Chuck Hall, Your Personal Revolution Coach

Thank you for exploring the possibility of us working together. I believe that chemistry between people is important for productive working relationships, especially when it comes to coaching. With that in mind, let me share some information about me.

I was born in 1961, which puts in squarely in my 60s. I believe in the Satchell Paige quote, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" – meaning that if we work to stay young, maintain our energy, and have an enthusiasm to remain engaged and connected we will be vibrant well into old age. I consider myself to be at the top of my game with no signs of fading, with the added benefit of 60+ years of accumulated experience and wisdom.

I am a life-long learner. In fact, my purpose in life is to learn, grow and help others along the way. I state my values as "Learn. Care. Act." I approach life with curiosity. I care deeply people. I take action to effect meaningful change.

My Personal Life

I was born, raised and lived most of my life in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA. I was the third of four children, and the only boy. My father left school after 10th grade and my mother was a high school graduate with a focus on business -- which for women of her era meant she could type, keep books, and handle appointment setting and billing.

They had their own car repair business, which my father started in 1955, my mother worked in from the 1970s on. My father worked in the business until his untimely death in 1993, and my mother continued to operate it until 2000.

My childhood neighborhood was a melting pot of America with machinists, carpenters, school teachers, business owners, and the like. Our town was one of those stories out of Americana. Everyone knew everyone, and every parent knew whose kid you were, so there was a strong sense of doing right and not causing too much trouble. We had the volunteer fire company (where may father served as chief for many years), with the ladies auxiliary (where my mother served as secretary at various times). It was a good place of solid values. The community was mostly White, with few minorities. But for the era, minorities in the community were well regarded, including our Black elementary school nurse who was universally loved, the Chinese restaurant owner who was popular in the community, and other minority business owners whose businesses were well-patronized.

The community and schools were solid, and so my wife, Amy, and I chose to live in Doylestown and raise our three children there for their formative years. Our daughters are now married and on their own. Our son is a recent college grad and is still living at home.

In 2016, Amy, our son and I moved to the Atlanta suburbs for a lower cost of living, a slower pace of life, and to be close to Amy's parents who were aging and did not have any family in the Atlanta area. That's where we live today, in Rockdale County, East of Atlanta. We have two lovable dogs and live on a decent-sized property with lots of trees, wildflowers and various "critters" wandering through. We love it here.

Our life is fairly simple and rewarding, which suits us just fine. I work from home about 90 percent of the time, and Amy works from home around 50 percent of her time. I'm active in some community organizations, and we both volunteer a bit of time here and there for causes we believe in. I'm the primary cook in the family and we endeavor to eat fairly healthy so we can enjoy wine, craft beers and Bourbon in reasonable limits. Life is good and we have no complaints!

My Education

I believe the purpose of life is learning, so I have always considered learning as my primary focus. Whether learning in a classroom, learning from others, or learning through personal study and reflection, I have invested a lot of time an energy in learning -- and will continue to as long as I am alive. Here are some high points of my formal education:

• Graduated from the Central Bucks School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. At the time, this school system was considered "the role model" for education in Pennsylvania.
  
  
• Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with aconcentration in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Penn State University. I was active as a reporter and editor on the student newspaper, was involved as an officer and musician in the Catholic student association, played intramural sports, and volunteered as an orientation leader for new students. 
  
  
• Earned Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. This unique program allowed me to engage in a range of interdisciplinary courses including:
  • Essentials of Leadership
  • Effective Communication
  • Self, Roles & Expectations
  • Effective Entrepreneurship and Leadership
  • Building Effective Organizations
  • Business Growth Strategies
  • Strategic Planning

My Career

My career took many twists and turns. There's an old saying, "God draws straight with crooked lines." Regardless of personal beliefs, this points out that few people have a direct line in their life from where they start to where they finish.

I went to college planning to be a great magazine or newspaper writer. In my second year of college I decided I wanted to be a Catholic priest. The order of priests I was most interested in operated a large publishing company, so it seemed to make great sense. When I graduated, I went to work for a year in lay ministry and then studied for a year with the order or priests. I learned that ministry was not for me.

I went to work in social services for a little over a year before securing a job as a writer for Prudential Insurance Company. The position I was in ended up being eliminated due to budget cuts, so I took a position with Prudential as an insurance agent and investment representative. I hadn't expected to end up in this kind of position, but it was instrumental. Eventually, Prudential needed a product marketing writer. I was the only candidate who knew the company's products in detail, had writing experience, AND was known by the hiring manager.

From there, I held a number of positions in the insurance and financial services industry -- all based on my combination of insurance knowledge and communication abilities. One of those positions was working for GE Capital, where I was trained in GE's world-class business process and quality methodologies. Eventually, I found myself in a  wonderful position where I was responsible for all communications in the company. In this position I worked directly with the company's senior leaders and became a coach and advisor to the executive team and other leaders.

From there, I found my way to start my own business in 2007 and I have never looked back. As an entrepreneur, I have worn many hats. At times I've been called on by businesses to help with their marketing and communications. For five years, I consulted with a business incubator helping dozens of startups develop their businesses. I've coached many people as they have worked to improve their personal and professional lives. And I've helped leadership teams transform their companies by making strategic and tactical changes in their operations and business practices. All of this career experience fuels the work I do today with my clients.