Every year dog agility seems to encourage and catapult my personal growth by leaps and bounds. What started off almost 17 years ago as a funny little hobby has turned out to be the journey of a lifetime.
It has:
- Pushed me well beyond my preconceived comfort zone
- Helped me create a strong internal code to live by
- Clarified what is important in life (Hubby, family, my home life with my dogs, etc.)
- Taught that it’s not AAB – ‘All About Me’
- And most importantly, revealed my real passion – which is that I LOVE to coach and train people on their agility path of self-discovery and success!
Most well-known agility trainers gain their following and notoriety by dedicating just about all of their time toward training, competing and potentially winning at national and international events.
I’ve taken seminars and workshops with most of the top people and agree, that is definitely one way for agility trainers to get noticed. But it’s not the only way and on the opposite side of the spectrum is the not-so-flashy road.
And that’s definitely the route that I fall into.
I’ve always been an amazing and natural support person. Back in the day when I was an Executive Assistant, I mingled with the top executives, was privy to the real workings of a Fortune 100 company and got to know the high-powered folks on a personal level. My job was simple; to anticipate, to get things done and all while making it look effortless.
Later when I moved into a training and development role, I was able to use these methods to enhance people. I quickly learned to pinpointing successful skill sets, how to evaluating their current skills and most importantly, how to develop them to success. It’s a role I play almost daily in my dog training days and I truly enjoy it.
But don’t be fooled. Just because someone (like me) prefers to remain behind the scenes does not mean they can’t do more. In my case, I have never felt the need or desire to win a national or international event. It is just not something I have any interest in and I don’t consider it necessary for my personal growth. Bottom line, it’s just not my path.
But on the flip side, what I DO enjoy is helping others reach and attain those higher goals! Now that IS something I can get excited about! For me, there’s nothing greater than watching a student reach and exceed their potential – and that is my drug of choice!
For me:
- This role provides a more personal connection with my clients and most turn into friends
- I get to look at their personal strengths, envision their agility future and coach them to that successful place
- My personal goals aren’t in conflict with their agility development
- I have the freedom to personalize the experience and be creative
- I’m always challenged to continue to grow and bring back new skills and ideas to my clients
- My job and goal is to be the best agility coach and trainer to my clients and to see them succeed
The other agility job that compliments my skills is being an AKC Agility Judge. Without a doubt, I get paid to watch and boy do I watch! The last time I counted, we figured out that I’ve seen well over 100,000 agility runs. Conservatively, that’s 45,000 hours of watching dog agility runs, so believe me when I say that has given me one heck of an agility education! After all, you can learn a TON by simply watching.
So the next time you’re around, come on over, say ‘Hi!’ and share a non-agility story about yourself. When you feel comfortable, let’s talk about you and your beloved agility dog. I would be honored.
Lisa
