Welcome to Sand to Pearl Coaching! I’m so glad you stopped by!
My name is Sabrina Douglas and I am the Founder and Coach of Sand to Pearl Coaching. I believe in the power of adversity, that we accomplish more when we listen to and collaborate with others, and that we are in control of our own career path and life. I wanted to write this post to tell you more about how this business came to be, about my personal story, and my hopes.
This business has been my dream (for longer than I realized) and was inspired by my passion for helping others, my previous work experience in the post-secondary and non-profit worlds, the diverse people I have had the privilege to support, and my personal journey overcoming adversity.
After the sudden death of my father in 2010, I found myself lost, confused, and feeling alone. I never had a great relationship with my father (it was messy to say the least) and now I was left feeling like there were missed opportunities, conversations I would never get to have, and questions that would forever go unanswered. The experience challenged me in a new way – I learned who in my life was really there to support me and who had my best interests at heart. The answers were surprising but clarifying none the less. I was deeply saddened by this loss, but strangely…I found myself incredibly motivated to achieve. Achieve my goals. Go after my dreams. And to never stop moving forward.
With a newfound perspective on life and the realization that our time on earth is fleeting, I did not want to waste one minute. Over the past 8 years, I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible. I began my new life when I moved to Hamilton, Ontario to attend McMaster University where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with my Honours BA in Social Psychology. At McMaster, I met people who would forever change my life (including my wonderful fiancé), got a job in Human Resources that would launch my career forward, and held three different volunteer positions on campus. Upon graduating, I held two more volunteer positions in the community, completed my post-graduate studies in the Career Development Practitioner program, became a certified practitioner with the CDPCBO, and worked 3 amazing jobs – at McMaster University, YWCA Hamilton, and Ryerson University.
I have been privileged to work in fields that have allowed me to work one-on-one with diverse groups – marginalized youth (some of the strongest individuals I have ever met), post-secondary students, newcomers, and budding entrepreneurs. I have mentored, supported, and coached over 200 individuals, designed and created a multitude of employability and life skills workshops, met incredible employers in the community, and been inspired by my clients on a daily basis. I have had my fair share of struggles and barriers. I have also failed. A lot. Looking back on my failures, not only am I grateful for them because of the lessons I learned but I can see now that they led me on a more rewarding and meaningful path. They happened for a reason.
Through it all, what has kept me on track is adopting an attitude of gratitude, keeping perspective of my current situation, surrounding myself with people who lift me up, and learning how to forgive. The point of me sharing my story is to give you an inside look at who I am and hopefully inspire you to keep going on your journey.
Working front-line in the career development field, I have learned what works and what does not. I have had honest conversations with my clients about their experiences with career services and how I can make career coaching as beneficial, comfortable, and positive as possible. I have heard that other services provided my clients with standard career advice not tailored to them, that they were told what to do but not given the tools or time to understand how to do it, and that they were given many resources without proper information which was simply overwhelming and not helpful.
I wanted to change the game and work with clients from a strengths-based wellness approach. I founded Sand to Pearl Coaching in December 2018. Combining my interests in psychology and career development, I support people with care, compassion, and motivation and always keep in mind who they are holistically – their roles, commitments, and desires – to provide them with services that are actually valuable to their unique stage in life. I believe in transparency with my clients and pride myself on being an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on, and a source of knowledge and passion for career development.
Sand to Pearl Coaching provides individualized career coaching through one-off services and packages and customized career and life skills workshops. My goal is not only to provide these services but to have my clients leave with a stronger belief in themselves, greater self-confidence and self-esteem, and a motivation to overcome whatever obstacles come their way. I have helped other people on their journey and I can’t wait to help you too. You are always welcome to reach out to me – I am here for you and I believe in you!
Sending you positivity and strength,
Sabrina
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