Carol Urton With Carol Urton Coaching & Consulting

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

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of High Velocity Radio, and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show, we have Carol Urton, who is the CEO of Carol Urton Coaching and Consulting. Welcome.

Carol Urton: Thank you for having me, Lee.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about your firm. How are you serving folks?

Carol Urton: Well, I am an energy leadership coach, a team strategy consultant. I’m also an author and a speaker, and so I have many different ways to reach my audiences with the information and help that they need or want.

Lee Kantor: So let’s talk a little bit about energy leadership. And can you explain that? I’ve never heard that term before.

Carol Urton: Yeah. So it’s a framework that was developed by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. And we really take a look at energy. And it’s not the energy that you use to run down the street. It’s more of mental energy where you’re spending it, how you’re spending it and where you resonate most of the day. And so it’s really based on, you know, we all have a way that we look at the world, the lens in which we view things just based on the current circumstances that you’re in, or just background information, things that you’ve experienced during life. And I can give you some examples of those in a bit. But, you know, we all resonate at a certain level most of the time. And then when we hit some sort of stressor, we can really drop down into lower energy levels. So it’s based on anabolic and catabolic energy. Catabolic energy is very high stress, cortisol, adrenaline producing energy. And that is something that people operate in a lot. It’s not sustainable. Um, I like to explain it. If if you’re being chased by a lion, you need a lot of, uh, that type of energy to run and get away. But it’s not sustainable. You can’t keep running that way for long periods of time. And then anabolic energy is more of a building up, uh, energetic, uh, growth type hormone energy that we operate in when we’re in more of a visionary, problem solving, innovative, uh, type of energy.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your backstory? How did you get involved in this line of work?

Carol Urton: Yeah, so I got involved. I was in the corporate world for many, many years and was at my current corporate job. I just left that a year ago in August to pursue my coaching practice full time, so I’ve been building that on the side for about three years, and I really was operating in some of those lower energy levels. There was a lot of stress. There was a lot of, uh, resources that weren’t being provided for my team. And so I found myself in a time where my attitude was kind of not great, and I didn’t like that. So I signed up for a coaching program and realized once I got into that, how helpful it was and how I had actually, most of my life been coaching and mentoring people and really wanted to have a specific framework to do that in. And so I went ahead and got certified as a coach and have continued my training, uh, ever since. And so it’s been really great because everything throughout my life, uh, from, I’m going to say, from birth until now has led me to this point where I really have found my purpose and the calling that I believe I was put on this earth for.

Lee Kantor: So your first foray, foray into coaching was being coached. Is that what you said?

Carol Urton: Yes, that is correct.

Lee Kantor: So then through going through that process, that was kind of the aha moment of, hey, I am doing a lot of these things or this really resonates with me, how this interaction is going. And then you thought, well, maybe I can pivot into coaching.

Carol Urton: Absolutely. In fact, you know, I was being coached. I’m like, boy, I really want to be on the other side of the desk. So I, you know, talked with my coach about it and went ahead and, uh, you know, went through the training to, you know, really be and I did go through the Institute for Professional Excellence and Coaching. I think it’s one of the the best coaching schools out there. And so it has been very helpful in building this new career.

Lee Kantor: Now, in your firms, um, the name of your firm also includes consulting. How are you kind of discerning the difference of when the coaching ends and the consulting begins, and vice versa?

Carol Urton: Yeah, that’s a really good question. So, you know, in coaching we really, uh, walk alongside and you know, it’s similar but then it is different. So consulting is more going into an organization and taking a look at how they’re operating and giving specific, um, advice and guidance based on my knowledge and experience of being in the corporate world and also the nonprofit sector. I’ve done a lot of nonprofit work, and so that’s a little bit different. Uh, the coaching piece is more partnering with my clients to help them, uh, be the best that they can be, get from point A to point B, but it’s not directive. It is more exploring, uh, And asking the right questions to have them come to their own conclusion on understanding what they want and need to do and what they’re capable of. You know, a lot of us go through life and just need a little encouragement. We can do a lot more than we think we can do, and we’re much more talented and, and, uh, you know, capable than we think we are.

Lee Kantor: So what is your typical engagement? Do you start doing coaching and then the you’re working with a leader and they say, hey, you know, our whole organization might need some of this. And then it kind of bleeds into consulting. Or is it vice versa.

Carol Urton: Uh no. It’s pretty separate. So I will take on an engagement as a consultant. I do have certain clients that really want both. And so we, you know, we have a specific contract based around that. And we’re very clear on when we’re coaching and when we’re consulting. And so it can be a mixture, but the consultant piece generally is just going into an organization and helping them really get to where they need to be.

