Becoming a coach is an amazing experience and privilege.

It’s also “trendy” and seems to attract people who are in it for the wrong reasons. i.e. for the idea of taking a picture in front of their brand new pink Ferrari or something of the sorts. Unfortunately, I’m only partially kidding. 

But isn’t this the case for everything in life?

Some are in it for the wrong reasons. While others are the real deal.

If you’re here, chances are you’re the latter. Clearly, you’re wondering whether or not to pursue coaching for realz.

Let me tell you straight up, it’s possible that after reading this you’ll realize that coaching isn’t what you are being called to. If that’s the case, dig deeper to uncover what it is that’s nudging you from the inside.

If however, coaching is calling you for reasons you clearly identify from your heart, my dear, I wish you the grandest adventure. And to the people who will benefit, may you all ignite your light and allow yourselves to be coached by a human being who has your best interest at heart.

Ready? Here we go!

Start asking yourself WHY and WHAT about coaching lights you up! It blows my mind how many people reach out or share with me their desire about becoming a coach without ever once asking themselves why it’s important to them or having experienced it for themselves. Which brings me to an incredibly important point…

Experience the power of coaching for yourself first. Many people dive in without ever having worked with a coach before. Go out there and hire a coach. Notice what happens when you experience deep 1:1 coaching with a high-level coach. Attend their seminars. Take their courses. Read their books.

Find coaches that inspire you! I always encourage clients to shop around if you will. It’s important to find the right fit as coaching is a powerful relationship.

NB: The things you find unsatisfying or irritating about the coaching world may also provide you with valuable insights as to how YOU want to raise the bar in the industry. The next tip will be very important for you throughout your career:

Define what coaching means to you. You will learn from coaches that are more experienced than you. You’ll model their techniques as you refine your skills. But as you do, remember that you want to become the best version of YOU and not a second-rate version of them. Take what works, leave the rest, and allow yourself to create your own style as you go along.

Now about learning from coaches and acquiring skills…

Acquire both the skills necessary for becoming a great coach AND for leading a successful coaching business. You will combine these with the skills, talents, strengths, professional and life experience you already come with. However, if you only have one without the other, you will struggle. Big time.

There are no rules saying that you must have a coach certification program. I for one, don’t have one. I instead created the one that I felt was missing which combined coaching & business. And yes, this is a shameless plug for the Y.O.U. Collective Life Coach Training because it’s awesome and if you are, then I’d love for you to join the next program.

But I digress.

To keep things short, I had acquired plenty of coaching skills when I decided to become a coach, but was missing the business side of things. I invested in a business program that helped me set a solid foundation. Since then, I continue to invest in coaching, programs, and tools to sharpen my skills. Because as I evolve, I step into a whole new realm of coaching. You will too.

Get real about what you already have and what you’ll need. Then go out and get it. If you’re looking for a certification program, there are plenty out there. Do your due diligence. As certifications are more than an investment of your money. They will require your energy and time. And you will get out of them what you put in. So may as well choose one that you are lit up about!

Get honest about the life you are creating by identifying the key elements that are important to you, then do the same for coaching. You may simply want to acquire the skills of a coach and apply them to your career or you may want to build a professional coaching practice, you have the freedom to choose, so choose wisely.

NB: You don’t need to be a full-time coach to be a great coach. But you do need to coach to be great.

Also, it’s ok if you don’t yet know whether you want to become a professional coach or simply have coaching in your back pocket. Some people go into coaching thinking they will become a full-time coach and end up getting pregnant, landing their dream job without even trying, and re-evaluating what’s next thanks to the skills they have to do so. True story. Part of three actually. 

Look at the challenges that will inevitably show up. If you say “YES” to doing what you need to do to overcome these, then that’s a great sign! But if you’re only in it for that pink Ferrari, I hope that you already have one. 

As a coach you are dealing with human beings. Their hopes. Their dreams. Their fears. Their struggles.

They will challenge you to step up even when they don’t know it. You’ll be asked to dig deeper than you ever had in order to support them on their mission.

At times you will feel like you don’t know how to do this. But because you commit to serving them, are a pro, and genuinely care about their success, you will find solutions from places within you that you didn’t know existed.

Oh. One more thing, you are human. And someone considering becoming a coach. When you embark this journey, transformation is ongoing. Exponential in fact. This is a blessing and also a bitch. Because you can’t play a small game or hide behind your shit as most people can. As soon as you get comfortable, your heart whispers and you won’t be able to ignore it. #sorrynotsorry

Be in it for the long haul. Life isn’t something one wants to rush through. Be in it because you love life and are committed to supporting people in living long, healthy, & happy lives. Many coaches get caught in the race to riches instead of the journey of savoring all that life has to offer. Slow down. Make sure your intentions are wholesome. Do it because you LOVE it! And do it with LOVE.

Coach! Coach! Coach! Never forget the essence of the work as it can be easy to fall in love with the “idea” of being a coach rather than actually being a coach.

You’ll change as a coach and your coaching will change, just don’t stop doing it. A doctor who only speaks of being a doctor but never treats patients isn’t doing any of us any good. Get out there. Pick up the phone. Meet the people you are meant to serve. Coach them powerfully.

Have FUN! Take your work seriously, but not so seriously that you forget that the game of life is fun! 

You may also like