Entrevista Francisco Barillas / Coaching

Interview with Francisco Barillas / Coaching

What was your main motivation for becoming a coach and helping other people?

I had prepared myself to offer consulting services in logistics and international marketing after my retirement, but my colleagues at UPS told me I would have many opportunities as a coach, trainer, and speaker. When I retired from UPS in December 2022 after 33 years of service, I decided to take some time off and reflect. I truly came to the conclusion that the success of the companies I founded in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bogotá, Colombia, and Jamaica was due to my leadership and my ability to change lives and help people succeed. So, I enrolled in Maxwell Leadership to become certified as a coach, trainer, and speaker, which I achieved this year. To further enhance my coaching skills, I also enrolled in ESNECA in Spain to pursue a dual master's degree in emotional intelligence and neurolinguistic programming.

On the other hand, I understood that my purpose in life is:

To contribute to the well-being of humanity and the world.

I aspire to enrich the lives of others with an abundance of love, light, wisdom, justice, peace, and prosperity.

Promoting Growth in spiritual and professional harmony.

Promoting a sense of responsibility towards our planet.

What topics or areas do you think impact women the most today, and how do you address them in your coaching sessions?

I lost my mother when I was two years old, and my father decided we should go live with my grandmother and a mature, single aunt. My childhood playmate was my cousin, two years older than me. This experience instilled in me a strong sense of empathy for women, and throughout my professional life, I have chosen to work with them. In fact, my successor as UPS Central America Manager was my first accountant, whom I coached for over 25 years, and she became a worthy successor. Similarly, the managers in Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama are all women I personally hired. I believe I have a strong ability to connect with and empathize with women.

In your experience, what are the most common challenges your clients face and how do you help them overcome them?

Firstly, in Central America, deeply ingrained machismo gives men more opportunities than women. In my case, I always felt more comfortable working with women, and the way to make them successful was to have them actively participate with me in my leadership style through motivation. Then I empowered them so that the rest of the staff would give them their place as leaders. This resulted in companies with more empathy and a better balance between the challenges of our goals and personal life.

What advice would you give to women seeking a balance between their professional and personal lives?

My advice would be the following:
Tips for Balanced Success

To achieve a successful career without losing your personal balance, these three keys will help you move forward with purpose:

Set your priorities: Define your professional and personal goals. This will allow you to make decisions aligned with your values ​​and help you stay focused on what truly matters.

Manage your time well: Organization is key. Allocate blocks of time for your work responsibilities and specific moments for yourself and your well-being. The key is to respect both.

Build a support network: Surround yourself with people who inspire and support you. Connecting with other women will offer valuable perspectives and strengthen your path to success.

What are the main benefits of having a coach and how can it transform a person's life?

A coach with emotional intelligence can be key to a woman's holistic growth in both her professional and personal life. Here are three essential benefits:

Self-awareness and self-confidence: A coach helps identify strengths and areas for growth, promoting decisions aligned with authentic goals and building solid confidence.

Stress Management and Emotional Balance: Learning to manage stress facilitates a balance between work and personal life, preventing burnout and promoting overall well-being.

Assertive Communication and Empathy: Improving communication and empathy allows for stronger and more collaborative working relationships, essential for a harmonious work environment.

Invitation: Invest in a coach with emotional intelligence and boost your success, cultivating both your well-being and your relationships.

Could you share a success story that has left a mark on your coaching career?

As I mentioned earlier, my successor as UPS Manager in Central America is Haydee Ramirez, and I had as General Managers in El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama, and later in the Call Center most of my operations managers are women, I believe I have managed to empower them and listen to them to balance their professional life and at the same time take care of their children

How does coaching help strengthen self-esteem and self-confidence?

Coaching is a powerful tool for strengthening self-esteem and self-confidence, especially when it focuses on self-awareness, thought management, and personal skills development. Here are three ways coaching can help in this process:

Identifying Personal Strengths and Achievements

A coach helps people recognize their achievements, skills, and strengths—key elements for building strong self-esteem. By working on identifying and valuing their abilities, people realize their own worth and potential, which increases their confidence in their decisions and actions.

Developing a Positive and Resilient Mindset

Through coaching, you learn techniques to transform negative thoughts into positive and constructive affirmations. This shift in mindset is essential for facing challenges without self-doubt. A resilient mindset allows people to regain their confidence after failures or mistakes, viewing them as opportunities for growth.

Setting Realistic and Achievable Goals

With the support of a coach, people learn to set clear and achievable goals. By meeting these objectives, their self-confidence grows as they experience success at every step. This approach allows them to see that they can achieve their goals, reinforcing their self-efficacy and increasing their sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

What specific techniques or tools do you use to empower your clients in their daily lives?

Emotional intelligence coaching offers practical and effective tools that can transform daily life. Here are some of the most important:

Emotions Diary: Writing down emotions throughout the day helps identify patterns and develop self-awareness, key to making conscious decisions.

Positive Refocusing: Changing limiting thoughts into empowering affirmations fosters self-confidence and strengthens mindset.

Empathy and Active Listening: Learning to understand and communicate better improves personal and professional relationships, creating harmonious environments.

Visualizing Short-Term Goals: Imagining achievements and breaking down goals into achievable steps helps maintain motivation and reinforces the sense of accomplishment.

Constructive Feedback and Positive Reflection: Feedback focused on strengths motivates and allows for continuous evaluation of progress.

How important is mental and emotional well-being to you in personal and professional success?

Mental and emotional well-being is key to lasting success. Here are three reasons why:

Promotes Resilience and Productivity: A balanced mind helps to face challenges and make quality decisions, which increases productivity and professional effectiveness.

Facilitates Healthy Relationships: Emotional well-being allows for empathetic communication, strengthening relationships of trust, essential for leadership and collaboration.

Strengthens Self-Awareness and Confidence: Emotional balance boosts self-awareness and self-confidence, fundamental aspects for moving forward confidently in challenges and goals.

What message do you want to leave for women who are searching for their purpose or facing major changes in their lives?

To all the women who are searching for their purpose or facing significant changes, I want to remind you of this: the strength you need is already within you. Transformative moments can be challenging, but they are also a powerful opportunity to discover your potential, redefine your goals, and build the life you truly desire.

Every change brings with it the possibility of growth and self-discovery. Trust your intuition and the values ​​that guide your heart. Allow yourself to explore, learn, and make mistakes, because every experience, whether successful or challenging, brings you closer to your purpose.

Remember that the journey doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful. Embrace your authenticity and move forward at your own pace. Every step you take, no matter how small, is a step toward a fuller, truer version of yourself. Believe in yourself, celebrate your achievements, and move forward with courage!

To quote Wayne Dyer, your emotions come from your thoughts, and if you learn to control your thoughts you can control your emotions.

And finally, quoting St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

If you're going through a period of change or seeking clarity, remember that you don't have to do it alone. Having someone to listen and encourage you to discover your own potential can make a world of difference. Imagine making decisions aligned with who you truly are and the life you want to build. If you feel it's time to invest in yourself, consider working with a coach who can support you every step of the way on this journey toward a fulfilling and authentic life. Believe in yourself and the power of your dreams!

Comentarios
Susy

Felicidades! me encanta!

Susy
Iracema Azurdia

Como mujer creo en las palabras firmemente en el empoderamiento femenino, tuve el agrado y el gusto de poder trabajar en Conduent/UPS Guatemala y poder conocer a Francisco Barillas, siempre ha tenido palabras sabias y congruentes con su labor, siempre me ha impulsado a seguir adelante, explotar mi potencial y seguir adelante.

Iracema Azurdia
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