In 2002, I founded Work In Progress Coaching to pursue my personal mission: “Each of us is a ‘work in progress’ — learning how to contribute our best, be fully expressed, and produce results worthy of who we are.”
These years have been extraordinarily satisfying because of the amazing people who partnered with me to cast off self-limiting beliefs and generate new possibilities for themselves and their organizations.
Today, I’m in the process of sundowning the business. Not because I no longer love coaching – it’s just feels like it’s time to transition. This choice raises a question: What’s my purpose now?
What’s true for me is that my commitment to help others live their best lives has not dimmed. What is emerging is a new expression of my commitment.
Student, Muse & me
Three years ago, I began being around horses for the first time as a volunteer at a horse-assisted therapy ranch dedicated to helping children with autism, cerebral palsy, and other limitations transform their experience of themselves and their life. I witnessed students gain physical and social skills as they curried, picked hooves, and sat atop a 1,500-pound horse with confidence and independence – nothing short of miraculous. When the non-profit ranch closed, I looked for another opportunity to be around horses.
At liberty
I’m now at www.FreeSpiritStables.com learning to lead horses at liberty – no bridle, no rope, just connection. In this process I’m unlearning some of my skills for leading people. While the unlearning has been jarring at times, what I am now understanding about connection and consent keeps me aligned with my personal mission.
Leading a horse at liberty and leading people effectively both hinge less on control and more on influence, clarity, and trust.
|
People |
Horses |
|
| Voluntary followership |
Good leaders don’t force compliance; they inspire people to choose to follow. |
Since the horse isn’t tied, it chooses to follow you, or not. |
| Clarity of communication
|
Teams need clear direction, a shared vision, and consistent messaging to stay aligned and move forward effectively. |
Your body language, focus, and intention must be consistent, aligned so the horse understands. |
| Trust & Respect
|
People follow leaders they trust, who respect them, and who create psychological safety. |
The horse won’t stay with you if it doesn’t feel safe and respected. |
| Energy & Presence
|
Leaders set the tone. Calm confidence steadies a group. Anxious energy spreads uncertainty and doubt. |
Horses tune in to your energy —confident, calm presence invites connection. |
| Invitation, not coercion |
You invite people to contribute and align, rather than micromanage or force. |
You invite the horse to move with you – you can’t drag it. |
Leading people taught me to listen for nuances in word choice and conversational dynamics. Leading horses at liberty is teaching me to learn the horse’s body language – listening for changes in breath, noticing the tiniest flick of an ear or blink of an eye.
Working with CEOs and their teams requires invented goals, designing and executing projects, declaring and living values, and rebalancing the voices in the room so the loudest didn’t dominate. Working with horses requires slowing down, calming my heartbeat, steadying my hand. Shouting my degrees and certificates does nothing to move a horse. With horses, I’m learning to lead through feel, presence and patience by paying more attention to my breath rather than watching the clock.
Mick & me
I’ve recently added another dimension to my relationship with horses by learning body work via the Masterson Method (www.mastersonmethod.com). I am learning to use the responses of the horse to my touch to help the horse release accumulated tension in their body. The horse, in a relaxed state, actively participates in the process of releasing tension and stress. Touch brings awareness. Awareness brings release. Miraculous.
For those of you wondering what life will be like when you retire, think of it this way: Retiring lets you take the bridle off and let go of the rope so you can move at-liberty.
- There’s freedom of choice — you can walk away, stay close, or explore new directions. That freedom can feel exhilarating or unsettling.
- Connection becomes voluntary — just like a horse at liberty chooses whether to follow, in retirement you choose what communities, passions, or projects to stay connected to.
- Energy and intention matter more — in at liberty work, the horse responds to your presence, clarity, and body language. In retirement, you rely less on external structure and more on your inner compass, your energy, and what engages your heart and mind.
Being at liberty allows me to discover a new rhythm and freedom as I continue to support beings – people and horses – in living rich, unencumbered lives.
Still a work in progress,
Camille
PS: Change in contact. Reach me at: ca***********@***il.com.
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