Member Spotlight: Leslie Collins, MA

by Deirdre Reinert

Leslie Collins' friendly smile and warm, approachable manner make her automatically seem like a woman to whom you'd confide your goals and hardships. During our interview on some cozy couches at the Magnolia Starbucks, I have to catch myself several times when I begin to talk about my background and areas of my own life that I feel could use improvement. An embarrassing amount of our tape-recorded conversation has to be fast-forwarded through when I listen to it later. "It's hard to go through those transitions sometimes," she comments sympathetically when I blabber on about my feelings about leaving the corporate world to pursue freelancing.

Collins grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan. She moved to Seattle in 1984 after graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in International Studies, and attended the University of Washington to earn a Spanish degree. Though she had planned on becoming a teacher, she then met a massage student and "decided that [massage] was a fit for me, especially given that fact that I was very into meditation at the time." She continued and studied mediation and Eastern religion for eight years, and received her MA in psychology in 1994.

Collins felt that she really found her niche, however, when she looked into massage therapy as a career. She found great fulfillment as a therapist, and practiced for 13 years. She most enjoyed seeing the healing process ...over and over. "People would come in... a wreck. They'd wait until they were flat on their face and then they'd ask, 'Can't you fix this with one session?' I would educate them, and you learn something in that process; it's a learning process to see what it takes to go through that healing."

When I ask her if she has any particular specialty, she says, "Some coaches come to it from more of a business approach... then there are those of us who have come more through psychology. I don't market myself as a business strategist... my strength is a little more on the personal side." Some of the most successful coaches that she knows are strictly business-oriented, but she feels she can best help people who are "in transition or struggling with certain aspects of themselves." Some may confuse coaching with actual therapy, but while therapy often focuses on the past, coaching deals with the future, and is, Collins says, "much more focused, shorter, and like a laser."

When discussing the core aspects of her personal coaching, Collins emphasizes support, responsibility, empowerment, perspective... and last but not least, the brightest word of all: hope. "It's important that people have hope and a greater vision for themselves in their lives. When people get discouraged or fearful, one of the things a coach can do is really hold that hope and that vision... to maintain that possibility when people get discouraged." Ready to think up some way to barter your skills with Collins yet? I know I am.

Responsibility, says Collins, is "such a crucial part to being empowered... you're empowered to do something about your life, but with that comes personal responsibility. If you're constantly thinking well, I have no control over my life or career, because it's the economy, or the way the world is, and there's nothing I can do about it... when you put the locus of control out there, away from yourself, when you think that way, you're completely disempowered. And realizing that is a big step for a lot of people. You're in control... to ask yourself what it is that you really want right now, or ultimately, and what do you want to do about it."

Collins' face glows as she describes what she likes most about her line of work. "I just love it, that's something I really resonate with... talking about people doing what they're really good at; there's something about that, living with integrity, honoring who you really are, what feels natural, what your talent is." I think it's safe to say that those ideas hit home and resonate with a lot of Writergrrls reading this article. And, they strike a chord with Collins herself. "When I was a recruiter, I was successful at it, but I didn't feel talented at it," she reflects. "I loved helping people find work, looking at their resumes like they were a puzzle, I actually enjoyed that aspect of it... but it was lacking in the fun factor. I didn't feel like I did with massage therapy, the way you do when you do something you feel good at, there's that flow, and you feel so great."

Collins was introduced to Seattle Writergrrls when she was a panel member for the fall 2001 gathering and discussion, "What Recruiters Want." She and her manager discussed and represented Sakson and Taylor. At that time, she says, she dealt with mostly technical writers, often giving them resume coaching and career advice. In fact, Collins might have helped you spiff up your resume.

