Feeling Called To Coach—But Unsure Where To Begin?
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Since I started building my business two years ago, I’ve had several conversations with ambitious, heart-centred individuals who want to help others as coaches. ​ They've usually experienced significant challenges in their lives, overcome them, and now want to help others do the same. ​ And I get it. ​ I found coaching as a purposeful path due to the past pain I experienced. ​ I know that I was called to be a coach (reaffirmed by the fact that I'm a Projector in Human Design — being a coach/guide is a known role that Projectors naturally step into). ​ When I speak with these ambitious coaches, there’s one thing I’ve noticed always holds them back from confidently pursuing coaching… ​ Feeling too inexperienced in life to coach someone to improve their life. ​ Let me keep it real with you… ​ Your personal life experiences aren't directly relevant to how well you can coach someone through their personal challenges. ​ Yes, sharing your personal experiences as part of building your personal brand (business) is extremely helpful to connect with your audience and potential clients. ​ But, it’s a huge misconception to believe that your personal experiences are what qualifies you to coach. ​ Today, I wanna talk about it — you down? ​ The Myth Of Coaching — What Coaching Is & Isn’t​
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership. (https://coachingfederation.org/about) ​ I shared a story last week, but if you missed it, I’m sharing it again… ​ Imagine for a moment. ​ You’re a pilot. ​ You know where you’re flying to. ​ But… you’ve never been to this destination before. ​ So, you invest in a reliable, present, and non-judgmental partner (your co-pilot) to accompany you as you fly. ​ You agree on a (flight) plan. You both strap yourself in, and you set off on your journey together. ​ You know that you might encounter some turbulence on the way. ​ You know that you might have to change your flight path to get to your destination with more ease. ​ But, the whole journey, from your point A to point B — is flown by you. ​ Your co-pilot is present as a supportive guide — gently nudging you along on the journey and supporting you in remembering the supportive resources to which you already have access to. ​ You begin to feel more comfortable. ​ You can finally slow down and take in the experience of your journey. ​ After some time, you get ready to land the plane. ​ Once you have, you step out of your seat, open the cabin doors, step outside, and take in your beautiful surroundings. ​ You’ve arrived. ​ You reflect on the journey, feeling a deep sense of empowerment radiating through your body. ​ Because all along — you were the one flying the plane. ​ No one else. ​ Because of this experience, you are now more empowered, equipped, and confident in your ability to fly a plane to other destinations independently. ​ As Benjamin Disraeli once said: ​ "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own." ​ This is exactly what the power of coaching does. ​ It’s a revealing process in a safe-enough environment, bringing attention to the riches within you. ​ Blindspots you haven’t been able to see (we've all got them) get a light shone on so that you can be in relationship with what’s been holding you back. ​ The truth is, to become a confident coach, you need to build your confidence in the skill of coaching. ​ These skills can be learned, not in “life experiences”, but in books, resources, and of course what is highly recommended — coach training. ​ I studied for 7 months at The Somatic School to become a certified body-oriented coach. Before that, I did a $40 self-guided Udemy coaching course to learn the fundamentals of coaching. ​ I left equipped with great tools to support transformation for others. ​ On paper, I was a qualified coach. ​ But, the real confidence… ​ That came from taking action despite the fear of not being qualified — enough. ​ Knowledge is great, but the application of the knowledge you’ve gained is vital to develop mastery in the skills you've acquired. ​ Yet, many people I speak to on calls and in the DM’s who feel called to coach find themselves doubting their ability to do so because they are putting all of the weight onto their personal experiences to “qualify” them as being able to coach — only feeling equipped to help others if they’ve experienced the same (or similar) experiences as they have. ​ That my friend, is mentorship. ​ In most cases (I hope), mentors have walked the path that you want to walk, and so they can guide you with advice based on their experiences and achievements. ​
​ Coaching is about co-creation, self-discovery, and self-empowerment. ​ How empowered would you feel if you were told what to do for every move you make? ​ Here’s the thing: ​ Building a business isn’t about following someone else’s path — it’s about carving your own. ​ And, that can only be done effectively when you lean into the answers within you as your inner compass. ​ I ignored the signals that were emerging in conversations with fellow ambitious entrepreneurs for a while. ​ When they'd mention that they want to coach, I'd point them in the direction of books, resources and of course, the amazing school that I learned coaching at. ​ I didn't want to become a coach who only coaches coaches to build their coaching businesses. ​ There was something about becoming that coach that felt uncomfortable for me. ​ It's likely because when I entered the online space for the first time and changed my Instagram bio to “life coach” — I was instantly bombarded with coaches in my DM'S shoving their "proven method" in my face, and guaranteeing me crazy results if I worked with them for 3 months, 12 days and 6 hours and paid them $40,000.56. ​ I'm exaggerating, but I know you get it. ​ It's safe to say, I never worked with those coaches. ​ It felt forced, yucky, and hella scammy. ​ So, there was no way in hell I'd want to be seen as THAT coach. ​ But, last week, I had a wholesome conversation with an ambitious entrepreneur that filled me with excitement and shifted my perspective on what might be possible. ​ And now, we're building something for you, the aspiring coach who wants to build their own coaching business but self-doubt seems to hold you back from taking the next steps (confidently). ​ Introducing... ​ The Coaches Cultivator (working title — let me know what you think). ​ Imagine this… ​ A wholesome online community where you: ​
​ Who's This For? ​ Ambitious, heart-centred, early-stage coaches who want to gain confidence in their coaching skills and build an impactful business that fills their hearts and bank accounts — without sacrificing their well-being. ​ The intention of this community is to have self supported learning through videos, covering foundational coaching skills for you to learn. In addition to having space to practice these skills amongst your peers. ​ If this speaks to your heart, and you’d love to know more about what we're currently building, I’d love to speak with you as part of further research for this offer that's in creation mode. And, if you think this offer might resonate with someone else, please feel free to share this newsletter with them. ​ We want to make sure that we include everything that you want and need to become that confident coach that helps others transform their own lives. ​ If you're up for a quick 30-minute chat, reply to this email with COACH. ​ I’ll send you a link to book a call and chat further. ​ As always—thank you for reading. ​ Have a great week. ​ Big love & gratitude. ​ Coach Mike ​ P.S.​ Whenever you're ready to partner with a supportive co-pilot, get personalised guidance and build your impact-led business that fills your heart and bank account without burning yourself out — here's how I can help: ​
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