Hi! Welcome to DIG Coaching! I’m thrilled you found my website and are interested in learning more about who I am. As a young child I was diagnosed with dyslexia and a learning disability and have had to confront the challenges associated with both conditions on a daily basis.
Many of my struggles are very similar to those of someone who has ADD/ADHD or attention challenges, which is why I am sharing my story with you. I want you to know that I understand the challenges and chaos of living a “normal” that is different from your peers. I also want you to know there is hope and things can get better.
Like many kids growing up I was very active attending school and competing in sports. School was hard. It was a place where I struggled to get by; I studied and worked hard, but never really saw the benefits from the efforts I made. My love for sports helped me get through. My passion was swimming, and if it wasn’t for the athletic scholarship I earned, I likely would not have been able to even get into college. I competed both nationally and internationally. Managing a busy schedule and staying focused was not always easy for me. The rigorous schedules and demands teachers and coaches placed on me made it hard to keep up.
I faced similar struggles in later years when I entered the corporate world. I was in sales where there were many pressures to meet personal goals and company sales quotas. Many days it was difficult to navigate the path ahead of me, and it often created a feeling of isolation.
Growing up and throughout my adult life, it was almost impossible to find a professional who really understood what I was going through. There were plenty of resources, but most wanted to help me by utilizing a very methodical solution that puts everyone in that proverbial “box.” If I would just follow these steps and do it “this way,” it would all be better. No, it wasn’t better. Many times it made things worse.
I struggled for a long time to find someone who could help me with MY specific needs. Coaches worked with athletes to improve specific skills; tutors helped with academics; why couldn’t we find someone to “coach” me through my dyslexia and learning disability.
In spite of those challenges, I gave up on the one-size-fits-all solutions and focused on doing things differently. Doing things my way, I’ve learned ways to adapt and become successful. Sports taught me a lot in those early years. Much of it was by trial and error. I found insightful ways (the power of the Aha!) to improve what wasn’t working for me. I paid more attention to what I was actually paying attention to – and made adjustments to improve how I worked.
Take Attention Talk Radio for example. When I became a coach, everyone insisted I write a book or start a blog as a tool and a way to leverage social media. That doesn’t work for me. I hate to write. Attention Talk Radio was my vehicle. Its success has far surpassed my peers’ books and blogs.
Today, I am happy to say that I did well in college and was able to balance my love for sports between active swimming, triathlons, and running schedules. I also saw success in the corporate world. I managed to lead my division in sales individually several times, and my office achieved the same level of success collectively. Later when I returned to college to get my MBA, I graduated with a concentration in finance with a 3.85 GPA. I’ve been very fortunate. It took discipline and hard work, but I was able to do well and succeed.
Years later, I was still enjoying my career but felt a strong calling to help others. I know there are millions who go through what I went through and I wanted to offer a solution that would give people the hope I didn’t have for so long. I wanted these individuals to know that their lives can change for the better – which is why I specialized in coaching people with attention issues, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and learning disabilities. I work with those who want to understand how their brain works. I’ll be coaching YOU, not a label. I will focus on understanding you, your natural processes, and will show you how your way works and then use your process to help you achieve your goals.
As a trained, credentialed ADD/ADHD and life coach, an ADD/ADHD coach trainer and speaker, my focus is to help you achieve your personal and business goals.
I invite you to explore my website, sign up for my newsletter and, hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to meet you sometime!
Jeff Copper
ADD/ADHD & Attention Coach