Are you ready?
“When I first came to coaching with Christina, I had just been laid off from a career I’d poured a decade into. I felt like I was standing at the edge of something I couldn’t yet name—part grief, part possibility—and I knew I needed help navigating it.”
So many of us have been in Tamara’s shoes. Something happens and suddenly the world we knew is gone. Perhaps it’s layoff or a reorg, a move to a new city, the loss of a loved one. We feel like we’re standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure of what’s to come. We know what we’ve lost, we feel that very keenly. We don’t yet know what’s ahead. Maybe we have a sense of it, maybe it still feels foggy.
Grieving and celebrating
So often, when we’re in periods of transition, we feel the need to focus on what’s next - keep our eyes to the future. But we do ourselves a disservice when we don’t take time to acknowledge and grieve what we’ve lost and celebrate the good things from that chapter.
Our past, and what’s happening to us right now shape us. We are who we are because we’ve gone through it, because we are going through it. As Maya Angelou famously said, “Wouldn't take nothing for my journey now.”
Tamara and I started there. “From our very first session, Christina created space for me to process the loss and gave me permission to grieve the end of something meaningful. At the same time, she gently nudged me to celebrate everything I had built and accomplished over those ten years. That balance—of reflection and empowerment—was exactly what I needed.”
Owning the story
As Tamara was looking to her future, and finding a job that suited the next chapter of her career, a key step was to own her story. She wanted, and needed, to be able to share her successes in her previous role and talk about the tremendous experience she would bring to a new organization. But, like many of us do, Tamara was unsure about how to talk about herself and her story.
“One of the biggest challenges for me was owning my success. Christina helped me find a new way to tell my story by encouraging me to create an alter ego and a “hype page”—a creative, powerful tool that showcased my accomplishments, growth, and values. Through her thoughtful questions and intuitive coaching style, I uncovered a version of myself I hadn’t fully met before: someone fierce, capable, and worthy of celebration. That shift changed how I spoke about myself, how I showed up in conversations, and how I approached the next chapter of my career with more clarity and confidence.”
The shift in Tamara was inspiring to see - she wasn’t a victim of layoffs or caught up in the story of losing an environment that had shaped who she was. She was Tamara!
And you know what? Turns out, Tamara is pretty amazing. She’s strong and confident, absolutely incredible inside and out.
The best part? She was there all along, just waiting to come out when Tamara was ready for her.
Tamara is now in a new role, leveraging all of her great experience and knowledge.
Are you ready?
Whether you’re facing a significant change like Tamara, or just looking to close a gap between where you are and where you want to be, having the support of a coach can make a world of difference.
“If you’re considering working with Christina, I’d wholeheartedly encourage you to say yes. She brings insight, compassion, and just the right amount of challenge to help you break through what’s holding you back. Whether you’re navigating change, seeking clarity, or simply want someone in your corner who can ask the questions that truly matter—Christina is that coach.”
Should we talk?
You’re here. You want to be there. I can help.
Let’s talk. Book time, and we’ll figure out how to get you unstuck and get going.
How will you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
July 17, 2025
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
Book your free strategy session.
