Commit to unlocking your potential & transforming your life.
About me
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”- Viktor Frankl
My name is Negar Tayyar; I am a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF). My coaching practice focuses on individuals, couples, and teams wanting to realize their potential. I work with people across sectors and geographies, ranging from executives in the corporate sector to social justice leaders in non-profits.
Throughout my coaching and leadership role within philanthropy, I support people to find their purpose, claim their rights and wellbeing. I have built and led multiple global social impact initiatives and have coached state, non-state, and private sector leaders for more than 14 years.
MY STORY
I was born in adverse circumstances in post-Islamic Revolution Iran and in the middle of the devastating 8-year Iran-Iraq war. In 1989 my family and I finally managed to escape Iran and became refugees who moved across countries until we successfully sought asylum in Germany. I continued my nomadic life as a young adult and lived in 7 countries (speak 7 languages). I am now rooted in Oakland, California. You can read more about my story here.
Coaching Approach
The butterfly is most emblematic of my work, which is centered on personal and professional transformation. Both are highly interdependent.
Who I work with - My coaching practice is centered on working with individuals, couples, and teams. Issues that I tackle with my clients range widely covering transitions (job, relationship, or location related), finding meaning and purpose where you are, ending and navigating relationships, financial empowerment, building and growing ideas, including organizations and projects.
How long we work together - I support my clients to pay attention to the areas of their life they desire to explore and transform. I further mirror my clients their full potential and accompany them on their journeys - sometimes for three months other times for a longer process. The work is demand-driven, and the framework is a result of co-creation. I strive towards making myself redundant and ensuring the empowerment of my clients.
My sweet spot - My work does not solely focus on performance and achievements. It is centered on values and purpose. I don’t judge people who pursue goals, I am not interested in working without building a solid foundation rooted in values and purpose. I further believe that we all undergo several seasons in our lives. It is important to pause and reflect on what resonates with you now and align our lives with what is most important to us.
My practice is grounded in the Co-Active Coaching Model rooted in the following 4 cornerstones:
People are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole: I believe that we all are resourceful. If given the attention, care, and challenge, we can access our inherent resources while expanding our repertoire. As your coach, I will tease out your highest potential while strengthening your foundation.
Focus on the whole person: I engage your whole being and pay attention to every aspect of you: mind, body, spirit, and emotion. All areas reinforce each other.
Dance in the moment: The pandemic has again demonstrated that change is inevitable. Rather than applying a blueprint approach, I support you throughout our work to tap into opportunities that arise in each moment. We work with the change - rather than against it - and through intentional focus, co-create whatever you want to pursue.
Evoke transformation: Reflection is a crucial part of my coaching. Nevertheless, the focus equally lies on reflection and ways to integrate your insights into practice. We end each coaching session with clear and challenging commitments to support your self-actualization.
Coaching examples
Individual coaching:
Job search - Our work will cover larger questions around what’s next, to technical steps around CVs, online persona, and identifying your brand.
Salary raise - I support clients to develop the raise they want and support them achieve those.
Financial empowerment - Over the course of my work and self-growth, I have come to realize the critical role of getting clarity about our finances and owning our spreadsheets instead of fearing account balances.
Relocation - Some of my clients approached me wanting support to identify where to move next. As work gets to be more remote, some of us have the privilege to choose where to live in alignment with our values.
Relationship - I have supported clients through divorces and other life-changing relationship ups and downs.
Realignment - Some of my clients love their jobs but have lost a connection to their ‘why.’ Our work supports identifying the why and aligning the way they spend their time accordingly.
Relationship coaching:
Proactive & holistic vision setting - Support couples to identify their shared values and strengthen their love and appreciation for each other by creating joint and individual visions and objectives.
Crisis coaching - I work with couples who are going through challenging and unsettling times, some more challenging than others. I believe, as with individuals, relationships undergo change and move through different seasons.
Team coaching:
I believe in the power of teams and am passionate about working with teams. I support teams across sectors and disciplines to spark their collective potential. This work encompasses a range of efforts, including individual and team-based coaching.
Testimonials
“Negar lead me to a huge personal unlock!”
“Negar helped me land a dream job. Not by telling me what jobs I should apply for, or what skills I should acquire, or by updating my resume. She listened to my fears, my dreams, my hopes for what I wanted in a vocation, and then helped me synthesize all those things into a roadmap I created for myself. The most valuable part of her coaching was how she subtly guided me to get out of my own way and believe in myself. She is warm and caring, as you go through the vulnerable process of becoming someone new.”
“Negar has been a valuable presence in my life. I greatly appreciate her intuition, perspective, reinforcement, and all of her recommendations (books, poems, audiobooks, journal articles, etc.) that have led me to go deeper, ultimately strengthening my core being. Working with Negar has been a wonderful, organic process. I’ve appreciated that our sessions are not super structured, but a rare opportunity for me to share what I need at that moment the most. What a gift it is to have someone who truly listens to you, understands you, and challenges supports you to keep growing.”
“Working with Negar has been a deep, adventurous, joyful and challenging process. She has held me accountable and is a reliable partner as I am exploring my journey. Her presence, attention, eye for detail has helped me to access my intuition and allow it to have space. Since we embarked on our journey, I feel that I am finally following my bliss.”
