PCTV In the News
'A passion for people'
By: Dennis O'Neill
Princeton Packet 07/14/2006
Natasha Sherman of Mercerville, TV30’s on-air ‘life coach,’ starts a two-month exploration of ‘Diversity in Creating Families’ on Tuesday.
'Life coach' brings a wealth of experience to Princeton access cable Princeton-based "life coach" Natasha Sherman has a deep passion for people and their stories. "If I had to identify a theme that has been consistent throughout my life, it would be curiosity and inquiry — especially with people."
The Mercerville resident hosts the weekly TV talk show, "Talk to Me Tuesdays with Life Coach Natasha," on TV30 in Princeton. The show airs 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and treats viewers to a wide range of guests.
Ms. Sherman's interviews — a cancer surviver, a tattoo artist, a jazz quartet, the parent of a Down Syndrome child, a transsexual, a lawyer who photographs manikins, a priest, the Princeton Fire Department, alternative health care practitioners, a match maker — not only uncover rich and diverse personal experiences, but valuable information.
"I am always finding teachers," Ms. Sherman said. "Learning is an aspect that is inherent in almost every conversation."
This coming Tuesday, Ms. Sherman and viewers will embark on a new journey of inquiry into people's lives. For the next two months, the show will explore the theme of "Diversity in Creating Families." Ms. Sherman said she originally intended the series to focus only on infertility and adoption (foreign and domestic).
Further research and conversations prompted her to enlarge the scope of her interviews, however. "We as a society have an image as to what a family should look like," Ms. Sherman said. "I became interested in expanding that image and exploring the variations by which people create families." Upcoming shows will feature interviews with families trying to adopt children, families who have already adopted children, and people who have been adopted. Other guests will discuss the challenges and emotional issues of infertility.
"I will also be doing shows with gay couples and how they have chosen to create families," Ms. Sherman added. Although some shows will be pre-recorded due to scheduling, most will be broadcast live, with a call-in format. Ms. Sherman said she welcomes her viewers' feedback and their different points of view.
Ms. Sherman began her TV talk show career last year as a guest on the already existing cable access program, "Talk to Me," in Princeton. She met the show's producer, Ron Cohen, at a social event and was invited to talk about her career as a life coach. Her guest appearance quickly evolved into her current stint as host on Tuesday evenings.
She describes her show as "up-close and personal human interest stories." Although trained as a life coach (and she has done some coaching on the air), it is her passion for people that fuels her interview style.
"For me, it's really about people," she said. "I'm interested in their personal stories and the challenges and successes of their lives; and the courage that they have — often overlooked — that gets them through challenging times."
Ms. Sherman added that besides poignant human interest stories, her show provides valuable information. She hopes that other public access stations in New Jersey will pick up her new series on "Diversity in Creating Families" as a service to viewers looking for answers.
Looking for her own answers is what started Ms. Sherman on the path to becoming a life coach. Her quest began with a planned four-month tour around the world that lasted two-and-a-half years. She studied Buddhism, Hinduism and Zen, immersing herself in the cultures she visited, and sometimes finding a profound connection with people whose languages she was unable to speak.
"I was looking for teachers and found a journey," she said. She began her training as a life coach after a friend commented that she had the gift for coaching. "She knew a life coach and said to me, 'This is who you are by nature. Please get educated so I can hire you.'"
Although based in Princeton, she has been hired by clients as far away as Hawaii and Seattle. She defines her personal coaching "niche" as helping people in transition, or with personal development.
"Someone might come to me wanting to powerfully grow a business, or wanting to create a better relationship with a partner or one's kids, or they might want to communicate more effectively, or learn to have more balance in life," she said.
"I work with people to develop mastery in living their lives by design, not by default. I help them to develop strategies and gain insights about themselves so they can produce extraordinary results."
In recent years, Forbes magazine listed life coaching as the second fastest growing profession in the United States. Life coaching Web sites now list colleges and major universities (like Georgetown, Duke and NYU) as offering certification programs.
For Natasha Sherman, the rewards of her vocation lie beyond her training and certification, however. She finds them in her continuing journey of inquiry and her passion for helping people.
"Having people share their personal journeys with me is always new and exciting. It's easy to be annoyed by people, but I find it equally easy to be inspired by them," she said. "The joy of coaching for me is in seeing people become unleashed to be who they truly are." For more information (or to leave feedback on upcoming shows), e-mail Natasha Sherman at nzscoach@optonline.net or visit TV30's Web site, www.princetontv.org.