Aija
Simmons
✴︎
Aija Simmons ✴︎
I started Artesian Well consulting because I saw a need for deeper partnerships than what comes from speaking to a room of people.
As an educator and facilitator I have spent hours sharing knowledge with others through workshops and keynote speeches. However I found the most impactful conversations came from after the workshops and speeches were over. When people came up to me at the end and to engage in a one-on-one conversation. That is the experience I create through my coaching-- an opportunity for clients to be seen, one-on-one, through an intimate conversation of their hopes and desires.
Coaching is not far from my experience as an educator. I use my years of scaffolding and building learning spaces to create a safe space where together we can grieve the past and move forward towards possibility. My ability to sit in honest and hope comes from my childhood. I grew up during a time when drugs were ravaging communities, yet my faith family never faltered and because of that I came to the belief that even in trauma, being in community can help one to move forward, to heal.
My approach to coaching also comes out of my own pathway forward to abundant living. I never ask clients to do something that I haven't done in my own life. In my own healing journey I learned to seek my own treasure, to quiet the internalized messages, and to notice the energy coming from engaging others and my own body. The year before I started Artesian Well I was experiencing episodes of stomach pain-- pain so bad I had to take myself to the hospital. In conversation with my coach I was able to pause and become curious about when the pain occurred and what my body was telling me.
In my quiet reflection I saw a plant growing straight up without enough soil to be nourished. That moment helped me to recognize that I had grown as much as possible in the current soil. I needed new soil to live as authentically and powerfully as possible. Creating Artesian Well was me doing the work of moving forward in nourishing soil. Doing the work doesn't have to be difficult. I believe that coaching should come with joy and ease. In coaching sessions I use curiosity and the pleasure I get from learning to help clients identify the things they don’t know and figure out small, doable actions to learn and connect with people who can provide guidance.
