You’re Not the Only One Secretly Thinking of Becoming a ‘Life Coach’

Lately I’ve heard a number of people, including some of my clients, wonder if becoming a coach is right for them. People are inspired by the direct positive impact that they can have on another person’s life. There is a lot to consider if you’re thinking about pursuing training towards a new career, and coaching is a dynamic and meaningful direction to go in. I’ve taken a moment here to answer some of the big questions about stepping on the road to become a coach.

My Coaching Origin Story

While finishing my second year of living in an intentional wellness community in upstate New York, I became fired up about helping people. I was inspired by my new found self awareness. I had spent the summer wading around in my own psyche, discovering more about myself, my pains, my biases, and my motivations. With a nascent passion for conscious and non-violent communication building in me, my friends — who had found similar passion — and I co-created a learning lab. We were committed to putting the practice of listening to hear and speaking to be heard into action. We practiced on each other day and night, while at work, and while at play, over meals, and while taking long walks around the lake. It was through all of this paying-close-attention that I noticed a trend in our well-intentioned, intentional community; good ideas were floating around everywhere, bouncing off one another, gaining speed and traction, but before the ideas were actualized, they had floated away with the breeze, leaving the thinkers a little deflated and unsure of their footing on the mountain of life.

I sat down with one of my friends who had an idea to start a charter company. I asked questions, as I had been trained to do, which opened up the idea. I saw his vision in its full glory: he at the helm of his watercraft, sailing around Lady Liberty. Then I asked another question, the kind that gets to the action, the sink or swim question of every vision: What is stopping you?

Sitting down with someone, asking questions that generated answers, listening between the lines, birthing action lists — this process became my norm. Almost daily I began to dig and dig deeper into dreams, so that they could come down from the ethers, take root in the soil, multiply and be plentiful. Maybe you identify with this process as a good listener or supportive friend. It was through engaging in this process that I organically began to call myself a ‘coach’. I worked as an uncertified coach for the first 4 years of my career, and while the solidification of my passion was organic, the building of this work to be financially supportive has been bumpy, risky and rough.

Building a client base takes time. I spent money on the wrong things:; logos, corrupt coaches, unhelpful memberships. I spent time on the wrong things,; mainly Instagram. After 6 years, I am glad I am still here and I have found running my private coaching practice both fulfilling and flexible, but there are a few things I wished I had known when I was getting started.

What do coaches do?

Think of the last time someone asked you a question that shifted your understanding of yourself and the world. Coaches employ a unique set of deep listening, creative thinking and body awareness tools to help their clients maximize their potential. Coaching focuses on present and future focused personal growth and does not attempt to heal emotional trauma from the past. Coaches regularly refer clients to other professionals for issues that are better suited to a therapeutic relationship.

Who hires coaches?

Individuals hire coaches to help them:

make a career move or start a business
finish or plan a project
create more ease in relationships
build a life around what matters most
increase effectiveness as an executive or manager
create balance
move through times of transition or grief
meet wellness goals

Companies hire organizational coaches to help with:

leadership development
skill development
talent retention
productivity
peer, leadership and client relationships
succession planning
managing change or growth

Companies also hire coaches trained in specialty outcomes to provide help to the company’s client base. For example, providing financial coaching to seniors or mental health coaching to manage anxiety.

Who trains coaches?

Currently, there is no legal training requirement to use the title ‘coach’ and it has been both a blessing and a curse to the industry which has attracted a lot of attention as an ‘easy’, fulfilling and lucrative helping profession. On the slippery side, the profession has suffered by also attracting people who are more salespeople than quality coaches, giving the industry a muddled reputation. The coach training that you choose will become a lens through which you see your clients, and may affect how successful you are in helping people.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has been working to provide a standard of service by identifying Accredited Coaching Training Programs (ACTP) around the world. There are quite a few different specialties, techniques and ethos for trainees to choose from. While considering which program is right for you, I recommend receiving a demonstration coaching from one of the trainers you are thinking about working with to help you imagine if this is work you see yourself doing.

What to expect from coaching training

Expect to coach and be coached, a lot, on real issues in your life and the lives of your peers. Peer coaching is one of the main methods for honing in on your skills. I think of this as an added bonus, free coaching!