Lee Kantor: So when you’re working with individuals, um, what is that? What kind of work are you typically doing with that individual?

Carol Urton: Well, it’s mostly leadership. And most of my clients are, uh, high performing leaders. And, you know, with everyone out there these days, it seems like there is limited time and resources to get the job done. And so it’s really most of the time. The problem I see is people get burnt out, they get stressed. They they’re, you know, leading a lot of people. And there’s a lot of frustration within organizations in the current climate. And so it’s helping them be able to really find a path that will help them be successful, but also bring their people along to be successful. So, you know, I recently worked with an organization that, you know, there was a lot of change going on and people were not happy. And so it was really walking alongside this leader to come up with solutions to get the team going in the right direction altogether. One thing I do is I have an energy Leadership Index assessment that I can give leaders and teams, and so that was developed by IPCC again. And so this assessment really helps people see where they’re resonating on that energy, that energy level. So to to really work through that, when you take this assessment, it tells you where you operate most of the time. So let’s just say you are completely stuck. That’s going to be energy level one. You know you’re You don’t know what to do. You don’t know how to do it. You may be so stuck. You don’t even want to do anything. And so that, you know, is the lowest level of energy. And as you work your way up this energy scale, you know, level two is where a lot of these teams and organizations resonate.

Carol Urton: And that is frustration. Blaming other people for everything going wrong. And so there’s a lot of shifting of responsibility people. Not really. That’s that that very high adrenaline, cortisol energy. And you know, a lot of people can get a lot of stuff done in that energy level because they’re really cracking the whip and, you know, getting everybody in line. But again, it’s not sustainable. And people are just not happy. And so as you work your way up, uh, level three is more, uh, compromise tolerance. You know, this is just the way it’s always going to be. People kind of get stuck there. Level four is the energy level of service. And so a lot of people that I work with are in this service level of energy. And so nonprofits, um, you know, organizations that are trying to serve their clients in the community. And so the service piece is really important to them, and they get kind of stuck there, which isn’t a bad thing. But when you work up to the higher levels of level five, which is, you know, gifts and opportunities, you know, what are the opportunities in every situation. And then level six, more visionary, um, planning. So that’s where we want to get our leaders into the more visionary and planning. And you know, what are the gifts and opportunities, even if things aren’t going well and being able to work through that so they can actually lead their teams.

Lee Kantor: So when you learned about this energy leadership and the energy Leadership Index assessment. What part of that resonated with you is this? Or were you kind of, um, already intuitively, uh, learning and interested in energy and saw, uh, where energy kind of lags and where it can increase? Like, what drew you to energy leadership?

Carol Urton: Well, the thing that has really drawn me to this framework is, you know, we are all in control of our own energy. And, you know, when we talk about energy, it may sound a little woo woo, but it’s really just, you know, how we operate, how we walk through life. And so, you know, for example, if I wake up in the morning and everything’s going wrong and I want to blame my husband for it, you know, that’s a very level two energy. I don’t want to be there. I want to get into the more problem solving, solution oriented level. And when I realize that I’m there, I have the ability to shift into whatever level of energy I need to get the job done, and to live a more peaceful and and happy life. And so people really tend to get stuck in the complaining, the blame game, you know, all of that within organizations or even in life. And so to know that we don’t have to be there, that we can shift that. And that’s what this assessment does, is it really tells you, you know, where you resonate most of the time. So for me, normally I’m in a 5 or 6 level of energy, but if I come up across, you know, something that’s really stressful or something goes wrong, I can temporarily really drop down into the being just stuck. You know, I don’t know, I don’t know what to do. And I don’t know, I just kind of will shut down. And when I know that, then I know to reach out and get some help and, you know, shift into a different Mindset that is going to help me move forward.

Lee Kantor: Now, is that what happens during the coaching you? Once you give somebody this assessment and they learn kind of where their I guess their baseline is, and then you give them tools and skills in order to get out of that and move into the to another level.

Carol Urton: Absolutely. So again, like I said, a lot of my clients are in the level four, you know, level of service. And what happens when you’re so busy serving other people all the time. You can drop into those lower levels because you become burnout or resentful or angry that you know you’re trying to help everybody and they’re not taking your advice. They’re not following the directions. They come to you for help. You love helping people, and then, you know, nothing happens. And so they can get very focused so much on service, not only at work, but with their families and friends. And, you know, they’re always the person that’s coming to to aid everyone. And they can get a little stuck there where if they can mentally shift into, okay, you know, what do I need to do to look at the opportunities in these situations? How can I be a more visionary leader? So, you know, the level six energy of we call it the flow energy where I don’t know. You know, you go to work in the morning and you hit all the green lights, your work’s all getting done and your your projects are getting completed.

