Meet Desiree Cocroft | Life and Leadership Coach, Strategist, & Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Desiree Cocroft and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Desiree, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I have always had a desire to see the lives of others grow and reach their fullest potential. My very first job was being a teen mentor where I was given the interesting task of teaching elementary and middle school students about crucial life topics like healthy relationships, decision making, and self-esteem. It was then that I knew that I wanted to build a business that would affect the inner being of a person so their outer world could be impacted positively.

Hence my business, Destination Life! I believe that our true destination in life is simply the journey of living and enjoying our life as we walk out our purpose.

As human beings figuring things out along the way, I love to coach people in personal and leadership development skills! I spent many years in direct service positions within the nonprofit world and saw firsthand how many of those working directly with clients received little to no personal or leadership development. I believe many employees (across industries) that tend to do the brunt of the work are not given the opportunity to receive personal development. Additionally, I believe those that lead them are so overwhelmed that they don’t have the space or skills to coach their employees vs simply managing their work. It becomes a vicious cycle that leads to horrible work cultures, low productivity, and most importantly many people living low level lives that are unfulfilled.

I decided I wanted to pour into creative, high achieving leaders in both the nonprofit and business leadership spaces to help them do the inner work of expanding themselves and their biggest goals, engineering a plan to get there, and elevating their daily practices for optimal success.

My hope is that as leaders get better they can model and pass on their practices to develop those that they touch on a regular basis.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

My top strengths, according to Strengthfinders, are futuristic, positivity, ideation, individualization and activator.

What does that even mean?!

Well, I love helping my clients and audiences envision what is possible for themselves and their business. As we adult we stop dreaming and imagining. I help adults do that good creative work to benefit themselves personally and professionally. Obviously being a positive person helps as I help others use positive emotions and intelligence to activate themselves to move forward on their highest goals. Then comes ideation and individualization, where I help others think outside of the box with creative solutions and consider where each client is so that the solutions are bespoke to their particular circumstances. Lastly, my activator strength empowers and influences my clients and audiences to take action and stay committed.

I know my natural strengths matched with my high social awareness intelligence, contagious sense of humor, and ability to get others moving mentally and physically set me apart in group coaching and speaking engagements.

My personal mission is to empower and ignite others to fulfill their fullest potential. I believe when leaders focus on their personal awareness that they will ultimately influence others in a more dynamic way. And if we keep that cycle going, what a great world we can began to create!

I have so many lessons I have learned along the way. One that I think is most important is to simply start. Start whatever is on your mind or in your heart that keeps tugging you. It doesn’t matter if it is starting something that is for your personal life or creating a business. Simply start and then stay the course.

When my friends and I started our dance company, we never thought it would grow to a multiple 6-figure company. We simply did what we believed we were called to do and started where we were. Everyday we kept showing up.

Stay the course. You already have won.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I currently live in the DMV so there are always things to do!

Well, first “Mama Google” would let me know what we’re the goings on that week. If it was a summer time visit, then I would make sure we caught a live band outdoors at one of the many beautiful parks. That way we can get our music and dancing fix!

I am a museum nerd so we would definitely hit up the Smithsonian. My two favorites are the African-American History and the American History Museum. If we were in an artsy mood, I love the Hirshhorn Museum, National Portrait Gallery and African Art Museum.

You can’t go to DC and not visit monuments. My favorite is the the MLK monument!

It’s beautiful at night as well so a night bike ride, or scooter ride would be a fun and active way to experience the monuments.

We would definitely get some food at the Wharf in DC , 14th Street and U, and Georgetown so we can get a bit of shopping, food, and people watching.

Favorite place at the moment is Mariscos 1113 on 11th street. Great Caribbean and Latin fusion seafood.

And if we had a day to take a drive, then we would go to the Baltimore Inner Harbor and go to the Sandlot for music and food by the water. Or go to Annapolis for brunch!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have so many people to thank for my success from my parents and family to my current circle of friends and business besties. In order to follow directions lol, I would have to shout out Tom Bernhardt. He was my high school student government advisor that hunted me down in history class to give my an application for my first job as a teen mentor for a local organization. I know I am called to influence, coach, train, and speak to empower others because of that opportunity! Thanks Mr. B!

Website: https://linktr.ee/desiree.cocroft

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desireecocroft

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desireecocroftmba

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCIkCXZpKSsueVKIirpwAOIg