Month: June 2025

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365 Coaching Tips: 175th, 176th and 177th

June 24th Coaching Tip: Review Expenses Quarterly.

Take time quarterly or at least every six months to review all of your expenses. This one habit, done every 90 days, will help you manage your budget and may free up a bit of cash that was once unavailable. For example, I noticed that my ATT internet rate jumped from $50/mo to $70/mo. And another subscription jumped from $10 to $20/mo. As I investigated other options, I realized that I could get 3X’s faster internet service for $50/mo for up to three years AND it lowered my iPhone mobile bill by $10/mo, too. I made the switch over a couple months. Question is: was it worth it. Yes it was. $30/mo is saved over a three year period for my internet and iPhone, and the other subscription save $10mo/, which equals $1,440 over three years. Plus, I have much better and faster service.

If you found nearly $1,500 laying on the ground, I’m confident you would quickly grab it. It took a couple phone calls, approx. two hours of my time on these phone calls and then self-installing the new internet. Check those expenses quarterly to understand your budget. It’s like paying yourself.

June 25th Coaching Tip: Embrace Cancellations.

What the heck does embrace cancellations mean? When I have a coaching appointment that postpones or cancels, I embrace that opportunity of 30-60 minutes to get work done that had been getting pushed back. For example, I had a list of over 25 colleagues to reach out to who wanted coaching. Because I had a couple cancellations today, I was able to focus on these 25 and reach out to them. The targeted effort worked, and many of the 25 responded quickly to set up time in July. Embrace cancellations; it can lead to other opportunities to help/coach others.

June 26th Coaching Tip: Coach or Consult.

There is a clear difference between coaching and consulting. Coaching is viewing your client/colleague as an equal partner, who does have the answers. These answers can many times be brought out of the client by the coach remaining present and curious, asking thoughtful questions. Consulting is listening and learning and then leaning in to giving advice and an opinion. Knowing the difference as a coach is important for me and my clients. Many times during the end of a coaching session, the client will look for reinforcement by asking, “am I on the right track…thinking about my plan correctly?” And then some are more direct, “what advice would you give me?” As a coach, it’s important to remain in the coaching mindset. However, if I do switch to consultant mode, I try to let them know that I’m doing that, by using the phrase, “let me take off my coaching hat and put on my consulting hat.” That slows me down, it also lets them know I’m doing it too. Know the difference between coach and consult mode. (Note: even when people receive advice, they go ahead most times and do what they want or what they are comfortable with. So be wise and infrequent when giving advice.)

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365 Coaching Tips: 169th, 170th and 171st

June 18th Coaching Tip: Write.

For years, I wanted to write more. That was my goal, “write more.” Why am I writing more in 2025? Because I have a daily goal of sharing a coaching tip. It’s really that simple. Once I identified a realistic goal of writing a coaching tip daily, that helped me to truly launch my writing. My coaching tip today: write. Write every day, even if it’s like me, a simple paragraph or two.

June 19th Coaching Tip: Keep Writing.

It’s one thing to write for a few days, and in the past, I would take a break. The break could last for weeks or months or even years. Instead this year I have a reminder on my iphone to write on my JenWilfong.com blog every single day. It’s working; I keep writing and it actually makes is easier now that it’s a daily part of my routine. Keep writing!

June 20th Coaching Tip: Become A Better Writer.

Now that I’m writing and sharing coaching tips daily, I’m aware of how others write even more than ever. I’ve been asking myself what I appreciate about their style, their grammar, their ask/summary, their simplicity, their ability to reach all the senses, etc. It’s helping me become a better writer as I read others’ writings. Write, keep writing, and become a better writer. As I am writing more frequently, it’s also helping me with the questions that I ask during my coaching sessions. I’m really focused on simplifying questions, utilizing words that are easily understood, and summarizing with the client as we wrap up the coaching session. Writing is helping me in my daily work responsibilities. Write.

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365 Coaching Tips: 166th, 167th and 168th

June 15th Coaching Tip: Rest Before Trips.

Knowing it was the Sunday before heading to New York City for three days of work, it was time to rest. And when I say rest, I mean resting in bed for most of the day, doing absolutely nothing. This will be my third trip to the City in 2025; rarely do I sleep well, almost always I ate too much of the incredible food, and I walk alot of steps. It was time to rest before this trip. And as you travel for your work trips or your vacations across the globe, the first couple days can be quite taxing on the body, i.e. new bed, new timezone(s), new social interactions, delayed flights, different transportation modes, etc.

