Client Spotlight
Serena Bian
works at the Office of the Surgeon General within the federal government and help steer our office and Dr. Murthy’s work addressing loneliness, community, and connection, with a focus on cultural and systems change.
Interview Date: March 27th, 2022
What are the mediums you create in?
Community & Movement Building
What are some words that come to mind when you think about your creative style? Spiritual, contemplative, subversive, warm, expansive.
What are you currently working on?
Building intergenerational, interspiritual community & working on some writing & audio-experiments.
How long have you been working with Melissa?
4-5 months
What did you come to coaching for?
I was feeling “stuck” vocationally, and experienced a “stale taste of the familiar” through most dimensions of my life. I sought out coaching in order to gain a greater sense of clarity around not only WHAT I wanted to do vocationally, but even more importantly, HOW I wanted to show up on a day to day. I wanted to feel alive. To be inspired. To use my voice. I arrived at coaching wanting to explore what I actually wanted to say YES to, and have that be the north star around which I designed my life and built my community.
What are some ways that coaching has impacted you?
Working with Melissa has been transformational - having someone to help guide, encourage, push, and expand this creative journey has helped me take small & large leaps of faith I otherwise may have been too afraid or unwilling to step into. Further, I have unlearned decision making habits that no longer served me, and learned new ways of understanding myself which invite me into aliveness, which I will carry with me through my life! Above all, coaching has helped instill a sense of inner confidence and aliveness which has spread through all aspects of my life.
What are some ‘wins’ that you would attribute to being supported by Melissa? Learning about the process (hint: there’s an actual process!) of self-transformation. Stepping into a more intuitive, embodied way of making decisions!
What are you currently learning about yourself?
I’m learning more and more about who I’ve always been. Less willing myself into doing things or being someone…more listening to the voice that has always been there, but needs the right conditions to unfurl and be known.
What advice would you give to others who are considering working with a creative coach?
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
This is a quote that Melissa sent me several weeks ago, which really helped illustrate how I was feeling through several dimensions of my life. If this quote hits home for you in some way, and you know that you need to take steps forward because the pain of not moving is too great, then this might be the great time to begin coaching.
Regarding the type of coach, if you are open and curious about discernment and decision making that utilizes more than just your cerebral cortex, inviting in all parts of you, including your intuition, body, imagination, and gut sense, then working with a creative, empathetic, and generative coach like Melissa may be just what you are seeking!
Where can we find you online?: