Coaching Philosophy
Why the Phoenix
The Heart Behind Rise Again Coaching
The Phoenix is more than a logo to me.
It is a story—one rooted in ancient history, faith, resilience, and rebirth.
For thousands of years, humanity has returned to the image of the Phoenix whenever people needed language for what happens after devastation. Long before it became part of local history here in Lebanon, Tennessee, the Phoenix appeared across ancient civilizations as a symbol of renewal, endurance, and hope.
In ancient Egypt, the Phoenix took form as the Bennu bird, associated with creation, resurrection, and the rising sun.
In ancient Greece and Rome, historians described the Phoenix as a creature that lived for hundreds of years, died in fire, and rose again from its ashes—transformed, not destroyed.
In early Christianity, the Phoenix became a symbol of resurrection and eternal life, referenced by early church leaders as a reminder that life can emerge from suffering and death.
The Phoenix is not a modern idea.
It is a timeless human truth.
A Symbol Rooted in Local History
Living and building my life here in Lebanon, Tennessee, that ancient symbolism took on deeper meaning through the history of Cumberland University.
During the Civil War, Cumberland’s main building was burned to the ground, leaving behind only a few standing columns. What remained was loss—but also resolve. On one of those surviving columns, an alumnus later wrote the Latin phrase:
“Ex cineribus resurgam”
“From the ashes, I will arise.”
From that moment forward, the Phoenix became Cumberland University’s symbol—not because it avoided hardship, but because it endured it, rebuilt, and continued forward.
That story has stayed with me.
Rising Is Not the End—It’s the Beginning
In mythology, the Phoenix does not escape the fire.
It is formed by it.
It does not return as the same creature—it rises renewed, refined, and changed.
That mirrors the journey so many of us face after life-altering experiences: injury, trauma, loss, burnout, or circumstances we never asked for. In my own life—living with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and later a spinal cord injury—I learned that resilience is not about pretending the fire didn’t hurt.
It’s about deciding the fire does not get the final word.
My Coaching Philosophy
Rise Again Coaching exists for people who are standing in the ashes asking, “What now?”
I believe:
- Healing is not linear
- Growth often follows breakdown
- Strength can be rebuilt—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
- Purpose is not erased by trauma; it is often clarified by it
Like the Phoenix, we may be shaped by what we’ve survived—but we are not defined by it.
My role as a coach is not to “fix” people or rush their process. It is to walk alongside them as they rise again—with clarity, courage, and intention.
I coach from lived experience, reflection, faith, and the deep belief that renewal is always possible.
From Ashes to Possibility
The Phoenix stands at the center of Rise Again Coaching because it tells a truth I have seen throughout history, faith, and human lives:
What was broken can be rebuilt.
What was lost can take new form.
What feels like an ending may actually be the beginning of something greater.
This is not about perfection.
It is about rising—again and again—stronger, wiser, and more aligned with who you were created to be.
Information courtesy of Abe Bilodeau