CASE STUDIES
From “Stuck,”
Unemployed Divorcée to
Financial Professional:
A Client Case Study
The Transformational
Journey of
Marcia O. Prioleau
Background: how it started . . .
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcia sought coaching with Audacious Inner Works Institute because she felt “stuck” in her life. She was an unemployed, middle-aged divorcée with two young adult daughters living at home. A few years prior, she had relocated back to New York City, found work, and was making strides paying off debts. And then, the pandemic unleashed, bringing commerce and our lives to a halt, and Marcia found herself jobless and fearful once again.
Determined to change the trajectory of her life, Marcia partnered with Life Coach Glenda M. Francis for six months, from late fall 2020 to spring 2021, for weekly coaching sessions. She wanted to achieve from coaching greater self-knowledge of her strengths and gifts. She believed deeply that there was so much more she could accomplish and bring forth but wanted some guidance. And, she wanted to achieve financial stability for herself and her daughters.
After six months of doing the “audacious inner work,” Marcia emerged a transformed, self-grounded woman ready to design her career move. Here, we present Marcia’s extraordinary journey using a Q & A format.
Do you ever wish you could just push a button and hit reset when life gets chaotic?
– Marcia
In her own words . . .
I wanted to pretend that none of it was happening, and life would just carry on. I forced many smiles during this time. I did not want my children to see my pain and frustration (that did not always work). My state of mind was unhealthy. I was afraid for my future. I reached a point where I questioned if life was really worth living. And to top it off, my adult children were looking to me for guidance.
I was in deep search, searching for that magical button. As incomplete as I felt, I knew I had to get out of my head. I had gotten to the point where I was tired of running in circles. I prayed that my spirit would lead me to someone I would be able to connect with and truly unveil my pain. I started listening to speakers such as Wayne Dyer, Alan Watts, Leslie Brown—anyone that would kind of light a candle and shed some light in the darkness I was in. They were instrumental in coaching and changing lives, so I made a decision to find my own [coach]. So, this was how I was led to Glenda.
What was the experience like for you working with Life Coach Glenda?
When I first met with her, I kept saying I felt stuck with no direction. In excavating, she helped me to dive into my life experiences discovering where most of my traumas began. This was a huge aid in my healing process. She was also very instrumental in me discovering my strengths and lesser strengths creating balance that serves and empowers me.
Glenda was very influential in offering me tools that support me when I am having internal battles with myself. Again, I have to say I looked forward to my sessions. It did not matter what mindset I came into the session with. I always left feeling empowered, laughing, and smiling.
What adjustments did you personally have to make to maximize the coaching experience?
What did you explore in coaching that supported your transformation?
What tools did you explore that were useful to you and spurred these insights?
Questions are important coaching tools. What role did the questions play in fostering your self-awareness and growth?
What are some of the important takeaways or perspectives you’ve gained from coaching?
Past: I learned that my past no longer serves me. So, I give myself the opportunity to create space to shed the old version of me and grow.
Forgiveness: Forgive myself for being more committed to my struggles than my true worth.
Self-care: Show up for me. Nurture me, love me, embrace all the good and the bad and never deplete me.
Peace: I give it to myself. I choose what and who I allow to have access to me. I get to choose my peace.
Happiness: Not determined by anyone or any external factor. I hold that key. I do not find a happy life, I make it.
Love: The key to love is to love self. I give myself permission to show up for me, to forgive me, accept every part of me. I give myself permission to be true to me. I give myself permission to say “no” [to others] and “yes” to me.
When you reflect on your coaching (and life) journey, what epiphanies emerge for you?
Marcia Today: How it’s Going Post-Coaching . . .
As a result of life coaching, Marcia has
- strengthened her personal foundation:
- gained deeper self-awareness and self-knowledge
- become acquainted with her character strengths and core values
- developed a healthier self-concept, self-esteem, and self-confidence
- clarified her self-care practices and implemented lifestyle changes to prioritize her wellness
- developed new tools and perspectives for a purposeful life
- started to envision and plan for a hopeful future, one rooted in legacy building for her children
During the latter phase of the coaching experience, Marcia challenged herself to explore real estate because she loved interior design and thought she could stage homes. She overcame her fear to earn her real estate license and became an agent! She later completed a life and health Insurance certification course to help her family and others protect themselves and their loved ones’ future. In the process, she fell in love with this work and has discovered her work passion. Together with her daughters, who are also certified, they currently work as a team of financial professionals for a major insurance company in New York City!
“Stuck” and financially insecure no longer, Marcia has transformed her life by the doing the audacious inner work, both in and out of the coaching sessions. Today, she’s living a life of her own design and a creating a powerful legacy for her daughters! How AUDACIOUS! 💪🏾👏🏽