I really felt heard, and that has been key to my trusting the coaching process.
Jodi is a great listener. I really felt heard, and that has been key to my trusting the coaching process. It helped me most to have someone in my corner, encouraging me, pointing out the negative talk in my head and the ways in which I can sabotage myself or be unfair to myself and those closest to me. Now I can have a dialogue with myself, using some of her visualization techniques, and push through the negative talk.
Jodi also comes across as calm, accepting, and caring. I felt that she was there for me and had no interest in judging. I had complete confidence in her discretion. She asked insightful questions and fully listened to my issues and answers, gently guiding me to solutions with her support, and often in unexpected directions that created productive insights.
N.B. Age 36 – Africa
Jodi provided amazing insight and support.
Choosing to work with Jodi was the best decision I made for myself this year. My life transformed dramatically since entering the expat world, and I realized I needed help in sorting out what was truly important to me and how best to navigate all of the crazy transitions ever present in this lifestyle. Jodi provided amazing insight and support. I am now feeling much more confident in my life decisions and excited about the future!
J.C., Foreign Service Officer
It really helped me to talk (these issues) through.
Thank you Jodi! I know that I should have been able to recognize these issues before, but it really helped me to talk them through with you and get your feedback, opinion and perspective.
Franchesca
It was very easy to talk to her because she gets what I’m going through!
Working with Jodi was great! She listened to what I said and helped me figure out how to work through my issues. When I couldn’t figure it out she had great suggestions. It was very easy to talk to her because she gets what I’m going through!
M.J.N., Tokyo
You were also incredibly supportive and encouraging.
By reflecting what I was saying and asking pointed questions it helped me to find things that I was thinking and feeling but wasn’t able to articulate myself and made me really question and explore my thoughts as well. You were also incredibly supportive and encouraging which allowed me to feel confident in myself and my ideas as I developed my focus/mantra.
D.C.; Morocco; Age 41
You exude great qualities: patience, listening, kindness, relating to people, understanding.
Thank you for creating an opportunity for me to speak frankly without fear of judgement or misunderstanding. It can be difficult and not flattering for women to speak boldly about their abilities and desires particularly when it comes to their obligations as an FS spouse and mother. I appreciate being able to lament to you my feeling of loss regarding my career and value in this area. And then being able to translate that into action.
You exude great qualities: patience, listening, kindness, relating to people, understanding. Your scheduling calendar is fantastic and very accommodating. I love the email confirmation and reminders. Your knowledge of the expat life was key to wanting to work with you.
Danielle, Expat, Foreign Service Spouse, Professional Age 38
I liked being able to connect with someone who has walked in my shoes.
I valued just being able to say some of this stuff out loud to someone. Getting organized in a way that I have a written plan now of things I need. Taking the time to think about my needs and seeing what I have and what I need. I liked being able to connect with someone who has walked in my shoes and truly understands first hand the big trials of transition and being in the foreign service. You are a very good listener.
A. Thompson
Jodi, you’re very easy to talk with and very good at ‘gentle nudging’.
Foundation Focus (now Mantra Builder) helped me to spell out more clearly my needs for a happy, more balanced life, and put more focus on emotional, spiritual, emotional needs. I didn’t realize how much I like to ‘play’ until you pointed it out! Jodi, you’re very easy to talk with and very good at ‘gentle nudging’ to pull out thoughts and information.
Kathy, USA; Editor/Foreign Service Family Member
You are an excellent listener, and talking openly with you made me feel safe, as if anything is possible.
Foreign Service Officer, US Dept. of State; Age 40
You were a great listener and really heard what I had to say.
You are awesome. I felt relaxed and comfortable speaking with you. You were a great listener and really heard what I had to say. I was able to really take the time and think of the stuff that mattered the most to me. Then being able to verbalize to my husband my feelings or thoughts. I learned that it was ok to have certain feelings, i.e anxiety or sadness, especially being relatively new with to this lifestyle.
Christine; USA
Those shifts moved me away from feeling disappointed and frustrated to feeling empowered with purpose.
During our sessions, I realized that I was identifying a lot of “big” wants that simply were unattainable at this time, in this lifestyle. While those things were/are important to me, leaving no room on the list for attainable things and focusing solely on a wish list was affecting my outlook negatively. Looking at those wants and figuring out how I could modify them to fit my reality today made me feel more positive. Those shifts moved me away from feeling disappointed and frustrated to feeling empowered with purpose.
Sarah; USA; Age 36
The sessions helped me zero in on aspects of my life that really matter to me.
Michelle; USA; Age 38
I feel like my entire outlook on life has changed.
You got me thinking about what I need in this lifestyle and gave me the tools to start making changes. I feel like my entire outlook on life has changed. You gave me the keys to unlock my own happiness. Thank you! Foundation Focus went above and beyond!
Foreign Service Spouse
Finding that foundation for me was extremely clarifying.
Working with you helped me dig through the layers of things that occupy my mind to find the core of what matters most to me and deserves my attention. Finding that foundation for me was extremely clarifying and put all my other wants/needs/tasks into perspective.
