Why I Smile First

Angie Flynn-McIver

Angie Flynn-McIver

For several years, I sent out a blog to readers a few times a week. These posts gave pointers about how to practice, shared relevant stories, and provided a way for people to connect with my coaching approach. In 2022, I wrote my book, Before You Say Anything, which brought many of these ideas together in one place. The blog posts have continued to resonate with clients and readers, and they're useful as a quick reminder, so I'm including them here!

When I’m meeting with a coaching client, I usually use my own Zoom platform, and I have the waiting room function enabled. 

When their name pops up at the top of the window, letting me know they’ve arrived, I smile. I smile as I click the button to let them in, before they can see me. 

I smile much as I would if I had heard my doorbell and was walking through my home to greet a friend waiting on my front porch. 

The smile is a tiny ritual that marks the beginning of my time with the client. It helps me change gears from whatever else I might have been doing, to become fully present. I smile to welcome the client, to let them know I’m glad for this time together.

I’m curious: what do you do to switch gears? Do you have a habit or a ritual that tells you “it’s go time”?

I said GOOD MORNING