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David Smith

My name is David Shawn Smith and I am an Atlanta Based Executive and Personal Life Coach who has been in the field of human development for more than 15 years. In addition to my experience I have a B.A. In Communications and Rhetoric and M.S. in Leadership and Coaching and certifications in Executive Coaching and Anger Management.

Jun 02
I Speak Life Coaching

Life Can Be Lonely At The Top

By Executive Coaching, Executive Life Coaching, Free Life Coaching, Goal Setting

The CEO/Executive is built to make companies run and be profitable. They are responsible for carving out and creating a viable future for the entity or enterprise. Responsibilities include people, projects and future projections.

Over the years they have cultivated relationships and built solid reputations of being a leader. The executive is not like most people who chase what they know, no; they chase what they do not know. The tools they use empowers others to be their best, and helps them see the bigger vision of the company. Executives wear many hats on this journey.

[youtube height=”400″ width=”700″]httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDrnPsJqLmE[/youtube]

 

However, like so many executives you too have blind spots and also seek out support, guidance and a sounding board to run ideas by. In fact, this is exactly what executive coaching is, it is having a conversation with a trusted friend, confidant and Coach. Executive coaching is as “iron sharpens iron” with the client.

You will be strengthened in:

  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Solving Problems
  • Defining Goals
  • Unleashing Hidden Potential
  • Personal Opportunities
  • Improve Performance
  • Retain high potential
  • Promotions
  • Lateral Moves
  • International assignments

 

These are just a few of the areas in which executive coaching can enrich the executive/business owner.

We can help executives and business owners move to the next “Big Thing” with ease and with confidence. We ask very specific questions to help you get to a clear solution to any of your challenges for instance:

  1. What have you done today?
  2. Do you feel proud or disappointed?
  3. What if you found that you could move more aggressively from planning to action?
  4. What are you afraid of?
  5. What is the difference between leadership and management?

Executive Coaching will impact your bottom line. In other words, you will be able to measure your return on investment (ROI) over time. The results and benefits will vary but are measurable.

It is lonely sometimes at the top but with a coach on your team you will no longer have to experience success in a bubble.

May 23

Memorial Day: Memories How They Linger

By Life Coach Atlanta News, Relationships

Happy Memorial Day!!!

This holiday is about reflecting, remembering, taking a pause, and contemplating. As young children we looked forward to the games, food and playing outdoors with family and neighbors. Most of us got new clothes or took short trips for this special holiday. The real story here is we have enjoyed the excesses of what this holiday brings.

It is the official beginning of wearing white.

My grandmother loved her white. She could be seen on the weekends with white shorts or capri pants on and Sunday mornings with a wide brim white hate to match her crisp white suit. Oh, the memories of that woman in her Sunday frocks. She had a walk to put Naomi Campbell to shame and she would take a room by storm. Memorial day brings up so many old memories for me.

As we fire up the grill, or ready the pool for summer or as we sit and look at old pictures of those who have transitioned, it is okay to just “BE” in the day.

This holiday please don’t forget to be good to yourself. Take the time to laugh, be still, go for a long walk, watch kids play in the park. Take the time to really soak up what it means to be on holiday in this country.

It is my hope that we celebrate the old memories but also create new ones on this day. Start your own traditions.

To all of you , Have Happy Memories!

Peace and Love

David

May 21

Can A Life Coach Iyanla, Fix Your Life?

By Life Coach Atlanta News

Each Saturday many people around the globe tune into “Iyanla, Fix My Life on OWN the Oprah Winfrey Network. We have a front row seat as she indulges our curiosity around life issues. The people she encounters are just like us they are dealing with love, loss, secrets and fears.

The show is helping them come face to face with what is holding them back from living the life they dream of. Iyanla is there to help and coach them into success. Here is an example of her “fixing” the rappers DMX life.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWEHBCLkrx4

Is this what coaching really is or is it a form of coaching with entertainment?

If, there is anyone who has read her books and spoke with her personally it is me. I have tuned into here career before the cameras started to roll.

