Raving Fans". Best of all, clients are excited to report that the results achieved from our working together more than made up for the coaching investment.
Can I contact some of your former clients to see what it's like to work with you?
You most definitely can and I encourage you to do so. Please go to my Client Testimonial page and read all of them. See which ones speak to you, either because the person has gotten the results you want to get, or perhaps they are in a similar profession. Then email me and I will send you their contact information. Afterwards, drop me a short email and let me know how it went for you.
How will we work together and what does the program entail?
In private Success Source coaching, you receive valuable tools and support you need to stop the people pleasing, take back your power and create more success for you and your business in record time. Together we will create action plans that will help you create the success you want and deserve NOW. Which of the following options work best for you?
THE VIP TOTAL ACCESS PROGRAM
Three 1 hour coaching calls per month plus additional phone and unlimited email support
This 6 month program is for high achieving, high powered business women who want to move extraordinarily fast in getting themselves and their business on track now. In this program, we schedule three 45-minute calls per month, one per week, to get you on track and speeding through the process of getting rid of the overwhelm and building your business. I roll up my sleeves and get in the trenches with you and give you the crucial feedback and tools you'll need to get moving quickly. In addition to the above, I am also available to you by phone or email whenever you need me, to help you work through a breakdown or need a reassuring pat on the back. This is the most popular program and creates the best results, by far, simply because you have more time with me and more guidance with me.
THE BASIC PROGRAM
Three 45-minute coaching calls per month
This 6 month program is for independent self-starters who want to take consistent action in practice building, strategize, collaborate and brainstorm with me on any issues or assignments that come up, and are confident they don't need to speak every week with me to do this. With this program, we schedule three 45-minute calls per month, one per week, to get you moving quickly, stay on track and eliminate obstacles currently in your way so you can achieve your goals faster than you would on your own.
THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (For Graduates)
Two 45-minute coaching calls per month
Created for "graduates" of at least 6 months from one of my other programs who feel they've done most of the groundwork and simply need occasional maintenance - tune-up's. This program is not recommended for beginners, as there's more work to be done initially before you can gain momentum. This program includes two 45-minute calls per month.
Why is each program 6 months?
The intention behind coaching is to create a sustainable foundation for you to learn and grow yourself and your business. As you know, change takes time, practice, and rigor. As you can imagine, it takes a minimum of 6 months of our working together to apply all the steps and give you the confidence you need to create the success you want and deserve. Keep in mind, coaching is only for women who are truly serious about getting results.
Will it work?
YES, it will! Obviously, to see results, you need to be totally committed to taking action and have the resources - time, energy, and drive, to carry you through. This is not a quick fix and I don't have any pixie dust to sprinkle on you! It takes at least 6 months for the seeds to grow once sown. All of my clients who have diligently applied every step of my People Pleaser No More™ Success System have successfully grown themselves and their businesses, in much less time than they would have on their own and have since become "raving fans". Best of all, my clients are excited to report that they were more than able to quickly recoup the coaching investment costs as a direct result of our working together. (Please see Client Testimonials)
Okay, I know which program I want. How do we get started?
Great! Did you know that one of the most prominent characteristics of successful people is that they take action? They invest in themselves and their future and they take educated risks. Do they make mistakes? Of course, they do! (We all do!). However, they are decisive, they take focused action, and they move forward much faster because they have a partner/coach in their corner guiding them and holding their hand every step of the way. It is also a well known fact that successful people make decisions based on their gut instinct. That being said, this must feel right to you, so let's get started.
Here's what you do!. Give me a call at 225.769.1109 or email me at Cookie@SuccessSource.biz and let me know which program will work best for you in terms of results you want to achieve. We'll set up a date and time for our first coaching call. You will receive a welcome packet from me through email. In it, you'll fill out your client information, goals that you want to achieve and focus on during our sessions, as well as your credit card information. You'll send this to me at least 2 days prior to your first call. Based on the information you send me about you and your business, I will customize a plan for you using the goals you want to achieve, and where you are now using the steps of the People Pleaser No More™ System to get the results you want. Since you will have completed the information forms, we will get right to work in our first session. You will get strategies and assignments to get you started on your path to success right away.
If I'm not sure I'm ready to get started. Can I sample your work at lower cost to see if it's the right solution for me?
Here are three actions you can take right now.
Sign Up for my FREE Report "50 Ways to Take Back Your Power Right NOW". Tips that will make an immediate difference when implemented. Click here
Sign up for FREE Weekly Ezine "Monday Morning Coffee With Cookie", filled with AHA nuggets and tips that will help you create the success and the life you want and deserve NOW. Click here.
Purchase my Personal Power Mini Pack for $29.95 on my products page. This Mini Pack will help you determine your Core Values. And there is a guided visualization process that will help you calm your chaos and get you back on track even on your worst days. Purchase Now
Sign up for one of my FREE Monthly "People Pleaser No More™" Teleclasses. Dates will be announced in my weekly newsletter, Monday Morning Coffee With Cookie.
I have a family and a busy life. Although I definitely want more time, more business, more success, and less stress, I don't have much time to spare. How much time do I need?
If you can even spare one hour a week, you will be able to take just one tiny step a week, or learn one new idea a week, you will be on your way to creating something worthwhile for yourself. Know that this approach will take longer than if you throw yourself into it wholeheartedly; however, if you don't ever start, you will never get there. I say your journey begins with one step and I know, personally, that I'd rather fail miserably at something I tried, than never to have given myself the chance to succeed.
A final thought. What I have found out is that if I really want something, I will find a way to make it work. The question is: how much do you want it?
OK, I'm ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple of additional questions. Can I call you?
Great, sounds like you are ready to be pulled into your future! Yes, if you have couple of questions just email my Client Relations Manager at Kirsten@SuccessSource.biz or call us at 337.984.1506 to set up a get-acquainted phone call with me.
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