Nikol Peterman Success Coach for Creatives New York City

At Coach Training World, I discovered the power of community, connection, and holding the space and time for yourself to build awareness and fuel self-growth. Your brain is not your only source of information – there are tools to tap into your body that give you insight and clarity. Coaching is transformation. Literally.

YouTube video

Allison’s story begins on the green turf of a soccer field. At the tender age of 7, she took her first step toward what would become a 15-year career and lifelong passion.

Years of dedication and training were rewarded with spots on several high-level teams growing up. But her career really took off when she served as co-captain for the Women’s Varsity Soccer Team at Stanford University. From there, she was drafted by the Women’s Professional Soccer League and competed on teams in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Now at the top of her game, Allison was selected as a Women’s Professional Soccer All-Star and named as a finalist for Defender of the Year.

I poured everything I had into the game – mind, body, and heart. I left it all on the field, every time.

But Allison’s soccer career was cut short when she received an injury that left a gaping hole in the cartilage of her right knee. Following surgery, she struggled for two years, trying to recover what she’d spent the better part of her life working toward.

It was not to be.

Suddenly, Allison had to confront a stark realization – one that left her adrift for the first time in her life. She was forced to learn who she was outside the framework of soccer. As an elite athlete, Allison also faced additional challenges during this period of transition most people never even have to think about, such as relearning how to eat and exercise like a normal person.

After living my whole life being a soccer player, there was no future in sight. All I could think about was that my soccer career was over. I didn’t know how I was going to make a living. I didn’t know who I was other than a soccer player. I was worried I had peaked at the age of 24, and that I wouldn’t ever find something I loved as much as soccer.

That was when Allison discovered coaching, first as a client. Working with a life coach, she was immediately intrigued by the potential in a career supporting others. She began to explore a range of different helping professions, including therapy, psychology and coaching.

Ultimately, she chose coaching for the unique opportunity it provides: to help others move forward and toward specific goals in their lives.

It was the ideal pivot for Allison. She was able to leverage rare professional expertise and connect with a specific clientele on a level that would be difficult for someone without her firsthand experience. She established the Kirby Method, a life coaching business through which she helps elite athletes.

It’s incredibly important to me to help others figure out what’s next in life after sport, find that passion, and not just get by, but really thrive.

Today, Allison works with former collegiate and professional athletes who are struggling to fill a void as they transition to life post-sport. She helps them discover the confidence and personal resources they need to successfully lead the life they want – a life they love as much as their sport.

You’ve already created one legacy, what’s next? Every person is whole, resourceful, and has the power to change. In fact, everybody already has the tools they need to succeed; it’s a matter of learning how to tap into your full potential. There is so much knowledge about yourself to be discovered!

While at Stanford, Allison also took classes in nutrition and health, developing a strong focus on childhood obesity. She’s successfully leveraged this experience to work with clients one-on-one as a health coach, helping people reach their health and weight management goals. It’s a track that has opened some particularly big doors.

Allison has worked for health companies like WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined) and its subsidiary, Kurbo, with an app-based program geared to nutrition and behavior change for kids. As a coach, she’s been able to empower people of all ages at scale (millions of people!), championing them to make healthy decisions and live their best life.

Never content with “good enough,” Allison has her sights set on exploring the capacity of human mindset next. Specifically, she’s interested in how our thoughts, minds, and bodies affect our reality.

I’ve been blown away by the power of coaching. I LOVE it. To see these amazing “a-ha” moments when we take the time and curiosity with and for ourselves… it’s helped me as an individual, as well as my clients.

Learn more about Allison at: www.kirbymethod.com

NOTE: Some quoted material that appears in this article is courtesy of kirbymethod.com.