Who is Sean Cook?

If you’ve arrived at this page, you are probably at least exploring the possibility of working with a life coach, and more than likely, you are connected in some way to higher education…as a student, a parent or someone who works at a college or university. Thanks for coming this far! I appreciate your interest.

If you are like most people, you have probably never hired a life coach. I know that I never did, before I started considering becoming one. So if you aren’t quite sure how this should work, well…join the club. It’s okay to approach a potential coaching relationship with healthy skepticism, and to bring in a load of questions. After all, as a client, you will be paying a coach to help you get where you want to go. You might as well know where that person has been.

So let’s get right to answering questions that I know you have, because I would have them, too. I learned a great model a few years back, from some random article I came across. It argued that anyone wanting your business, or any other kind of relationship with you, should be able to answer these three questions:

“Who are you?
“So what?”
“Why should I care?”

So let’s get right to answering these questions. Hopefully, you’ll learn enough about me to know whether I am someone who can help you get where you want to go in your education, your career, or your life.

Who am I?

For the past 15 1/2 years, I have worked professionally in higher education, as a student affairs administrator. The vast majority of this time, I worked in Residence Life at Penn State University. I also worked with academic student organizations for two years with Penn State’s Smeal College of Business Administration. I have a master’s degree (M.Ed.) in Counseling and Guidance Services and a bachelor’s in Political Science from Clemson University. I grew up in a college town (Clemson) and have spent most of my life living in college towns and working with college students.

So what?

I’ve helped hundreds of students through their life transitions, as they dealt with some of the pressing issues life throws at students during college. Dealing with homesickness, adjusting to roommates,managing time and stress, dealing with their emotions (and/or the emotional fallout of poor behavioral choices, relationships gone bad, academic setbacks, etc.), to name just a few typical examples.

I’ve also helped many, many parents of college students learn to respond to situations in their students’ lives in more successful ways. Let’s face it…parenting isn’t for the faint of heart, and that is especially true when you send your babies (and on some level, they will always be your “babies”) out into the cold cruel world to learn to fend for themselves. In my experience, the closer a parent is to his or her child, the harder it is to actually be helpful when things go awry. The natural instinct is to step in and protect your child by whatever means necessary. But it’s not always developmentally appropriate. You can’t do the growing up for your children. As a student affairs professional, I have helped many parents gain perspectives on issues their students were going through, and to find ways to help and encourage them, without “fixing” an issue in ways that keep them from learning what they need to learn to become healthy, fully-functioning and well-adjusted adults.

Why should you care?

You came here looking for coaching around some issue in your life or work, and it’s related to the challenges presented by involvement in higher education…going to school, sending a child off to school, or working at a college or university. I’ve been there, so I know what it is like. I have a decent track record of helping people, and I honestly believe that I can help you. This is the most basic of arguments….the “what’s in it for me?” aspect of coaching. When you are ready to work through the compelling issues shaping your life (or keeping you from living the life you want, or pursuing a fulfilling career), I can offer you not only an open mind, my time, and the benefits of working with a certified coach but also the understanding of college environments, structures, resources, “unwritten rules,” formal and informal networks, and the “academic lifestyle.”

Are you ready for the next step?

Now that you have a brief peek into who I am, what I have done that qualifies me to coach people around higher education life and career issues, and what’s in it for you, I have my own question for you?

Are you ready to be coached?

If you need some extra motivation, maybe this will help. Your first session is free.

In the first session, we’ll talk about how coaching works, and what you would like to get out of it. I’ll review the basic model with you, and we can talk about the rates I charge, the “typical” duration of a coaching relationship, and setting a schedule for further appointments.

If you would like to schedule an initial appointment, call me (Sean Cook) at (706) 363-0539 or e-mail sean@higheredlifecoach.com

Thanks again for dropping by. I look forward to talking with you soon.