June 16th Coaching Tip: Listen Intently.

I have the pleasure of coaching a large team who helps guide and care for a small number of very affluent, large clients. This team has crushed all of its YE2025 goals, and it’s only mid-June. So now what? Coast til yearend? Improve on something? Keep growing?

We had each team member share their answers to 1) what should we double down on and do even more in the second half of 2025, and 2) what must be fixed that no one is taking the time to fix. As I listened intently and paraphrased back what we were hearing, the individuals on the team around the team felt heard, uplifted, and ready to keep growing in the 2H2025. The leader agreed to spend one on one time with everyone to assess their personal and professional growth. If you want buy-in, “seek first to understand to be understood.” Listen Intently.

June 17th Coaching Tip: Celebrate With Others.

One guy with over 40 years is setting off to his retirement. Another gal in the crowd was celebrating 38 years of service. And I was sitting there with 13 years. We all celebrated these decades of experience that we’ve shared with our colleagues, clients, and the Company. The retiree shared words of wisdom, even using the short phrase of “be decent.” Not at performing but being decent to one another. Celebrate with others as they achieve milestones. It’s their moment to shine. CELEBRATE!

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365 Coaching Tips: 160th, 161st and 162nd

June 9th Coaching Tip: Heads Up, Need Your Help.

Wasn’t feeling the best. Gave my colleagues a heads up. They stepped up. Don’t be afraid to wave the white flag every now and then.

June 10th Coaching Tip: Defuse. Pick Your Battles.

Wise elders like grandmothers and grandfathers might say to their family members, “pick your battles” or “don’t die on every hill” or “their problem isn’t your problem”. What does this mean actually? Recently, some of my colleagues were disturbed about the amount of untimely and unnecessary emails and requests. What’s the big deal, it’s just an email, right? Some of them were feeling untrusted and micromanaged, others simply ignored the emails, and then some just did the request. Remember, it might just take less time that it would take to complain about something. Sometimes “running up the hill, even slowly” is better than “dying on the hill”. Pick your battles and help others defuse their anger.  

June 11th Coaching Tip: Just Get It Done.

Estimated federal taxes are due June 16th. It’s on my mind, so I just paid them. Who cares really if I paid them a couple days early. It’s now off of my mind; it’s done, and checking things off the list brings satisfaction and relief. Sometimes it just best to just get it done. I don’t make it a habit of paying bills early, however I do make it a habit of paying them on-time or a day or two prior to help with my reputation and also my credit score. With the busy-ness of the end of May and early June this year, I just decided to get those estimated taxes paid and be done with it.

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365 Coaching Tips: 163rd, 164th and 165th

June 12th Coaching Tip: Get Insurance Proof.

Ever hire a contractor and ask them, “can you please provide a copy of your valid insurance?” If you don’t, you should. Recently, we hired a contractor to remove some dead and splitting trees. Before he started, I requested a quote in writing and a copy of his insurance. Fast forward to the day that the contractor and his crew were working in the trees. And yes, you guessed it, the lead man was up in the tree when the other side of the tree started going down (these trees were splitting and it’s exactly why I was having them removed). The lead man was taken down and the entire job stopped; thankfully, they quickly called for an ambulance, he was checked out at the hospital, and released with nothing more than a scrape. Everyone was ok and for that we are all grateful. A couple days later, a copy of the valid insurance was emailed to me. Lesson learned: ask and received insurance before contractors work on your job.

June 13th Coaching Tip: Go Til Then End.

It’s game 4 of a best of 7 series in the NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers have a 2-1 lead in the series, they are playing at home in this 4th game, the crowd is roaring and the Pacers are winning by 5 points starting the final quarter. But something happened, and the Pacers lost their mojo. The OK City Thunder reached deep and tied the game with eight minutes remaining. Then Indiana made a run, winning by four points with three minutes left. But the Pacers let the game slip away again in the last couple minutes and ended up losing by seven points. Think thru this: up four, lost by seven, which is an 11-point swing in a matter of minutes. Leaders, teams, people, kids, and everyone else: go til the end. It’s never over until it’s over. Be resilient and keep your dream of winning alive. Note: That loss led to OK City winning the next 3 of 4 games, winning the championship.

June 14th Coaching Tip: Connect.

