Meet Dr. Paula Joyce

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Paula Joyce.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The only business plan that ever worked for me was following what was in front of me. As I look back, I can see how everything led to a career I never could have predicted. I had a goal of wanting to help others improve their lives through coaching, but the action steps rarely worked out. What did bring me blessings beyond my imagination was paying attention to opportunities to be of service while learning, healing and growing. My business was built on trust and faith and a commitment to do the best job that I was capable of doing in the moment. When things didn’t go as planned, I always found a way to take what I learned and move forward. I was tenacious and unwilling to accept defeat. I discovered my passion for executive/life coaching toward the end of my 25-year career in education. As Director of Leadership Development and Organizational Health at the Carrollton Farmers Branch I.S.D., I coached the superintendent, assistant superintendents and principals. It was the most rewarding work I had ever done. I had found a piece of myself that I didn’t even know existed. When the superintendent retired, the executive coaching program was dismantled and I was going to be reassigned to a job that I was qualified for but had no desire to do. Instead of being unhappy for five years, I took early retirement with the intention of creating my own coaching business. That turned out to be easier said than done. I tried various approaches, including developing my own coaching practice, joining forces with other coaches, and becoming a coach within an existing business. When none of these worked out, I decided to push the pause button and focus on developing my creative side. I started painting, writing creatively, dancing Argentine Tango and even joined Toastmasters. Without realizing it, I was working on developing the skills and knowledge that would cause my business to blossom in wonderful and unexpected ways. Because my creativity had been stifled early in my life, I was shocked by the compliments that I received for my creative endeavors. I decided that if I had so much untapped creativity inside of me, everyone must, and I wanted to help others unblock their unique creative gifts. With that intention, I woke up two mornings in a row with ideas that formed the basis of my own coaching process which I also use in workshops and speeches and share in my best-selling book. The Ultimate Creative Problem-Solving Process became the driving force for the development of my business. I did a few free workshops to test it out, get some testimonials and create awareness. Although helping people develop their creativity was where I started, my services expanded quickly. I listened to the feedback I got at those initial workshops and discovered that my process helped people in every aspect of their lives, including improved relationships, health and wealth. I started getting clients and speaking engagements and facilitating workshops. That led to my being invited to join the Dallas Yoga Center’s Wellness Center. Shortly afterwards I was recruited to create my own radio show for VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, the oldest and most widely listened to online talk radio network. I quickly became a top-ranked show with an international audience and coaching practice. It was time to go out on my own. The Dallas Meditation Center made that decision easier when they sought me out to do workshops at their facility. My last job at the school district, showed me who I really am. The gift in taking a winding path to my true self was discovering my own way of helping people change and grow that isn’t limited by a particular belief system. What I do is the culmination of everything I’ve learned and who I am, which allows my business to grow and expand as I continue to grow and expand.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely not a smooth road, but what is in life? I chose to turn every struggle into an opportunity to grow personally, which led to my growing professionally. I’ve learned that I can only help people grow to the extent that I have grown myself. Walking my talk has helped me understand my clients from the inside as well as from a professional perspective. Learning to be compassionate and patient with myself, has helped me do the same for my clients while still helping them move forward in their growth. I’ve learned to use what some might consider set-backs as opportunities. I challenge myself to discover how I’ve grown or gained new knowledge or wisdom. In this way, every experience becomes successful even when a project vanishes without explanation, as did the first radio show I hosted. It was a local start up network, and the opportunity came to me in an unexpected way. It sounded like a fun adventure, and it was. After 18 episodes, the show disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and with no explanation or any kind of communication. This brought up a lot of unpleasant feelings, including betrayal, hurt, anger, blame, helplessness and sadness. Eventually I found my way to compassion, acceptance and forgiveness. Going through this process became a gift because it helped me do the same in other areas of my life. Later I discovered that the network folded, and my shows were still on iTunes. I decided to make lemonade out of lemons. I created a few YouTube videos with excerpts from my shows. Since it was all audio, I took some of my paintings and used them for the visual component. This helped me broaden my audience for my work as a coach, speaker and artist. In addition, I discovered more about myself, especially how much I loved doing the radio show. This initial show allowed me to get comfortable with the weekly routine and having my voice and ideas heard by a large group. It was a low-risk way to learn how the online talk radio business works and how I fit into that world. I felt the sadness of the loss and allowed myself to let it go, choosing to focus on gratitude for my growth and learning. I used the time and energy that was freed up to work on other parts of my business. When I least expected it, VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network found some of those old shows and approached me. This turned out to be a much better and bigger opportunity. I have worked in a lot of different places and this is by far the healthiest, most professional, supportive and positive work culture I have ever experienced. They have a strong infrastructure that enables me to put on a high quality professional show that reaches thousands of people every week in literally every corner of the world. As a top-ranked show host, Uplift Your Life: Nourishment of the Spirit has given me access to the most amazing guests who have uplifted my life and taught me so much. I often say it’s like getting a second PhD, only this one is fun! This experience helped me know that when one opportunity dries up, it’s just making room for a better one.

http://paulajoyce.com/wpsite/newsletter-sign-up/
Link for people to get free download of Dr. Paula’s “Ultimate Creative Problem Solving Process”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PaulaJoyce.com
• Phone: 214-208-3533
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/YsRU1Fb2zUA

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