MWS Executive Coaching, Costa Mesa, CA (2026)

01/02/2021

It is the beginning of the new year…
2020 has been a challenging, sometimes frustrating, sometimes energizing year. We could easily have allowed the challenges and frustrations to take over, but when asked what gifts we have taken away from the year, I am sure there are many.

Learning Zoom, the way we found to stay connected when we couldn’t be physically present. The hopefulness that Zoom will cease to be our primary mode of connecting with our friends and colleagues in the not to distant future. And yet, in that same breath, the joy in watching my parents, who are in their mid-90’s Zoom with their 10 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Those are the things that matter the most, that put smiles on our faces, and the ones that deepen relationships all over.

If we focus on the gifts that we didn’t plan on and the lessons we have learned, there are definitely things we can smile about. What are your gifts from 2020?

One of my favorite authors and speakers, Jon Gordon wrote a book several years ago with two of his colleagues titled, One Word. Jon said, “Instead of creating endless goals and resolutions for 2021, choose One Word to be your driving force for the year. No goals. No wish lists. Just one word. When you choose one word for the year it will become a chapter in your book of life.”
I’ve spent the last several days thinking about Jon’s message. I’ve made a list of about 10 words and have noodled them around because I’d like to join this “One Word” community.

The process of “one word” is to choose a word that will guide us in everything we do in 2021, both personally and professionally and live it out. For 365 days!

On this January 1, 2021, I have uncovered my word, which is a good thing because tomorrow is already the 2nd. The word I have chosen is STRETCH. My “one word” gives me purpose and as Jon Gordon says, “I want my purpose to be more important than my challenges.” The words in the definition of stretch resonated with me. Things like, “cause (someone) to make maximum use of their talents or abilities” or adapt or extend the scope of (something) in a way that exceeds a reasonable or acceptable limit.

So, I’m set. And while I am stretching… I will leave a little in the tank every day so I can come back again tomorrow. Happy New Year!

What is your word for 2021?

10/06/2020

A coach is not there to tell you how to do the day to day or to move initiatives forward (you know how to do that!) I’m the person you can come to for advice and counsel ... any time. I won’t tell you how to do something or how to do your job, but I will help you navigate to help you get to a solution. I’m there for you. I'm not your crutch or your safety blanket. I'm the one that will push you to be a better leader. Not because I need to, but because I want to!
~ from TED talks ... and Me. ❤️

08/21/2020

The Sweet Spot

In sports, the sweet spot is the area around the center of mass of a bat, a racket, or the head of a club that is the most effective part with which to hit a ball, says Miriam Webster.

On a short podcast I watched the other day, John Maxwell, professional speaker and leadership guru was talking about a career versus a calling. He spoke of the shift from career to calling, where your career is building, you are boosting your resume and you are climbing the ladder. Your calling is moving from your career to something that helps and adds value to other people. It is wanting more for others than you want for yourself. He called that place “sweet spot” and I smiled to myself. I use the term sweet spot frequently with my coaching clients. For me, it is that place where you are at your best, doing what you love and being deliriously happy …. and you know it. When you are in that place you are completely fulfilled.

When you find that calling in your career, well, I suppose it feels as if you’ve won the lottery. In fact, I’m certain of it!

Roger Crawford, Hall of Fame speaker and athlete says your sweet spot is more than a skill — it’s your unique power, inspired by passion, and driven by a sense of what’s possible. Your sweet spot is where your ambition, passion, and strength are all in alignment. I think it takes learning, stretching and growing to find your sweet spot. I don’t think you are born with it and I believe the search or climb makes it worth the discovery. If you know your sweet spot, that place of complete fulfillment, you seek to find possibilities that align with it and nurture those possibilities. We should ask ourselves regularly, how can I be in that place as much as I can be?

Limitless possibilities are all around us. The key is finding possibilities that align with your sweet spot, rather than trying to alter your sweet spot to fit the possibility. We should all have a future filled with promise and possibilities! Think of what we are able to bring to others when we are bringing everything we have through our calling, our sweet spot!

Crawford later says what makes a person unforgettable is the impact they have made in the lives of others. His late friend Charlie Jones used to say, “If your life does not make a difference, your absence won’t either!” Definitely words to reflect on, every day!

There are opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others every day. We just have to be on the lookout and ready when they come.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sweet-spot-margaret-walker-scavo/?trackingId=udkLs8L5nhYB7igOU1a89A%3D%3D

05/05/2020

It is International Coaching Week! Honored to celebrate my profession with all of the executive coaches out there! Here's to making a difference in working with leaders to be their best self!

04/08/2020

These unprecedented times are an opportunity for you to stretch beyond your normal comfort zones and be even more vulnerable than usual. ~ P. Lencioni

This so resonated for me. I had to learn how to Zoom... and while I dug my heels in because it is not ideal... it is the opportunity to see “my people” face to face. We have to take a deep breath and respond, even if it’s not comfortable.

Out of my comfort zone and vulnerable. Yes, let’s do this. We can all do this ... together!