Mom and I made a plan of connecting and heading to my brother (Grant) and his wife’s home on the lake nearby. Three of his daughters and their men joined us for a yummy early Father’s Day afternoon dinner. Then Mom wanted to go see her horses race at Hoosier Park. Instead of just the two of going, I decided to reach out to friends and we had a total of nine of us at the track. Although the horses didn’t win, we had a full day of connection with family and friends who really matter. Was it on “Father’s Day”? Nope, it was the day before. But we made it work. On Father’s Day, we intentionally drove out to visit the cemetery where my father is buried. We connected with him, the good Lord, family and friends this weekend. Connect. Being isolated and reducing social connections can lead to dire situations; instead, intentionally connect, with purpose, and it may just bring you better health, resilience and wellness.

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365 Coaching Tips: 172nd, 173rd and 174th

June 21st Coaching Tip: Six Weeks of Practice.

Today I shot basketball for 30 minutes. Practicing my basket shooting will be a priority daily since it’s just six more weeks until the National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa. I’m registered to shoot in the free throw shooting contest (shoot 25 consecutive FT’s) and the 3-point shooting contest (three shot from five locations at 19’9″). The key here is consecutive. Although 25 and 15 doesn’t sound like a lot, I’m noticing that as I practice, it can become fatiguing. My goal is to hit over 80% of my FT’s and 50% from 3-pt line at the competition. I’ve got some practicing to do, but I’m committed to do it for six more weeks.

June 22nd Coaching Tip: Stay Cool, Heat Kills.

Yesterday and today were dangerously hot in the Midwest and it’s expected to continue until July 26th. We are avid watchers of The Weather Channel and learn so much. We learned this weekend that more people die annually due to excessively high temperatures than tornadoes, hurricanes, and water/flooding. We stayed in throughout the day or in the shade; we said no to friends who wanted to go out on the lake during middle of the afternoon. We drank alot (water, tea, vitamin water, etc.) and did activities in the early evening, before the sunset. Stay cool, stay hydrated, stay charged up (your cell phone or device), and stay in touch. Excessively hot temperatures are nothing to mess around with: heat kills. Be intentional about staying cool when it’s dangerously hot, it’s not worth the risk.

June 23rd Coaching Tip: Plan The Midyear Review.

Today a coaching discussion revolved around a team that is looking to develop a new career path for one of their colleagues. This teammate doesn’t know it’s about to happen, nor does the office’s boss. The team’s leaders were leveraging me and a confidential prep conversation to start figuring out how they were going to message this to their colleague and their boss. Immediately I could tell that they were not thinking thru this “exception” is an exceptional manner. For example, when you are asking for an exception, you had better have put together a rock solid, exceptional business case justification.

We worked together on this situation with a purpose for approximately 45 minutes; we agreed for them to work on it some more and then come up with a timeline on when they would present it and to whom. More to come, but it’s midyear, and be ready and prepped for those midyear reviews.

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365 Coaching Tips: 157th, 158th and 159th

June 6th Coaching Tip: Get Your Sleep.

Tomorrow is a big day. I’ve been training for months to hopefully compete and run faster than I did one year ago in my first ever Senior Games. This being my second time, I knew that I needed to eat properly, hydrate well, and get my sleep (over 7 hours). When I left my house for the 3 hour drive, I loaded up the cooler with “my food, my drinks” and checked in to the hotel around 6pm. And I was resting, in bed, by 8 pm, and woke up the next morning with exceptional sleep and resilience.

Prioritize your sleep for top performance. Lack is sleep can many side effects, including reducing your life longevity. Get your sleep.

June 7th Coaching Tip: Compete With Yourself.

I challenged myself and competed against no one. That’s correct. No one.  BUT, I ran faster in the 100m, 200m and 400m than I did last year/2024 at the Indiana Senior Games. Sure, we had competition, but I had no one in my exact age bracket (60-64 years old) to compete against, so I just set out to beat myself. And that I did. I ran the 100m nearly two full seconds faster that 2024’s time, and I did run the 200m two seconds faster while running the 400m almost four seconds faster. So proud of myself for improving even though I’m a year older. It’s a amazing what you can do, if you simply compete with yourself in a healthy manner.

June 8th Coaching Tip: Talk It Over.

Lots to do? Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Having a hard time prioritizing? Maybe your stuck? Talk it over with your partner or friend or spouse, and a plan comes together quite quickly. Why is that? Because most of us know exactly what we need to do and sometimes, we just need to say it out loud to someone we trust. Research indicates that when we write down priorities, and then share them with someone, we are much more likely to complete them. We feel this innate responsibility to honor the commit to thy self and your trusted person. In my situation recently, my partner had alot going on, alot. We were able to get my partner’s three key to do’s done in less than an afternoon. Although I wasn’t feeling the best (lil exhausted from the senior games), me simply allowing my partner to talk it over helped out bunches. Talk it over. 

