Business Savvy » Life Coaching

Advice on Building a Life Coaching Practice

Jennifer — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:05:02 +0000

If you are looking at building a life coaching practice there are several important aspects you should think about before you get started. The most important one is to decide what your focus will be. You need to have a unique selling point in order to attract people to come to your practice rather than anyone else’s.

Choosing Your Focus for Building a Life Coaching Practice

Many life coaches concentrate on a specific area of coaching rather than trying to cover all eventualities. For example, one might cover anything to do with wanting to improve your working life; so people wanting to get more from their working lives or change to a more purposeful career might see this kind of life coach. Another coach may have a specific interest in time management and the effect this has on our lives, so that could be another good focus to follow.

You might think that if you are building a life coaching practice you would be better off making your skills available to as wide an audience as possible, but this can actually backfire as people won’t know what specific problems you are good at helping them with. Having a cast iron selling point will automatically market your skills to the right people, and attract a lot more potential clients in the future.

Marketing Your Practice

In the early stages of building a life coaching practice particularly, you will need to find ways of promoting yourself and your skills in order to attract a good client base. Word of mouth is always a good option – tell everyone you can to tell people about your new practice, and make sure you have plenty of business cards printed to hand out to people. If you have enough you could always hand a few to everyone you know to distribute for you.

Generate Some Interest

Some coaches offer a free initial consultation to get past any hesitancy a person might have about seeking help. You could also offer a generous discount in the early days of building a life coaching practice – perhaps five consultations at a reduced rate for example.

It’s always worthwhile to have a brainstorming session to see how many methods you can come up with for generating interest and attracting clients. Once you have started your business you will find that previous clients will bring in new ones for you as word of mouth helps to build your business without the need for advertising.

Hiring a Life Coach Can Result in Becoming a Life Coach

Jennifer — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:04:05 +0000

Life coaching involves helping clients to discover and achieve their personal goals. Some people want to move up in the corporate world; others want to achieve particular sales figures. Still others who become clients of life coaches, want to master a new hobby. However, some clients of life coaches want to become a Life Coach themselves!

A Field in Its Own

Working as a Life Coach can certainly be a rewarding experience. Varying from counselling, therapy and psychology, Life Coaching is a relatively new field. What makes it unique from those previously mentioned fields, is that the goal of Life Coaches is not to find answers. Instead, it guides clients to locate the answers themselves.

Certain people become interested in becoming a Life Coach. Why? The reciprocal cooperation is the primary attraction of people to coaching. Both the client and the coach benefit from this experience. Personal development becomes vital in the process of learning how to work as a Life Coach. Coaches themselves grow as they help others to grow as well. If you are interested in becoming a Life Coach, you must be willing to make new discoveries about yourself, and be constantly willing to learn. In fact, becoming a coach can become part of a long-term striving for excellence. In fact, that is oftentimes the very motivation to become a coach.

What Is Your Motivation?

The yearning to excel is not the exclusive motivation for everyone who is interested in becoming a Life Coach, though it is certainly an honorable justification. The best Life Coaches aid clients in learning where they want to be in life, and then assist them in getting there.

In truth, money does not exclusively motivate quality life coaches. The nature of the position is based on improving the world and assisting people. In fact, coaches who are interested in becoming a life coach strictly for monetary gain, tend to leave the profession quickly. Life Coaching involves helping yourself to grow and become more aware of yourself. Simultaneously, you assist others in having victory over their problems.

Characteristics of Life Coaches include the following:

They wish to have freedom for themselves, and freedom from financial problems.

They enjoy being surrounded by people and want them to maximize their human potential.
Their colleagues, friends and family approached them for opinions and help because they possess natural people skills.

They want to live more fulfilling lives.

While many people have been satisfied to simply avail of a Life Coach’s services, others dream of becoming a life coach themselves. However, as learned in Life Coaching itself, it is important for people to make career choices not exclusively based on their wants, but also on their abilities. .

Why Business and a Life Coach Are a Good Idea

Jennifer — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:05:30 +0000

A long time ago they used to call business life coaches consultants. Today with the need for fancy titles growing at an astronomical rate many business consultants call themselves life coaches or a business life coach. The higher you climb the corporate ladder and the more successful you become the more pressure and stress you tend to feel. Your decisions become more important with more depending on you to make the right decisions. That is why business as a life coach can be such a great idea. The business life coach can help give you an experienced and objective eye that can help you get through stress and get on with your job and career.