01/28/2020

Things Kobe Bryant taught me:
1. Go after what you want
2. Strive for excellence always
3. Teach others
4. Be the example
5. Laugh often
6. Love your family and friends fiercely

Oh how you will be missed! But what I learned from you will carry on forever. RIP KB! 💜💛

01/08/2020

It’s officially 2020 and I am excited for this new decade! But before I press fast forward and get going, I want to reflect a bit on what people do to prepare themselves for a new year. Some may declare New Year’s resolutions. Some may do a reset … me, because I can’t keep a resolution. Others create lists of things to accomplish and check them off as they go. I was delightfully struck by author Chip Conley of Modern Elder Academy’s reference to “To-Do vs. To-Be.”

Our to-do is that list of things we want/need to accomplish, and we get great satisfaction by crossing completed items off. I have been known to add an item that I completed that wasn’t on the list, so to get the pleasure of crossing it off! Conley chimes in and says at the end of the day, this list-crossing-off accomplishment is just a sugar rush. (Well okay… sometimes I’m good with that.) Rather than a to-do list, he suggests creating a “to-be” list.

And given that we are just starting out in a new decade, this just might be the perfect time to create a “to-be list.” This list, while important, doesn’t have a sense of urgency. Rather, it causes us to pause, reflect, and think deeply about what the year ahead holds and how each of us will show up.

Conley has four questions that comprise a to-be list and while this list will be fluid and evolving for me, here is my best thinking for what lies ahead for me. Perhaps this will stimulate your “to-be” thoughts.

What are three qualities that will define me more this coming year?
I will be more decisive. As an executive coach, I often look to the individual I am working with to determine the outcome. Sometimes, I fail to offer my insight because I don’t want the solution to be mine. Being wise in the timing of when to provide insight and inspiration will be a key learning for me.

I will choose quality over quantity. While this has been a challenge for me, especially over the past several years, holding myself and those around me to the highest standard versus being spread too thin to be effective resonates deeply for me.

I will be more zealous. I will continue to dedicate my work and my life to something bigger than myself. This fierce passion to help others be successful will continue to drive me.

What are the habits or practices that will allow these qualities to improve?
Simply calling them out and making them a focus will create awareness in how I’m doing. I could have chosen so many others that I also want to define me but limiting myself to three challenged me to be focused and deliberate. Reflecting on them frequently will keep them at the forefront for me. Asking for feedback from my tribe on how I am doing will also be helpful.

What roles or identities do I want to enhance or adopt in the next year?
In my work, I spend most of my time 1:1 with individuals and teams. Things that trigger interest beyond 1:1 time are more writing (articles, journals, blogs), serving on a board for organizations that touch the lives of children and families; continuing to find time to volunteer; and more storytelling (I don’t know exactly what that looks like, but I know what it feels like).

And, what roles or identities am I ready to let go of? Wow, that’s a tough one. I don’t think there is a role that I am seeking to purge. The most difficult place for me to be in is when a coaching client believes they are done… they have everything they need to be successful and often miss the blind spots. Difficult for me to walk away, but sometimes it is the right decision.

So, how do you respond to Chip Conley’s questions? What lies ahead for you? What’s on your “to-be” list? A great opportunity for reflection and to push us beyond New Year’s resolutions into some deeper thinking in this new year.

09/27/2019

The first time I heard the Starfish Story by Loren Eisley, there was a connection. The connection was seeing the ability to make a difference one person at a time. For me it was one foster child, one coaching client, one friend, one person seeking a new career direction, one family member and even one stranger.

If you haven’t yet read this story, it revolves around an old man who goes for a walk on the beach after a big storm has passed.
That day, the beach was strewn with starfish.
As the old man was walking, he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll for sure die.”

“Young man,” the man said, “don’t you see that there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t possibly make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.

Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.”

This story makes me smile every time I read it. I think about how many times in a day we make a connection with someone. The chance to make a difference for “that one.” This morning on my run, there were a multitude of “Good Morning” exchanges with people walking and running. It’s as simple as a smile and a nod. And it always kick starts my day!

It is easy to say, “What difference will this or that make?” “It doesn’t matter.” “ I am only one person.” “No one cares what I do or what I think.” If we all have this mindset, imagine all of the “that ones” we are missing. Sometimes it just happens. We often don’t look for it and we often don’t seek out the opportunity with intention.

What kind of a difference can we make? Will we make? Today? Tomorrow? Every day? The starfish story is a good reminder to us all that even the smallest thing can make a difference. And if we can touch just one person with a simple gesture, shouldn’t we make it happen?

To you it might be something small, but to that person it could mean the world in that very moment.

Photo credit: CanStock

08/25/2019

I have led many groups of people in my nearly 30 years in the workplace. I have also experienced leading volunteers, those individuals who are driven by choice and not by need. Choice is different. Choice is something that is stirred by passion and a desire to make a difference. I have valued leading “paid professionals,” those that come to a job to do good work and to get compensated for it. Some (we’ll call them purpose driven) perform for the sheer joy that the job brings them. Most work out of necessity and the hope is that the joy of their work feeds their souls. These individuals bring out the joy for those leading them.

