Welcome Jeanette Jordan to The Grand! ⭐️
“If it doesn’t scare you, is it big enough?”
I shared this question with Jeanette, one of our coaches, as she was making a career transition that was a bold step for her. It was a good reminder that new things might feel scary, but oftentimes it’s because we haven’t done them before and that nervous energy can be a positive signal that we’re doing something worthy of us. I’ve long admired how Jeanette has been able to take big leaps and how she truly is a lifelong learner: she started her career in civil engineering, then product management, marketing, operations and most recently, coaching.
Now she’s taking her next bold step as General Manager of Membership with The Grand and I couldn’t be more honored. I’ve watched in awe as she poured so much heart into improving herself and also supporting her community, as a member of The Grand and eventually a coach. She’s constantly thinking big and finding ways we can make a more meaningful impact on the world. We’re so excited to welcome her to the team and can’t wait to do big things together. Please join me in giving Jeanette a warm welcome! And if you want to learn more about her, check out our IG. 👏🏽
Coach Spotlight - Desiree Matloob 💡
In this month’s Grand Coaching Spotlight, we’re going to explore how to process emotions to become even more resilient You’ll get to hear directly from our coaches about how they help people figure out where they want to go.
Meet The Coach 👋 : “I have always been passionate about the power of groups to catalyze personal transformation. From coaching stress management metabolic health groups at One Medical to leading mindful communication practice groups for individuals to hone skills around having difficult conversations, I have continuously sought out ways to integrate the wisdom of the collective into each of our individual personal growth journeys.
I have worked across hospital and payer healthcare innovation teams for the last 8 years, and I’m most energized when I am working towards enabling people to lead lives of purpose, health, and connection. I am incredibly excited to be a coach at The Grand and get to join the growth journeys of so many talented individuals!”
How would you describe your process for coaching individuals to process their emotions when they’re experiencing hardship, and how can the power of community in a group be additive?
“When we're experiencing a difficult event or a difficult emotion, the natural tendency is to want to feel better — and as quickly as possible. We want to find whatever way we can to move past the pain or confusion and into the solution. The problem is, when we avoid or quickly bypass our painful emotions, we not only make ourselves vulnerable to experiencing the unresolved emotions in the future, but we also miss out on the growth that can happen from sitting with and investigating the difficult emotion.
So I would say the first thing I try to do is to create a safe space for individuals to recognize their emotions and the difficulty of what they're going through. Often, we want to skip straight to the problem solving, and we don't honor that part of us that's feeling unsure or disappointed and just wants to be heard. It could be because we are scared of sitting with the emotion and the discomfort that we'll feel, it could be because there is shame around the emotion, it could be because we want to "get over it" already. But the more we avoid an emotion, the scarier it feels. What if we let ourselves feel the feelings, notice the thoughts that are arising, and allow them all to be here in this moment?
From there, we can begin to dig deeper into what's coming up for us. What's going on with our thoughts — are there any stories, judgments, or assumptions we're holding about the situation and/or the future? What are the emotions we're feeling, and where are we feeling them in the body? Can we breathe into and relax these areas where we are feeling tightness or tension from the difficult emotions, making the emotions less painful to experience physically? What relationship do we have with the thoughts and emotions that are arising – are we tightly fused with them, expecting that they will last forever, or can we detach a bit to view them as what they are: temporary states of mind.
One practice I find super helpful for going through all these steps is the very popular mindfulness practice of RAIN, which stands for Recognize, Acknowledge, Investigate, and Non-Identify. By creating space to witness and investigate our thoughts and emotions around a difficult experience, we open up the possibility of finding wise paths forward that we might not otherwise.
What's really powerful about doing this sort of work in a group is that we recognize that we are not alone. We are not alone in the difficulties we face or the fears that we may have. There may be people who have gone through a similar situation or are currently going through it, there might be people who have never faced anything remotely similar but can identify greatly with what it feels like to have the same thoughts and emotions. With this shared experience comes the possibility of learning from others' approaches, having a non-judgmental environment to do so, and forming deep connections in the process.”
Upcoming Clarity Councils 🤝
We know there are many questions on everyone’s mind that weigh heavy on our emotions — new changes in life, the state of the world around us, transitions, or opportunities on the horizon. We’d love to invite you to process your emotions in community at our next Clarity Councils.
Wed, July 13th at 1-2pm PST hosted by Desiree Matloob || Theme: Processing emotions
Come to this Clarity Council if you want to explore processing emotions that are currently weighing on you. You’ll emerge with a better sense of how to process your emotions and get the support you need.
Wed, July 20th at 1-2pm PST hosted by Teni Ayo-Ariyo || General Session
Come to this Clarity Council with whatever question or big decision is on your mind. You’ll emerge with more clarity and tap into your gut using our new decision-making framework.
We hope you join our community in conversation and support yourself in whatever you’re currently navigating. We launched The Grand with one mission: to make the world a less lonely place. We believe we can do that when we support each other to make the best decisions for our work and our lives rooted in our values, our courage, and who we are. We want to live in a world where we are no longer alone, in our heads and making big decisions rooted in fear, but rather from a place of clarity, confidence, and community. We hope The Grand can be that space for you. ✨
💌
Anita