Former journalist Jayson Blair knows his new profession—life coach—smacks some people in the face like a bad punchline. "People say, 'Wait a minute. You're a life coach?' That makes no sense,'" says Blair, who’s best known for foisting plagiarism and fabrications into the pages of the New York Times. "Then they think about my life experiences and what I've been through and they say 'Wait a minute. It does make sense.'"
For the past two years, Blair has been quietly working as a certified life coach for one of the most respected mental health practices in northern Virginia. "He can relate to patients just beautifully," says the psychologist who hired Blair. "Sometimes you just meet people in life who have these electric personalities. Well, Jayson is now using his talents for good." Still, his website's "Career Counseling" section conveniently omits the scandal that marred his own career, New York magazine notes. (More Jayson Blair stories.)