Lesley Martín is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her wisdom and expertise.

She started her coaching career during the pandemic when she decided to no longer wait to pursue her dreams, but take action. In just 2 years she developed herself as an expert coach with countless happy clients.

She didn’t have a smooth path. In fact, she had a really rough childhood and countless difficult situations that made her the wise woman she is today.

Her approach is client focused, she is customizing each session depending on her client’s needs and desires, from learning about the mind to changing beliefs and processing emotions. Here is what she said.

Meet Life Coach Lesley Martín:

Name: Lesley Martín

Pillar: The Spirit, The Mind, The Heart

Who is this coach for: Anyone who wants to go from good to GREAT and become the best version of themselves so they can live their greatest life.

How they can help: By using a customized approach to each individual, using different tactics from from education on the neurobiology of the brain to challenging subconscious thinking, processing emotions, creating boundaries and building new beliefs, just to name a few.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these Pandemic times?

We are actually doing well!

Of course it was a challenge in the beginning, but we used that as an opportunity to re evaluate and make some different decisions that served us better for the way we want to be consciously living our lives.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

I’m not sure there are many people living today that weren’t somehow impacted by the pandemic.

It was a global event unlike anything many of us had ever seen before, and therefore challenged us in ways that we hadn’t experienced before.

Once people were able to process through the initial shock and fear of the virus, one of the things I noticed was common amongst my clients was a deliberate slowing down and intentionality of living.

When things started to reopen and activities resumed, many of them did not want to resume pre pandemic levels of busyness and stress.

That may have looked like seeking a job where they can work remotely, or not enrolling their kids in every possible after school activity.

A big one I’ve heard over and over was a desire to have a flexible enough workday that they could take a walk outdoors in the fresh air and daylight.

For myself, I tend to look at challenges as opportunities.

By the end of 2020, I had decided to no longer wait to pursue the dreams I had, such as becoming a coach, because while I can’t control what happens in the world, I can choose how I want to respond to those events, and decide for myself what I make them mean.

I have sought to empower my clients to do the same for themselves.

I also started taking many more walks. 

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

I really learned how precious time is, it’s our most valuable resource.

We all have the same number of hours in a day and we can choose to be intentional about how we spend them.

We can spend them recycling the outdated stories we have about ourselves that keep us stuck in place, or we can spend them learning, growing and writing new stories of resilience, triumph and transcendence.

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

I’m someone who experienced much adversity early in my life.

I then spent the next couple decades overcoming it and creating a stable life for myself, learning for the first time the meaning of safety and the comfort of security.

I completed my education in mental health counseling and began my career as a psychotherapist.

I married a wonderful man with whom I’ve shared the last 20 years of my life.

I spent the past 15 years building a holistic psychotherapy practice helping others overcome their past traumas and create safety and security for themselves.

So, I know a thing or two about craving stability and normalcy AND wanting more, and what it takes to create that.

The pandemic is actually what launched my coaching career.

Coaching was an avenue that I had been thinking about for a few years previously, but during the height of the pandemic I decided to become certified and offer coaching as an additional service for clients.

I saw such a need, not just in my own community, but in the larger landscape for people to have wider access to mental health support and personal growth services. 

Additionally, so many people are re evaluating their lives, careers and relationships in light of the pandemic, and are looking for help navigating the changes they’ve experienced or want to make.

Coaching is an excellent support that can be truly life changing!

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

As I mentioned, I faced a lot of adversity earlier in my life.

Those experiences are what prompted me to become a trauma therapist, as well as a life coach.

They are what prepared me to handle challenges later in life, whether it be physical injuries and illness, career shifts, relationships, or losses.

My lived experience is why I am so passionate about empowering others who have overcome their own adversity to transcend any limiting beliefs they may have and actively create amazing lives for themselves on their own terms!

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

For one thing I bring all of my knowledge and considerable skills as a trauma therapist into the coaching sphere.

That means I teach my clients about how and why their brain works the way it does, the impact that has on their development and ability to form secure relationships.

And when desired, we work to change those underlying subconscious patterns that may no longer be serving them.

Additionally, I incorporate my studies in contemplative world religions, specifically Buddhism, in my work with clients.

That means I focus on cultivating mindfulness as a way to take perspective, reduce reactivity and expand possibility. 

Finally, I am a believer in the value of lived experience.

So, any of the skills or techniques I may use with a client, I have also experienced and used myself.

I have a grounded understanding of the process of making change in one’s life in a very profound way.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

My approach is unique in that I combine my knowledge and skills as a psychotherapist with the unique coaching tools I’ve gained, along with all of my training in health and wellness, so my clients experience a truly holistic approach to creating change, one that takes into account the physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual aspects of their being.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

My clients change their lives.

Truly.

After working with me, they are calmer, less overwhelmed and way less reactive.

They report being happier and enjoying their lives more, being able to be truly present with their families and loved ones.

They no longer define themselves by their past experiences. They are more fulfilled.

They are freer.

In their own words, this is what they say:

“I have so much more energy and joy which had been missing for a long time.”

“I’ve changed my mindset around what is possible for me.”

“I was just blown away by how much we were getting done. It changes your life.”

“My favorite part of this journey has been the physical and mental improvement that I have felt.”

“It really has been life changing.”

“It’s just a total 180.”

“100% do it.”

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

I use many specific tools depending on the needs and goals of the client I’m working with.

For each of my clients the program is tailored specifically to their desires; so the tools, skills and techniques I use are uniquely matched to best support the clients in creating their desired outcomes.

They range from education on the neurobiology of the brain, development and attachment, to challenging subconscious thinking, processing emotions, creating boundaries, building new beliefs, practicing mindfulness, increasing self love, and beyond.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

I would want you to know that you are already enough worthy and lovable just as you are, right now, and you always have been.

And, I want you to know that if you want more for yourself, you are capable beyond your wildest dreams.

The world needs your perspective, your love, and your light, so please have the courage to shine! When one of us lights up, it gives the rest of us freedom to do the same!

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

The greatest lesson I’ve learned thus far has been that I am capable of far more than I think I am.

What I think is possible for me pales in comparison to what is actually possible for me.

I believe this to be true for most people as well.

I focus my coaching on helping others expand their definition of what is possible, and in the process, blow their own minds doing things they never would have imagined!

Your final thoughts?

The prospect of change can be daunting, scary and uncomfortable.

So, you may try to convince yourself you have a good enough life and that you shouldn’t want more.

Stepping out into the light feels risky because you might be judged, get hurt, or fail.

BUT… what if you fly?

As you nudge closer to the edge of your comfort zone, you face courageously crossing that threshold.

You have the potential to step into a passionate, empowered, and authentic life beyond anything you ever imagined.

And I can help you do that.

Where Can You Find Lesley Martín?

If you liked this interview and you would love to go from good to GREAT in your life, go to https://lesleymartincoaching.com and discover how Lesley can help you become the best version of yourself.

If you’d like to capture a glimpse of her coaching, watch this video and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

If you’d like to connect more personally with her, you can do that through LinkedIn or by following her Facebook and Instagram accounts. It was an honor having this interview with her.