Meet Ann Papayoti, The Founder Of Skyview Coaching & Believer In A Life In Balance
“ Tell the story of the mountain you climbed. Your words could become
a page in someone else’s survival guide.”
~ Morgan Harper Nichols
Hi, I’m Ann Papayoti. I became a life coach because I’ve always loved the art of listening & communicating.
All my life, I have been the go-to-girl for friends experiencing “problems”. I likely could have started my own ‘Dear Annie’ column decades ago! My high school yearbook quotes a classmate describing me as a “good listener”. However, it wasn’t until long after high school that I recognized listening with empathy as an invaluable and innate skill – it was so natural for me, I thought it was just what everyone does for people they care about.
While I began my university studies in Business and Finance, destiny led me to use that innate skill and not only listen, but to ask questions and share stories for the greater good. And so, destiny led me to Journalism & Communications where I had the opportunity to meet and interview people in various circumstances, and then help tell their stories in both the written and spoken word. I distinctly remember knowing this was where I belonged, but destiny had more in mind.
Here are my credentials, training, & experience for coaching — you deserve to work with someone who’s put in the work.
I value education, both in giving and receiving. I had the privilege to attend Auburn University and complete my Bachelor of Arts at Samford University. Since then, I have been titled with everything from a Fortune 100 Company corporate trainer to a stay-at-home mom.
After years of facilitating support groups and personal development courses and having participants request individual guidance and support, I made the decision to seek further education to better serve them. I enrolled in one of the most comprehensive accredited certification programs available. After 320 hours of study at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), I obtained a dual certification as a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and a Master Energy Leadership Index Practitioner (ELI-MP).
I later completed a certification as a Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) with The Empowerment Partnership. And, to understand the body, function, movement and connection to the mind, I hold a variety of physical fitness certifications.
My coaching experience and knowledge has led to my earning the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentials from the International Coach Federation (ICF), the global governing body overseeing the gold standard in coaching.
Your coach should be able to relate to your challenges, struggles, fears, and successes.
My father would say I also have a degree from the school of hard knocks. I have acquired an extensive background in devastating personal loss and transitions, in deep, excruciating, paralyzing pain, as well as in healing, overcoming and starting over.
As a coach, I am passionate about helping people transform their lives after a deep hurt, significant loss and/or tough transition.
Clients say my experiences of relationship betrayal and abuse, death of a child, separation and divorce, single parenting, new love, letting go of a long and secure career to support my spouse in expanding his, moving away from family and friends (multiple times), parenting a child with learning and health difficulties, my own health crisis, family member suicide and fostering a teen make me relatable and credible.
My commitment to you is to use my skills, education, experiences and wisdom to help you help yourself find a path through the storm, venture with confidence into the unknown and rediscover yourself along the way.
My own story of personal loss, death & the grieving process.
Grieving is a process, and healing is a journey.
I have experienced much loss in my life, and have learned to allow myself to grieve in order to recover. When I was in college, I suffered a deep betrayal. I lost my best friend, my boyfriend, and myself in this betrayal. While I was lost, I made self-sabotaging choices and one that led me to being in an abusive marriage. My dreams of what love and life was supposed to be like were also lost, yet I stayed, feeling unworthy of anything more or different. While in the marriage, I lost my first-born son due to complications from his pre-term birth. It was after this most devastating loss that I reached a turning point. The depth of my grief allowed me to bring all my losses to the forefront and begin the journey of rediscovering myself.
Eventually, I had another child, and as my confidence and courage grew, I left the marriage. As I moved forward in life, more loss would come my way, but I knew who I was and was able to face it in a new way. It is like the difference between having food, shelter and clothing in a storm and not.
You, too, can survive your losses and learn to grieve fully so that you do not lose yourself, but rather honor yourself, and move forward in a healthy and meaningful way.
My path to becoming a balanced life coach was definitely not linear, but every step was important.
I didn’t plan on ‘becoming’ a coach. Looking back, it was just the winding path of my life that led me here. The listening and moderating for others in my youth, my personal experiences of losses, transitions and triumphs, my love for education and passion for teaching and sharing, my nature to help others succeed, to choose positivity to carry me through tough times and encourage others to pursue the same, and to create overall life balance to live my best life has put me in positions to be in front of people and for them to ask for more. Coaching became a natural and welcomed addition to my life’s calling to serve others as a guide and healer (aka lightworker).
I believe in the possibility of a life in balance (& laughter along the journey). Here are some of the things that make my heart sing.
I am passionate about dance – did I mention I am also a Zumba instructor? It’s my side hustle, and is the load lifting, mood boosting, happy hour I give myself and share with others 5 days a week.
Good thing I burn calories in my fitness classes because I also drink a loaded latte every morning. My go-to is Starbucks peppermint white mocha… (sigh)… it is like Christmas in a cup all year long!
Put a book in my hand, and I will lose track of time. I can browse a bookstore for hours, reading the dust jackets and noticing the trends in the self-help section. I started a book club with friends so there would always be a monthly page-turner to curl up with in my downtime and a group of women to discuss it with over a glass or two of wine.
And, I’d rather buy a cute, new stationery set than a pair of shoes. There’s just something about pen and paper that I have always cherished.
I enjoy a 2nd marriage, am the mother of 3 sons, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and an Orange Tabby. My husband and I own SkyView Consulting Partners where I work with organizations and corporations to manage and embrace change, create positivity in the workplace, and improve employee relationships. We currently reside in a charming little Texas town near Dallas known for its wine and festivals.
I’d love to have the chance to get to know you, too. Schedule a discovery call with me here.
If something about my story resonates with you, know that I can help you learn to dance in the rain. Extending your hand is the first and most difficult step to take. I promise to hold it with care.
Sincerely,
Ann