But how do you lead volunteers when the individuals are “performing” by choice? They don’t want to be told what to do or how to do it. And I am not their boss. In many instances during my career, I have been called to lead. But in my volunteer experience, I chose to lead. My hope is that volunteers want to step up and lead themselves. My role is simply to come alongside, purely for support. I have seen first-hand that the passion that stirs in the hearts of volunteers make it seem like they are not being led at all.

Royal Family Kids (RFK) is an organization that makes moments matter for foster children. For the past eight years, I have been a part of a team that creates a week where foster kids who have been products of abuse, neglect and abandonment, come to camp for a week. The hope is that for a week they can just be kids. Away from the uncertainty, the confusion, the anger and hurt, to a safe environment, where smiles and laughter happen, where water balloons are rampant, where food is ever present and where the love of God shows up during the entire week.

For the past 4 years I have been the camp director of the staff that come to camp. This leadership, beyond leading in a corporate environment feeds every part of my being. Because the staff lead in the very best way and their passion comes out in their love for these kids, I am able to simply provide feedback and then get out of the way. I can come alongside, but only when it is needed.

In the book titled, The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, James Kouzes & Barry Posner discuss the five practices that are associated with better leadership results. As I think about our most recent camp experience of a few weeks ago, examples of each of these practices resonate with me.

1) Model the Way – This is about sharing values and aligning actions with values. Every volunteer (all 30 of them) had a deep understanding and appreciation for the kids that were coming to camp. While there was a bit of anxiety and uncertainty in what to expect, the values of RFK ran deep in every staff person’s veins. There were no questions about how to show up.
2) Inspire a Shared Vision – Every volunteer staff person was all in! And new leaders emerged. Some who didn’t know they had it in them! We imagined how the week would be and it came true.. and then some! The week was about the kids. No personal agendas or what’s in it for me. Everything that each person did was for the kids! We were grounded in the vision of creating beautiful memories for kids that desperately needed them.
3) Challenge the Process – We were starting a new camp. New camp location and many new staff. So many old processes to challenge. We didn’t need to do things the way we had done them in the past. This was probably the most difficult step for me. But the team was ready and made new traditions happen, which created a sense of “new” ownership and many, many wins for the kids! (Think 1000 water balloons and the biggest water balloon fight ever imagined that lasted over 45 minutes. Think laughter, squeals and giggles!)
4) Enable Others to Act – Others will act when there is relationship building and trust. Teambuilding and the building of trust happened during our training and continued through a social gathering at a camp supporter’s home. It further continued through group texts and new Facebook friendships when camp was over. At camp it happened organically by everyone pitching in to offer help and support. It was amazing!
5) Encourage the Heart – While it felt like this happened throughout the entire week, sometimes recognizing contributions and showing appreciation never seems like it is enough and there was probably an opportunity to do even more. Fostering a sense of community was foundational before we even left for camp and I believe it will continue through the planning of camp 2020.

So, how do you lead volunteers? Through modeling, inspiration, challenge, enabling and encouragement that brought the volunteers to the space they volunteered for in the first place. And with love and grace for every single one.

06/09/2019

I admit it. I have been spoiled by Facebook and Instagram! Don’t get me wrong… I am a fan. A big one! The family, friends and colleagues that I am connected (and reconnected) with and who I get to share a bit of my life with and where I get to see a bit of theirs makes my heart happy.

But in the past two weeks, I am reminded about the value of that personal touch and the opportunity to connect in person. I could blame myself for the lapses and for not finding time for the in-person connections, but the reality is, life is busy. For all of us. And that isn’t an excuse (because I’m not looking for one nor do I need one), that is reality. Husband, kids, volunteering, work travel and just life in general more often than not, keeps me from having that time.

I found amazing planet alignment recently and was intentional about showing up, which can be difficult for me. The first alignment happening, I made time to enjoy coffee and catch up with a dear friend and colleague who I worked with over 20 years ago. I’ve watched her kids grow up on Facebook, but the opportunity to reconnect actually happened. She asked… schedules were navigated, and we both made it happen. And what a treasured visit it was!

The second moment was by happenstance. While in Denver on business, I literally ran into a colleague and friend. We first met 30 years ago when we worked for the same organization. Have seen her perhaps only once in that period of time, (it may have been more) but with the goodness of Facebook, LinkedIn, and a mutual friend and colleague, reconnected. We found time to share a glass of wine and a meal and caught up on life. A kinship rekindled and a blessing in disguise for a million tiny reasons.

I now find myself in Nashville a couple of days later with two of my favorite people who I shared great work and companionship just a few years ago and here we are together celebrating a life event in the wedding of one of their sons.

And finally, touched by the gutsiness of a high school friend who recently relocated to Nashville, timing was perfect for a get-together breakfast. There was a window of opportunity to connect for a short visit and it happened. Different lives, different stories, but a beautiful re-connection.

As I think about these distinct occurrences, I am fiercely reminded about the beauty of the human touch, the face to face laughter, the wonderful memories, and even the ability to share heartache. I am grateful for the opportunity to be connected to my tribe, my family and friends through social media when I can’t make the human touch happen, but oh so richly blessed when it does.

Bless you: .boissettcollection

MWS Executive Coaching

01/02/2021

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08/21/2020

05/05/2020

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01/28/2020

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