This post is part of a series where we’ll be getting to know members of our outstanding Fascinate Certified Advisor™ team. Our Certified Advisors are expertly trained to coach individuals and groups on how to use the Fascinate System to improve communication and build better relationships, as well as add unique value by embracing our core message: Different is better than better.
Fascinate Certified Advisor Madelyn Ridgeway is a personal branding strategist. She’s built a successful executive presence coaching practice by incorporating the Fascinate System into the experience she gained after several years as a master trainer and etiquette consultant.
We wanted to learn a little more about how Madelyn came to Fascinate, and how she uses the Fascinate Test to help her clients “Define & Refine” their personal brands and presence.
What value have you received from taking the Fascinate test?
Fascinate permitted me to embrace who I am fully. As an introverted Mystique, I often felt as if I was always “behind” somehow because I processed information differently or wasn’t the first to speak. It’s almost like Fascinate permitted me to embrace the unique way I communicated, and it helped me see the behaviors as an asset and not a liability.
Why did you become an FCA?
I turned 30 and had what felt like a life crisis. For days I cried because I wasn’t where I thought I should be and didn’t feel like I knew who I was. I had been going through the motions with what I thought I should be doing in life. I hated that feeling, so I set out to discover who I REALLY am and what value I have to offer the world.
I saw becoming an FCA as a chance to help others who felt like I did as a 30-year-old. It’s such a powerful tool for people who struggle with clarity in their lives.
What is your Anthem, and how has it helped you grow your brand and your business?
My Anthem is Graceful Guidance. As a coach, my Anthem has guided everything from my curriculum creation to how I market my business, and the colors I use in my branding. It directs my facilitation and coaching methods as I work with individuals and groups.
What different approaches have you developed for coaching individuals or teams? At which level do you make the greatest impact, and why?
The approach I’m most excited about is the process I’m building around presence, otherwise known as executive presence.
The term executive presence has often seemed elusive to many early and mid-level professionals, and I’ve sought to redefine what presence means. The Fascinate System has been a game changer in this approach.
We all have presence, not just executives or individuals in leadership. By embracing our Fascinate Advantages and learning to believe in and reveal your abilities, individuals stand out in whatever their field may be. Because this approach is personal to each person, my most significant impact is currently with individuals, although I plan to start piloting the process in a group environment soon.
In what ways does Fascinate help engage groups/teams?
At our core, we all want to be seen and accepted.
Fascinate helps grab a group’s attention because they feel seen and understood, some for the first time. When people are valued and recognized, they jump at the opportunity to engage in the conversation and add value.
I love that facilitating a group using Fascinate takes less effort because they want to delve deeper into what makes them fascinating. The individuals also see their results and want to see where they fit in the group and how they can better use their advantages to engage and move the group forward, so they want to engage.
Who are your clients? What sectors or geographic locations (if any) do you focus on?
My clients are typically early to mid-level female professionals and business owners who want to define their personal brand and refine their emotional intelligence through etiquette skills and leadership training.
I primarily focus on the Upper Midwest area- Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri but I also serve clients virtually from all over the country.
In what ways do you use the Fascinate tools to help your clients?
I talk a lot with my clients about Define & Refine, and I use Fascinate tools in the Define stage to define their personal brand and what they want to be known for in their industry.
It’s not enough to simply be an event planner, a manager, or an artist; you should know what type of clients you want to attract or what persona you wish to carry throughout your career. We pair Fascinate with any other assessments the client may have completed and create a strong presence to create a 360° picture of who they are now and how they want to be known.
Is there anything else you would like us to know about your business, mission, or your relationship with the Fascinate System?
I’ll forever be a Fascinate evangelist!
When you’ve seen a system change not only your life but the lives of so many others by giving them confidence and clarity, it’s hard not to sing its praises.
We had so much fun getting to know Madelyn a little better!
