I left home at 16 to finish school in Bogota, Colombia, and didn't speak a word of Spanish when I landed. I dug in, clarified my reason for being there, aligned my goals with my behavior, and within three months, I was a fluent Spanish speaker. Clarify. Align. Act. Bogota set the stage for my life.
Although my professional career started as an enlisted man on submarines, where I ended was nowhere near the beginning. A Cryptologic Warfare Officer embedded within the National Security Agency (NSA) I transitioned into the officer ranks, secured dual-masters degrees and received a plethora of awards. My 22-year career was a continual drumbeat of clarifying, aligning, and acting around what I wanted for my life and how I wanted to define individual and team achievement.
After my Navy retirement, I jumped out of the DC area and into a new life in the Pacific Northwest. Once again, I had to clarify what I wanted for my professional life, align my actions with the goals I set, and formulate plans of action to achieve. My clarity and alignment allowed me to serve in several C-Suite roles, as a healthcare strategist and as a board member and advisor.
My desire to coach sits in a deep curiosity around how I can affect actionable change. Yes, I have experienced tremendous success, but more importantly, I have learned how to listen, actively. One of my greatest abilities is to listen to what a person is not saying, and reflect their words in such a way that their mind thinks about and considers change.
I understand the doubt of committing to work with someone when you've been achieving success repeatedly throughout your life. Throughout 90% of my lifetime, I have either been able to think through, push through, or work through any challenge. That last 10%, however, has often felt more complicated than the entire 90% combined. It's always been a coach who has dislodged me from my plight - thank god for Dr. Jennifer Degnan-Smith!
I have been clarifying, aligning, acting and showing up my entire life. That's me. What about you? Our first call is free.
I look forward to talking to see how we might journey together.
Paul Tripp
