Episode #1056: Tune into a conversation with Cristy Aphimonthol, an MCC, Executive Coach, Executive Master Coach (EMCC), Coachologist, Certified NeuroChangeSolutions Consultant, Executive Master Coach, and Founder of the Pink Lotus Foundation, as she shares the metaphor of the Lotus and its meaning in her organization, the Pink Lotus Foundation. In this episode, Cristy discusses her passion for service, helping others, lifelong learning, training, and facilitating. Join us in this episode of the Arete Coach Podcast for great insight into the makings of a great executive coach.
About Cristy Aphimonthol
Cristy Aphimonthol is an MCC, Executive Coach, Executive Master Coach (EMCC), Coachologist, Certified NeuroChangeSolutions Consultant, Executive Master Coach, and Founder of the Pink Lotus Foundation. Cristy provides executive coaching, training, and facilitating out of Thailand, and also coaches business leaders around the world with Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching and Coachology.
Cristy is the Managing Director of Coachology, a team of professional coaches, trainers, and facilitators who are passionate about using proven coaching techniques from fields including psychology, quantum physics, and neuroscience to empower and inspire leaders and their organizations.
In 2020, Cristy became a Certified NeuroChangeSolutions Consultant where she helps businesses and leaders by changing organizations “from the inside out.” Through her organization, the Pink Lotus Foundation, Cristy helps empower women and children through personal development. Cristy has also received her MBA with a focus on international trade and marketing from the National Institute of Development Administration. Cristy has a passion for helping others, being a lifelong learner, and serving those around her through her coaching knowledge and experience.
Key highlights
The right coachee
Timestamp 02:35
Cristy believes that an executive coach can coach anybody, as long as the coach and the coachee have the right “chemistry.” Cristy ensures this in her own coaching practice by having a “chemistry session” with prospective coaching clients. In these “chemistry sessions” Cristy looks for “the willingness of the coachee” to learn and grow through the coaching process.
“Ah-ha!” moments
Timestamp 06:25
After Severin asked Cristy if she would share an “ah-ha” moment she had with a client, Cristy shares the story of a time she helped an executive by asking about patterns of behavior or potential causes of emotions she had noticed. After a short moment of silence, her client shared that her strained relationship with her own father was influencing the way she saw others. From that point on, Cristy was able to help her change her client’s approach to others. Severin also shares a story of an “ah-ha” moment he had when he learned that his coachee’s behavior was learned from his father as well.
A heart of service
Timestamp 13:38
When asked about her entrepreneurial roots, Cristy shares that as a child, she would sell the fruit her mother cooked at school. With her earnings, she set out to buy something special for her mother because “she cared for others before herself.” To this day, Cristy is still giving back to others through her organization, the Pink Lotus Foundation.
The metaphor of the lotus
Timestamp 15:37
Cristy explains the importance and meaning of the Lotus flower in Asian culture. She explains that like the Lotus that begins “deep under” the soil, “under the water,” and grows through the dark and into the light, humans also have the capability to grow and achieve great things. Severin comments on this metaphor and states that “out of that hardship, something really beautiful and elegant can come from that.” Cristy uses the metaphor of the Lotus as inspiration for her organization, the Pink Lotus Foundation, which aims to empower women through training and personal development. She also connects with other organizations that aim to stop human trafficking in Thailand and help underprivileged women and children.
Coachology
Timestamp 23:40
Cristy shares that a coachologist should have strength in their communication skills, the ability to train others, and facilitate learning. She and her husband started their company, Coachology, to “enhance the way of coaching” through coaching courses, training, and facilitation.
The importance of tools
Timestamp 26:48
When asked what tools Cristy has in her toolkit, Cristy explains that she is always learning new tools because each coachee has a “different way of thinking.” Her toolkit incorporates knowledge from her neuro linguistic programming certification, NeuroChangeSolutions certification, as well as other various skills including meditation and breathing.
Openness, trust, and non-judgement
Timestamp 35:52
Cristy explains that part of Asian and Thai culture is “not sharing” problems. She explains that people tend to not open up regarding their challenges in the world. She states that she must be open and build trust, rapport, and connection fast for “people to open up fast.” This helps her lead coachees to “ah-ha!” moments quicker. Severin states that this is also an important trait to consider when assessing the goodness of fit for a client.
Severin then asks Cristy what her definition of “non-judgment” is for the executive coach. She shares that being non-judgmental as a coach means recognizing that it is the client’s story. She explains that “we don’t have a say in their story” and if you do, you must say “if this were me” and that is “the only time that you can self-reflect” their experience. Severin in response shares a story about a time he coached from a place of non-judgment.
Having your own coach
Timestamp 46:13
Cristy shares that she has her own coaches so she can best serve her own coachees. For her coaching, she works intentionally to remove any roadblocks to successful coaching in her own thought process. She enjoys this and states that doing so “is making [her] a better person every day, by reflecting” and working on herself as she helps others. Cristy has had many mentors and coaches throughout her coaching journey including her father and mother and a variety of specialty coaches.
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