It all started since I've been actively involved and passionate about sports since I'm 12 years old. I always dreamed to be a sport coach and hoping to produce champions and transform the life of those who are serious and passionate about their dreams.
As a starter I never knew that I will be involved in preventive healthcare and medical industry where I always believe that I'm terrible at science stream and excel in sports. For those who knew about me, I represent in most of the sports curriculum during my high school years in sprinting events, badminton, table tennis, marathon, basketball, marching and up till an extend representing my own country in Fencing events. But never in any water sports because I can't swim. Anything that I have confident to do it on the ground, I will try it. That's the adrenaline rush that keeps me motivated to stay strong and optimistic about my talent.
However, I have to accept the fact that we have to grow up and start facing the reality of without getting any income, I won't survive in this competitive environment. I kick started my career as a sales girl in Korean cosmetic products and working from 10am to 10pm almost everyday with a day off in between. And I get bored of this 10 to 10 kind of job, standing around waiting for customers. I aim higher and wanting to be part of the management team in the Korean Cosmetic company. So I've climbed the ladder and became operation manager with the same Korean Cosmetic company and doing things beyond my capabilities. And because of this opportunity, I am able to travel around Malaysia and started to learn how to kick start cosmetic booth in well known departmental stores. I remember each month I have to travel few locations and to keep up the operation and product placement for those stores that we are going to operate. But as times goes by, I feel that the income that I was given is not sufficient to my daily expenses anymore, this is because I wanted to invest in buying house, having my own car and with little income that time, I can't even cover my own educational fees.
Therefore, I started to seek for opportunity, an opening where most of the dreamers gathered together and seek financial and time freedom. So I joined a well known Multi Level Marketing. With enough passion and enthusiasm by achieving higher and better lifestyle, I have used up about 6 years of my time to build a team in my hometown and persist while believing that dream can be attained. It obviously bears fruit where we are able to travel far such as going USA at the age of 23 is something that's beyond my dream! Going on the stage during that time for recognition is huge deal for someone as young as me. But, reality kicks in again, I realize that, without a blueprint how to sustain that level, I am unable to cope with a fast growing and expanding members that I have during that period of time. I've build something so fast with persistence and do whatever it takes kind of spirit, and I never put effort in learning how to build something in a long term and keep on patching things that are only in the present.
Therefore, I've resigned from my 6 years of hard work and dreams, without any further savings, I've travelled to the capital city of Malaysia. From there I was given an opportunity to work as a business coordinator in one of the Wellness Center and I started from scratch. Without knowing anyone and have no network, it is scary to even do something useful. By focusing more on the results rather than fear, after a year of coping, I was given another opportunity to be a health business development manager. I worked hard and study as much as I can to keep up with doctors and nurses who works in the wellness center and again do whatever it takes to make sure I can deliver the results that my company had set. Over the years, I had seen different types of consumers and patients that have a common goal that wish to be healthy, look young and strong. With observing the patients and clients personally from being no confident about themselves to self love, able to reverse diseases, being from obese to ideal weight, happier, able to control their own life, and most of all see sense of purpose in living, there's where I knew that I need to do something "more" in order to enable myself to help them in a holistic and effective ways. With that ideology and passion in mind, I know that being a health coach can achieve something beyond than dollars and cents.
At first, I thought health coaching is something like a personal trainer or a nurse, and it somehow not as how I imagine it to be. Health Coach is in a unique position to become a well-anchored member of a client's allied health team, bringing a unique understanding of the intertwined emotional, behavioral, physical, nutritional, exercise, and lifestyle factors to clients and help them enhance their well-being and support them as they strive to reach their lifestyle and weight-management goals.
In a coaching context, the contemporary health coach will be seen as a health promoter, health educator, and an active partner in unlocking each client's potential to maximize his or her own healthy lifestyle choices.
Grounded in the science of lifestyle and weight management, but also armed with humility, compassion, superior communication skills, rapport-building know-how, the ability to elicit motivation, and the capability to increase the capacity to change by fostering positivity, resilience, and self-efficacy, the contemporary health coach will be seen by clients as the ultimate partner in facilitating the process of health and lifestyle change, in addition to what has been referred to as the "art of living"
1) The Ability to Enjoy
Health coaches can use "attentiveness" or meditation techniques to encourage the broadening of leisure activities and remove inner barriers that prevent enjoyment.
2) The Ability to Choose
Health coaches can help clients understand the options they have, and through a healthy coaching relationship, assist clients in understanding how those options fit their personality style to assure adherence.
3) The Ability to Keep Developing
Through Maslow (1954) described "growth needs" which health coaches can build on by helping clients define and engage in challenging activities, leaving clients with a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness to life.
4) The Ability to See Meaning
Health Coaches can help clients see worth in their lives and value in accomplishing their health-related goals.
And through all the past experiences that I had worked alongside with alternative medicine doctors, consumers, patients and wellness centers, my passion of building new champions in my life is still yet to fulfilled. Therefore, I've gutted up and forming a company that is known as North Borneo Wellness Sdn. Bhd. will serve this purpose in building the next champions of providing the best health coaching services while assisting those who wished to be better and healthier in their life.
I believe the desire of getting healthier and a better version of ourselves is everyone's goals! But with the correct direction and support from a holistic professional team support, this can be attained easily.
If you wish to be part of this agent of change for a better health coaching community, please feel free to drop an email (kim.j@northborneowellness.com) and let's make small changes to achieve big impact in the coming future.