A business and life coach is someone you want to be completely sure of before you bring them into your life because that is what you do with a life coach; you practically bring them into your life. A business and life coach that does not have experience being in a position above yours is probably not going to be able to help you cope with the stress and issues you will face. Book learning is great but a successful business and life coach needs experience and it is up to you to make sure they have that experience before you hire them.

The Tasks of a Business and Life Coach

Everyone can benefit from advice from someone that not only has been in your position but has also the benefit of being trained on how to properly mentor someone. That is what a life coach is. He or she is a mentor and there is great value in that for the successful business person. A life coach can help you understand how to better manage your time as you get busier so that you are not constantly behind schedule. A life coach can help you understand what is expected of you as you get promoted up the ladder and a he can also help you find ways to be a more effective manager.

A life coach can be a valuable resource but only if their experience outweighs yours. Be smart when choosing a life coach and make sure you not only ask for references but you check those references as well. There is nothing more counterproductive than useless advice. If you do your homework well in the beginning, you can be assured that the results will outweigh the time and effort spent.

Some Help in Your Career as a Life Coach

Jennifer — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:05:58 +0000

Let me help you in your quest for a career as a life coach by offering you answers to some of the questions you will be fielding from friends and family as you announce to them that you will be pursuing a career as a life coach.

The first question will be “What is a life coach?” and it is a completely legitimate question. The answer is that a life coach is a mentor that helps people focus on their goals and achieve their goals. You are not a therapist you are more like a guide in your career as a life coach and you simply want to help people find the path to their own success.

From there the next question would be “Are you serious?” Ha! Ha! of course you are serious. You have chosen a career as a life coach carefully from all of the careers listed on the back of the matchbook from that motel you stayed in last week and life coach sounded like the best one.

Next will be the inevitable “Are you nuts?” In choosing a career as a life coach you will face this question regularly. The correct way to answer is to make some sort of direct comparison between the question asker’s mother and the zoo animal of your choice. From there the really intelligent dialogue can begin.

Still Want a Career As A Life Coach?

Well, aren’t you the persistent one? The next question you should be prepared for in your career as a life coach is “You get paid to do this?” Your answer needs to be created by using carefully chosen words put together in a professional manner that will let the asker know that you most definitely will get paid for being a successful life coach and then you should probably make a follow up comment about the question asker’s sister or brother and the zoo animal of your choice.

Your final question before the asker gives up will more than likely come from your mother and will be along the lines of “Why can’t you get a real job like your brother has?” You simply inform that being a life coach is important work and that you have the opportunity to have a positive effect on the lives of many people throughout your career as a life coach and then you should remind your mother that your brother’s job as the janitor at the Elk’s Club hardly constitutes a great career option.

So that is just some of the questions you can expect when you announce your choice of a career as a life coach. We know that you will find your new career fulfilling and exciting and never forget the life coach’s motto which is “Always get the deposit in cash.”

What It Takes To Become A Certified Life Coach

Jennifer — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:06:30 +0000

One of the better ways of achieving success in life is through taking life coaching and for this there is a need for getting coached from a certified life coach who should be able to solve your problems for you including helping with sticky personal relationships and coming out of stressed life within a family atmosphere and thus letting the client find a suitable means to free him or her from whatever these problems are. However, as of now, there is no regulation governing that certified life coach must in fact have certification before being able to practice though there are certain states in the US that are planning on regulating the life coaching profession.

International Coach Federation

If you wish to become a certified life coach, there are a number of options available to you in this regard and perhaps a good starting off point is to get a certificate from the International Coach Federation who may not actually provide coaching, but still offer certification though you must already have worked for a minimum of two hundred and fifty hours in paid coaching and have had an additional sixty hours of training to qualify for sitting for their examination.

Or, if you already are trained as a life coach, you may try for becoming a certified life coach through Coachville certification where there is no set requirement for a person’s formal as well as informal qualifications with regard to their previous training. All that is required is that you pass their criteria for desirable skills and it is up to you which type of training you wish to undergo and you also have the choice of deciding when to take the examination. There are certain benefits to becoming certified life coach from Coachville since you will get your CV accredited and also get accreditation from IAC though you need to spend eighteen months before you will have completed the requirements for certification.

