My journey so far….

by Elena Capruciu,

Life & Business Coach, Dreams come TRUE.ro, Romania

 

Once upon a time, in a Bucharest of some other history, started the story of a little girl, Lilly, as my nickname was. … back then changes governed the world and dreams were hard to come true.

I was around 7-8 years old and I remember as if it happened yesterday. Before going to school every morning I stopped at the church on my way, with one request in mind: „God, please give me strength to help people think, feel and behave with good soul… and give me strength to bring peace and happiness in their lives. ”

Years passed, and when my parents asked me what I wanna be when I grow up, I used to tell them that I would like to be a doctor, to heal the people and free them from their suffering. Finally, I never went to Medicine because I’ve realized in time that it was my mother’s dream, not mine.

So when I finished high school I attended the University of Journalism and Communication Sciences, and around the same time I started my first job. I was 18 and was working as a journalist in one of the top 5 stations in the country, at the time.

In the 2 years I spent there, I learned many lessons about how to work in a team, among others. All those deadlines set out in short, the adrenaline from the editorial office where I was both a reporter and editor, the pressure before broadcasting live or voice recordings, writing news reports and editing interviews and footages from the events that I wanted to introduce to the whole world, everything showed me how to work in a team… in so many ways.

The most important is that I have discovered how people need to improve many behaviors, actions, reactions to feedback, planning and strategies to work effectively in a team, making things happen in due time, like a fire that needs to be preserved alive at any cost and risk.

Then the next 7 years I spent working in 2 top banks, breathing every day human resources strategies and meetings, initiating processes and procedures, applying the methodology in the areas of recruitment and development, guiding cross-cultural teams and projects at international level, making recruitment and assessment programs scrolling both times of maximum expansion and development, as well as of transition, merger and acquisition.

It was an incredible and dynamic period in my professional development and my evolution as a person, with valuable lessons and extensive periods of change. The context of the business environment and the people around me, I had constant variations on the same theme in terms of change management, and cultural experiences that are more or less colored in Turkey, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, India and Romania and business strategies and decisions made by people from different countries with different approaches and perceptions.

In those moments, I enjoyed the chance to learn and be in the presence of professionals from various fields: from banking and finance, up to IT, legal or administration. At the same time, I met many opportunities to innovate, to test and assess the potential of the people and processes in each level of development of processes and activities.

I felt like Alice in Wonderland, because I could experiment and evaluate virtually all of these principles on the HR instruments, evaluation and assessment of humans, as well as observing their subsequent development and the mechanisms by which they had stimulated and maintained their motivation to perform or not in those services.

Back then I did not know a lot about the tools of coaching. However, now I realize how much I practiced, at empirical level, naturally following my leadership and intuition and thus supporting people to grow and develop their potential.

In 2007, after graduating from the second university in the field of Finance and Banking, and after crossing a complex merger and acquisition between 4 banks, I have concluded that it was time to spread my wings and fly to new challenges. So I became an entrepreneur, leader of a consulting and human resources company, and then I have understood how different are the perspectives and paradigms between the corporate and entrepreneurial fields.

Shortly after this major change in my life, I have learned about the concept of coaching. For me it made ​​sense immediately and caught my attention - it was a positive technique with a future-oriented thinking and I immediately understood the benefits it had to offer. I was told that it delivers real results and I was intrigued to find out more.

The first coaching experiences have involved training through coaching trio: Coach - Beneficiary - Observers with some recent acquaintances, people in this area. These sessions really showed me which were the possibilities of this technique.

My attitude towards my own work had changed. I choosed to quit feeling against time and things went much easier. I developed a model of thinking based on coaching and used it in different situations, with great success. During this time I formed the belief that I can help people to trully help themselves more than ever.

My personal journey tends to indicate how favorable the constant promotion of change in life or at work had been. She proved that those eating and healthier life behaviors, sports, continue self-discovery and development gave me energy, strength, willpower, courage and clarity that I needed to go on facing emerging challenges discovered and continue on following my mission.