Most training occurs part-time during evening, weekends, week-long intensives, or a combination of all three for anywhere between 3 and 24 months. The courses are often designed for people with existing careers and commitments. Because there are so many courses to choose from, there is a breadth of ethos to align with.

Courses cost anywhere from $3,000 — $20,000. It is important to interview the training organization before enrolling as not all programs are created equal. Here are some questions that might be helpful for you to ask:

• What are the core values of this coaching organization?
• What methods does this organization teach to bring clients into alignment?
• Where are most of the graduates working now?
• Does this organization include its graduates in its coaching directory after graduation?
• Are there writing and teaching opportunities available with this organization after graduation?
• How intensely does this organization provide career placement or marketing education?

What happens after coaching training?

For those who aspire to run a private practice, many students assume that there is going to be a line of clients out the door and around the corner as soon as they graduate from their coaching training. This is, unfortunately, not the case. Most coaches that I have met do 1-on-1 coaching for only a proportion on their income. Their financial success relies on income from teaching, speaking, facilitating workshops, writing books and articles, selling aligned products and/or corporate coaching contracts. Administrative and marketing hours start eating away at the attractive hourly rate.

As a freshly graduated coaching student it is helpful to plan on taking at least a year before making a full transition from your current career over to coaching. This is a good minimum amount of time to collect data on your sales, conversion rates, referral rates, and price point before depending on coaching income.

In order to maintain your integrity, and the integrity of the industry, I will advise you to not over promise results in the effort to make sales. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the ethical standards that keep the integrity of the industry aloft. As you get to know your client you will be able to call them into higher goals and aspirations, but ultimately the client is the one that will need to show up and do the work. What you can promise is to hold them accountable to themselves and employ every tool in your coaching toolbox to help them clear the path to where they want to be.

For those who aspire to work internally for a company, the process is much like applying to any other job. Search job sites for keyword ‘coach’ or ask your network if they know of any companies that hire coaches; apply with a sparkling resume and cover letter, interview, provide a coaching demonstration, and get selected.

What Leads to Success in a Private Coaching Practice?

The benefits of a private coaching practice include owning a personal brand, creating your own work schedule and receiving full market rate for services, which is often above $125 per client-facing hour.

Get excited about experiencing success as a private coach if:

• You are already tapped into a large network of people who are known to purchase this type of service, or are willing to build one.
• You’re a branding whiz with a track record for building a successful market around your services.
• You have a zest for telling everyone — from old acquaintances to people you meet on the subway — how you can help them.
• You’re comfortable with sales and closing high priced package deals, or are willing to get comfortable.
• You are willing and able to give away sessions for a certain amount of time and offer dazzling referral bonuses.

What Leads to Success Working as an Internal Coach for a Company?

Internal coaches are hired to serve the company’s employees, or the population that the company serves such people on the path to financial stability. When I started, I didn’t even know that coaches were eligible for internal hires and have since enjoyed offering my coaching skills to these larger causes.

The benefits include having a supportive team to collaborate with and steady and reliable income in the $30-$60/hr range, often without having to do any sales. Most, if not all, job listings I have seen for internal coaches request ACTP course credentials and some experience with coaching.

Get excited about experiencing success as an internal coach if:

• You prefer to focus on coaching instead of the administrative and marketing details that come with running a private practice.
• You take comfort from working within the guidelines of a brand that you align with.
• You appreciate having a team and supervisors for support and guidance.
• You prioritize reliability and stability of your income.
• You want to be part of something larger than yourself.

Next steps in your coaching journey

If you are considering coaching training I invite you to take a moment to consider which type of coaching you aspire to and inquire into your deeper motivations for pursuing coaching as a career. Connect with a coach you admire to interview them about their process. If you are feeling the call, I encourage you to listen to it, give it space, and let the vision of your future self come into its wholesome glory.

These past seven years of coaching have been dynamic, compelling and meaningful. I have helped clients create balanced work flows, start their own businesses, move to their dream homes, share their creative expressions, and deepen their relationships with themselves and their loved ones. There is no end to the satisfaction that comes with being an integral part of someone on their path of growth and I have yet to tire of witnessing the internal complexity of another human being.

People need quality support, and by following your spark, you can impact lives in profound ways.