Meet Pivot’s New Coach, Smita Vadakekalam
For a few years now, I (Emily Lamia, Founder of Pivot Journeys) have thought about bringing on another coach into the Pivot Journeys individual coaching practice. I’ve been so lucky to have Kate Williams with me the last 4 years as she adds so much value to our community and to me as a thought partner. But I wondered if I would be able to find someone who could fit in as seamlessly as Kate has…
But as I started to get serious about hiring another coach over the last 6 months, I was thrilled when a former Pivot client told me she’d be interested in the opportunity.
Meet Smita Vadakekalam!
As a past Pivot Journeys client, and an ICF-certified coach, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Smita to our team of coaches.
I first met Smita when she joined a group program (shout out to the Life Design Series folks!) in 2019! - so she knows our coaching approach and style really well. She became someone over the last few years that I truly enjoyed talking shop with as our relationship shifted from Coach/Coachee to more of a peer-to-peer.
At the time, she was approaching 15+ years at Heller Consulting, a company that supports nonprofits with technology and change management. Most recently she was their COO and much of her work focused on learning and development and coaching. Almost 2 years ago, she transitioned to an in-house coaching role at a global consulting firm - so now she coaches full-time in her work. She's ICF-certified, and has a brain-based coaching certification through the Neuroleadership Institute.
Once we started talking about her working with us, we knew her style, knowledge of our frameworks (having gone through them herself!), and enthusiasm for helping people navigate their careers was just the right fit for us.
We sat down with her for a few minutes to hear a bit more about how she came to join our team and what sets her apart as a coach. Read on to learn more about Smita:
What led you to us? Tell us why you wanted to continue career coaching outside of your day-to-day work?
I find career coaching an interesting blend of many things- which includes coaching, consulting and mentorship. I love learning about others’ interests, experiences, motivations, values and priorities and helping them use that to craft their lives. I love the creative exercise of generating possibilities and following that up with practical strategies and actions to reach those specific goals.
I am a huge Pivot Journeys fan. I met Emily many years ago at a networking event and was initially impressed by her creative approach to career exploration. I remember thinking that this approach makes sense, sounds fun and matches my philosophy and approach to life. Then as I got to work with Emily as a client, I got hands-on experience with these frameworks and methodologies. I often utilize these strategies in my day-to-day coaching work.
And of course, I love helping and working with people 1:1. Career coaching also leverages my Gallup top 3 strengths; Connectedness, Developer, and Individualization!
Tell us more about your day job currently. What are you working on?
In my day job I get to work with individuals to help overcome challenges at work, have brave and courageous conversations, improve performance, and most importantly help them tap into their own powerful insights to pursue their individual goals. I do this by 1:1 coaching and group coaching formats. I also facilitate trainings and workshops on leadership and communication.
What made you decide to make such a big change in role and type of company after 16+ years at your last company?
In my last role I had the amazing opportunity to practice and try many different things. I had the incredible privilege of being a leader for a small business which meant wearing many hats and being adaptable and pivoting in whatever direction the business needed. While this was a fantastic growth opportunity, it also sometimes limited me from focusing on the areas I was most passionate about. I also wanted a little break from a traditional leadership role to more of an individual contributor role. Through the work with Pivot Journeys, I was able to identify the parts of my job that I wanted to continue to grow, have the most passion for, and where I thought I could make the greatest impact based on my particular strengths and talents. That focus area for me was in people development and coaching.
How did you use the Pivot Journeys tools and frameworks in your transition process?
There are many things I used (and still use) from the Pivot Journeys toolkit. I am a huge fan of prototyping conversations. In fact, once I started doing these conversations, I had so much fun that I secretly wished for a job that would spend all day learning about other peoples’ jobs and lives. The prototyping conversations not only led me to wonderful job prospects, but it also broadened my network that I still tap into today in different ways. For example, these conversations helped me gain insights into not only what future job would feel right for me, but also gave me ideas for other areas surrounding my life and for future possibilities. The “Designing your Life” book was key to my transition process. It was the “good times journal” exercise that helped me identify that coaching was a key part of what I wanted to look for in my next job. I still do some of the exercises to pinpoint the things I enjoy doing to help me craft my current life more closely to the life I want to live.
What about outside of work? Tell us a bit about the other parts of your life.
An important part of my life is my family, 2 kids (ages 6 and 12) and my husband. My husband is a small business owner, so the business is a big part of our life (sort of like our 3rd child). When I'm not working or with my family, I spend a lot of time with my run/workout group. We exercise outside in Prospect Park during any and all weather, except lightning. It's a wonderful group of women who have become my community throughout the years. I also love drawing, painting, and exploring the amazing food, art and music landscape of New York.
What do you think sets you apart from other coaches?
A couple of things shape my approach and perspective as a coach. First, I was a former Pivot Journeys client and have gone through this entire process from figuring out what I wanted to do next, to negotiating an offer. This personal experience enables me to draw upon and empathize with the challenges and insights that come with being on the receiving end of coaching.
Second, in my previous company, I was responsible for recruitment and hiring for more than 10 years. Throughout that time, I accumulated a wealth of stories and experiences related to both successful and less successful interviews, job negotiations, and applications. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of the intricacies of the job market and the nuances of candidate selection.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think people have about job seeking or career development in general?
Job seeking and career development is seen sometimes as a linear process and something you only engage in when you are desperate for a job. Many of the practices involved in a successful job search can be used to refine and craft your current job and can help you build an extensive network and meaningful relationships that you can leverage beyond a job search.
What’s your favorite thing to work on with people looking to make a change in their career?
My favorite thing to work on with people looking to make a change in their career is tapping into and exploring all the possibilities, strengths, talents, and passions and experimenting with these ideas. Career transitions often come with a variety of challenges and uncertainties. I enjoy the process of problem-solving and providing guidance to navigate these obstacles effectively. And I’m excited to do this work with Pivot Journeys clients moving forward!