If you've ever thought, I don't know what to say when someone gets emotional, then this episode is for you.

Hello, friends, and welcome to the Bright Morning podcast.

I'm your host, Elena Aguilar, and in each episode, you will learn how to lead conversations that build connection and spark change.

So today we are talking about a powerful tool for coaching through emotion.

Because let's be real.

This work is emotional.

And the sooner we accept that, the better we can show up for ourselves and for others.

So let's get into it.

I want to tell you about a coaching conversation that I had some years ago. It was February. It was cold out.

February was a long month. The teacher I was coaching had just come from a difficult parent

conference. Her shoulders were tight, her eyes looked heavy,

and before I could even ask how she was doing, she said, I'm trying so hard and it never

feels like enough. And then she sat down and she started to cry.

Now that moment could have gone a lot of ways.

I could have changed the subject.

I could have tried to fix it.

I could have panicked and filled the silence with platitudes, but I took a breath.

I grounded myself.

And then I used the three steps that I'm going to share with you today.

These steps are a tool that I call ACE, and it helps you to navigate emotions with presence and care. So ACE stands for

acknowledge and accept emotions, cultivate compassion, and expand the story. So let me walk you through

each of these elements, their steps, what it means,

...