The other requirements that will enable you to become a certified life coach are that you should have completed the training, and in this regard, any workshops that you have attended will count towards minimum time spent requirements, and these include having attended workshops such as Pathway of Change, Wheels, Change Your Life in 30 days and also The Art of being CFLC recorded class attendee.

Thus, as long as you meet the minimum criteria, there is no reason why you cannot become a certified life coach after having completed the minimum level of training required. Once you do become a certified life coach, you will be in a position to guide others through a process that has been clinically proven which will help the client change his or her subconscious so that they are able to achieve their conscious goals.

The Many Definitions of a Life Coach

Jennifer — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:07:02 +0000

To really get the definition of a life coach it may be easier to first say what a life coach is not. In the definition of a life coach a life coach is not a certified therapist and a life coach is not a certified psychologist or psychiatrist. A life coach is not someone that will fix all of your problems for you and a life coach is not someone that will just pat you on the head and tell you everything will be okay. In the definition of a life coach it is safe to say that a life coach is not quite like anything else you have ever dealt with before.

A life coach can specialize in certain fields or they can be a general life coach but the definition of a life coach allows either of these to exist. So what is the definition of a life coach? Simply put the definition of a life coach is someone who helps you through a difficult period in your life, or helps you deal with a life situation, while helping you focus on a pre-determined set of goals. It may sound a lot like therapy but it is extremely important to understand the difference between the definition of a life coach and a therapist. If you rely on a life coach to fulfill the duties of a therapist then you could be asking for trouble.

Read the Label

Yes, it is the duty of any good life coach to remind you that they are not therapists but it is also important for the patient, or client, to understand the difference as well so that there is no confusion on either side. Let us start this discussion by saying that a life coach is not necessarily a therapist. While some therapists have been known to become life coaches a life coach cannot call themselves a therapist unless they have the necessary education and state licensing to prove it. Life coaching does not require any licensing while most states require therapists to be licensed and with good reason.

A therapist is someone that is trained to help people deal with psychological or social disorders that affect the mind and, in some cases, can also affect the body. Without the proper training this kind of treatment can become very dangerous. A life coach assists someone reach their personal goals through a series of motivational and organizational techniques. Confusing a therapist with a life coach is not only a bad idea but it could also result in even more problems down the line. So talk with a professional to determine which of the two you need and make sure you make the right choice.

Equestrian Life Coaching Is Available For Different Purposes And Types Of People

Jennifer — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:08:53 +0000

While you may be wondering how to get the best out of your life, there are things to consider such as having a good relationship in which the focus of equestrian life coaching revolves around you and more particularly on what you want from your life and how you can achieve these aims. A good equestrian life coaching will be somewhat like a relationship in which you have your own navigator who will guide you in your journey of life and who will offer you a new direction, give you support and plenty of encouragement and allow you to consider your life, know your goals and also judge your own progress and ensure that you get the best performance while you are in as well as out of the saddle.

More Mainstream Now

At one time equestrian life coaching was mainly given to business executives and also to athletes; though, now it has become mainstream and if you make it an investment it will prove worthwhile and lead to positive action in your life. Equestrian life coaching means addressing you as a complete person and there is greater emphasis on teaching you how to take proper action and learn so that your life is greatly enriched. Equestrian life coaching can be given to different types of people and for different purposes are they for those who wish to ride competitively, trainers as well as for those who want to breed horses and even veterinarians can enjoy its benefits.

It is best to get your equestrian life coaching from a professional who has many years of experience and who can coach those people that are performance oriented and assure them of the best of results. The equestrian life coaching should be offered by a person that has a passion for equestrianism and who is also professionally well qualified and has the necessary expertise and who can coach people in the horse industry. It requires identifying goals and putting them into action while also getting the desired results and the focus of equestrian life coaching should be on a person’s strengths rather than on their weaknesses and the future should be targeted and not having to be living in the past is also desirable.

Before a person takes to equestrian life coaching, it has been seen that the focus is on personal advancement and needing to learn how to attend to horses, while also having a goal in life to achieve. A good life coach should help bring order into the lives of students and should help them to utilize their time in a better manner.

How Does One Go About Finding a Life Coach?

