Meet Amanda Rodriguez | Certified Parent Coach & Mom of 2

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I actually told myself I would never run my own practice/business. My dad owned his own business, and I know it was challenging for him to balance work life with family life. I also didn’t want to be a manager of others, nor have any idea what I would even do if I were to work for myself.

Reading the books, “You are a Badass” by Jen Sincero and Brené Brown’s, Daring Greatly and Braving the Wilderness, changed my perspective on many things in my life and were catalysts for me deciding to quit my full time job in college admissions and pursue what I had become more passionate about over the years – childhood development.

I really didn’t know what I would do with my interest (cough…obsession) in childhood development, but I knew that parents played a tremendously influential role in raising children. I had learned through my years as a teacher, in my own personal therapeutic journey, and through raising my own son how important it was to understand children’s behaviors as more than just what you see on the surface, to understand how ignoring children, bribing them, shaming, controlling, and punishing has a profound impact on their brain development.

So when I saw an ad on Facebook for earning a certification in Parent Coaching, I knew right away that it was the path for me to be able to share my knowledge with the world in a kind, compassionate and nonjudgmental way.

I obtained my parent coaching certification and shortly thereafter, my husband changed jobs to be able to carry the family’s insurance and I was able to resign from my 5-year position in admissions. It was truly a team effort to get to this point.

What should our readers know about your business?
There are a lot of people out there who claim to be able to coach parents, and while they may have some good advice to offer in their specific domain of expertise, it’s very different to be certified as a parent coach.

What sets me apart is:
1) I have in depth training on how to create lasting change, identify someone’s blind spots, and offer support for parents that balances their needs with their child’s. The 12-week parent coaching program I offer in conjunction with the Jai Institute for Parenting is nothing short of transformational.
Clients have said things like – “You saved my marriage.”
“Amanda made the material come to life – she simply took what felt originally like fluffy, pie-in-the-sky material that I would have otherwise scoffed at and gone about my life and made it feel real and relevant.”
“This is truly the best investment a family could make in themselves.”

2) I am a mom of two (currently a 5-year old son and 2-year old daughter) children who are vastly different from one another, who fight and who are sensitive just like me. I know what it feels like to struggle to maintain your values when things get hard. To feel completely overwhelmed. To feel like strangling someone. To want to resort to the “easy” strategies in the moment. I am not perfect. Yes, I’m now a parent coach and have formal training and practice, but I’m still a mama just trying to balance all of life’s craziness and keep toy trains from getting stuck in my hair again.

3) I get my clients results. My approach is gentle, empathetic, nurturing, and effective. 100% of my clients have strongly agreed they would not have gotten the results they did without me as their coach.

4) My heart is so deeply invested in this work. I care so much about each one of the families I work with and that care shines through as I work to provide support beyond just our live sessions each week.

5) Through the certification process, I came face-to-face with many of my own struggles, past and present. I came through it with so much confidence that I was raising my children well, and knowing which areas I really needed to improve on. It was a beautiful gift.

Gaining the confidence I have in business has taken some time. After working with each family, I requested very direct feedback and not just testimonials. I asked my clients the questions I really wanted to know the answers to, which gave me a lot more specific information about their experience with me. I have tracked results quantitatively and qualitatively, too. My confidence increases with each client, with each session, and I’ve learned to not let imposter syndrome stop me from supporting others how I know how.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Depends on if it’s winter or summer! 🙂 If it were winter, I would take my friend sledding – it’s exhilarating! And, it requires zero skill. I would then take her to my favorite coffee shops – Otis in Lafayette and Fox Dog in Erie – then head to Birdhouse or Teocalli for dinner. For a night out on the town, I’d head down to Denver and go to a concert at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. I would go for a night-time stroll to look at the beautiful night time lights and maybe ice skate outdoors in the local community. Another day, I might take her to go snowshoeing through Chautauqua Park in Boulder – it’s absolutely gorgeous and so peaceful. Lastly, I’d go for an extravagant horseback riding trip through the mountains in Estes Park, a rare opportunity!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
❤️To my husband – thank you for selflessly supporting me and believing in me. I could not have made this leap without you. You are my biggest fan when I am my worst critic. You have trusted me and sacrificed financially and with your time to help me make this dream possible. You worked tirelessly to prepare to take on a new job that could provide the family health insurance while I started my own business.
👩‍👧‍👦To my children – I will never stop trying to be a better mother for you. I love you both so dearly. This is proof that your work can edify your life instead of take away from it. This is proof that you can overcome your fears. You can do anything you put your mind and energy into. And you can take chances, fail, try again, make mistakes, forgive yourself, and keep growing.
📖To Brené Brown and Jen Sincero – thank you for writing the books that gave me the courage to take this step.
🍎To my other mentors – thank you for encouraging me to keep going, to do this work on myself first before supporting others, and to live the life of my dreams.
💛To my clients and future clients – I love you all so much. I honor your growth process. I am inspired by your commitment to your family. Thank you for entrusting me with your heart, your thoughts, your dreams and your challenges. I am humbled to be a part of your life.

Website: https://www.unconditionalconnections.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-rodriguez-a9422332/

Image Credits
Catherine Rose Photography