3) So, Texas boy, how well did you survive your first midwest winter?
Oh, it was fine. And by “fine” I mean it was cold and snowy all the time. A month in Austin helped me survive. Of course now that it’s over, it all seems very tolerable. It definitely heightens my appreciation of the other seasons.

4) You have a toddler at home. How has parenthood changed the way you consult?
I used to use a lot of sports analogies, now I use a lot of parent analogies. In coaching sessions with my clients, now we talk about how they hold their commitments in all aspects of their lives – not just at work.

5) What do you miss most about Austin?
It’s not what I “miss” but what I notice that I took for granted. Being born and raised in a great place like Austin I never noticed the value of community until it was gone. Like a fish wouldn’t notice the value of water until it was on dry land. Creating a new community from scratch has been a worthy challenge though.

6) What have you learned about human nature in your work as a consultant and coach?
The universal unwillingness to do what we know is good for us. Over and over and over and over… And on the brighter side … when a client takes an opportunity to demonstrate courage beyond what I thought they would actually do, I get inspired to follow their lead in my own life.

2) I hear you’re a foodie. Any great tips on how to eat well in Austin?
I’m a big fan of the food carts. My favorites are The Odd Duck and East Side King. Gourmet food. Outside. In Austin. That’s pretty awesome, especially in the Spring time. Austin is a foodie oasis in Texas and I am so thankful to be living here. I mean, where else can you get a pork belly slider and beet French fries from a food cart? There is nothing else like it!

3) What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned from a client?
I coached an Oscar-nominated director once and what I learned from him is that it doesn’t matter what results you produce in your life, you can still limit yourself if you’re not careful. Up for an Academy award at one point in his life, yet he still worried about never getting another picture. I learned that self-doubt is a human condition. The better you get at recognizing and dealing with it, the better results you’ll get in life. Everyone needs a coach because everyone, from time to time, will be plagued with the human condition of self-doubt. Whether your challenge is big or small (getting the multimillion dollar contract signed or simply having a management team that gets along), it’s all the same thing that gets in the way of us producing results: ourselves. Coaches get you out of your own way leaving you free to go get what you want.

4) As a native Argentine, who did you cheer for at the World Cup?
Well, that was a hard one because I have family in Argentina, Spain AND the US. Thankfully, the U.S. and Argentina never competed, so I was able to cheer for them both for as long as they were in the competition. But the best part was that with so many countries that I love in the game, I had someone to root for until the very end.

Now, go Tweet!

2) Why do you love what you do?
The reason above all others is that it fulfills my number one core value of connection. But I also love what I learn from my clients. They all come from different industries and backgrounds. It’s fascinating to learn what makes each of them tick and what got them started in their field of interest. Coaching is a great opportunity for me to continue learning and expand my knowledge of the business world. 
 
3) What is the best feedback you’ve gotten from a client?
“You’ve changed my life.” Can’t really beat that.
 
4) You hold a degree in spiritual psychology. What got you interested in that?
I always wanted to study psychology in college, but got off track in the beginning. My first four years, my goal was just to get through it as quickly as possible. When I went back for my master’s, I still had the interest in psychology, but was really intrigued by the spiritual aspect of it all. The idea that there’s something out there that’s bigger than us, supporting us. I believe that.
 
5) Why did you decide to plant your roots in Austin?
My family is in Corpus, so I love being relatively close to them. Austin just has so much to offer. It has that small town feel but with big city opportunities. I love the Bass Performing Arts Center, the lakes, the parks, the live music (Bob Schneider!)… I could go on and on. You can completely be yourself here. It’s a true, no-judgement melting pot.
 
6) Describe a typical weekend in the Mangum household.
Coffee on the deck, reading, exercising and quality time with my fabulous husband, Greg. If we have the kids for the weekend, then it’s all about them. If it’s football season, then it’s all about football. We love to entertain. 
 
7) How did you end up at Momentum? 
I was at a crossroads for creating a new career for myself. This led me to do some other transformational work with Craig and Marlene. They had focused mainly on the international consulting work and then we started talking about growing their business locally. All I could think was “I want to play there. That’s good stuff they’re cooking up.” 
 
8 ) To wrap it up, what are your top three favorite restaurants in Austin?
1) Fino
2) Uchi
3) Shady Grove



2)  Name a famous person who has been influential in your life:
You may laugh, but I would say Jesus and Madonna (and I’m not talking about Jesus’ mama!). I am attracted to compassionate rule breakers –– who shake up the status quo –  I even married one.

3)   What is your favorite restaurant in Austin?
It’s such a cliché, but of course I love Uchi. However, dining on the patio at the Paggi House is always a favorite.

4)   Tell me about your first job:
At 16, I started a business renting inner tubes from a corner property above the Comal River. My marketing strategy was simple: arrange the tubes differently everyday…and play hackey sack in a bikini.  My philosophy was to keep it simple and stay true to who I was – and it worked. I ran the business for six years, and it’s where I first learned about customer service, money managing and leadership development. We sold the company to a family member, and it’s still going strong today!

5)   Describe yourself in three words:
Tenacious, compassionate and fair.

6)   If you could live anywhere in the world, obviously you would pick Austin. What would be your second choice?
Bali left a huge impression on me. The people are full of gratitude, compassion and acceptance. You feel ethereal just being on the island. I always felt loved and alive there, and that atmosphere made me want to pay it forward.

Now I’m on the other side of the equation. I am the Internet working for you. Ultimately, this is your blog. Yes, you. I am here to provide the information you’re looking for, not to pontificate about my favorite TV shows or latest soccer games. I am here to write what you want to read.

Let the conversation begin.

“It’s not personal, it’s business.” What exactly does that mean? If I, a person, make a decision, then isn’t that decision inherently personal? If you’ve discovered the way to leave your humanity at home so only your professional persona shows up on the job, please let me know. It’s just not that simple.

We don’t put on our robot suit to go to our jobs and leave our “people suit” at home. All of our experiences, and the baggage that comes along with them, factor into the choices we make and the people we are. We can’t be expected to always make that clean and distinct division between the people we are and the work we do.

We are responsible for knowing how our experiences and values affect us in all aspects of life.  When we don’t, we allow ourselves to be victimized by our circumstances. The key isn’t leaving your problems with Eduardo; it’s knowing what those problems are and how you can channel them into productivity and success.

It’s those pesky, nitty-gritty, minute-by-minute goals that can feel like the downer. What if we all began to recognize those “minor” tasks as the framework of our ultimate aspirations? You still start with those castles in the air, then work backwards. “5 years from now I will ______________.” “4 years, 51 weeks from now I will _____________.” “4 years, 50 weeks from now I will _____________.” …

The motto for the University of Texas is “What starts here changes the world.” Let’s take that mindset and apply to each item on our daily to-do lists.  I’ll start:

1. Five years from now I will attend the Oscars.
2. Four years, 51 weeks from now I will get a mani/pedi for the Oscars.
3. Today I will write a blog post about wanting to go to the Oscars.