However, as I peruse periodically her style and what she represents, I’m a little bit disturbed and concerned. Let me first say the intention of the show is to help people and give them the resources they need to grow and develop. I believe it accomplishes this goal on some level.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7AiwwNnZLQ

As a life coach here in Atlanta, I like to leave my clients emotionally whole and optimistic. Iyanla, comes on the scene  as an expert in all things but one of the guidelines for coaching is you are there to give guidance, direction and insight.

It is the goal of the coach to listen, be empathetic and wait on direction from the client. Our goal is not to bully you, talk down to you or intimidate you into confession. Coaching is not about confession but rather revealing and sharing.

Iyanla is not the standard for coaching. We are not gaveling or screaming at you nor do we  get in your face and God knows we do not crawl around on our knees forcing you to tear  up or weep. No, we are here to be a support and a teacher to all we are entrusted to work with.

I will encourage to take a look at my video it explains what a life coach is and what is the purpose of a life coach.

 

Apr 12

How To Create The Ultimate Relationship

By Life Coach Atlanta News, Online Life Coach Case Studies, Relationships

Tony Robbins is using  powerful tools to help us in our relationships. Relationships are complicated because sometimes we enter them with out a clarity about intimacy, emotional needs and spiritual needs.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6iNyjPDt7k

We can have all of our needs met on a high level when we bring into them basic tools to enhance our lives. Many times we enter into these unions wanting someone to fulfill us and make us whole.

Tony Robbins helps us to define why we are in the relationship to begin with. He uses basic examples to make this point very clear. Listed below are some of the traits of having a healthy loving relationships.

1. Love

2. Compassion

3. Respect

4. Trust

5. Passion

6. Enjoyment

 

Jan 18

No More Spanks or Squeezing In That Gut!! This is Your Year

By Goal Setting, Life Coaching Tools

Goal Setting and Success

Happy New Year, we are excited about what the future holds for you. you ready to move forward with the dreams and hopes you have set forth in the New Year? We here at I Speak Life Coaching would like to give you some simple tools to help you reach all of your goals.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHyLzRwie4g

Have you made any declarations for the New Year? Are you ready to thrive? Are you still fussing over those last 10 pounds? Are you still thinking about returning to school? Do you dream but cant seem to execute? Let me say, you are not alone.

In order for you to set the goals and make the declarations, you need a change of mind. This is the year of change, excited, love and expectation. In order for you to catch the wave and move in the right direction, you must change your mind.

You control what goes into your brain and what comes of of your brain. Put in good information and you get good results and the same is true for bad information. The work here is not just on the treadmill or on the business plan but it must involve a reprogramming of your mind.

The fight for greatness starts in the mind and then moves in the greater parts of our lives. You must take charge of what you are thinking and what you believe.
James Allen said ” as a man thinketh so is he”, that statement holds true today. When we begin to align our minds with our thoughts and actions, then we can accomplish all we desire and hope.

Your goals are attainable and you can past by those but in order for you to be apart of this new wave, then you must change your mind and also change your heart.

Jan 18

How To Get Money, Love and Personal Power?

By Athlete Life Coaching

We are on a journey toward greatness. In this New Year, we hear all about resolutions and revolutions and commercials around weight loss .

All of us love those messages but one major component to changing or recharging your life is your Mind. The mind controls all outcomes. If you think small then your life will be small. Think big and receive big results.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYnYeectFVY

The lesson today is the power of the mind. We have to begin on a mindful level in order for us to eradicate negative and toxic behavior. The work is not about losing the weight or finding the great love but it is in how you think about your life.

Our minds are full of bad information for instance we say sometimes perhaps we are not good enough or we are fat, ugly, too skinny. The mind has to be rid of all those toxic conversations in order for us to attract what we want and desire out of life.

Today, let the real change happen in your mind. Be mindful of what you say to yourself and to others. Begin, with knowing that if you can dream it you can have but you must be willing to also do the work to achieve these goals.

Before, you start a new diet or being that new idea or career, do a mind check. Change your mind and you can change your life.

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Nov 16

Good Relationship Advice: Life Coaching: Ask For What you Want

By Atlanta Life Coach Online, Good Relationship Advice

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEzemvfVzG0&feature=plcp

Relationships are here to help us grow and expand in our lives. If you want to know more about who you are and what you are made of then a good healthy relationship can be great ground to start.

You might find yourself in a great relationship and things are going good but it could be better. How do you go from good to great? One main key component is you must be willing to ask for what you want.