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365 Coaching Tips: 154th, 155th and 156th

June 3rd Coaching Tip: Falling Behind Happens.

Ever felt like you are falling behind? That’s how I feel right now about this daily blog. I’m behind, but I will catch up, bit by bit. How is the real question? Making it a priority again for 15 minutes over the next couple weeks, since I am not traveling. I have no reason to be distracted, none. Since June 3rd, I’ve been traveling to southern Indiana for the Indiana Senior Games, then got a bit sick, flew to Florida, then to Bloomington three times over the last three weeks to check on the house remodel project there, then to New York for a three day work trip. Falling behind happens, but now it’s time to catch up. And I will, bit by bit. My strengths of discipline and focus, along with responsibility, will kick me back in to success.

June 4th Coaching Tip: Softball is Soaring!

The NCAA Women’s College World Series has viewership; eyes are on the game and I’m thrilled for these gals. They sure deserve it. And now, Major League Baseball is doubling down on softball, announced on May 29th, for the inaugural season for Women’s Pro Softball. Why is this important? Because women are playing and watching softball…and those same eyes just might watch MLB baseball more in the future, too.

What’s soaring in your life? What should you invest in? Right now, MLB thinks it’s wise to invest in softball, purchasing a stake in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and I agree 100%. Viewership matters, and they will show some editorial stories, enhance and embrace their social media, and even show some AUSL games on MLB TV.

June 5th Coaching Tip: Plants Need You.

Water those plants. Fertilize those plants; get them the proper amount of sun. Keep the bugs away, and for sure, pull out the weeks.

As you lead your team, which colleague needs some water, as you are noticing that they are a bit drained? Which teammate needs some sunshine, and on the stage a bit more? Which person needs a few weeds pulled around them, so that they can soar?

As a leader, are you paining enough attention to what every person on your team needs? If not, go home and do some checking on your plants. They need you, and so does your team.

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365 Coaching Tips: 151st, 152nd and 153rd

May 31st Coaching Tip: Introduce Yourself.

We joined our friends yesterday for dinner at a private club that they recently joined. As we were seated, I noticed that one of the restaurant greeters at the club had injured her right arm. After we were seated and ordered drinks and appetizers, I got up to go back and introduce myself to her. Why? Because I felt bad for her arm injury and wanted to learn more about her. She told me what happened and what are the next steps; she impressed me with her positive outlook and that she’s getting a pink cast for the summertime. We then discussed my 2007 injury when I broke both wrists on a fall; shared with her how important the three people who cared for me. We had much in common with our wrist/arm injuries, and yet I could have simply ignored her and walked on.

Then this morning on a short walk, I met a college guy that is staying in a condo for a couple month’s while he completes an internship. He was curious about the area, where to go to meet people, and real estate. He asked me what I did for work, and I told him alot, i.e. Caterpillar then to Merrill Lynch, and now also real estate investing. I’m so glad that I met Mo today; he’s from Toledo and this is his first time away from Toledo. We’ll keep an eye out for him now that we both introduced ourselves. Be intentional, kind and introduce yourself.

June 1st Coaching Tip: 529’s.

If you don’t understand 529’s, join the crowd. I’m NOT a financial advisor and I’m not giving you 529 advice and investment advice. I am encouraging you to understand what a 529 is, how it might help someone with education costs, or how it might help someone in the future with their retirement. Get informed on what is available for people that are important to you. 529’s are worth understanding.

June 2nd Coaching Tip: Returning From Vacation.

On Sunday evening before I returned to work on Monday (after taking a week off), I quickly checked my work calendar and quickly checked my inbox. This helped me get into the proper mindset to ease back in to work on Monday. Plus, in reviewing my emails, I could tell that one of the most important items that needed to be completed while I was out, welp, it didn’t get done. It sat idle for 4 workdays. Thank goodness I spotted this on Sunday evening, as it allowed me to prioritize this first thing Monday morning. I also blocked my calendar to take time to get caught up, connect with some colleagues, and remind/confirm others of upcoming appointments that are happening this and next week. How do you return from vacation? Do you have a process? My Sunday, intentional, quick check-in sure works for me.