Blog #237
My wife, Reka, is an individual and couples counselor, as well as a life coach. She is originally from London and has a unique counseling background. As a professionally trained and certified English accountant, Reka worked for many years with a venture capital firm in the UK. Here in the US, Reka has owned multiple business and has been married to me. In other words, Reka can “speak” accountant, small business owner, small business spouse, counselor, and now, coach.
I have done some counseling and coaching, too, in that I am a business coach and advisor. When asked about the differences between our work, I say that counseling deals with the challenges of the past whereas coaching typically addresses the fears and roadblocks of the future. Candidly, I think there is more of a blend of the two than either profession would like to admit. In both cases, I believe the greatest value is having someone 100% present for you when you are facing a challenge. It should be someone who really listens with their whole being; who asks caring, direct questions; and who will challenge you in a supportive, non-confrontational manner. Reka does all this exceptionally well.
For a good chunk of 2019, Reka was flying to Chicago every other month for her coaching certification coursework. Between trips, she was studying, doing homework, and counseling clients. Back at home, one of Reka’s initial clients postponed their session, so she asked if I would be willing to help. Being a supportive husband, I fully agreed – and being a bit arrogant, I might have rolled my eyes when agreeing. I wanted to be supportive, though, so I did it.
During our session, Reka did a great job asking questions and an even better job listening. Within a couple minutes, I transitioned from helping Reka by being a supportive test subject to the recipient of valuable and insightful information. I didn’t even notice it at first. By the end, I had written down an entire page of action item notes.
The next day, which was a Sunday, I went to my office early and spent the entire day working through a new strategy for myself. I was able to formulate a much clearer plan for next year with regards to my professional and personal development – and this never would have happened if it wasn’t for Reka’s coaching.
Reka now works with several coaching clients, and her counseling practice continues to grow. Just as she helped me, I am hoping to help her by getting the word out: Reka is offering free initial sessions while providing an accommodating sliding compensation scale. She is available to meet in person or through a Zoom video call.
As her husband, I could not be prouder of her for putting herself out there. As a coaching client, I can assure you that she has a great presence and is skilled at being totally present, supportive, and encouraging.
If you or anyone in your network is interested in doing coaching work with Reka, please reach out to her directly:
Reka Kluver
(402) 881-8125
Keep Smiling,
Kris