Carol Urton: Your calls are going great. You know, it’s just one of those days where you have this, this flow that’s going on that really helps you accomplish a lot. And then all of a sudden, you know, something comes out of the blue and you can get knocked right back down quickly. And so it’s very typical for all of us to move within these different levels. It’s just knowing how to use it and how to be able to again shift when you realize that that’s happening. So my clients use this kind of talk all the time. I mean, they really begin to understand how they can do so much more with just awareness of where they’re at. And so generally, what we do is we’ll do an energy leadership index assessment at the beginning of a coaching engagement, and then we do another one at the end. And then we see what that average resonating level of energy number is, because generally it will go up. And the higher that number, the more life satisfaction you’re really experiencing.

Lee Kantor: Now is there anything you could share? Well, say a person like you said, your typical client is at that service level and they’re they’re going about their business, everything’s fine. Then they boom, they’re up into that area of flow, that level six. And then, you know, just as quickly as they got to level six, something happened and now they’re maybe not for. Maybe they’re three now. Uh, are there any tools or anything you can share with our listener right now? Is there something you can do that once you have that awareness that you’ve shifted downward, that you can shift back upward?

Carol Urton: Sure. In fact, I can give you a real time, real life example of something that happened with me over the past couple of months and how I was able to use this, because I used this to for myself a lot. And so I was asked to speak at my local chamber of commerce to talk about my programs and what I do, and I was really excited about that. I now actually sit on the board of that chamber, but they had asked me to come in and they wanted me to bring some materials with me as well, so that they could pass them out during the meeting and also keep them at the chamber. And I’d been thinking about for quite a while, developing a brochure. So I thought, okay, this is a perfect opportunity. Level five. You know, it’s a great opportunity to get some work done that I haven’t been able to do yet. And so I set forth to create this brochure. I didn’t have a lot of time. So my meeting was on a Monday. They told me they wanted this on a Thursday. And so I had to really, you know, be speedy in getting this done. So I get the brochure done. It looks absolutely beautiful. I send it off to a quick printer that can get it delivered to me before this meeting is going to start. And I get it back and I open it up and lo and behold, I the first thing I see is a typo. And coming from the corporate world, I would never, ever pass out anything in a meeting with the typo. And so instantly I went from this level five, level six, you know, grade.

Carol Urton: I’m going to get this work done. I’ve got it done. I’m ready to go Ago immediately. I’m. I’m A1I am I am stuck, I am, I’m, you know, I’m just there’s nothing I can do here because I don’t have time to fix this situation. So then I immediately went into level two, you know, blaming. Right? I’m super frustrated. Why didn’t the printer catch this? You know, my husband didn’t have time to proof it for me. You know, I’ve got all these reasons why this typo wasn’t caught and corrected before I sent it to the printer. And then I’m going up the level. Level three. Well, there’s this is just the way it is. I’m going to have to just tolerate this situation and live with it. But then level four kicks in and I’m like, you know, this is something that was meant to help people to to explain what I do to, you know, help them with their businesses and their leadership skills. And so, you know, that service level kicked in and I thought it could still be useful. It could still be useful in this situation. And then I, uh, I decided, well, what is the gift and the opportunity here? So these brochures came with envelopes. And so I stuffed all the brochures and the envelopes. I took them to the meeting, I passed them out, and I asked the participants not to open the envelopes until I asked them to. So I’m explaining this energy level, uh, framework to them during this meeting. And so now I’m in level five and I say, you know, I’ve got a I’ve got a gift for you and an opportunity for me.

Carol Urton: I’m going to ask you all to open up the brochure. I told them there’s a typo. I asked them to read the brochure in. The first person to find the typo was going to get a free Energy Leadership Index assessment. And so man, they went. They were so excited. Everybody’s you know it accomplished a lot of things right. You know they’re reading the brochure. How many people actually read a whole brochure when you pass it out. And they’re excited because we’ve made it a fun activity. Somebody found the typo and we’re now all in level six because we are working together. There’s a lot of synergy. People are having fun. We’re accomplishing something. And so you can imagine when I left that meeting, I am now in level seven that we haven’t talked about. And that is the level of just absolute pure joy and passion and knowing that I’ve accomplished something and all of a sudden, you know, I’m I’m no longer judging myself for this mistake that’s been made. And that’s one thing that we haven’t really talked about here is that, you know, with each of these levels of energy, judgment becomes less as you go up the scale. So if you’re in level one, there’s heavy judgment of yourself and others. And the higher you go up the scale, the less judgment there is. And if we’re operating without worrying about our performance or, you know, judging other people, we really open up the possibilities to, uh, have new, uh, new opportunities and energy and just, you know, the the possibilities are unlimited.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. And it it sounds that and that’s a great lesson that you were able to take something that you at one point perceived as a negative. And now it became kind of an Easter egg hunt. It was a fun workshop that got more people got, uh, enjoyment and understanding, a deeper understanding of what you do. You demonstrated it and it came alive.

