INTERVIEW OF RON COLE BY KAREN HAUGHEY

SHOW: EXPLORATIONS OF THE MIND, MAY 1997

Ron, what is it that you help your clients to do in their lives?

Karen, clients come to me for tools. They want the tools and encouragement that help them move toward greater balance and happiness. They’ve heard philosophical discussions until their blue in the face. They need real tools and strategies that allow them to make great decisions, have great relationships and live a happy, productive life.

How did you get started in all this?

That’s a long story, of course. The short version is that I in the early 80’s I owned a full-service advertising agency. We were doing okay, had some very nice clients.
     Then I took a goal-setting course that changed my life forever. Within three and a half months we tripled our profitability. I was much less stressed and our quality of
work improved. I learned about balance, and saw that I could make changes in myself. What really intrigued me was what I saw happening in the other people’s lives. They too were coming back each week with amazing stories of healing relationships, earning more money and, well, leading happier lives.
     I wanted to know more about how these tools worked. I called the workshop instructor and said I wanted to know more. I was invited to sit in on another class and add my two cents where appropriate. It must have been the right two cents, because I was then asked to teach a course in tandem with another instructor. After that, I got my own class and within eighteen months I became senior instructor and left advertising altogether.

Wow! What happened after that?

After a while I wanted to be out on my own. We had a very amiable parting and clients just started showing up. People noticed positive changes in my clients and would give me a call. The thing started to snowball and today I’m having the time of my life! I really love what I do. I feel very grateful.

That is so wonderful. Ron, what is your basic approach in the work you do?

The main idea is to discover and heal the emotionalized events that their subconscious mind has turned into a repeating pattern. These events occurred in the first ten years of life, in most cases. The brain looks at the event, and if there is enough emotion tied to it, the brain goes on a mission to get that person into situations that  will create those same feelings over and over again.

What kind of clients do you work with?

These days I work with executives, sales people, managers and entrepreneurs. Most of them are fairly aware; they know pieces of the puzzle. They are very bright and catch on quickly. The problem is that they do not have all the puzzle pieces and don’t know what the finished picture looks like.

Can you be more specific?

Sure. I get clients who understand the value of self-development. They are often missing the root causes and what to do about them. I’ve had people who have been in therapy for thirteen years and more, and they make more progress in six or eight weeks because we take care of the issues instead of energizing them.

What do you mean by energizing the issues?

Any time we review past events and get emotional, we increase the strength of the neural paths for that memory. The brain continues to get the message that we want more of those feelings. Whatever we focus on we get more of. My clients learn how to set clear and exciting goals, discover their life purpose and turn off the old tapes that have been fueling what they don’t want. With their goals pulling them forward, and cutting the chains holding them back, they zoom toward their success. We’ve had sales people see 1000% increases and more!

That sounds great! What other tools do they learn to use?

I teach a method of learning to visualize that is fairly unique. I have not seen it published anywhere. It actually enhances the ability to create and hold images in the mind. The point is to see your goal so clearly as to convince the subconscious that it’s okay to have that goal. Clients also learn how to choose their goals and use them as a vehicle for positive change. There are also a whole set of attitudinal tools.

You know, Karen, perhaps our greatest tool of all is our attitude! How we approach something is usually more than half of what it takes to be successful at it.

That’s so right on. In my courses, I also share ideas about how we can add love and beauty into everything we do. In past discussions, we’ve also talked about the power of belief. Can you comment on that?

Karen, you’re so very right. When we believe and know, then we tend to manifest accordingly. We tend to live up to our expectations. The real trick is in controlling your subconscious expectations. Without taking care of that, anything else is simply window dressing.

How do you do that?

When I first start working with a client, we do a little exercise I call, “Finding the subconscious life plan.” In general terms, this shows a person what their unconscious mind thinks their life is all about. That game plan is usually radically different from what the client wants in their life. In fact, it’s often not a pretty picture at all.

I can imagine. What can we do about it?

We can turn it around. I should say, with a little guidance, the client can turn it around. This is one case where awareness of what’s going on can immediately help. I’ve seen new clients move from general depression to enthusiasm about their life in hours after learning what has been happening. Once a person sees the pattern exposed, it brings a sense of relief. It hasn’t been healed yet, but knowing the underlying strategy builds the belief that now something can be done about it! Once they see light at the end of the tunnel, they start heading for it.

So Ron, what exactly do you call yourself?

That changes from time to time, Karen. I used to call myself a Human Potential Coach, then a performance Coach. Now I simply call myself a Personal Coach. When you get down to it, it’s all about action and results. In fact, that’s why the program is called Results. We’ve found that people tend to get what they focus on, both consciously and unconsciously. I help them do both at a higher level.

Ron, what is your specific roll in all of this?

I have strong feelings about this, Karen. Like you, I’m a facilitator. My philosophy is to teach tools, guide through processes, encourage and then get out of the way! I believe that all most people need are the right tools and a little encouragement. I want them to be independent of me as soon as possible. I am not a guru or an advice giver. I make suggestions and share my intuitive thoughts, but my goal is to help a person become a great decision maker. Once a person is working their mission, has their goals clear, and has healed some of their past, they usually find that most decisions are so easy because they either fit with their goals or not.

That’s so true. I find that to be the case all the time. When I’m focused and determined, even the usually tough decisions seem easy in comparison. Ron, if someone wanted to work with you, how do you teach these skills? In what format?

I teach in workshops and one-to-one coaching situations. Whenever I do workshops, I always like to do a series, so that people get a chance to practice their new skills and return with questions and observations. This gives them the feedback they need, and maybe more importantly, the support and encouragement from me and the group to keep going.
     As you know, Karen, people do not embody concepts simply upon hearing them. We must often learn the same lesson over and over before it’s truly part of our nature. And of course, new skills must be practiced for a minimum of twenty-one days before they feel like they belong to us. A one-day seminar does not provide for that. I think it’s unfair to show somebody a great tool and then abandon them. Part of the service is the gentle repetition until they get it.

Ron, we’re just about out of time today. I’d like to thank you for being here and sharing with us. I know that you really care about others, and we’re both dedicated to that. It’s been so much fun having you here. Will you come back again sometime, because I know you have so much to share.

In a heartbeat. You know my number, Karen. Just let me know and I’ll be here.

Well, we’re here at the end of another show. I’d like to thank you for joining us today. Remember, imagination is the key to motivation. Whatever you imagine you can do, you can. Please join us next time for Explorations Of The Mind.