Lea Appleton with Appleton Coaching

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Stone Payton: Welcome to the High Velocity Radio show, where we celebrate top performers producing better results in less time. Stone Payton here with you this afternoon. You guys are in for a real treat. Please join me in welcoming to the broadcast with Appleton Coaching the lady herself, Ms. Lea Appleton. How are you?

Lea Appleton: I am well. Thank you so much for having me today. Stone, this is great.

Stone Payton: Well, it’s my pleasure. What a delight to have you on the broadcast. I got a ton of questions. Lea, I’m sure we won’t get to them all, but I would love to to paint a picture if we could. For me and our listeners. Mission. Purpose. What are you really out there trying to do for folks?

Lea Appleton: Yeah. So in my coaching, I’m really here to help people and be a guide so that they can find their way, whether it is in making their work life better or their personal life more in order. My goal and my mission is to provide a way for them to act with intention, pay attention to what’s important to notice and be aware so that the choices that they make every single day really align with their values.

Stone Payton: Well, it sounds like great work if you can get it. How in the world did you find yourself in this line of work? What’s the backstory?

Lea Appleton: Well it’s great. What’s interesting is, honestly, I didn’t really know about coaching, and I was in higher education for decades, and I took a course that was part of my professional development, and I chose the coaching training program because I wanted to learn how to ask better questions. That was my sole reason. I had a lot of conversations with people, Well, listened a lot and realized I could do better at asking questions. So that’s how my journey began. And it was like coaching found me. And when I retired from higher ed, I thought, this is this is how I’m going to spend my time. So it’s been a really great journey so far and have had fabulous conversation hours, hundreds, thousands of hours of conversation so far. It’s been great.

Stone Payton: So what are you finding the most rewarding at this stage in your career at this point in your practice? What’s the what’s the most fun about it for you?

Lea Appleton: You know, what’s really fun is that I have such a wide variety of people that I work with because I have private clients, and I also work for two coaching companies where I’m a contract coach. So I have access to such interesting people who are willing and to share their story with me, and to be able to inquire of themselves what it is they really want most. And I get to be witness to that. And that is really the most exciting part for me to be able to watch people’s lives unfold in ways maybe they didn’t even realize they wanted, or they weren’t sure how to get there. And I get to to be there, as it happens for them.

Stone Payton: So let’s dive into the work a little bit. Let’s talk about the mechanism for the work. You know, are you doing one on one work? It sounds like you’re well, I know because you and I had a chance to visit, uh, before we came on air. Uh, you’re getting people outside. You talk about the work itself?

Lea Appleton: Sure. So I do a lot of coaching. One on one in the online environment. Um, I became a coach, uh, as a digital first, uh, learner. So that was terrific. I didn’t have to translate like a lot of people did after the pandemic or during the pandemic into an online platform. So I do most of my coaching online, but I have a on my website, I talk about how I have an indoor job and an outdoor job, and part of my outdoor job is having opportunities for people to go on mindful walking excursions, if you will. Usually a day long or a good portion of a day. And so in a lot of ways these partnered together because inside, when we’re in our offices or our homes and we’re talking online about the life that we want to create for ourselves, or in particular with my clients, the work life that they want is, is the wayfinding and how they find their way and how they make those choices. And when I work with people outside, it gives them a hands on opportunity to think through or experience the next choice, the next, the sign that they actually see on the walkway and what it makes them think about and to be reflective in that process. And so it’s a practice of mindful walking that allows them really, I think, to live more mindfully.

Stone Payton: So mindful walking I’m operating under the impression that while there is this, this element of freedom and expanse, that there is some structure, some rigor, some discipline to this so that it delivers some some results and opens up some opportunities for internal exploration. Can you say more about the structure?

Lea Appleton: Sure. So usually I invite people to come up with an intention for their walk. So it’s a purpose, not just I want to do, you know, 12 miles today or I want to be done in three hours. So it’s not so much a quantifiable, um, result that they’re looking for, but more this idea of how do I want to be with myself in this moment. A lot of people don’t spend hours and hours with themselves and, you know, their thoughts and their ramblings in some senses. Stone. What’s interesting is that it is actually a little bit of of wandering there. In some cases, there isn’t a destination. We’ll just go as far as seems right, and we’ll turn around and go back. In other cases, we’ll walk as far as it seems, and then we’ll take a Lyft or an Uber back to where our car is. So, um, that I think kind of is nice because then it allows the very specific things of what’s your intention? I create booklets that give questions that ask people to reflect every few 30 minutes, every hour, depending on how long we’re going. So there’s some structure around that that I’ve created and then to but not to necessarily have a specific place they’re trying to get to, both figuratively as well as on the map. And I think that allows for people to explore whatever is going on.

