By: Whitney Hopler, Communications Manager
Cindy Whitmoyer tries to live each day to the fullest. Her schedule is packed with responsibilities — in her family, community, and at work leading her company Executive Coaching for Organizational Well-Being – but she doesn’t rush through her tasks. Instead, Whitmoyer uses the well-being skills she developed in Mason’s Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being (LCOWB) program to be fully present in each situation. Learning how to do so, she says, has empowered her to enjoy work and succeed at it no matter how busy she is. “My life is extremely busy and I have no shame in declaring that because I find joy in being busy,” Whitmoyer says.
When she was considering earning her coach certification, she became interested in learning about leadership from a well-being perspective at Mason because “there is no way to live a better life than putting your health first. Self-love and awareness is what it takes to be a driving force to produce effective leadership.” Mindfulness is a key well-being skill that Whitmoyer learned in the LCOWB program, and it has helped her change how she approaches both her personal and professional responsibilities. “Before becoming a coach, I did not have the knowledge of mindful practices,” she says. “Learning about this concept has helped me create a healthier life. I started implementing mindfulness at home and work.”
The process of applying mindfulness practices started with improving her sleep at night, and continued by helping her navigate her daytime responsibilities. “My mind races at night so my sleep was compromised,” she recalls. “It took me several tries to figure out how to address my racing mind and finally I experimented with journaling. It helped me relax, allowed me to let go of the panic of forgetting, and decompress from the stress of raising teenagers. Once the nightly routine was in place, I started a morning routine. Again, it had to be something quick and meaningful. Each morning, I pray, take a few deep breaths, and create good thoughts about my day before my feet hit the floor. Once my home routine felt natural, I created practices at work. Each day, I find time to check my stress level after emails, coaching, and writing curriculum. I address the tension by stepping away a few minutes to reset. Sometimes the reset happens a little more than others. I then know that is more awareness for what brings on the tension. When thinking about changing behaviors and creating a better well-being, it takes time. Small changes are better than nothing at all.”
Whitmoyer brings the patience and compassion that helped her change to her work helping others create positive change. When she coaches Executive Coaching for Organizational Well-Being clients, “I show up grounded in the ‘Mason fashion,’ which creates a unique experience for my clients. … Mason taught me how to walk into my coaching session with a clear mindset to be fully present for my client. Having a clear mindset lessens the opportunity for intentions and/or judgment and allows a natural space for curiosity and exploration. This is also where mindful practices support our coaching.”
Now Whitmoyer also serves as a mentor coach for people currently earning their coach certifications through LCOWB at Mason. “Mason teaches their coaches the Life XT component, which brings a unique awareness to a coaching session. Mason also offers each participant their own Learning Lab Advisor. These advisors coach as well as mentor, both inside and outside the classroom. Mason’s program has your well-being supported to help you advance your career with a healthy mindset and offer support from an elite group of advisors and coaches that have been practicing this approach for years.”
That support continues after LCOWB students graduate as new coaches. “When you graduate from Mason, you are surrounded by a network of well-rounded coaches. The cohorts that Mason creates are all experienced professionals, which builds a unique networking system and learning environment. We had 24 talented professionals [in our cohort], which created awareness around different talents and skill sets used for coaching.” As an alumna herself, Whitmoyer says, “Having a network of other coaches to allow myself to advance in my coaching career has been the biggest asset. I would not be as far as I am today in pursuing my PCC [Professional Certified Coach accreditation], had it not been for the program at Mason. I completed, in one year, what it takes others who follow different paths in coaching years to create.”
Whitmoyer encourages people considering becoming coaches to consider how participating in Mason’s LCOWB program can be a career investment that pays off well. “Sometimes it can be very scary to make a financial decision when jumping into the unknown,” she says. “Firstly, you are investing in yourself and your well-being. Secondly, if you are willing to see the possibilities and embrace your coaching career, the investment can be returned quicker than you think. I personally invested in this course, and within one month as a leadership coach, doubled my investment.”
For information about leadership coaching sessions with Whitmoyer, please contact her at cindy@ecow3.com.
Apply to join the next cohort here