About
Hi, I’m Val. I’m a career and business coach for introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs) who want meaningful work without the overwhelm.
I Believe…
I believe the dominant money-driven culture is broken and needs more of the gifts we sensitive souls have to offer.
So I’m determined to be part of the heart-centered revolution about freeing you to be who you’re here to be — while still having financial stability.
I’m not about pushing you to do anything. (There’s already too much of that in your own head, and all around us. Right?)
But I will help you see your gifts and encourage you along the way of living your purpose. I do this through a calming kind of 1:1 coaching, groups, and courses.
A little background about me…
I once felt like such a misfit as a highly sensitive person (HSP) and introvert. I usually managed on the outside, but at a cost on the inside.
After burning out, more than once, I did some soul searching (with the help of a coach). I have come to a place of celebration and ease with being true to myself in my personal and professional life.
It’s not perfect and it’s always evolving, but it works in ways that matter to me: freedom, purpose, creative flow, balance, and financial stability.
A little about you...
If we’re a fit, you have a big heart and you want meaning in your work, but you want to ditch the exhaustion part.
My clients are mostly mid-career women who are highly sensitive. Many of them are introverts and some are highly sensitive extroverts.
You might feel like a misfit at times, like Why do others seem fine with this work when it’s so exhausting for me?
I know you are actually like a black swan who at first might want to blend in with the ducks, but just doesn’t fit. You’ve got a lot to offer, as you are. Overwhelm not required.
As a so-called misfit, or rather a black swan, you bring a unique and valuable perspective and you can have a big impact by being your true self. Just like a black swan has a beautiful impact by being herself. Not easy, at first, but then much easier in the long run. We can make it easier sooner than later.
You might be self-employed or considering it, and sometimes relate to being a reluctant business owner, as I once was. You have hidden talents for business, believe it or not.
You like the idea of having breathing room, and you especially find that in nature. But you’re not sure that breathing room is possible in your work. Oh, we should talk.
Val introduced herself – her voice was so warm, kind and calming…was this really a coach?! You mean they’re not all full of extroverted energy ready to burst at the seams…this was a great start! …[After working with Val] Not only did my business take off, but I’m learning to live ‘out of my head’ and ‘into my heart’ which has completely changed my life.”
~ Cindy S., introverted solopreneur
My Superpowers (Psst, you have superpowers too.)
- Empathy. (People who meet me feel seen and understood.)
- Seeing the genius in you – even when you can’t see it.
- Helping you see where you are on the “map” so you can find solid ground and then go for what matters, step by step.
- Helping you uncover what you actually want, and how to manifest it.
- Some kinda mysteriously good intuition. (I think this is one of my HSP superpowers.)
- Making networking and marketing much easier for introverts.
- Getting you unstuck.
- Calm energy. (People tell me they feel calmer around me.)
- Knowing the world is a BIG mess and tuning in to LOVE anyway.
Val is gentle, kind and compassionate, and the work she does packs a surprising punch. I walk with my head held higher now…”
~ Janice Beetle, copywriter and writing coach, and an HSP
My Approach
My methods are informed by these approaches or beliefs:
- It doesn’t have to be that hard. When it feels hard, you’re trying to do too much all alone. (It doesn’t mean you’re weak to let in support.)
- I’m not about pushing you to do anything. Connecting to deep inspiration works better.
- Moving toward what’s more true for you requires facing the (normal) inner resistance to change. (You have faced it before.)
- Authenticity is the most effective way to reach your goals.
- Room to breathe is essential.
- People with big hearts are needed. Our sensitive nature is a gift, not a flaw. There is nothing to fix about you.
- Work should feel joyful. And it is possible.
- Nature can be our source of grounding and guidance.
- There are massive problems and love still matters.
- Optimize everything with Love.
How I Help
We deal with the inner clarity and confidence stuff AND the practical action steps too, so things can keep moving in the right direction for you. Helping with that blend is part of what makes my approach unique.
More Questions About Me?