Stone Payton: So this may be a little bit of a selfish question, but maybe it’ll serve the listener. After this particular conversation, I’m going to hop in the truck and I’m going to go to a place called Wildlife Action. I have 450 plus acres that I have a chance to roam. My question is this does there become a point in working with you where there is, uh, what’s the right word for this? Some capability transfer where I could incorporate some of what I’ve learned from working with you into my ongoing excursions out in the woods as I’m playing, is there some individual capability that happens over time to exercise some of these disciplines and these techniques?

Lea Appleton: Absolutely. And in fact, you know, I told you that I wrote a book last year and it was published. And one of the things that’s in the back of the book, the last full chapter, is the DIY tips, right? So really the goal and the hope for me is that people are being able to learn to practice paying attention, learn to practice noticing. So both what you see with your eyeballs or you hear is what’s going out there. Because so many times, whether we’re walking along a sidewalk in a city or whether we’re in some open space, there’s a lot going on that we can pay attention to. And then to focus some of that attention inwardly what’s going on with us as we explore these places. So being able it’s really a really a matter of practice. I think that most of us can do these things on our own, but we don’t necessarily try it. We don’t do it yet. So my hope is both to explore again in my indoor and outdoor job, getting people to practice, the opportunity to pay attention, to notice, to really begin to make the choices and respond to kind of the yearnings of the heart, if you will, and being able to make those choices in their daily lives, whether it’s on the walk or whether it’s in the office. And, um, really, my honest hope is that you don’t need me as a coach eventually. And I don’t know that every coach will say that, but I really hope that people are able to develop these skills on their own and the practices on their own, so they can go do it themselves. That’s really my goal.

Stone Payton: So I know the answer to this has to be yes, but I’m going to ask you to expand on it. But is there a a peer to peer dynamic application for Application for this work. Like if I if I work with you to go out with our with our team, does I gotta believe that this would really lend itself to some tremendous peer to peer dynamics?

Lea Appleton: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, depending on you know, sometimes I’ve brought people together who don’t know each other and maybe they don’t want to share. But if there’s a group of friends or if there’s a team, that’s a really great opportunity to be able to say, um, with the booklets that I create, they can be more customized. But then you could do that too and say, all right, people have done their internal exploration of their own landscape. Then what does our team look like together when we look, um, or our, our organization or our group of friends, whoever it is that’s doing this together to begin to explore and share what’s going on in ourselves, which sometimes, you know, takes some vulnerability, some willingness to do. Um, but I think it can really help build trust and, um, build focus for a joint effort, whatever the Whatever the team or the group is wanting to do together.

Stone Payton: So you briefly mentioned this book. I’d say more about the book. I’m interested in the structure and the content, but I also candidly, I’m interested and I’m sure many of our listeners, because many of our listeners are practitioners or aspiring practitioners, the experience of committing your ideas to paper and crafting a book, speak to that a little bit.

Lea Appleton: Sure, absolutely. It’s called walking and wayfinding. Create your own mindful practice one step at a time. And it actually just came out on audible a couple weeks ago. And it’s available on Amazon, which is great. And the the point of the book for me became when I realized that I didn’t have it in me, both in time and energy and and focus for how I wanted to run my business to, to lead wayfinding days all the time. Um, took me away from my family, take me away from my home and my other opportunities. I love to do it. But I thought, well, how could I make this possible for even more even more people. Plus, I live in Southern California and like, you know, it’s not so easy for you to join me on a walk at the beach in California, right? So how can I I create this opportunity for people because a lot of people asked me about it. I had done these walks on my own and people said, that’s really cool. I want to do one. And so that’s what led me to create them for other people. And then I thought, well, if I write a book, then even more people can do these themselves, whether they and there are questions in the book. So each chapter is a process of developing a mindful practice, and mine happens to be around walking. And the book talks about that, but it leaves open the opportunity that it could even be something else. And then the so the writing of the book became this way to share both my personal experience and the group experience that I had helped create with other people. To really make it possible for you to go do this yourself. Again, this, this goal of of making I’m kind of a DIYer, and I think that I love, um, being able to to share that excitement with other people so that you all can do it yourself too.

