testimonials
"I am so thankful to you, for the time you spent with me, and for the patience and compassion you showed me, and the incredible tools you shared with me.
For so much of what I learn, it’s just too easy to move on and get caught back up in the day-to-day and forget the lessons just read or listened to.
But what you imparted to me for those three days has really been “sticky.” Even when things are hectic or distracting, my mind keeps coming back to your lessons and noodling on them and turning it around.
In the past, when things got tough, I would get frustrated that I could never seem to be able to use the “healthier” tools I had learned either in therapy or a book while I was actually in the tough times. But these past two weeks, when things got overwhelming or frustrating, it seemed easy to come back to the lesson that if I just empty my mind and take some space, the right solutions will bubble up. And that thought alone brought more calm to the situation and made it easier to face it. From that, I’ve already seen my levels of procrastination start to drop. (Procrastination has been a life long painful challenge for me and I’ve never had anything I’ve tried even work a little bit to relieve it.)
I’ve had people tell me my whole life “trust your instincts.” And I just never knew what they meant or how to do that. And I would identify myself as “I’m just not in tune with my intuition…I don’t have good intuition like some other people.” But somehow, the way you conveyed it through the three principles felt so much more accessible and I can see that I CAN access better wisdom from a quiet place inside, and then shed all the insecure thoughts that may make me doubt that wisdom and just move forward with faith that it will be fine.
I feel like a piece of big mechanical machinery that’s been slugging along slowly and with a lot of effort due to gummed-up gears. Now someone just sprayed WD40 in my joints and the gunk is starting to fall away while the gears begin to move a bit smoother.
I have so much gratitude for you."
Jessica J. Ellis, Executive Director
Centinela Youth Services
Everychild Restorative Justice Center
The coaching sessions with Deborah were life changing. I am so grateful to Deborah and Catachafire for this opportunity!
Rabbi Mendy Ajzenszmidt
South Caufield Hebrew Congregation
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"Working with Deborah brought me peace of mind and focus to be able to tactfully manage the competing priorities as a leader in our organization. She is a caring, compassionate, and a great listener. Deborah helped bring to the surface the tools and wisdom I posses to manage my workload as Director. The book recommended and weekly discussions allowed me to build confidence in my leadership capacity, to be more kind to myself, and calm my anxiety to be able to lead from a place of creativity. I am grateful for her kindness and the simple tools and resources offered".
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Ana Melgoza, Mesa Verde Gardens
"It was a great pleasure working with Deborah on assessing our organizational culture. The topic can be incredibly sensitive and Deborah was mindful of approaching the work in a way that would ensure the integrity of the entire staff across the organization while sharing deep truths.
She was able to show up for each member of our team to support their voice being lifted. We all appreciated her ability to work in a culturally responsive way with a Black female-run business and non-profit.
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The opportunity to work with Deborah at this stage of growth in our the organization is exciting and will help us scale our work to have a greater impact in Oakland and the lives of families often under-served. It was a gift to have someone as compassionate as Deborah to create a safe space for us to be reflective and authentically engaged in our next phase of growth"!
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Jumoke Hinton, Oakland Natives Give Back
"I recently had the privilege of participating in a group workshop Deborah Baron led. I found both her content and approach to be refreshing, stimulating, thoughtful, and deeply spiritual (completely non-sectarian), while still practical and down to earth. Deborah is a natural teacher; one who learns as she teaches. She will make you think and rethink and help you grow in unexpected ways".
Bill Jenks, President, Lighthouse Elder Care, Inc.
dba Home Instead Senior Care
"Working with Deborah as a coach elevated my performance, my confidence and my effectiveness as a manager. Smart, direct, and even-handed, she insists on accountability to yourself and helps you to tap into your best thinking. Deborah armed me with simple but powerful tools to engage more successfully with my team members and my Board of Directors. It’s not a ‘quick fix approach.’ Be prepared to invest time to get the most from being coached. Let it seep in and marinate bit on your sessions…like mediation or exercise, it pays off for the long haul".
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Jeaneen Zappa
"Thanks so much for your time and coaching prowess. I have been reflecting on our conversation all week. It has given me clarity and confidence and a renewed sense of how I approach my work and thinking about the future. Your expertise is a gift to the collective system – please express my thanks to those who had the brilliance to allow you to grow in this direction and provide this strength to others in our field".
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Becky Sobelman-Stern
Executive VP & Chief Program Officer
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
“Thank you for your teaching, coaching, sharing – you are a wonderful trainer and role model”.
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Joy Goldstein
Associate Vice President
Deborah gifted us with her wisdom, calmness, and centredness. She provided a safe space to explore coaching and the benefits of engaging with a coach. As an organisation we have loved working with Deborah and look forward to connecting again in the future. Thank you Deborah!!!!
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Community and Innovation Manager
I am grateful for my time with Deborah and highly recommend working with her.
She has a wonderful sense of humor and her laid-back manner is lovely. I initially reached out for help with ‘next steps’ regarding my coaching practice, but what I received was so much more than support with my business.
Deborah’s sharing and insightful questions were invaluable to me. As we continued to meet my mind got quieter and she helped me see that I had a lot of “shoulds'' regarding my business and myself that were causing unnecessary tension and pressure. With that understanding, I realized I don’t actually have to try and live up to an outside standard of success or what being a good person looks like - who I truly am is just fine - ahhh, such a relief.
I also realized that I love my life right now and can trust that any ‘next steps’ regarding my coaching practice will naturally unfold from inside me via inspiration, yay!
Thank you, Deborah!!
~ Linda Fennell
"Deborah is phenomenal at what she does! She really helped me with my time management skills but my overall life skills as well".
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Johnathan Kolb
River Keepers