My Journey to Co-Founding Refugee JumpStart Coaching-- 4 Decades in the Making!

By Bev Weise, Co-founder & Executive Director

People often ask what motivated me to co-found a refugee coaching organization, along with Hussein Alzribi. I was a quasi- retired talent management consultant and leadership coach in Los Angeles, California—a mother of two accomplished daughters and a grandma to three cuties.

I would always start my story in 2016, when I volunteered independently in a refugee camp in Chios Island, Greece. I met educated, resilient, determined refugees and all I could think of was “What a waste of potential and talent!” Smart, educated people were withering away in a refugee camp. Where they once led active, engaged lives, they now had their careers and dreams put on hold-- indefinitely.

My Flower Petal Garage Discovery

But I was wrong. My story didn’t start in 2016. It started five decades earlier, which I discovered while cleaning out my garage.

In looking through a box of old papers, I found a wrinkled, time-stained chart paper from the mid 1970’s. Early in my career I had participated in a career planning workshop where we were asked to answer thought-provoking questions about our values, our philosophy of life and our ideal careers –one question for each of the 11 petals of my child-like drawing of a flower.

Although I didn’t answer each question, it was enough to give me a sense of who I was at the time and perhaps what I did not yet know about myself. I didn’t fill in all the petals because I think I did not yet know: What I would like to accomplish, My personal traits or skills, My desired starting salary, or Potential targets that interested me. But what I DID know and answered was very revealing about my values and deep motivations.

Like having a coach, this experience providing me with quiet, self-reflection time that unconsciously set the direction of my life.

What truly astounded me is the intentions I had articulated very early in my career have been a constant thread throughout my life and shaped who I am today. As you will see by my responses from five decades ago, it explains the passion I have today for helping refugees achieve their potential and co-founding Refugee JumpStart Coaching.

My Early Reflections

My career reflection petals revealed:

My Ultimate Life Goal Petal

• To facilitate people taking control and power over their own lives
• To contribute to a process that enables others to reach self-actualization
• To find ways to help individuals get in touch with their uniqueness and individuality

My Philosophy of Life Petal

• People have free will, ability to change and take control of their lives
• Historical perspective is necessary – we have a place in the continuum of time. We are the bridge between the past and future; therefore, we can mold the future

What Needs Doing Petal

• Preservation of human and cultural diversity
• Peace in the Middle East and in the world
• Freedom for people all over the world to practice and live their own beliefs
• People feeling better about themselves and accepting their inner multiplicity
• End to racism and discrimination

My Preferred People Environment Petal

• Committed; resourceful, intelligent, sense of humor, cooperative, alive, supportive, enthusiastic, practical, young in mind and heart, self-initiating, confident, sensitive open, honest, caring, risk takers and playful

My Ideal Job Specifications Petal

• Working in a team; committed workers; work cooperatively; minimal hierarchy
• Organized and orderly
• Concrete results
• Nonsexist; nonracist
• Growth potential
• Communicating in person with people outside my organization
• Informal, flexible environment

Then, in April 2018, I participated in a weekend retreat, Your Life by Design, led by Sheila Babis and Cindy Miller, one of our impactful RJS coaches. I recently reflected on the question they posed at the time: "What is your purpose?" I wrote: “To empower others by seeing possibilities—connecting and empowering people to take action.”

Echoes of My Earlier Self

Verbalizing these intentions at different points in my life planted seeds that have grown and evolved over my lifetime. The work we do at Refugee JumpStart Coaching is a culmination of my youthful hopes, dreams and core values. With time and experience, I now have a better appreciation for my skills and strengths.

I share this personal story because I believe this is the work we do at RJS. A coach provides the space, time and support for self-reflection—asking difficult questions we may never pose to ourselves —"what do you love doing and do well? What are your special strengths and talents? What are you passionate about?” Through this process of self-discovery, we set our intentions for what will bring us joy in life.

For some, the coaching process may spark an instantaneous recognition of what path to follow; for others, it may be a journey measured in decades- unfolding over time—-building skills and meaningful experiences that move us closer to our true selves, bringing joy joy and fulfillment. A journey well worth the ride.