As a career coach and business communications expert, I often surprise people by knowing something about them that they have never told me – and maybe never told anyone else. I am not psychic. I am empathetic.

When I ask you a question, and your brain re-routes it to give me an unrelated answer: I know you’ve got a lot on your mind, and lots of it is sad, frustrated and filled with regrets. Sometimes your answers – and even your questions – are touched by bitterness, jealousy and fear.

I know this, and so do most people around you. The difference between them and me is simple. My job is to help you find your authentic self, and then help you represent yourself. By that I mean, structuring a way for you to show us the real you, the person we want to hire, fund or choose as our business consultant or favorite company to patronize.

I help you find your inner wisdom, self-acceptance, and clear-eyed optimism.

My job is to tell you how you are coming across. Then, help you make the genuine transition to the person who stops losing, who stops failing, and who is never again less than your potential or desire. In other words, I help you get what you want, what you really, really want.

Nothing I do is magic. I don’t do hypnosis. I have a process that helps you unsheathe your truth, your power and your future. That means, I have to listen for the pain, and sometimes the confusion that has created a fractured self-image, rotting career, failing business or stunted ambition.

What’s going wrong today for you at work or even in your life, flows from what I call your “ocean of negativity.” That’s the toxic soup of criticism, lack of validation and neglect that’s been brewing since childhood.

My work is showing you how to be what I call “self-positive.” How to find your valuable, shiny self that’s been tarnished, simply by being overlooked. And match your really wonderful qualities with authentic opportunities for your business or career.

In the meantime, here are some questions to get you started cleaning up that ocean of negativity. If you send me your answers to a few questions – the ones that mean the most to you: I’ll be sure to keep them in confidence, and get back to you with a personal message.

  1. Your most fearful moment?
  1. What people first meet you, what are you afraid they will think?
  1. A period of time in your life when you felt unprotected?
  1. A person who made you miserable for a long time?
  1. Something on your mind you are afraid to share?
  1. A plan or projects you worry may fail?
  1. The greatest amount of emotional pain you have ever endured?
  1. Your greatest fear?
  1. The most important thing in life?
  1. A piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child?
  1. Three words that describe how others view you?
  1. If you could change anything about the world?
  1. A smell that makes you pause?
  1. List of professions you’d like to try?
  1. How you plan to spend the last years of your life?
  1. Your current philosophy is?
  1. You would shout with joy right now if someone told you this?
  1. A list of your proudest accomplishments?
  1. A newspaper headline you would like to read about yourself?
  1. Your biggest acts of kindness?
  1. The best piece of advice a friend gave you?
  1. Your proudest moment? Someone who shared this moment with you?
  1. You are far better than most people you know at doing what?
  1. Three things for which you are often complimented?