My name is Scott and I am the coach at OHM Coaching.
I spent over a decade with the feeling that something was missing from my life. All the usual buzzwords ran through my head; purpose, mission, passion, fulfillment, etc. I knew the path I was on didn’t quite fit but I didn’t feel able to change course.
Through the first half of this time I kept my nose to the grindstone and told myself that if I worked hard and took care of my responsibilities then I would have time for more fulfilling pursuits later in life. I was given clues that this mindset might not be in my best interests; stress, feelings of despair, minor health issues….but my self-worth was too closely tied to the “hard work and responsibilities” worldview to allow these small obstacles on the path to point me in a new direction.
Then life tried another strategy to wake me up, in the form of the abrupt and surprising (to me at least) end to my marriage. That, to put it mildly, got my attention. In the absence of this person, this relationship, in my life I began to see my self and to hear my self in ways I never had before. I dove deep into personal development, mindfulness, and health. Instead of blindly following the map provided me by culture and society, I started learning how to be an intentional navigator of my own journey.
The work I previously did out of responsibility became something I did as an investment in my future, in the futures of those I worked with, and in the service of our clients. That shift in mindset resulted in more time and space in my life to explore other areas worth investing in. I became more intentional about my learning and development. I put more time and energy into important relationships. I began to return to the things in life that were meaningful to me in the past (nature, travel, reading). The path wasn’t vastly different but the weather as I traveled along it had improved dramatically!
The year I turned 40 my dog bit me, my wife left me, my cat died, and hair started growing out of my ears. I thought this was rock bottom but it turns out it was closer to a country song than it was to a defining dark night of the soul moment. Don’t get me wrong; it was all impactful and meaningful for me but it was not transformative. I was not yet quite ready to be transformed.
The pandemic causing a near total collapse of the business I had played a part in building for 15 years and then having time and space to deeply consider my relationships (to myself, to others, and to the world) turned out to be the signposts on the trail that would cause me to finally turn toward a new path.
I connected to my heart. I felt depths of emotion, connection, and appreciation I didn’t know existed. I connected to my gut and discovered which aspects of my life fit and which did not. I opened up to my intuition which introduced more ease and peace into my life. I learned how vital it is to live in integrity with my core self. Vital to my health and ability to thrive in life and vital to supporting and guiding my relationships.
And I found that ‘mission’ I had been missing all these years; to be of service to other people as they walk their developmental path through life. It would be my honour to support you on your journey.
Qualifications
I am a total nerd about human development. For fun, I read books about psychology, personal finance, health, wellness and longevity, relationships, and spiritual exploration. I’ve listened to over 5,000 hours of podcasts around these themes over the past five years. This stuff is what most interests me and what I most love to share.
My formal training as a coach began in December of 2021 when I participated in the Associate Coaching Module at Integral Coaching Canada Inc. In October 2022 I started their Professional Coaching Module and was awarded professional certification in May 2023. I am continuing my development as a coach in 2024 through work with a Coach Supervisor who will help guide my offerings to clients and provide valuable feedback to me.
Since 2005, I have worked, with my business partners, to build a company engaged in providing technical support for live events across Canada. Together we grew that company into a dominant player in the National Capital Region (Ottawa, Canada). Our workforce fluctuated seasonally between lows of a couple dozen and highs of a couple hundred technicians. I manage the majority of the human resources operations for the company which results in many an opportunity to lead and coach and develop our personnel.
Prior to this, I spent a handful of years working at various project management and training postings in the entertainment department of a major cruise line. This period of time was the culmination of just over a decade of traveling the world through my work.
Early on,I was recognized as having leadership potential and was awarded a scholarship to attend the Ontario Scholastic Leadership Program (OSLC) in middle school. Then, in my final year of high school, I interviewed with and was accepted to join the multicultural exchange and leadership program, Up With People. I spent 1yr as a student in that program and was subsequently hired as a staff member where I served for another 2yrs. I traveled to more than 300 communities in 13 countries during my Up With People experience.