I help people all over the place, thanks to the phone and videoconference tools. I am in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, situated on Nipmuc and Pocumtuc land, within an area often called “Western Mass.”
I’m committed to being welcoming and inclusive of all races, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, cultural or class backgrounds, body sizes, and abilities, and my coaching experience includes that whole range.
It’s also true that I am best able to help mid-career women so that is my focus. I also welcome hearing from gender non-binary and trans people who are drawn to my work.
I can’t help everyone who contacts me, and I try to provide referrals when I can.
I continue to expand my own cultural humility. Social and racial justice issues are near and dear to my heart. I know it’s a lifelong learning process too so I won’t always get it right. I welcome you sharing your perspective with me. (I appreciate feedback and I promise to accept it graciously.)
You can learn more about my Inclusion, Equity, Antiracism practices >>
For the real-deal credentials, check out my client testimonials.
If you like to know more background:
- Former wallflower who enjoys socializing, on my own introvert terms.
- Over 15 years as a self-employed professional coach (and a lifetime of informal coaching before I knew the word).
- Self-supporting business owner even during a down economy.
- Extensive training and experience in adult learning, training, and group facilitation.
- Longtime practice in meditation and mindfulness (with ups and downs of course).
- Featured expert in the media, including a work advice column for introverts that was syndicated on Huffington Post. Interview topic range: introverts, HSPs, self-employment for introverts and HSPs, superpowers, heart-centered work, work-life harmony, marketing for introverts, impact-driven work choices, and related topics.
- Graduate of the Coaches Training Institute, accredited by ICF. (Loved it!)
- Committed to following the International Coach Federation (ICF) ethical standards.
- Former Chairperson, Western Massachusetts Coaching Alliance.
- 20+ years in health and human services.
- 20+ years in management (non-profit and business worlds).
- 25+ years in marketing and communications (non-profit and business worlds).
- 15+ years helping with websites and web marketing, especially for healing arts professionals.
- 20+ years experience in public speaking, from schools to international conferences.
- Inbound Marketing Certified Professional (includes SEO and social media)
- Successful experience in a range of settings — including education, health care, human resources management, and web marketing.
- 5 years of training in conscious communication (also known as non-violent communication [NVC] or mindfulness communication), a powerful tool for heart-centered and direct communication.
- Lifelong love-based training and action for anti-racism, dismantling white supremacy, intersectional women’s rights, LGBTQQIA, health care access, human rights, peace, climate crisis, and refugee resettlement.
- Former illustrator and ad designer (award-winning).
- B.A., Tulane University (Double major: Sociology, Latin American Studies)
Also, I am living my purpose.
I think of the black swan as a great metaphor for the feeling of being a “misfit” when others are expecting a swan to be white.
It’s the same with the expectation to be more extroverted if you’re introverted, or to be less sensitive when you’re actually just built to have strong sensory awareness. To get by, we learn to hide behind a mask, like a swan trying to fit in with the ducks.
And yet, it’s precisely the unexpectedness of the black swan, the fresh perspective outside the dominant culture, that is why they are so needed today. Let’s face it, the typical money-driven, just toe-the-line dominant system is broken. It’s exhausting, degrading, and leads most of us, especially black swans, to burn out.
So, if you feel like an outsider, celebrate your black swan awesomeness. But it’s not easy, right? And what are you supposed to do?
Black swans, the kind with big hearts, tend to struggle with seeing their strengths, or feeling exposed when more visible. They also can get stuck trying to keep that smile on no matter how they feel inside.
I help you see and embrace the awesomeness of being yourself, find ways that work for you, and find your kindred spirits so you’re not alone with it — all so you can do what you’re here to do, without overwhelm.
If you want more: The Black Swan Model for Success
I find that assessment tools like Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), CliftonStrengths, StrengthsProfile, Sparketype, and the Enneagram can be very revealing and useful for seeing things about ourselves we didn’t see before.
But they can be problematic when used without an advisor to help you interpret them, and if they are used to put you in a box as some employers have done.
