Coach Dian

Photo courtesy: NCM Photography.

Meet Dian (that’s me)

Don’t see the video? Click here.

Don’t see the video? Click here.

Dian Reid, CPC

If you want the boring, “professional” other version, here you go.

Dian Reid, RLH (real, live human)

I’ve been told these bio’s should be written in the third person. Umm … I don’t talk about myself in the third person in real life, so I’m not gonna do it here. I’m sure you understand. I will, however, throw a few links that’ll take you to posts that expand on what’s here, but don’t worry, you won’t have to clickety-click for it to all make sense. I’m all about giving you options. So here you go:

I love hanging and working with people who are willing to learn, respect themselves, and know how to have a good belly laugh. I got this way growing up with my mom, and as a result of her death when I was 16. She was always willing to learn, and man, she knew how to have a good belly laugh. That’s what I got while she was alive. After she died, I realized the importance of respecting myself (and being around others who do the same). My mom’s death shaped me in ways I’m still uncovering today.

I crawled out of the closet when I was 23ish, which went on for a few years, until I’d dug deep enough to get past my fears and just be me. I go to local Pride festivals when they come to town, and I support my people whenever I can (although I won’t do it blindly, I’ve still gotta like you and believe in what you’re about). I love seeing awesome people in the LGBT Community thrive, and it’s my goal to make that happen; I believe we have a slue of creative genius in all of us, and one of my passions is drawing that out.

I worked in Corporate America for more than 13 years until I’d advanced myself into a position that paid me the money I deserved, but didn’t fulfill my soul. Only, I didn’t realize it until my father died in January of 2006. By December 2006 I’d weened myself off of the Corporate Paycheck and freed my days to write a book about the impact of my parents’ deaths on me, the process of grief and how we don’t talk about uncomfortable things (death, dying, being gay) until we feel like it’s killing us inside. I’m still working on this book, as it’s an ever evolving work of art (as am I).

I grew up in The (San Fernando) Valley in Southern California, and have survived an alcoholic mother, a verbally abusive grandfather, a codependent grandmother, a passive aggressive father, being sexually molested at 14 by said alcoholic mother’s boyfriend, drug and alcohol dabbling in my teens, coming out in my 20′s, and the nutty, dysfunctional parenting system I think we all grew up with.

How’d I get through it? Years of therapy. Seriously. I still fall back on what I learned about myself and my past in therapy, and then I use what I know about coaching (and some of the wisdom of my own life coach) to get my ass moving forward when I get stuck. I’m all for another set of eyes and ears on doing my soul-work, and a hand to hold every now and then as I’m walking my talk.

I currently live beautiful, thriving, laid back Long Beach with my girlfriend, “The Wildcat” (whom I’d be married to by now if it weren’t for that pesky Prop 8 thing), a rescued Labrador mutt, Jackson, and two rescued cats, Sly and Killer.

But enough about me, I wanna know what’s new with you? (Find me on Facebook or Twitter & let’s chat it up.)

A Little More About My Vision

See, the thing about life is that we all think we can do it alone. And then we go try to do it alone and we get lost. We think, “How did I get here, again?” We wonder if we’re crazy. We wonder if we didn’t just figure it all out a minute ago and then dismiss it as hearsay. Wait, did I write that down? Didn’t I try that last week? Where am I? What have I done? Who am I, again???

We get in our own heads (or at least that little voice does). We need someone to sort through the clutter. And believe me, there’s clutter. Even the most successful people out there have clutter (and manage it with a coach—an acting coach, a writing coach, a hitting coach, a personal trainer, a…life coach). Why not you?

Here’s how it works:

You talk. I listen. You clear. I ask questions. You think. You answer questions. You deepen your learning and forward your action. You grow. We work. We dig. We sift. You find that little piece of authenticity hiding inside you, and you dust it off. You show it some sunlight. You take it to the playground. You tackle old beliefs with it and create new ones. You clear the clutter. You start getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t want. You learn. You be. You learn how to be your authentic you^™.

Ready. Set. Go.

My Life Purpose Statement

“I am the catalyst that inspires you to own your authenticity.”

What You Get Working With Me

• Tools to (re-)discover your core values and how to honor what’s important to you (yes, important to you).
  • Worksheets
  • Visualizations
  • Real Life Exercises
• Empowerment to take charge of your life (you DO know it’s yours, right?) and make conscious choices based on those values.
• Resources to keep growing, living, learning, rocking Your Authentic You even after our coaching has ended.
  • Systems for Accountability
• Compassion. Not the sappy crap-kind you see on Lifetime TV, but the real kind where you get to be you and judgment takes a trip to the bottom of the ocean with a cannonball chained to its leg.
• Co-Activity. I’m not here to be your friend, nor your drill sergeant. We work together to to co-create from the core of your authentic you.

Some rumors around the campfire about working with me.

And A Little More About Me:

I also have a blog related to my writing (the book I mentioned up there, and other creative writing pieces). To get to that blog, click here. My main focus in my coaching is Coming Out, whether it be related to the LGBTQ community or simply finding your inner authenticity and rocking it. I’m ready if you are.

My Little Book List

Here’s a short list of some of the books I’ve recently-ish read (I don’t update it as often as I could) and recommend.

Blink / Malcolm Gladwell

A powerful look at hidden biases and the assumptions we make in life based on those biases. This book creates awareness and allows the reader to make his/her choice in exposing, acknowledging, and changing those biases.

The Power Of Now / Eckhart Tolle

Tolle asks you to look only at your present state, and release all the stories you hold about your past and whatever might come of the future.

Anatomy Of The Spirit / Caroline Myss, PHD

An exploration of what’s possible when you open your mind to healing yourself through addressing your life and emotions as they truly are, rather than as we choose to see them

Co-active® is a registered trademark of The Coaches Training Institute.
Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links, and Authentic Realities receives a (tiny) portion of the sale price.