The Aha! Moment Academy

Before I joined the academy, I was teaching and I still am. I am an public school teacher and this will be my 25th year coming up in the fall. I teach elementary school and I'm currently teaching fifth grade.

I got a little tired of the all of the politics involved in education and I didn't feel like I had freedom or autonomy to really be me.

I'm given a curriculum. I'm giving a pacing guide. I'm giving mandates by the government. Of course, I have to follow those but something was missing. And the more I worked with children, I saw their struggles and their needs.

They have a lot of social and emotional needs that are not being met in the public school. We just sort of pushed the academics really hard and I was sort of losing my steam and feeling very stuck and dissatisfied.

One day I was scrolling around on Facebook just looking for something. And I just happened to see Silviu doing a little infomercial.

He said a lot of keywords that really resonated with me, like - being stuck in your career, being unhappy and unfulfilled and you don't have to be that way. You can really find out who you truly are and what you want to contribute to the world.

And I thought "that is what I'm seeking".

Silviu and Steve helped me develop a Career Plan that is very doable and I know it will be successful because I intend to do it.

Even though I had this job that felt very dead and void to me, now I can have more passion about it because I can deliver my Work Purpose in that job until I get to different stages of my plan.

I have more confidence now. I have less fear. I have more direction, clarity.

One thing I learned in this journey is, I am starting to believe that if I mess up along the way, if I make mistakes, that's okay. I used to really shame myself and beat myself up when I would make mistakes. I would feel not good enough and not competent enough and then I would just kind of, retreat back into a shell and stop, like I can't do that.

Now I'm beginning to work with those beliefs because I'm more conscious about them. And I'm like, "I don't have to accept this as a truth".

These beliefs are not truths, they're just habits and beliefs that we've picked up and they're programmed into our minds and we can change the programming in our mind and therefore our beliefs. And so I am learning to do that.

I'm a teacher and that's where I am but I intend to work my Work Purpose in my job. Now I'm more intentional about it. I know who I am in my essence. I know what I want to contribute to my students and I intend to implement that.

My career plan is now clear: I can see myself getting involved in groups that maybe go to different schools, public schools, and speak to young people, speak to educators, speak to parents that work with young people and then eventually evolve into a speaking career for young people and parents and educators.

The programme has great resources. The coaches, Silviu and Steve are so accessible. I can send a message and Silviu respond immediately - 'Hey, let's have a coaching call' and they can steer me in the right direction. I've not experienced that before. The coaches I've had are not always so easily assessable.

Silviu and Steve truly invested in their clients and it is so worth the investment.

It is one of the best personal and career development programs I've ever taken and I've taken quite a few, and this is the golden ticket right here. More...

I've never had a clear idea of how I am professionally. And so that's why I think finding a career that really fits me has been a very hard-to-quantify thing. That's why when the pandemic hit, I did have a lot of questions in my mind.

Before being coached by Silviu, I was working as a senior consultant for a lot of hours. I was probably doing 50-60 hours a week.

A lot of pressure, getting in early trying to get ahead of deadlines. Working late, sometimes working through the night, feeling a lot of pressure and often feeling overwhelmed.

Joining the program, I was afraid that the money I was paying for would not deliver. I had quite a lot of expectations.

And looking back, I would say it was absolutely worth the investment. It was worth the investment not just to get another job but as an investment in terms of my mental health.

We worked on CVs, interviews, negotiations right at the end which enabled me to land the role with a 20% increase in salary.

But there was so much at the beginning of the coaching to help you understand who you are and why you are this way and how to change the bits that aren't helping you. There's a depth that I wasn't expecting and benefited greatly from.

I was used to the traditional coaches who are only focused on your CV, and Silviu really helped me understand what makes me happy and how to go after it.

Now I'm in a Career Portfolio that I love (working PT for a company, while lecturing, having enough time for myself ad working with people I'm inspired by without the pressure I used to feel) and I now have a career direction and strategic plan for the next 5-10 years of my career and continue to get better and better at helping others, which is really fulfilling.

The best word to describe the entire program is energizing and empowering: the coaching gave me the support, structure, and the solidity, and it has given me the energy to feel this is doable and I can work on this. Also, it's empowering because it gives you the ability to think you can do this even if you feel at times this is insurmountable. More...

Silviu supported and coached me in the process of applying for an Executive MBA scholarship. His input on reshaping my resume and writing a concise letter of intent were very valuable. Furthermore, his feedback during the interview trials proved to be extremely helpful and gave me a boost of confidence in myself. I feel gratitude for his help. More...

After working with Silviu and The Aha! Moment Academy I was able to change careers without starting from scratch.

And now, even after the honeymoon is over I and have some hard days at work, I never get the feeling of "I don't want to do this". I have so much awareness, so much more joy and so much to learn.

The amazing part is that I was able to speak truthfully about what I want to do with my career during the interview and even if I wasn't 100% qualified the company that I now work for saw the potential in me. I know I have a long way to go but I wouldn't be here without this programme. It's not been easy but I'm finally doing what I love and I'm proud too speak about my work whenever friends ask me what I do. I started working with Silviu at the point where I was close to burnout, with no idea what else I could do.

One suggestion I have for everyone is - don't wait until you're burned out and have to quit your job. You'll be much calmer if you go through this coaching while in a job. I didn't so I added a bit more stress on myself.

But if I managed to get through this transition, everyone can. I highly recommend his services and process. There's nothing else on the market like this. More...

I worked with Silviu on and off at key points in my career in the last 5 years. He's helped me find a sense of direction and helped me close the gap between the person I was and the person I wanted to become to have a fulfilling and successful career. He's also helped me with interviews and job search on top of the career planning workshops and coaching sessions. The best investment I ever made when it comes to my career. More...

T

Reply from The Aha! Moment Academy

it's been such a journey! I'm glad to be part of it :)