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Committee Member Spotlight - Justine Ickes

This month's spotlight is on Justine Ickes, who is a Marketing Committee Member.

Who am I?  
Hello, hola, and merhaba, everyone! I'm Justine Ickes and I am an ICF-credentialed, associate professional coach who specializes in helping people widen their worlds through personal introspection and global exploration. I’m currently a member of our chapter’s Marketing Committee.

A native Long Islander, my own life journey has been a bit meandering. Active in the intercultural field for over 30 years, I started my career teaching English for eight years in Madrid, Spain, and then moved on to training Peace Corps volunteers. Since then, I have worked and lived in Africa, Asia, and the Americas as a coach, training manager, instructional designer, and facilitator of leadership programs for U.S. government agencies, multinational corporations, international humanitarian organizations, and educational institutions. 

Now based in Connecticut, I spend my time running my coaching and consulting company and raising my Turkish-American family (one husband, two teen boys, and our rescue pup, Uno). When I’m not busy with work and family, you’ll likely find me hiking, gardening, or creating collage art in my studio at Whiting Mills in Winsted, CT.  

What do I do? 
In my work as a creative coach, I offer one-on-one coaching, customized workshops for teams, and my signature "retreats for the culturally-curious” that draw on a variety of disciplines – coaching, life design, adult learning theory, anthropology, and neuroscience – to help people find their personal way stations, move through road blocks, keep learning, and craft their own unique life journey.

I also support coaches, creatives and thought leaders who want to expand their impact and serve their clients through high-quality in-person and online learning programs. Building on my expertise in instructional design, I recently launched the Learning Lounge, an online forum where coaches, trainers and facilitators meet to talk shop about all things related to educational technology. I welcome ICF-CT members to contact me for more details!

What am I passionate about? 
I truly believe that the world will be better when each of us discovers, accepts and celebrates our authentic self. Creativity, connection, and tapping into the wisdom of other cultures are central to my work. I love to combine contemplative practices and hands-on activities – personal map-making, or creating your own ‘zine, for example – to help trigger insights and move my clients into action. 

What has your life experience taught you about love?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my travels, it’s that the desire for love crosses all borders. Yes, people may express love differently. We may at times be stymied by cultural and linguistic barriers. Yet, every person longs to be seen, heard, and appreciated. The human heart speaks a universal language.

Learn more about Justine: http://justineickes.com/
Connect with Justine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justineickes 
Get Social with Justine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justineickesconsulting
or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_grand_labyrinth/