About Courtney Burton

“One thing I am sure of is that life is filled with success and magic, as well as struggle and stress. Through every moment, we have the opportunity to learn and grow. This is my story and the Life Lessons I have learned along the way."

- Courtney Burton

Creativity as a Way of Life

Growing up as an only child until the age of nine, I had a lot of time to nurture my imagination and develop a love for music. I didn't realize it at the time, but my childhood fascination with the Lawrence Welk Show and my kindergarten teacher's singing voice would shape my life in a big way.

Life Lesson – There is value in looking back to see how all the pieces of your life came together. The trick is not to dwell in the past, but to simply embrace the lessons and be present in the now.

Fast Forward to College

During my college years, I underwent a great deal of growth and challenges, but two stand out as particularly significant shifts in my relationship with myself.

First, I discovered my authentic voice. I had been told in junior high school that I didn't have a "good" voice, and I believed it for a very long time. But what I learned was my “alto frog” voice as i called it was actually that of a deep, rich contralto.

Life Lesson – Your creative expression is uniquely yours. Create for the pure joy of it, not to please or gain approval from others. There will always be those who “get it” and those who don’t.

Secondly, my lifelong battle with weight went into overdrive - the so-called Freshman 15 was more like a Freshman 50, and it marked the start of a 35-year cycle of yo-yo dieting and the feelings of shame that came with it.

Corporate Life: The Grass Is Not Always Greener

Courtney holding glasses in a close headshot

When I graduated college during a recession, finding a job took a lot of determination and resourcefulness. I started as a store manager, which led to a 30-year career in the corporate world.

I was thrilled to have a clear career path and a good job with many benefits, such as travel, building my business acumen and a sense of security.

However, as with all things, there were trade-offs. The corporate culture can feed a perfectionist's drive, and I lost sight of my true north and paid the price. The stress of striving for perfection resulted in even more weight gain.

This began an unhealthy cycle for me: I would change jobs, be excited to start over, enjoy the relief of leaving my previous position and work towards getting healthy.

But after a year or two in the new job, I would start feeling discontent again, accompanied by gaining back the weight and more.

Life Lesson – There is value in looking back to see how all the pieces of your life came together. The trick is not to dwell in the past, but to simply embrace the lessons and be present in the now.

Answering The Call Of The Muse

Throughout my journey, my passion for music neve really left me, and I answered the call of my inner voice. After a 15-year break from singing, I was surprised to land the lead vocalist role for a 19-piece big band. Following my passion for music again proved to be a much healthier way to relieve stress than my previous unhealthy habits, such as eating pizza and drinking a martini on Friday nights after a long week at work.

Life Lesson – Creativity, your muse, is always with you, waiting for you to accept the healing power it has for you and others.

Enter The Coach

At a certain point in my career, I realized that I needed to take charge of my growth and development, so I decided to hire a leadership coach. The great thing about having a coach is that they provide an unbiased, outside perspective. My coach told me,

“You are spending way too much of your energy trying to survive in this work environment. The real question is, how do you thrive versus survive?”

It became crystal clear to me that I needed to focus on thriving; not just surviving.

Life Lesson - Sometimes, the worst advice you can get comes from listening to yourself. Hearing the “cocktail party conversations” going on in our own head “out loud” gives you powerful access to the momentum needed to embrace change during a transition.

Jumping Off The Corporate Train

Courtney in the office looking to the side

The beginning of my next life journey was realizing that my parents were transitioning to the age where family roles were shifting. I sought to find a balance between being available to my family’s needs while still doing exceptional work in my professional life. This time, I was determined not just to survive, but to thrive.

I have always said it’s important never to burn bridges because you never know when or how someone may come back into your life. This is exactly what happened when I left my corporate job. I contacted a long-time friend and mentor, asking for referrals and contacts. His response was a job offer in his company of 20 employees.

Determined to do things right this time and empowered by knowing what I needed to thrive, we co-created a work-life ecosystem that met my personal and professional needs as well as the needs of his company.

During this process, I had a significant mindset shift that also moved me from yo-yo dieting to well-being — finally ending decades of this struggle.

After a few years in the position, I told a friend,

"I never in a million years thought I would be in sales. While it is not what I thought my ideal job would look like, it all works for the first time in my life. I have the flexibility to assist my parents. I feel honored and respected for my contributions at work. I have ownership and autonomy to do what I need for the company. I have time and energy to continue gigging regularly, and I am in the best health of my adult life… it is all good."

Life Lesson – My mother gave me one of the most profound pieces of advice of my life. While lamenting my “shoulds,” she asked me, “whose script are you reading?” That statement stopped me dead in my tracks. Take my advice – don’t wait until you are 50 years old to embrace the wisdom in that statement. Truly – life is way too precious to wait.

From Being Coached To Becoming A Coach

After 11 years in sales, I felt that a significant change was coming, and I decided to hire a coach to help me explore my options, including my readiness for retirement. Once again, my coach gave me valuable insights that helped me make crucial decisions. After reviewing all the assessments, the coach said,

"I have never encountered someone so emotionally ready to make a major life transition. Maybe it is time to consider your legacy – what could be possible for others if you began working on your coaching practice now versue waiting another five years to start planning it?"

I got the hint and got into action.

Life Lesson – Knowing, understanding and processing those “ah ha” moments are good, but when you take action and assimilate them into your daily life – that is where the real magic happens.

Courtney Burton Coaching

The Hx3 Approach Logo

Three years after that crucial coaching session, I started my coaching practice. My early work with clients going through significant life transitions led me to create my Hx3 coaching approach. This methodical, yet heart-centered approach focuses on the client's well-being as a whole, employing a variety of tools and techniques to help them achieve their goals with ongoing support and accountability.

Life Lesson - We are greater than the sum of our parts. When we bring the "all of us" to our work in and for the world, the impact for the greater good is beyond measure.

Why Wiley

When I first began coaching, several clients were searching for direction, a need for internal reflection and a connection with self. Over time, I noticed a shift in who was being referred to me and what they needed. More clients were taking responsibility for their professional as well as personal growth. They wanted to build skills as they moved into leadership and management roles.

To address this need, I realized that an assessment tool would be helpful. In addition, I wanted to help my clients track progress over time or create effective goals and strategies.

By chance, I was introduced to an executive trainer who had been using the Wiley suite of solutions for years. After sharing with him what I was looking for, he offered the opportunity to take the Everything DiSC® Workplace assessment, and the results were spot on.

Life Lesson - Inspiration comes from the least likely places.

There were two ah has from that experience:

Having this information about myself and my management/leadership style early in my career would have been invaluable for my professional growth and effectiveness.

Having insight into this information for my peers and team would have circumvented years of honing the human skills I learned the hard way over my career.

Life lesson - Your vision of your business may evolve over time. As a leader, it is vitally important to be flexible and open to change.

Creativity As a Daily Practice

A bouquet of white flowers and glasses sitting on top of a book

Today, in addition to one-on-one coaching and training for organizations, I continue to honor my inner voice and express myself creatively through singing, speaking, teaching and mentoring others.

I am eager to share my unique perspective on life, with all of its lessons and blessings, on such topics as:

● Discovering my passion for music and becoming a jazz vocalist while navigating the corporate world

● Using creativity as a daily practice for overall well-being

● Learning life lessons through the lens of jazz

Life Lesson – I love the phrase, “Just do you boo”… Just do you, and your life will adjust.