The moment I recognized the positive influence around me, I found out that it was easier for me to talk about and accept my past. Soon I managed to improve my energy and positive attitude, I learned to take care of emotions and feelings, to access that positive fuel that helps me to move on.

Equally, Coaching exercises and instruments helped me to follow, one by one every dream I had. I was identifying opportunities everywhere, only if I was willing to accept them. After a period of methodology testing I decided that there are many more things I want to achieve.

Shortly after that, I decided to take the plunge and become certified professional coach and recognized by the highest professional standards in the field. Now, 4 years later, I can say that I have made ​​the right decision to study and practice coaching, taking all my accreditations from Noble Manhattan Coaching School, UK.

I got the highest score when I took the final exam for Life & Executive Coach Practitioner diploma.

I am happy to say that today I am a mentor and trainer of this wonderful school I graduated from and now I am part of the evaluation team in final exams, providing training sessions and mentoring to students of coaching worldwide.

Thank you Gerard O’Donovan, Dawn Campbell, Vali Cojocaru and the entire team around the world, for the miracles they bring in many people’s lives.

I am very well aware also of the constant effort required to develop a business in these times of global and transnational economic changes, in order to reach the much-desired success.

Ever since I have received my credentials, I have established some well-defined coaching niches.

Each one follows the specific markets in various sectors. The ones for „Dreams Come True - Executive & Business Coaching” and the „Team Coaching” programs are directed both to entrepreneurs and to those working in multinational companies. What they have in common is their desire to further develop their respective businesses.

Thanks to acquiring an extensive corporate experience in human resources, communication skills, presentation and business strategy developed, and an native understanding of human nature, I manage with my colleagues to create and implement training, coaching and team - building programs bringing more value, with zero false modesty, and yet … on all levels.

This contribue in a clearly and measurable way to desired organizational transformations, changes of mentalities and limiting beliefs, support business improvement strategies, real profit increase, creativity, innovation and development of future oriented top management strategies matched to the capricious business markets of today.

The other niche I was talking about is related to the educational field. Since 2010, I colaborate with the ones that are changing the world from CROS, Center of resources for students organizations, that have created the first alternative university in Romania.

In 2011, I accepted an invitation from my colleague, Simona David, from ROI Association to join in a pilot project „Education through Coaching” called ZBURD.ro for the period 2012-2024.

I assumed the role of leading the team of coaches in one of the high schools in Bucharest (one of the 5 teams scattered around various cities in our country). Currently, I am a trainer and facilitator of the ARL methodology for all new coaches who join this program.

I’m glad for having as mentor in this project, a professional in this field, Ernie Turner, from USA and a great Team Coach: Oana Stoianovici-Cioponea. And I am grateful for the fact that we have managed to get together, coaching professionals in Romania - dear people to my heart, whith whom I share values​​, visions, and many miracles.

My journey so far, as Coach is filled with a range of fantastic experiences. I have met incredible people and true models of inspiration. I’ve trained others and been trained myself by talented people, true magicians in their areas of activity.

By my side came to support, promote and develop Dreams Come True - Coaching programs, the Dreams Come True Angels, by definition: Bogdan Tascau, Ina Cristina Stanciu, Miruna Leonte, Alexandra Dragomir, Cristina Dina, Nicolae Darie, Teo Ciontu, Dragos Miu, Raluca Vasile, Magda Negru and many others.

The secred is to be human

My mission to support people to fulfill their dreams in careers or personal lives is what inspires and gives me energy to keep on with the entire effort. I started wondering how to get rid of all kinds of fears, and I discovered on this journey that … is something inevitable: fear of change lies in human nature, but what does not change, dies.

Being alive means to make changes continuously. Now I wonder:

„How is it that some people make changes and work hard as much as they can, while others retreat into a so-called half-hearted or defensive attitude in their own lives?” and „How can we “awake” these people, so that they could enjoy more of life, in these times of unprecedented change? ”

I don’t have an answer for the first question … for me, the answer to the second one is more than clear: to be awake and still present, and they, to remember that everything they have to do is „to ask” and they „shall receive” …

All my best wishes,

Elena