Lorin Fonville

Centering on intention

‍

Before taking his first learner meeting of the day, Lorin Fonville, a dedicated InsideTrack coach since January 2022, starts each morning with a mindful ritual. A glass of fresh juice, a few invigorating push-ups, and a calming meditation set the stage for his day. He believes in the power of intentionality, recognizing that his personal well-being directly impacts his ability to support others. "If I’m not taking care of myself," he says, "how can I truly help someone else?"

‍

Like many of the students he mentors, Lorin's own career path was once uncertain. After a stint in finance, he was drawn to education, influenced by the impact his parents made in their careers in education. He started looking for education opportunities that combined purpose with flexibility. When he heard about InsideTrack from a friend who worked there, Lorin was intrigued by the opportunity to empower young professionals and make a lasting impact.

‍

‍

Experiencing the magic of coaching

‍

As an InsideTrack coach, Lorin has paired his innate curiosity with the methodology he’s learned in training. One of Lorin's most memorable coaching experiences involved a learner who was struggling with their academic journey and questioning their fit at the institution. It was their third meeting and Lorin noticed that the learner seemed a bit down. When asked what was wrong, the learner shared that he was struggling in some of his classes, including one that was within his major. He was also questioning whether the school was the right fit.

‍

Using a building block of the InsideTrack coaching methodology, Lorin asked the learner about his “why” — why did he choose that institution? The learner thought about it, then explained that when he first arrived, “it felt like a family. I felt the culture. I felt really welcome here and at home.” This was an aha moment for the learner, who not only remained in school but also became one of the most engaged students on Lorin’s roster. That simple conversation provided the catalyst for the learner to rediscover their initial motivation and reignite their passion for learning. This transformative moment reinforced Lorin's belief in the power of intentional questioning and empathetic listening. “It's really about being intentional about the questions you're asking. When the learner starts to open up, it’s magic.”

‍

Learning from the learners

‍

As Lorin has continued to hone his coaching skills and deepen his expertise in InsideTrack’s methodologies, he has realized that his learners are his greatest teachers. One particular interaction with a recent graduate who was hesitant about returning to school highlighted the power of intentional questioning. “They were giving me a lot of short answers,” he recalls. To dig deeper and get to the heart of the matter, Lorin kept asking one more question, then another. “Eventually,” he says, “the learner opened up and even shared a laugh.”

‍

For Lorin, this experience reinforced the importance of persistence and empathy, especially when working with quieter learners. He advises other coaches to use a two-part approach: first, ask a scaling question to gauge their interest level, then follow up with a more specific question to encourage deeper conversation. “For example, on a scale from one to 10 — with one being not interested at all and 10 being very interested — how interested are you really to return to college?” Once the learner answers, Lorin jumps in with, “Okay, well what can we do to get that to more of a nine? And that's when they usually start to laugh a little bit and warm up.” 

‍

To continue fostering these magical moments with learners, Lorin remains committed to personal and professional growth. He believes that by investing in himself, he can better support his learners. “The more I grow as a person, the more I grow as a coach… If we're growing and working on ourselves each day, it's going to show in what we do.”

‍

“If everybody had a coach, I think we would be more connected to each other, more informed and more intentional in our approach to life and our approach to our fellow man.”