Unlocking Potential and Igniting Positive Changes with Qin Coe (EP146)

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Qin Coe is a Professional Coach and a martial artist. She is a passionate enabler with 16 years of experience unlocking personal and business potential and igniting lasting positive changes. Qin provides a psychologically safe and supportive environment to allow her coaching clients to examine their challenges and discover unspoken assumptions. Qin empowers her clients to think more clearly and broadly, act more effectively, and become the leaders they aspire to be.

Your Why

In a way, I’m Michaelangelo whose work is to discover and release the complete and perfect Qin hidden inside of me. I have a lot of curiosity about who this version of Qin is, and the parts of me that I haven’t met yet. 

In the world, I want to create an environment to help people unlock their own potential inside of them. This is why I coach, why I practice and teach martial arts, and why I have been involved in different activities in various communities.

Background growing up in China

I grew up in a small town in China. My parents’ education was interrupted by the Cultural Revolution. Though they were not able to provide my sister and me with material wealth as we were growing up, they instilled in us the importance of the quest for knowledge. I was the first one in my family to go to college. I graduated top of the class and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Fudan University, one of the top universities in China. My parents, my sister, and her family all live in the Fujian province in China, while my husband and I now call Chicago home. I’m second to the left in this picture with my family.

Coming to Chicago 

I moved to Chicago with two suitcases and $2,000 for my graduate study in Chemistry. I knew little about Chicago, or what the graduate program would lead to. Yet I was excited about the adventure. In hindsight, my curiosity served me well and motivated me to leave everything I knew behind and take the leap of faith knowing the school would provide the community to support me. 

It was one of the toughest periods of my life, not knowing how even the simplest things work in a different country (what a credit card is, how to open a bank account, where to buy groceries…), and my spoken English was inadequate. I missed home terribly. A pivotal decision I made then was to immerse myself in English and my non-Chinese community despite how uncomfortable it was.

We all stand in the impossible of yesterday. Things we take for granted today may be what we didn’t believe possible 5 years ago, or even a year ago. Knowing big dreams are a long game helps me to relax, and focus on daily practice I can engage in to stretch myself toward the goal.

About your Education and Certifications

I hold a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago.  I completed the Bonfire Women Talent Accelerator Program. I hold certifications in Advanced Psychosomatic Character Therapy and the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).

Aikido

I’ve been practicing Aikido (a Japanese martial art) since 2002. I currently hold a 2nd-degree black belt rank and instruct at Chicago Aikikai, the first dojo/school in the Midwest dedicated to Aikido. 

Aikido can be translated as “the Way of Peaceâ€. Learning Aikido has transformed my life. Early on in my training, practicing Aikido gave me confidence given my small stature. As my training advances and deepens, Aikido has provided me with principles that I can apply to live an empowered and harmonious life off the training mat. 

Currently, I am an active member of the Diversity Inclusion Advisory Group for a national Aikido organization (The Aikido Schools of Ueshiba). The committee advises the Board of Directors on bringing diversity and inclusion to the affiliated dojos.

Here’s a video compilation of my first-degree belt test in 2017: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6tVTobGP8yvvirJs5

I did a short presentation for a group of professional women on what Aikido taught me about power: What Did Aikido Teach Me About Power?

Head of Customer Service/Multiple Leadership roles

After my Ph.D., I pivoted to pursue a career in the corporate world.

I served as the Head of Customer Success at Gather Voices where I scaled the client service process and experience to accelerate clients’ video marketing engagement. Before that, I held multiple leadership roles in Enterprise Customer Success, Product Management, Client Training, and Sales at Morningstar, Inc. My previous clients include Fortune 500 financial institutions and nonprofit institutions. 

The critical thinking skill I honed in graduate school served me well every step of the way. I saw the value of saying yes to opportunities coming my way. I used to be stressed out (and felt bad) that I didn’t know what my career end goal was. With hindsight, I saw the tremendous value of staying present to what my role was at the time, to learn and contribute the best I could because everything along the way helps me in what I do today.

Why Coaching (and Mentoring)

My coaching clients are high-performing and deeply committed professionals including business owners, corporate executives, law firm partners, and nonprofit leaders. They collaborate with me as their thinking partner. I see my clients’ infinite possibilities, rather than their limitations. My coaching is never a “one size fits all†approach. In our work together, my clients slow down and unravel their thinking and become clear of their hidden commitment in a fun way, so they can activate their three centers – Head, Heart, and Gut, and move forward with clarity, courage, and creativity.

I have a strong commitment to helping emerging women professionals and have been selected as a mentor for the Women’s Mentoring Co-op at Chicago Innovation since 2021.

Qin’s Contact Information

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qin-coe-bb00602/ 
FB: Qin Zheng Coe | Facebook
IG: @qincoe

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I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Qin Coe who is a coach, mentor, and martial artist. It was such an honor to have Qin share her journey and her WHY with me. Please share this podcast and the post with your friends.