Ask for what you despite and what you need. You can assume your lover, wife, husband or partner knows what those need are and it is unfair for you to punish them for not knowing what they are. When you open your mouth and ask for what you want several things happen

1. You allow them to get closer to you.
2. You give them options in their decision making.
3. You then can make better decisions as it relates to you moving forward.

The relationship can not grow if you are not clear and transparent in your relationship. For instance, if you need more intimacy and you have not made that clear to your partner, they may think you want sex. When, in fact you want more conversation, more cuddling, more dinner talk or pillow talk because it makes you feel secure and valued.

In this video you will get straight up no chaser, good relationship advice and hopefully you will use these tools to help strengthen your partnership.

I’m your Life Coach David Shawn Smith. Thank You

Oct 10

Getting Unstuck – How To Keep Moving Forward Despite Adversity

By Life Coaching Tools

This living your best life stuff is not tougher than I thought it would be. There are days when I feel like I’m doing great work and then there are days when I stand in the mirror and ask myself, what in the world are you doing?

I’m sure you know the feeling of making promises to yourself and then breaking them – like I’m going to lose weight, ha, I’m going to clean out the garage, ha, I’m going to get more training and go for the promotion. Have you ever just felt stuck and unproductive?

No one informed me starting a business would be this challenging. I must confess, business ownership is not for the faint of heart. It is serious work and it pushes all of your buttons.

If you really want to know who you are, strike out on your own, all of who you are will be revealed. Personally, I’ve felt frustrated by the slow turning wheels of success. I sometime feel stuck in this rut and I too have to figure out how to get unstuck.

I made up my mind that failure is not an option. My week is full of glorious surprises and wonderful creations. I get up each day looking for the new thing or the new idea and get down in the dirt and work. The way in which I had to figure out this up and down game was to have my own set of beliefs and tools to help along the way.

There would be no more excuses. No more promises made and not keep them. I’m going to do whatever has to be done and no more complaining but push through till the end.

If you feel like you are stuck in a job, career, relationship, let me offer you up a few tips to help you keep it moving.

4 Tips To Help You Keep Moving:

Change Locations: Each morning I would be at the desk working looking out the same window. I realized that I needed to see people and hear certain noises. So, I get up, get out and change locations. I switch it up and break my routine. I pack up the lap top and leave my place and try not to be seduced by my favorite day time shows.

Get Inspiration: I’m a walker and I love to walk through new neighborhoods in the city. So, each day I find a new path for me to walk and explore.

It is so exciting to find that small business shop which I never noticed while in the car or discover a running creak in a certain tucked behind some dogwood trees. Inspiration can come from any source.

Do It Now: Tomorrow never comes. I would put off task until the next day. Well, I realized the week would have passed and I’m still not done what I promised myself. Do what needs to be done today. Tomorrow mind set is not for winners.

Seek Truth: If any of you are like me, I can spend an enormous amount of time alone. It is not good to have someone you do not check in with from time to time.

I have built my “truth” commission who tells me the truth and helps me grow in the most important areas of my life. Find you someone who you can be accountable to in this process.

I hope me sharing my journey to personal freedom has helped in anyway. Send me a note and let me know how you get unstuck.

Sep 28

Atlanta Life Coach Share Ideas For Fall Goal Setting

By Free Life Coaching, Goal Setting, Life Coaching Tools

Planting Good Seeds And Setting Goals In The Fall For Your Harvest

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HZYrK9PjA&feature=plcp

Hi everyone. In this video, I would like to send a personal Fall greeting to all of my YouTube subscribers, my Facebook friends and fans, and most of all, my personal and group coaching clients.

Fall is a special time of the year. Many of us waste the opportunity to consciously think about the seeds that we want to plant for the Spring.

Many of us have planted seeds of negativity, lack, scarcity, and mistrust and mis-trust in ourselves. No more. Today is the day to think about the seeds that you want to plant this fall, like a farmer. We must be proactive and co-create to reap the harvest we want.

Set your intentions and set them well.

Plant the seeds and strategize today what you want to see in the coming months in your life and for your family and loved ones.

Take good care and please e-mail me and let me know what kinds of seeds you’re planting or leave your comments below.

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