"I volunteer, put it out there on the [e-mail] list," she says happily. We trade stories about how supportive and helpful the women on the list have been when it comes to sharing valuable information and knowledge. She's helped Writergrrls with job searching and the interview process—areas in which she is well-versed, since she has worked with hiring managers for years. "Then I have met women who could help me with, say, writing a marketing letter or with my coaching website." She says that Writergrrls have helped her Web site tremendously. "It's perfect, because some of them have skills in writing I don't have." Collins, grinning, says she loves to barter, and that she has acquired a lot of her artwork that way.

When I ask Collins if she works with many female writers, she explains that her practice and clientele include both professional men and women, and a lot of people who were in technology and want to transition into other more stable areas and industries. I comment that with the current state of the Northwest job market, I'm sure she has no shortage of clients. "There are many people here in career transition," she agrees. "Their goal is to refine what it is they want to do... to have that clarity of what you're really going for." She often works with writers, especially people who are entrepreneurial, frequently helping people discover their individual needs; for instance, exploring whether technical editing would be a fulfilling career for a client.

On that note, Collins especially enjoys working with younger women, giving them a broader perspective that comes from age and experience. She gives the example that she could be coaching a 32-year-old woman who is positive that if her current relationship doesn't work out, she'll never be able to love or have another relationship again, and Collins can tell her that's not necessarily true. "There are certain beliefs or thoughts we get at varying times in our life... it can be very helpful to have someone else there to give you an alternative or a new perspective; someone that can help challenge your thoughts." If all the client's friends are in the same age group, and have the same opinion as her, it can be helpful for her to often simply give them a different way to look at things. "That's how you learn, you grow older and wiser," Collins says.

So, how exactly does she work with a typical client? Though she has traveled to offices to coach teams and organizations, she says individual coaching is often very task-oriented, which she enjoys immensely. "Depending on your needs, you have homework... whether it's journaling or writing up an action plan." For example, Collins might help a client who is job searching to come up with an e-mail he can send to prospective employers to let them know he's looking for work. "It's hard to do all of that yourself—either too exhausting or you never get around to it," she says.

Coaching differs from actual therapy in several ways. Most coaching, it turns out, is done over the phone, usually in 30-minute sessions. She finds this not only gives clients a lot more freedom—they don't have to drive to an office to speak with her—but also, there are not as many distractions. "It's much easier to schedule and more effective, which is the most important thing—and I have tried it both ways." When I comment that the culture here in Seattle seems to be perfect for her business, she agrees and adds that most of her client base comes to her via word of mouth and networking.

When I ask Collins where she sees her current career five to 10 years from now, she grows very animated (she quite accurately describe herself as "very kinesthetic... which is why I was a great match for massage therapy.") "I'd love to do this the rest of my life," she answers honestly. "People are endlessly fascinating. I know it'll evolve, and I can't even imagine the ways," she says with the smile of a kid on Christmas morning. Collins is passionate about learning new skills and seeking training that will help her in her coaching practice. "I'd love, for instance, to train at the Gottman Institute." (Co-founded by Drs. John and Julie Schwartz Gottman, the institute helps couples, provides state-of-the-art training to mental health professionals, and trains therapists committed to helping couples.) "I love to train in a certain area. Right now I work with individuals rather than couples... you learn all the time."

In the more immediate future, Collins is excited about training as a facilitator for the OARS program. The program is a hands-on education program designed for organizations and individuals who want a unique team-building experience and leadership exercise. Collins will be contributing to the classroom training. She's looking forward to both the challenge and the "huge fun factor" that she missed while working as a recruiter for Microsoft. Her eyes sparkle when she tells me that she also finds time for staying active and healthy, running three to four times a week, skiing in the winter, and playing tennis in the warmer months. She happily points out that her biggest hobby, however, is her four-year-old son.

As we get ready to wrap up our interview, I ask Collins if she has anything else to add. She smiles and says, "I think I've spoke my passion." Then her face lights up more brightly than any of the holiday decorations in the cafe around us.

Deirdre Reinert is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader living with her husband and kitty cat, currently writing her second novel while working on selling her first.