How do our actions at work affect our success? The truth is, no matter how smart or skilled you are, your career can be derailed if you just rub people the wrong way. The good news is anyone can apply a few simple tools to improve how they're viewed by others. It all starts with becoming self-aware.

As a professional, are you seeking a better connection to your work? Needing a greater focus and more balance? Wanting to improve your leadership skills? Or perhaps looking to make a career transition? If “yes” or “maybe” to any of these questions, you could benefit from a business coach. Here, in these three short videos, is my take on what you can gain from coaching, plus a couple of key takeaways.

After being diagnosed with colon cancer in January 2016 – requiring surgery and six months of chemo – I mustered up all of my coaching skills to help me deal with this unexpected adversity.

The starting point was to set an audacious goal. For me, that meant focusing on my passion: Horses and – in between bi-weekly chemo treatments (no matter how difficult) – competing in physically and mentally demanding horse show jumping events.

What if you could turn your fear of failure into a passionate pursuit for growth and success? In other words, be dauntless: Fail Forward!

If you’re like me, when you think about doing something new and challenging, the negative bells and whistles go off in your head: This is a really bad idea and a whole lot can go wrong. 

As a coach, I concentrate on clients’ challenges and how to help them move forward, while keeping personal obstacles to myself. However, one of my BIG hurdles is worth sharing. In 2016, I went through one of the toughest battles I may ever face: beating Cancer.

When was the last time you set out to do something – big or small – and soon heard that familiar voice in your head trying to talk you out of it? If you’re like me, the annoying chatter – which often includes: "You can't...you shouldn't…you're going to lose, be embarrassed, be rejected, disappoint someone...you're going to fail" – is hard to overcome.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the kinetic, viral reaction to Katty Kay and Claire Shipman’s recent article in The Atlantic, “The Confidence Gap,” spotlighting how women with loads of competence seem to lack equal amounts of confidence. And here’s a not-so-shocking revelation: All success correlates just as closely with confidence as it does with competence.