With the influx of young families in Squamish, life coach Jennifer Deane thought it was time to lend a little of her professional expertise to women interested in exploring the infinite possibilities of life beyond "the doing of motherhood.""Inspiring Moms" is a four-part coaching forum that will be offered on three occasions throughout the fall and winter, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Bambeano Café, 38134 Cleveland Ave. Deane, who is also mom to two-year-old Olivia, says her muse for the series came from personal experience. Striking a balance between a busy career as a coach and consultant and making "me-time" to rejuvenate and fuel her spirit didn't come naturally."Becoming a mom has been a rich experience, both hard and wonderful, challenging and rewarding and extremely fulfilling. My career has certainly evolved and been enriched since I became a mother," said Deane, adding she tries to teach her daughter by example "the importance of living by one's values." "For me it is important to stay focused on my big picture vision but remain open to the ride and let go of expectations."Inspiring Moms is designed to be a safe and supportive place for mothers to explore their lives, no matter what their life experience, said Deane. And depending on interest, Deane said she might develop a similar forum for dads.The hands-on workshop series will provide a structure for discovery, change and growth by encouraging women to participate in the coaching process and help them answer questions about their lives."It's for the woman who is wondering what her career might look like now that she has competing priorities at home; for the woman who isn't clear on what she wants next for her life now that she is a mother; for the woman who feels like she has changed as a person and wants to explore who she is now - for the woman who wants to create a juicy vision for her life."When a woman becomes a mother, she enters a new game with new rules and often she doesn't have the time or space to explore her strategy because she is so busy dealing with the realities, tasks and logistics of being a mom," explained Deane. "I wanted to provide the power of pause for moms to step back, take a deep breathe, and spend a little time looking at the big picture of their lives. Women need to ask - and answer - what they really want to create for themselves now that they are mothers, what is next for them and how they are going to get from here to there."As for what moms will be able to take home from the series, Deane has one goal in mind."Moms will leave with a clearer vision of what they want for their lives and some tools to start making their vision a reality," she said. "Hopefully they will leave excited for all that is ahead for them to create in their lives."The fit between Inspiring Moms and the forum's venue, family-friendly Bambeano Café, is a natural one according to both Deane and café owners Kari Frizzle and Amanda Daly."We envisioned our space being a place the entire community could gather to network and interact," said Frizzle, of Squamish's latest kid friendly fuel stop. "Just as important as providing a fun play area for the kids, is providing a relaxing space for the adults. Similarly, we love that Jennifer is creating a forum to bring women together not just as 'moms' but as moms who are women, partners, entrepreneurs, daredevils, travelers or whatever else they may describe themselves as. We're excited to be a part of that.""Our underlying intentions are similar," echoed Deane. "Bambeano provides a structure for parents to take a time out for themselves in their busy day. Their concept is simple - provide a place for kids to have fun so that their parents can take a little break. "Inspiring Moms is also about providing a structure for moms to take time for themselves to consider their lives. The concepts are about providing support structures for parents - and we can use as much support as we can get!"The cost is $75 per person for each four-night series. Form more information, call 604-898-1441 or visit www.jenniferdeane.ca.
