“I could totally see the effect the first 30 seconds had on my clients…they would often arrive in kind of a hyper state of mind, and within 30 seconds everything calmed down”
Ghislain, a coach, teacher and consultant, joins us for this episode of the Coaching Outdoors Podcast, from Sherbrook, near Montreal, Canada.
He has been taking his coaching clients outdoors for over 15 years. Ghislain has a background in Urban planning and in retail, but found he lost touch with being outdoors as much as he wanted. Whilst coaching franchisee owners, however, he had a realisation that he wanted to change careers and not only become a coach…but an outdoor coach.
Ghislain takes us for a walk through the woods where he takes many of his coaching clients, sharing his thoughts on why spending time in nature, and coaching outdoors are so beneficial.
He talks about his love and constant search for evidence and research to explain the experiences he and his clients have, when stepping outdoors.
As coaches, many of us have moments of doubt ourselves. Ghislain also very candidly and openly shares his experience with Imposter Syndrome and self-doubt, which we may all be able to relate to at times in our coaching career.
Ghislain weaves stories and anecdotes from his coaching into our podcast, to bring to life the examples that he shares.
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Our guest
Ghislain is an artisan of human-centered management practices. He is passionate about helping his clients create life balance and acquire new skills. He has worked in management for over 30 years, continually expanding his knowledge and expertise. In the retail sector, he helped launch the first 30 Atmosphere outdoor stores in Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Ghislain supports the leaders of startups and SMEs as an executive coach and consultant. His focus is on the humane management of companies, employee engagement and productivity.
He also trains managers of major global corporations in different sectors: communications (Rogers, Bell), mining (Rio Tinto, Vale) and service (salesforce.com) on subjects such as leadership, delegation, customer service, interpersonal and organizational communication.
He teaches Local Economic Development at the Centre Laurent Beaudoin of the University of Sherbrooke in a Master’s level microprogram (9 credits). He is also actively supporting several nonprofit boards. Ghislain holds a bachelor’s degree from UQTR in organizational communication and completed his course work for a master’s degree in urban planning (community development) from the University of British Columbia.
He lives in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with his daughter Morgane and his Siberian husky, Winter. He spends an average of 20 hours a week outdoors. When he is not in the forest or on a mountain, he can be found in his kayak, at a safe distance from the mosquitoes.