I like to see what they might reveal, and take it all with a grain of salt. I just keep the parts that feel true to me. I’ve gained some valuable insights this way.
If you’re like me, you might enjoy knowing my “type” from various measurements, like these:
- CliftonStrengths Top 5: Connectedness, Empathy, Strategic, Relator, Activator. (No wonder I ended up in coaching!)
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: INFP (near the middle on most)
- Enneagram: 1w9
- Sparketype: Advisor + Sage
I think all of these findings have been good validation for me, that I’ve chosen a field that aligns with my natural strengths, and the yin/yang of life. I love helping others find their alignment too.
Oh I could go on and on but this list could give you a window into my inspirations:
- Rosa Parks
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Lyla June
- Rachel Carson
- Joanna Macy
- Mother Earth
In other words, I’m inspired by Fierce Love, which is another way of saying Love in Action even when it’s hard to do.
By the way, many of the people in this list are/were introverts or highly sensitive people. For sure Mother Earth is highly sensitive too.
I first opened my own business in 2008, mainly because I was craving freedom. I didn’t quite know what I wanted yet but I was doing web marketing consulting and copywriting to just get started. It was hard at first and not usually feeling like me.
I soon found that many of my clients had fears that got in the way of their marketing, such as networking anxiety, or fear of exposure. So my compassionate coaching style kicked in, and my clients and I have been a lot happier and seen more results since then.
After some additional coach training in 2009, I switched my business focus to coaching more than consulting, but I bring both skills to my work. I think it makes a nice blend because we can deal with both the inner confidence and clarity stuff, AND the practical planning stuff, so things can keep moving.
I soon realized my niche of coaching for introverts and HSPs. Naming this made it all work better.
It’s been a joyful birthing process of bringing more of the real me to work. I’m so grateful for it all.
My current services include business coaching, career coaching, group coaching, mentoring for coaches, and career and business courses.
Feel free to watch this mini-documentary from my early days:
I’m ready and interested in talking about big societal issues that might be weighing on you, including inequity, climate, and/or societal collapse concerns. It’s normal for sensitive souls to feel these weights and we need a place to talk about it.
And we need to be able to talk about how it relates to the best use of you now, in harmony with your own energy needs too. It’s all part of the oneness and we can’t ignore it.
I talk more about this here:
I’ve been a selected writer for Huffington Post, Quiet Revolution, Highly Sensitive Refuge, and Choice magazine. I have been featured in Psychology Today, Globe and Mail, New England Public Radio, The Introvert Entrepreneur, The Los Angeles Times, and seen in magazine articles in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Money, Forbes, and many others.
I also enjoy being a guest on podcasts.
Contact me here for interview requests.
More info:
Whenever I work with Val (and I’ve asked her support many times), I come away with clarity, lightness, freedom and it feels like a lamp has been lit for me.
Val has a special gift for helping her clients to feel safe, relaxed and calm. Her way of working is just SO RIGHT for me as an Introvert. She gives me the chance to think as slowly and deeply as I need, and she has a beautiful way of helping me to bring out my own truth. She works in a gentle, kind way with so much compassion – yet she’s not afraid to ask the hard questions that helps me to get clarity in the uncomfortable places.
I am SO loving her unique combination of strengths that helps me to face my “Elephants”, while staying soft, open and spacious. Her strategic thinking has helped me see beautiful possibilities where I was unable to find them by myself.”
~ Liesel Teversham, EFT Coach for Sensitive Souls, London, England
Dear Val Nelson,
What you are doing are what I orient to do in the future! I see myself suitable for coaching and training as my MBTI is INFP.
So could you have some advice for me about the job you are doing? I would like to know is which major you studied in the university that prepared for the job? HR or education?
I would appreciate you so much for the answers. Thank you!
I do agree with Nicki and thanks Chris Landry, the slide doctor (http://www.theslideclinic.com/) to drove me here …
Good luck.
I love your succinct writing style. It’s so nice to only have to read it once!