Stone Payton: So is there some science or at least intention behind using the the nomenclature, the the the frame of wayfinding?

Lea Appleton: Well, it’s interesting because I don’t I don’t know if I would say that there is science, but I was very particular in why I chose that. So wayfinding is and I talk about it in the book, the idea that we’ve used the term wayfinding, particularly in seafaring going early on and, and people finding their navigating by the stars and, you know, the nature that’s out there and finding your way from one island to the next, or one continent to the next. And then wayfinding also is used, at least in contemporary language in the US around city planning. So wayfinding is a term that’s used for like, here’s a sign that tells you how to find parking. Here’s a sign that tells you to go to the restroom. Here you can navigate this open, you know, community space, let’s say. And there aren’t signs, but it’s obvious where you need to go to find things. So wayfinding is paying attention to what’s out there so that you can know where to go so that you can find your way. Whether it is a destination like the restroom or the parking lot or whatever. Or it could be how I’m going to get from one place to the next on this city street, that it’s the design of the the structure of the area is made so that people can find their way. So I thought, wow, this is a really great metaphor for being able to find our own way, both based on what we see, but also what we see and notice inside ourselves.

Stone Payton: So what are you learning from your practice? And I guess maybe your clients on this topic of work life, play balance. Any new learnings there?

Lea Appleton: Well, one of the things that’s really interesting to me is that many, many of the people that I work with, they may come in saying, hey, I want to be able to, Um, hone my leadership skills. I want to really a lot of people will say out loud, I want to wake up and be excited about my job. I want to go to work. Uh, looking forward to the day and what’s been really interesting in working with people. And this is, again, one of the thing that’s great about coaching is that it’s directed by the Coachee. It’s not directed by me. And they come up and in invariably it’s I want to have a better morning routine. I want to go to sleep on time. I want to be able to take a lunch break. So they they begin to realize that they haven’t paid attention to the signposts along the way during their day, and their bodies haven’t come along very well. So being able to um, so a lot of people make lots of changes and choices around, um, their own health and wellness and sleep patterns and taking lunch and then setting schedules and routines and things like that when they need them, and allowing for freedom and choice when they don’t. Um, so it becomes a much more much more pragmatic approach to kind of crafting a day, if you will.

Stone Payton: Yeah.

Lea Appleton: And that surprised me, I think. I didn’t expect that when I began my coaching practice a number of years ago, but it is a very common topic. Like I really just have to get a handle on my day.

Stone Payton: So you and I discovered in another conversation previous to to coming on air that you’re singing to the choir here, right? Like I’m heading to the woods after this. But what is the whole sales and marketing thing like for a practice like yours for, for the, the people you’re trying to to to serve is I mean, I’m operating under the impression maybe every one, every organization doesn’t initially embrace this idea of you just found a way to just play your music to the ones that who want to hear it.

Lea Appleton: Well, I think in a lot of ways I play my music to the ones who want to hear it, but I don’t always know who those are. And I think that that’s something that is important, particularly for new coaches, to realize that, you know, you may have a particular niche or a particular audience that you are wanting to work with, but there also may be other people who really find what you have to say valuable. And the thing that’s been interesting for me is that people who have chosen me, or companies that have hired me to come in and do a workshop, I do things like that as well. In terms of my mindful practices at your desk, things like that. And, you know, it’s finance companies and, you know, software techs and things like that, which isn’t my background. If I thought, oh, I only want to talk with people that come from education or music or outdoor adventuring or something like that, that I might be limiting some of the people who really find value. So particularly for new coaches, kind of being open to who might actually really like the song you’re singing and be willing to share it with, with as many as possible, and then they choose you. And then that helps you choose who you want to focus on and who you market to, and things like that.

Stone Payton: Yeah. So passions, pursuits, interests outside the scope of the work we’re describing. Most of my listeners know that I like to hunt, fish and travel anything you have a tendency to nerd out about that’s kind of outside the scope of this work.

