Spring has sprung. The early cherry trees have burst into bloom … this morning as I walked back from the gym it was like walking through petal snow … so many of them blowing through the morning breeze. At the gym I’m incorporating a medical movement specialist into my workouts. Turns out that my SHIFT from working all day standing up doing Visual Facilitation to running more and more training and coaching Webinars has had an effect on my body. More specifically numb legs and butt from sitting at computer for long stretches of time. My core strength has slowly waned and I’m working on building it back up to proper proportions. Ahhhhhh, beware … the laptop lifestyle does come with some consequences! But my dry cleaning bill has dropped from less marker mishaps! Talking about ‘being up at the wall’ again — I’m looking … Continue reading
In Your Words
"VISUAL COACHING – A PERFECT ADDITION TO MY BUSINESS" “I came across Christina Merkley’s name in 2008 at different training sessions at The Grove Consultants in San Francisco. I was attracted by Christina’s very well elaborated three-step program for VVisual Coach Certification. As a visual addicted individual I was driven to participate. The mix of online and in-person training was well done. The face-to-face Fundamentals of Interactive-Visuals in Victoria, Canada was an exciting, marvellous experience. All these wonderful, helpful, visual soul mates around the globe together with our highly professional trainer. Her unique manner of guiding and teaching people, were a really stimulating, empowering mix — allowing me to take off to new visual heights. I was deeply impressed and appreciative of Christina’s passionate, authentic, humorous and at the same down-to-earth, effective and efficient style. Her courtesy to share her … Continue reading
Keep Perspective on Your Developmental SHIFT
I’m right smack in the middle of running my spring programs, including Magic Marker Mastermind (for intermediate visual practitioners) and Thrive in the Time of Awakening (metaphysical offering with The THEO Group). Although they have different focuses, both groups are all about helping people manifest their next ‘it’ … in essence becoming ‘their Next Self’. As The SHIFT-IT Coach, a significant part of what I do is help people get clear about their desired destination — and then coordinate their outer actions and internal feelings accordingly. Sometimes this process goes smoothly and sometimes there are a few bumps along the way. Here are a few thoughts about making your developmental shift a little smoother. 1. REGROUP AND RECOVER Sometimes in the process of becoming Your Next Self one needs to first go through a regroup and recovery phase. For some people the circumstances … Continue reading
Events Calendar
Fundamentals of Interactive-Visuals (In-Person Version) May 3-5, 2012 in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Over 87% of your facilitation, coaching, training and consulting clients are visual thinkers – learn powerful visual skills to boost the effectiveness of how you work with them. This in-person, professional skills training thoroughly covers custom chart work, visual scribing, visual facilitation and visual coaching (the four main applications of working visually with groups and individuals) so you can add these powerful tools to your own consulting, facilitation, coaching and training offerings. Register Now Just 1 spot left! *Note: Pre-requisite for Visual Coach Certification. PRIVATE TRAININGS AND RETREATS Spring/Summer 2012: Booked Privately Thursdays-Fridays Interested in the visual way of working? Want to SHIFT your life to your next level? Between now and August I have some availability for private Interactive-Visuals instruction and private biz/life coaching. Both … Continue reading
[Visual Coach Certification] Last Chance to Use My Custom Visual Coaching Methods in 2012
As you might have spotted in the SHIFT-IT e-Zine and blog … the 2012 deadline for empowering coaches, therapists and other helping professionals to use my custom Visual Coaching methods is fast approaching (this weekend!). If you are a process professional who wants to add the power of working visually to your own work with individuals, couples and teams … The Visual Coach Certification gives you: A thorough, step-by-step mentorship in the niche Visual Coaching methodology … based on my pioneering work over the last decade; Instruction in my SHIFT-IT Visual Coaching Process® with its suite of 17 visual tools … plus a lifetime license to use these powerful tools with your own clientele; Support in ‘template-izing’ your own intellectual property to create your own signature systems and visual tools (should you have a specialty niche or process(es) that … Continue reading
A Note From Christina
Things are going really great these last few weeks. Really hitting our stride in this season’s programs. SHIFT-IT Online wrapped up after its 7 week run … wonderfully supportive cohort with members with a high degree of personal awareness and ability to be vulnerable and share. A real pleasure. This week we kicked off the new Magic Marker Mastermind – so fun to introduce members to each other and begin process of forming a creative hub to help these Visual Practitioners take their graphic aspirations to the next level. Am also having a blast in my expanded collaboration with THEO and Sheila & Marcus Gillette. While they won’t make much sense out of their context, here are a few sketches from our Thrive in the Time of Awakening program. Hopefully they convey the shift from fragmentation to integration that this … Continue reading
In Your Words
“VERY SATISFIED WITH VISUAL COACH CERTIFICATION® AND THE RESULTS WE CREATED” “I am really grateful to Christina and I really appreciate her and Visual Coach Certification®. I learned a lot and many things changed around me. We got gorgeous videos and a fabulous toolkit; we were taught how to properly employ The SHIFT-IT Visual Coaching Process and its 17 visual maps with clients. We were insistently reminded how to formulate visual recordings correctly. We were coached via ongoing contact with our mentor and peers. And we were examined via a thorough exit process and received detailed, helpful feedback in a highly supportive manner. Before I applied, two important visual practitioner colleagues labeled Christina “a highly professional” source, and yes, they were right. She shared her working methods, tools, accessories, and business tips. I gained superb practical tools to support my … Continue reading
How to Successfully Launch a Visual Practitioner Career or Hobby
I’ve been in the Interactive-Visuals field for going on two decades now … and the field just gets richer, deeper and more known every year. It’s truly an exciting time to enter into the field, however there are a few things you should know if you are contemplating developing a career or hobby in the visual way of working. As a mentor who has coached hundreds of people in successfully developing their visual craft … here are my tips on how to have a successful entry. 1. GET GOOD BASE TRAINING One of your first steps (after browsing the internet and reading books) is to get yourself to a decent basic training. For good and for bad, there are now a plethora of beginning level visual scribing and visual facilitation trainings popping up. Good – because there may be an offering closer to home … Continue reading
Events Calendar
Magic Marker Advanced Mastermind March 5 – July 2, 2012 (weekly Webinars plus in-person retreat) I’m happy to announce a new intermediate-level program to support blossoming visual practitioners (scribes, facilitators and coaches). For people who have already received base visual training (from me or equivalent experience), and are keen to build the next phase of your visual career. This mastermind provides up close instruction and support to enhance your skills and biz (whether you are internal or external). Includes weekly drop-in calls, online forum for sharing, private mentoring with me, plus an in-person retreat. Group limited to 12 members. Full Details and Application Process * 2 Spots Left: Applications Received Up to 2nd Session (March 12) Visual Coach Certification (2012 Cohort) 10-Weeks Online: April 10 – June 19 (Webinars, Tuesdays Noon-1:30 pm Pacific) Become a Certified Visual Coach®. For leading-edge … Continue reading
Three Ways to “Get Your Marker On” Depending on Your Skill Level
The sun is shining, the office is hopping and our spring registrations are being snapped up left, right and center … so gratifying to see the visual way of working hitting its stride! Brain researchers tell us that up to 87% of the population are Visual Learners. As a skilled process professional (consultant, facilitator, trainer, coach, etc) you want methods that help your clients think and make good decisions as effectively as possible. Our suite of Interactive-Visuals trainings do exactly that — depending on your skill and interest level, they equip you to effectively add the power of working visually to your own professional practice. We have a trio of opportunities to choose from, however spots are now extremely limited (it’ll be a year until these are offered again … so act to avoid disappointment and to get the power of visuals … Continue reading
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