Carol Urton: Yes. It was it was a it was a very fun day for everyone.

Lee Kantor: And now are you going to just build that into future? Um, talk’s having a typo.

Carol Urton: Actually, yes. I’ve shared it with with my colleagues who are going to, uh, kind of build a. Yeah, because this, this concept is without being coached through it and doing the assessment, sometimes it can be a little bit hard to explain, but once you, you know, really begin to understand the concept, people can use it immediately. And, you know, people that are listening to the broadcast today, just, you know, being aware that we all, again, have the ability to decide how we’re going to react in every situation and taking a pause and really thinking about that and trying to figure out what the best outcome is going to be. And generally, you know, the level two energy of frustration and blame is not going to help anyone.

Lee Kantor: Right? And this type of thinking, it helps people go from that, uh, adversity into, uh, something that’s more productive and can lead to more successful outcome?

Carol Urton: Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, just the concept that everything, no matter, you know, good or bad, can be turned into a gift and an opportunity. And, you know, like I said, I had really been working on this concept for most of my life. I wrote a book a few years ago called when Hope hurts. And that book is really to help people who have been through extreme trauma. And so I know in my own life, you know, I really had to decide at one point whether I was going to, you know, let this situation, uh, beat me down or whether I was going to take it out and really, uh, make something good out of a really bad situation. And so that’s where a lot of my, you know, my energy comes from. And knowing that you can overcome anything, you just need the right tools and the right help to be able to do that. And so that’s where just having been speaking on this for years and years, writing the book, you know, being in the corporate world and then finding this profession of coaching and being able to combine all of my, my skill, my experience and, you know, my, my, my life experience has just come to this point where it’s been a beautiful thing to be able to serve other people.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, it sounds very rewarding, and it sounds like you figured out a way to really make that kind of impact that you probably were attempting to do early on in your career. Now you have kind of a through your career and living the life you’ve led. You have now all these tools and resources to really help people, uh, make meaningful change.

Carol Urton: Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: So, um, what do you what’s most rewarding for you now? Is it the coaching? Is it the that the consulting? Is it working individually? Is it a group like do you have kind of a favorite when it comes to working with people and sharing what you know?

Carol Urton: Yeah, I would say all of it. But I really I think where we make the most impact and where I really feel like we’re really making some progress is the team strategy consulting. And so we can take this energy leadership index assessment and we can do it for a group. We come up with a group average. And when the group begins to understand how they all operate, how they operate individually and then how they operate together, amazing things happen. I recently did this for a group of 19 HR professionals, and they came together and just had so much fun. Number one, doing the assessment and the group debrief. But really learning about how they can help each other and lift each other up, they can see, you know, when their colleagues are thriving and moving forward. They can see when their colleagues are stuck or being, you know, getting frustrated. And so it’s a really great tool to elevate the team and get them moving in that more, you know, visionary flow state, even if you are, um, a service professional like in a nonprofit or HR professionals who, you know, serve people all day long and to help them understand that, you know, that can burn you out, but you can use this information to begin to look at, you know, what’s going on with our employees.

Carol Urton: And, you know, how do we turn it into a gift and an opportunity and have more visionary thinking? Um, the second thing that I really love to do is I run an energy Leadership index, uh, Mastermind group. And so this is where I take six high performing leaders. I put them in a group, and we not only do the Energy Leadership Index assessment and debrief individually, but we have a seven week program where we explore each of these levels and talk together about, you know, how what do we do when you know we’re in level one? What are the situations that you have you’ve come across within, you know, your your career and your organization and how, you know, how can you change that? And as we spend an hour and a half each week for seven weeks on each of these levels, it becomes something where we learn from each other and people just grow and flourish. And so that’s been a really successful program. I’ve got one starting in September. And, you know, it’s something that has been really, really impactful for my clients and for me. I learn a lot from my clients.

Lee Kantor: Now, if somebody wants to learn more. Have a more substantive conversation with you about all of the concepts we’ve talked about today. Is there a website? Is there a best way to connect?

Carol Urton: Yes. It can reach me@carroll.com. And my email address is carroll@carroll.com.

Lee Kantor: And then that’s spelled c a r o l u r t o n.com. Uhhuh. Well, Carol, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Carol Urton: Well, thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.