You not only made the space comfortable to share my feelings, concerns, fears, but you listened fully and were able to reflect back what you heard in ways that helped me hear myself and see myself better. You provided helpful, practical guidance on next steps to take each time we met.
Christine; Age 45
You really listened to us and gave us great direction. It felt very tailored to us.
Nicole; USA
Jodi offered a new way of looking at things.
Jodi is insightful, organized, and professional. Just when I felt “stuck” Jodi offered a new way of looking at things or approaching it and got me back on track again. I really enjoyed the experience and insight.
Sharon Miracle-Harris, Corporate Communications Director – TreeTop; USA; Age 55
I learned to trust in myself.
With Foundation Focus (now Mantra Builder) I learned to trust in myself, that I am more valuable than I perceive myself to be and that this lifestyle is pretty great after all.
P.L.
Jodi was present and engaged.
It was very helpful for me to realize that there were others who were having the same feelings and problems that I was. It makes you feel less lonely. Jodi was present and engaged. It was as though I was talking through things with a friend who was able to lead me to the answers that I already kind of knew, but needed to work to find them.
K.G. Nepal
Working with Jodi I learned, “I need to trust myself more. I do have insight.”
Ann; USA; Age 45
Jodi made me feel more comfortable and able to talk freely.
Working with Jodi taught me that what I thought I want and what I actually want are two different things. It also taught me how to be more strategic with my time to align with what is important to me and it taught me that I can tie my personal situation to my end goal/what I want to get out of life – they don’t have to be viewed as mutually exclusive. The highlights of working with Jodi were developing my personal mantra (which I now view as my guiding light), Jodi’s ability to switch topics and address different ideas in the moment and the fact that she was not at all pressuring – which made me feel more comfortable and able to talk freely. For some reason I had the perception that a coach would push too hard. That was not the case with Jodi. She more than met my expectation.
Janice; Japan – Former Commercial Banking V.P./Expat; Age 37
I loved how you seemed to get it.
Your understanding and openness were really helpful. I loved how you seemed to get it and be able to put things in a perspective or just repeating it actually so I could hear it from someone else and its meaning was more known or less known then.
C. Flint; Japan; Age 34
You stretched me without making me feel down.
You are a different kind of listener, genuine and compassionate without being at all hokey. That’s unique, and was exceptionally valuable in my feeling safe and accepted as we worked together. Also, you stretched me without making me feel down. I mean that you pushed me but the result was good, not difficult or saddening. It wasn’t tricky, guilt-laden or at all wasteful to spend time on something purely for me. Of course my mantras might benefit people around me, but honestly I’m the core beneficiary. I worried I’d feel selfish. I didn’t.
J. Johnson; Japan – Expat; Age 42
I most valued having a safe space to discuss important heart work.
In our work together I most valued having a safe space to discuss important heart work. I learned to trust the process. I know what I need when I take time to slowdown and access that inner voice. I was also reminded that a strength can also be a weakness when not guided by principles.
Kamsin Kaneko; Japan – Expat, Writer
I feel it was amazing that I achieved more clarity.
I valued the time you set aside to listen to me, and to push me to think deeply and to reflect by way of the assignments and the questions you would ask during the sessions. In fact, I feel it was amazing that I achieved more clarity and a stronger connection to my true self in just three sessions.
Yesenia Bruckschen; Korea – Expat/Teacher/Foreign Service Spouse; Age 43
I felt like our discussions really moved me forward.
I really appreciated having a dedicated space to work out these “expat issues” because in daily life it’s hard to find a space which is so open and focused on the inside/heart issue, rather than career imperatives and family obligations. Working with Jodi definitely met my expectations. I felt like our discussions really moved me forward into a new place and gave me a lot to think about and to act on.
Human Rights Officer; Ukraine; Age 34
I most valued thinking about how I define myself.
Working with Jodi I was able to focus on the following areas – reflection into specific scenarios regarding self definition, insight into how I value time and insight into whether I really want the things on my “why am I not committing to this” list. I most valued thinking about how I define myself, the words I use to describe myself and the expat and NZ based sides of me.
Jo; Japan
The two sessions with Jodi gave me the time and inspiration to focus.
I find myself at a new phase of life. After many years living abroad I have repatriated to my home country with my family. Jodi mentioned Vision Crafting to me and it seemed the perfect time for me to create something for what is next for me. The two sessions with Jodi gave me the time and inspiration to focus. Life is busy and I don’t always take the time to sit and focus on myself. Creating a vision, for me, serves as a possibility to walk towards and into as I enter this new phase. It is also a written reminder of who I am and where I am going. This has been a great exercise for me and working with Jodi was thought provoking and inspiring.
Lucy
I loved every session with Jodi.
I learned so much about myself and loved the opportunity to work with an ‘outsider’ who looked at my situation in a neutral way. I think about the way I approach things differently right now and loved every session with Jodi. She is an excellent listener and is excellent at navigating our conversations in a meaningful way.
Emily
