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This year May 8 – 12, 2023 was International Coaching Week.  This was the week we picked to have our Spring ICF Iowa Board Retreat.  We packed the day full of planning on all things Coaching and had a bit of fun together too.  Since we are located all over the State of Iowa, we picked Williamsburg, Iowa as a centralized location and met at the Public Library.  It was a beautiful day!



This year May 8 – 12, 2023 was International Coaching Week. This was the week we picked to have our Spring ICF Iowa Board Retreat. We packed the day full of planning on all things Coaching and had a bit of fun together too. Since we are located all over the State of Iowa, we picked Williamsburg, Iowa as a centralized location and met at the Public Library. It was a beautiful day!

As President, I am so honored to be leading this Board with some inspiring and dedicated Board members. We continue to look at our programming, networking activities and membership support to offer value to the profession of Coaching in Iowa and surrounding areas.

During the retreat, we discussed succession planning of the Board, program topics for this year and next, and identified activities to engage all members. We also discussed areas to give back to our communities through Coaching. As a fun team activity, over lunch we wrote letters to our current members. “Hello from ICF Iowa!”

Over the years, we have seen great growth and success in our Chapter. We are excited to continue this momentum in 2024 and are looking for Board members in the following roles:

• Vice President (succession planning for President’s role in 2025)
• Membership Director
• Treasurer

Our chapter’s success will depend on the continued dedication of our members so please consider ways to get involved. If not in a Board seat, we are also looking for members who are interested in hosting networking events, both virtually and in person. It is a great way to support coaching, build networks, and have some fun! Please reach out to me or any other Board member if interested.

ICF Iowa Coaches gain big impact during ICW2023 
In addition to our collective work, some of our ICF Iowa members celebrated International Coaching Week with special offerings, course participation and found big impact.  Here are a few of the highlights:

Dick Hannasch
Aware and Willing
Past President, ICF Iowa

I offered ten free 45-minute one-on-one coaching sessions via ICF's International Coaching Week website.  The site made it easy to create and list offerings, and I could leave the marketing to ICF. International Coaching Week was truly "international."  Seven of the ten people who signed up for my sessions were outside the USA.  Two were in Indonesia, and others were in The Netherlands, China, France, Kuwait, and Canada. The common thread among all my clients is they all felt "stuck" in some way and wanted coaching to help get "unstuck."  Some were coaches themselves, and others were not. I found it personally and professionally rewarding to help others and to be part of something bigger by joining other coaches in International Coaching Week. My hope for 2024 is that even more ICF Iowa members will be part of bringing coaching to the world.
 
Christine Clark
Sun Glow Transformation

International Coaching Week was a great experience.  I offered seven, one-on-one coaching sessions and three group coaching events.  It was a rush to have all the offerings fill quickly.  Working with people from all around the globe reinforced that we are more similar than different.  All humanity has the same core needs, wants, and desires.  We all doubt, struggle with our worthiness, and get stuck. Coaching is a gift and it’s an honor to coach others.
 
Lisa Brovold
Breathing Space Coaching
Treasurer, ICF Iowa

In life, growth often happens when we push ourselves beyond familiar boundaries and embrace new experiences. That's exactly what I did during International Coaching Week 2023 (ICW2023).

Typically, my coaching clients have been people I already know and have built a rapport with. However, when registrations started coming in from people I had never met before across the globe, I felt a mix of excitement and intimidation.

Aside from the pro bono coaching sessions I provided, I also attended three highly informative sessions during ICW2023. I learned more about Neurodiversity and Coaching 101, explored the world of Somatic Coaching, and listened to what a new coach and a reluctant entrepreneur coachee learned from each other in a fascinating experiment. Each session deepened my understanding of coaching and broadened my perspectives.

As ICW2023 drew to a close, I found myself eagerly anticipating ICW2024.  I wholeheartedly encourage all ICF Professional Coaches to participate next year, pushing themselves just beyond their comfort zones. It is through these experiences that we grow as coaches and make a positive impact on the lives of others.

As we transition in summer, we’ve got some great summer networking activities planned including:

• June 13, 2023 – Networking Events - Both Virtual (12 Noon) and In-person (Back Pocket in Johnston, Iowa)
• July 18, 2023 – Summer Morning Picnic with MOSAIC
• August 8, 2023 – Virtual Networking Event (12 Noon)