Lea Appleton: Well, it’s a little bit tangential. I love being outside, so whether it’s a walk around the block, I love to backpack for days and days on end. Um, I’m currently not able to do that, so I’m recovering from an injury. And what’s really interesting with that is I’ve discovered, again, I love to read. I think puzzles are fun. Um, I’m I’m developing. My secret passion is someday I’d like to be a really good cook. Um, that’s not really what I am, but I keep trying. And so that’s been fun. And I’ve loved making. I’m a I’m a good soup maker, and I’ve discovered that maybe I’ll just stick with that. That’s my niche in terms of cooking. Um, but I’m excited about it and I love doing things like that. So being outside, creating good food, um, spending time with people that I really appreciate, either eating good food or being outside. So they all work together.

Stone Payton: They really do. And I have to confess, uh, as a product of my extensive pre-show research, not because I like to just have conversations, but you’ve taken an interest in lentil soup, right? You’re working on on perfecting that? Yes.

Lea Appleton: Yes, very much so. And I did not realize there were so many ways to make a good lentil soup. So I’m having a great time with that this year so far.

Stone Payton: Oh, I love it. So I would love to. Before we wrap, I would love to leave our listeners with a couple of pro tips. And a lot of our listeners are other practitioners, uh, Lea and and quite a few, I would think, would be people who are genuinely considering the idea of bringing on some type of, uh, some type of coach. But I would love it if we could leave a pro tip maybe on on practicing the craft, but also the business side of coaching because you, you know, you have to run a business as well. Right.

Lea Appleton: Mhm. Absolutely. And it’s interesting that you should ask that because I just recorded late last year um, with the, the company where I did my, or the school where I did my coach training because they looked at me and they said, you know what? You just did it. And we’d love to hear how how that process saying, I don’t come out of corporate America. Right? Like I told you, I didn’t know what coaching was until I learned about it. And I think the biggest tip is to start where you are to to fight the urge to make an excuse for the reason why. Well, maybe I can’t do this because I don’t have this and I don’t have that. Well, you have whatever you have, whatever your experience is, use it. Um, and if you don’t have a big network, then begin with a network of one, right. And then begin to build it and begin to build it. And I think that particularly anybody with any business where you’re an entrepreneur, I think that it can be isolating a little bit and it can be hard. Um, but to try to try to stay as positive. That’s the biggest, um, the biggest tip I have. Find the things you like and do them, and then the things that you like, uh, will continue to build and you’ll continue to shine, and people will be interested in you because you’re doing the things that that you enjoy.

Lea Appleton: And then pay attention to the people who are hiring you and learn from them and find out what it is that they I always ask people like, well, what did you find interesting about me? You know why? Why me? Why did you pick me? Because then I can learn in that process as well. Um, and and be able to, to talk to more people. So definitely on the business of coaching to start where you are and to stay as positive as you can. Um, I had to take a part time job when I first began coaching to make it possible for me to do this. So sometimes you have to just make the choices, even if they’re not exactly what you want. Um, now I’m doing full coaching full time, and that works great. So I think, um, to be persistent and to keep, if that is your goal and your dream to create a coaching practice, then then do everything you can to make that possible in terms of the craft of coaching. I think coming from a place of curiosity, genuine interest in the person that you’re talking to and listening with, because really a lot of coaching is listening. But then again, my reason for taking coaching training was to ask the better questions. So to listen and ask the good questions that really stem from curiosity about what that person is saying and what they want.

Stone Payton: I am so glad that I asked and I think that’s marvelous, counsel. And look gang, the number one pro tip is reach out to Lea and have a conversation. Connect with her. Start to tap into her work. Let’s make sure that they’re able to do that. Let’s leave them with some coordinates to get their hands on this book, maybe have a conversation with you and kind of get to know you and your work.

Lea Appleton: Absolutely. So my book Walking and Wayfinding, you can find it on Amazon and on audible. I spell my name, Lea, and that’s helpful because sometimes you might not find me otherwise. Um. My website is w w w Appleton Coaching.com Apple t o n and my. You can email me if you like at Lea. Lea at Appleton Coaching.com.

Stone Payton: Lea. It has been an absolute delight having you on the program. Thank you for your insight, your perspective, your enthusiasm. You are clearly having a tremendous impact on so many and we sure appreciate you.

Lea Appleton: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me, Stone.

Stone Payton: My pleasure. All right. Until next time. This is Stone Payton for our guest today, Lea. Appleton with Appleton coaching and everyone here at the Business RadioX family saying we’ll see you in the fast lane.