“Negar is committed to co-create whatever I need. I enjoy the flow of our sessions and the depth, which is sometimes bringing me to my edge.”
“I was introduced to Negar by natural causes. I was not actively searching for a Life Coach, but when I called her up to try to sell her an advertising program, her energy spoke to me, and we ended up chatting for about 25 minutes. 2 of them were about advertising. A man from Iran once told me, “You can feel decency even over the phone.” It’s funny how life works - I called her up to sell her something, but I ended up getting sold by her!”
“Negar has supported me to transition into a fulfilling career. After spending fifteen years investing in my previous career shifting sectors was very difficult for me. Having Negar on my side accompanying me, challenging me, and encouraging me across this phase was invaluable. ”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is life coaching?
Life coaching (short coaching) is a powerful and transformation-centered relationship between coach and client/s. As a coach, I support you to identify your goals and develop an actionable plan to achieve them. Meanwhile, we get to work on everything that matters to you. The aim is to make you more intentional and evoke your actualization. I am professionally trained to help you maximize your full potential and reach your desired results. Note that the goals are an entry point, but not the end of our work! That means in the process of pursuing your goals, you will grow as a result.
What is the difference between coaching and psychotherapy?
Good question! It always comes up, which is why I included it here right at the top. Coaching and psychotherapy can be complementary. You need to know that coaching focuses on the present and future, while most psychotherapy approaches are centered on the past. Unlike in therapy, we do not diagnose your personality but work based on the principle that you keep evolving and changing. Coaching is often time-limited with a specific focus on the mind, whereas therapy works with a more extended time continuum. Both also have commonalities, such as being concerned with self-actualization and changing behavior. Both support you to regulate your emotions and deepen your self-reflection. Full disclosure, I work with a coach and a counselor because I believe in the critical role of both.
Is there a code of ethics you abide by?
I take the coaching practice seriously and abide by the ethics of our profession as outlined by the International Coaches Federation (ICF). Some of the most critical pillars are: As an ICF Professional, I maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality with all parties as agreed upon. I am aware of and agree to comply with all applicable laws that pertain to personal data and communications. As an ICF Professional, I remain alert to indications that there might be a shift in the value received from the coaching relationship. If so, make a change in the relationship or encourage the Client(s)/Sponsor(s) to seek another coach, seek another professional or use a different resource. As an ICF Professional, I commit to excellence through continued personal, professional, and ethical development. As an ICF Professional, I recognize my limitations or circumstances that may impair, conflict with, or interfere with my coaching performance or my professional coaching relationships. I will reach out for support to determine the action to be taken and, if necessary, promptly seek relevant professional guidance. This may include suspending or terminating my coaching relationship(s). For more, see the full code of ethics here.
What qualifies me as a client?
Your commitment to focus on your self-actualization. Successful coaching stands and falls with your commitment to change. The work is always rewarding but requires determination and commitment to reflect and imagine. While you will always count on my support, I request that you show up on time and be present during our session. People sometimes think professional life coaching is only for executives! No, it’s not! Coaching offers value for everyone!
How do we connect?
We can either connect using a camera (Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp) or simply connect via voice. You’d be surprised 99% of my clients prefer connecting by voice without a camera as it helps them to focus on our session and makes it easier to be vulnerable. Others like to see body language and connect visually.
How do you onboard new clients?
Reach out via the contact sheet or email me (more here). We will schedule an intro call that includes a sample session. This gives us both an opportunity to get a better sense of each other. If you want to work together, we will then schedule a session to lay the ground for what you want us to work on. Our coaching agreement is fluid, and we will adjust it to your needs together. Please note that my on-boarding requirements are as follows: Commit to showing up for our sessions on time. Cancel sessions at least 24hrs before the session. Commit to three months of working together. This sometimes raises questions. The reason for this requirement is simple. It takes time for us to get to know each other and for the coaching to bear fruits. Commit to two sessions a month at the beginning of our coaching. Some clients prefer to connect once a week in the beginning. I can certainly accommodate that. I aim is to offer you a framework that works best for you.
How does the work unfold?
There is no blueprint for my coaching. It all depends on what you want to work on. We connect at the beginning of our coaching work twice a month. I ensure that we focus on what you laid out as your priorities. We will remain flexible to address whatever else surfaces throughout our work. We will regularly check in on our progress and adjust our work accordingly.
When does coaching end?
It really depends on you and what you are working on. I have worked with some clients for three months and others chose to continue our work for longer. I aim to make myself redundant! I think it’s natural to reach a point - sooner than later - when you either want other kinds of coaching or feel like you had enough coaching for a while.
Can I terminate my coaching?
Yes, you can! I ask for a minimum commitment of three months, but if you have to cancel, you can do so. We will schedule the last session for review and closure.
What are your fees?
Equity is one of my key values. Therefore I have a sliding scale. Some of you have professional development budgets, and work pays for coaching; others cover the costs personally. I trust your assessment of your financial situation, and we can agree on a fee that works for both of us.
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