I met the real social insurance labor consultant, Yuka Sakabe, also known as Yukane-sensei!

Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture. Here lives a social insurance labor consultant whom my wife and I sincerely respect.

The day has finally come. Yesterday, I finally met Yuka Sakabe (Yukane-sensei), whom my wife and I have been supporting—or rather, respecting—since the end of last year.

Coaching for Social Insurance Labor Consultants

How should my wife proceed as a social insurance labor consultant from here on? And what is the "true strength" sleeping within her? To help draw that out, we requested "coaching for social insurance labor consultants" this time.

A husband frozen with nervousness

It was about an hour and a half drive. While my wife gripped the steering wheel lightly, saying, "I'm so excited!", I was in the passenger seat, panicking to myself, thinking, "Oh no... I don't think I can even talk properly..."

I felt the anticipation of meeting someone I admired from behind a screen, mixed with the fear of being seen through by a professional's gaze. While questioning myself, I desperately tried to maintain my peace of mind by replying to comments on note on my smartphone.

Arriving at the shop

The moment I entered the shop, I had an intuition: "Ah, that's Sakabe-sensei." While her custom-made red clothes are impressive on YouTube, today she was wearing a sharp jacket with her social insurance labor consultant badge. We timidly approached her, feeling the "professional aura" radiating from her presence.

Revealing my "real name" during the greeting

When she noticed us, she stood up immediately to greet us. "Sensei, nice to meet you! Thank you so much for everything!" I suppressed my heartbeat and squeezed out my voice as best I could as a husband.

However, the words that came back were, "You're Naoya-san, right?" With that carefree smile, I immediately blurted out my "real name." Yes, my name is not Naoya.

Sensei: "Oh, I thought you were Naoya-san!"

"No, that's my handle name (an outdated term)." Sensei laughed and accepted my suspicious behavior as I revealed my true identity right upon our first meeting.

I was confused by the fact that the name Naoya held more power than my real name on note.

Coaching begins: The technique of drawing out strengths

Based on the results of the CliftonStrengths 34 assessment we took beforehand, Sakabe-sensei's diagnosis began. The work of carefully unraveling each of my wife's top 10 strengths began.

Her face as a counselor

What surprised me was that my wife started talking like a dam that had burst. "Wait, isn't she talking for too long?" I watched nervously, but Sensei didn't interrupt, quietly nodding and taking notes. It was deep listening that went beyond mere coaching, closer to counseling.

Strengths become weaknesses, and weaknesses become strengths

My wife's strengths were as follows.

1. Empathy

2. Maximizer

3. Futuristic

4. Relator

5. Adaptability

6. Learner

7. Developer

8. Positivity

9. Deliberative

10. Harmony

For each of these items, the teacher explained specifically from a professional perspective why they can be weapons and where the pitfalls lie.

These strengths are not just a personality test, but a blueprint for unraveling 'how to turn them into weapons' from a professional perspective. By knowing this, my wife seems to have gained the conviction to use her individuality in her work without hesitation.

Futuristic was the 'strongest'

As a result of the two-hour session, we reached the conclusion that my wife's greatest weapon is 'Futuristic.' Believing in the dreams she envisions. What the teacher said in a previous YouTube live stream exactly overlapped with my wife's way of thinking.

My wife's strength lies in deep one-on-one dialogue rather than dealing with multiple people. Therefore, it became clear that she is particularly suited for the pension consultation work she wants to do in the future.

Professional presence

When the teacher took off her glasses for a moment, I couldn't help but feel that she was a beautiful person. It was like the scene in a Riho Yoshioka movie where someone is made to say 'The teacher is beautiful!', and I understood that feeling well.

However, I felt that it was not just her appearance, but a mixture of the 'sharpness of gaze' and 'warmth' unique to someone who has faced many consultations.

During the Q&A time, I was completely tongue-tied. The teacher explained how she became a social insurance labor consultant who gathers so much trust, and what the professional connections are like in the world of social insurance labor consultants. From the answers I desperately managed to ask while acting suspicious, the teacher's character, who values her colleagues while calling herself a lone wolf, came across vividly.

Consent for the article

“Go right ahead! Please write it in two parts, a first and second half!” When I asked if I could write an article about her, she smiled and readily agreed.

When I told her I would refine and polish it to the highest standard before writing, she laughed and said, “That might just put extra pressure on you!” but I am writing this article with all that passion, without making any compromises.

The value of a 30,000 yen investment

Normally, consultation fees for a social insurance labor consultant range from 5,000 to 10,000 yen per hour. The amount of 30,000 yen for two hours did not feel expensive to us as a couple at all.
After all, she spent three hours talking with us, including the casual conversation afterward.

A professional who holds the social status of a “national qualification” and carries the weight of practical experience was dedicating her precious time to fully commit to my wife’s potential. In terms of buying that “trust,” I feel that for us as a couple, it was time worth more than the money.

In conclusion

I felt a sense of excitement like meeting a celebrity, but the biggest shock was something else. It was seeing my wife, right next to me, having a normal, equal conversation with an active social insurance labor consultant about specialized areas like “pensions, labor affairs, defined contribution pensions, and workers' compensation.”

A “former examinee” who overcame the exam is standing at the threshold of a “professional practice” today. Witnessing that rapid evolution and listening to her talk, I became convinced.
My wife isstarting to evolve at an incredible speedindeed.

Postscript: I have polished and repolished this to ensure I am not being disrespectful to the teacher.
Since this was my first time meeting a social insurance labor consultant in person, I think I naturally picked up on the atmosphere radiating from her presence.

Sensei, thank you very much for everything this time.
I express my heartfelt gratitude.