October 30, 2025
In August 2023, Becca Warner-Robbins found herself at a crossroads. After an unexpected layoff from her remote HR role, she was facing unemployment for the first time in her career. To make matters more isolating, she was new to Colorado, having moved to Grand Junction just a year earlier, and lacked a local support network.
"I found myself involuntarily laid off... and not really quite sure what the next steps were going to be," Becca recalls. "I was going through all the phases of grief and uncertainty."
She did what many Coloradans do in that situation: she filed for unemployment and visited her local Mesa County Workforce Center. She started using the Connecting Colorado website, attending virtual workshops and plunging into the "full-time job of job searching."
It was there she saw an ad for the Career Coaching Collaborative, a stimulus-funded program designed to support Coloradans impacted by the pandemic. She scheduled a one-on-one virtual session with a coach named Margii.
That first session was a turning point.
"The initial session with my career coach, Marjii, was incredibly supportive," Becca recounts. "I had been feeling very isolated, so having her guidance and support meant everything. It was truly the human connection and encouragement I needed at that time."
An 'Aha' Moment: A Gift of Time
Working with her Career Coach, Margii, Becca's perspective on her situation began to shift. The initial anxiety of unemployment transformed into a sense of opportunity.
"Becca recounts her "aha" moment, realizing the time was a "gift." She saw it as an opportunity to discover "what do I really want to do next? And where can I really make an impact?"
Instead of just polishing her HR resume and applying for similar roles, Becca used her coaching sessions to explore her transferable skills and consider entirely new paths. Her coach didn't just give her answers; she asked the right questions and pointed her toward resources to help her explore.
This exploratory phase was so impactful that when Margii shared a job posting for a Virtual Career Coach position with the collaborative, something clicked. Becca applied, and she got the job.
From Client to Coach
Suddenly, Becca was on the other side of the screen, working alongside the very people who had helped her. Her biggest challenge, she admits, was confidence.
"Stepping out of my comfort zone was a big step for me, as I tend to be reserved. What I realized is that it's okay not to have all the answers."
She quickly found her footing, leaning on her new peers—including her former coach, Margii—and earning her official Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) through the program.
More importantly, she found her "why."
"I am what I needed on the other side of the screen when I was going through this," Becca reflects. "I know what they're feeling. I could see myself in their shoes... and felt a lot of what they were feeling." This realization, she explains, is "really where that heart just was."
This firsthand experience now defines her approach when working with he career coaching clients. She focuses on empathy, active listening, and creating a safe space for clients who are often frustrated, grieving, or overwhelmed.
"It's not a one-size-fits-all," she stresses. "Sometimes the advising and the professional development [are] put aside. They just needed someone to listen to them. And the rest can come on a different day."
She also works to correct misconceptions about coaching. The goal isn't for the coach to rewrite a resume for the client or to act as a placement agency with a guaranteed job. The goal, she says, is to be a "guide"—to collaborate, build skills, and empower the client so that, ultimately, they don't need a coach anymore.
A 'Huge Lifeline' for All of Colorado
Now, as a coach living on the Western Slope, Becca has a deep appreciation for the program's virtual model. She notes that for many in rural communities, the closest physical workforce center can be an hour and a half drive away—a significant barrier, especially in winter.
"Access to virtual services, where individuals can connect with someone, is incredibly important," she emphasizes. "I believe virtual services will serve as a crucial bridge, fostering connections and guiding these individuals toward workforce opportunities."
For Becca, the stimulus-funded Career Coaching Collaborative was more than just a program; it was a "huge lifeline" that provided a spider web of connections and opportunities she never knew existed. It didn't just help her find a job—it helped her find a new purpose.
When asked what she would tell someone who is in the exact position she was in, feeling stuck and isolated, her advice is simple and heartfelt.
"You're exactly where you need to be," she says. "Reframe the mindset and be open to growth... stay curious. See this as an opportunity for growth, and an opportunity to take care of you."
About the Career Coaching Collaborative
The Career Coaching Collaborative was part of a $60 million package of federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), originating from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and funded through Colorado House Bill 21-1264.
Stewarded by the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC), these funds were aimed at providing aid for economic recovery to the people, businesses, and industries most impacted by COVID-19. The work has served over 15,000 individuals through reskilling, upskilling, and next-skilling programs, with an emphasis on equity for underserved communities. The goal is to help prepare Coloradans for well-paying, quality jobs and to build a more resilient and inclusive economy.