Podcast: Mike Normant — Hannah Grady Williams

Hannah Gets Coached to Self-Coach LIVE,

with Mike Normant, Best-Selling Author of Coach Yourself Up

Hannah Gets Coached to Self-Coach LIVE, with Mike Normant, Best-Selling Author of Coach Yourself Up

Ever wondered what it truly means to coach yourself?

Get ready, as our guest Mike Normant is about to reveal the secrets behind this powerful skill.

In this conversation, I dared to ask Mike, author of Coach Yourself Up, an executive coach, and leadership trainer, to coach me right here on the show.

We explored his methodology, delving into the essence of self-coaching and its transformative potential for your career, life, and everything in between.

Brace yourself for a mind-opening experience unlike any other.

Let's dive in!

“Capital T” Truth vs. “Small ‘t” Truth

Drawing from his extensive knowledge, Mike provides a relatable example to illustrate how these truths manifest in our daily experiences.

“One of the biggest things that drives human behavior is whether they believe a world, the world is a safe place that is filled with good people, or it's a dangerous place filled with dangerous people.” ---Mike Normant

We discussed the common small “t” truth of needing things to be perfect initially shaped by childhood experiences and the desire for acknowledgment.

Gradually, it transformed into a capital T truth—the perception that imperfection equated to failure.

However, upon reflecting on our conversation, I realized that this belief did not correspond to an objective reality.

It was not a universal truth that dictated worth or guaranteed success.

As Mike Normant said, "Under all people's behaviors are the stories we tell ourselves."

Imagine the possibilities that arise when we become aware of the stories we tell ourselves and take active control over them.

These stories resemble invisible threads woven into our minds...

They empower us, giving us the courage to take risks and embrace growth, or they can hold us back, limiting our potential and trapping us in self-imposed barriers.

As Mike said,

"If you can't really focus your attention very well, it's hard to self-serve, but there's self-observation. And then once we have a pretty good grip on what we think is going on story-wise, then we move into the third step called being response-able, the ability to choose an intentional response."

Ontological Humility + Political Stances

Ontological humility and Political Stances—two crucial aspects to consider.

In a nutshell, ontological humility delves into the study of reality.

For example, your perception tells you that marketing has gone awry.

But ontological humility nudges you to pause and consider that your perspective may not be the only valid one.

It invites us to engage in conversations with the awareness that our perception of reality is shaped by the core set of facts we believe to be true.

"It may be the truth, but when we jump to it without allowing for other inputs and ideas and perceptions, we do a disservice and we frankly are unaware back to your point, that there might be other things involved that we're not aware of."---Mike Normant

Hannah Gets Coached to “Self-Coach”

"it's very easy and very common for us to see somebody doing something that goes against what we believe, and we label them as wrong."---Mike Normant

However, it's important to recognize the ease with which we pass judgment and the commonality of this tendency.

By acknowledging our instinct to label others, we can go deeper into the complexities of differing perspectives.

In this self-coaching model, Mike focuses on helping individuals recognize and address their self-limiting behaviors, which hinder progress.

Self-observation is the key concept he's advocating.

This introspective process constitutes the second step in the self-coaching path, enabling you to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery.

"One mantra is you have to do the inner work to make a lasting outer change... the second mantra is, small shifts lead to big changes," emphasizes Mike Normant.

The bigger we make it, the more we set ourselves up for failure, increasing the likelihood of pushing too hard.

Mike has longed to have learned these concepts earlier in life, and today we have the privilege of learning them.

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Meet Mike!

A Bay Area native who brings a unique blend of technical expertise and a passion for outdoor adventures. With an Electrical Engineering degree from the esteemed University of Notre Dame, Mike combines his analytical mindset with a love for nature and music.

Raised amidst the vibrant landscapes of the San Francisco Bay Area, Mike finds solace and inspiration in the great outdoors. Beyond his affinity for the natural world, Mike's love for live music knows no bounds. With a particular fondness for jam bands, he finds immense joy in attending approximately 25 shows per year (pre-Covid).

Mike Normant is an author, executive coach, and leadership trainer, with a 25-year corporate career that included running global Learning & Development at both eBay and ServiceSource. He is also the creator of Coach YourSelf Up, a training program that teaches self-coaching skills to help individuals make lasting behavior changes in support of their career and life goals. Following his own personal transformation, Mike created this program in service of his purpose: to help as many people as possible achieve more of their potential through heightened self-awareness.