Jennifer — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:10:00 +0000

Let’s say, for the sake of discussion, that you really think you need help finding a life coach. Finding a life coach is pretty easy actually. All you need in finding a life coach is a computer and the internet.

The first place to start in finding a life coach is to go through the lists of one of the three regulating bodies of the life coaching industry. First there is the International Coaching Federation, then there is the International Association of Coaching, and finally there is the European Coaching Institute which would probably do you no good in finding a life coach in Kansas City. Missouri or Kansas it makes no difference, the Europeans will be no help in finding you a life coach in Kansas City.

Finding a good life coach is a whole different tomato all together. All three of the associations that are set up to certify life coaches are private organizations and they have no government guidelines to follow at all. So I guess you could say that the life coach market is a free for all and finding a good life coach will be quite a challenge. All you really have to go on is the recommendations of clients of the life coach you are considering and that may not be very helpful as those are easily manipulated as well. In order to really find a good life coach you are just going to have to either find one that a trusted friend has used or keep going through life coaches until you find one you like.

Put Me in Coach

Some people need guidance in their life and in that way a life coach can be a trusted friend that helps you through the tougher times in your life like a divorce or a job transition. Of course the life coach will be a trusted friend that you pay to be your trusted friend and that could potentially cause problems that you would need a therapist for later but that will be later. A life coach is not to be confused with a therapist but you may want to start with a therapist before you move on to a life coach.

If you feel you need a life coach then obviously you either feel that something is missing in your life or you are going through a difficult time. In any of these circumstances it may be best to see a therapist first and lay the ground work for the help you need. Your therapist may be able to help you find a life coach that can be there for you and help you effect the changes that the therapist recommends but keep in mind that a life coach is not a therapist.

Think of a life coach like a football coaching staff. The head coach is the therapist. What the head coach says is what goes in all situations. The life coach is like the offensive coordinator. The life coach helps to execute the head coach’s game plan but the coordinator cannot make any changes without having the players check with the head coach first. You are the players. See how that works? Confused? Well good; that means you are ready for a life coach!

Sources of Information on How to Become a Life Coach

Jennifer — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:10:30 +0000

Life coaching has become an increasingly popular source of help and advice for many people. While many people are considering seeking out the services of a life coach, others are thinking about taking up this profession themselves with the intention of getting into a worthwhile career.

If you want to find out more about how to become a life coach, the essential first step is to hop onto the internet to check out some of the information available.

Learn from Those Already Doing It

Learning about how to become a life coach can be done in many ways, but one of the most interesting is to look at the websites of people who are already life coaches. They will usually tell you what experience and qualifications they have, and you can compare this to your own background to see what gaps you may have in your own learning.

There are also a number of good websites that give away free information and newsletters containing up to date advice on how to become a life coach. These can help to familiarise you with the profession, as well as giving you an idea of how long you can expect any training courses to take, and how long it might take to build up your own business.

You can find out more about how to become a life coach by signing up for a course which will teach you the basic skills needed. These skills can then be built on as you gain more experience. An interest in people and psychology is also a great help, as is the ability to be a good listener.

Courses on how to become a life coach can be taken via the internet if you wish. These are a good option if you are currently in full time employment and you want to gain the necessary skills before leaving your job to start your new career. You will be able to fit the course in around your current commitments. It will help if the course you take has a recognised qualification at the end of it, as this will help to foster trust with your potential clients in the future.

If you can, try talking to people who are life coaches already, and ask them how they got started. They may be able to steer you towards sources of information you might not previously have thought of.

Life Coach: Finding Help in Charting Your Course

Jennifer — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:11:39 +0000

According to experts, one of the main reasons why hardworking people never really succeed in life is that their efforts are focused on the wrong priorities. In most cases, people who could not seem to get things right even if they pour a lot of effort into what they are doing are not using the right tools and strategies to achieve their goals.

If you are one of those people who have been working so hard to succeed in life and always end up short of your expectations, hiring the services of a life coach can do you a lot of good. Hiring a life coach is very important especially if you feel that are not getting somewhere despite your efforts.

Working With Your Life Coach

Working with your life coach can be a very enlightening experience. In most cases, your life coach will start by helping you assess the past events of your life. No, your life coach is not a therapist and you need not tell him or her about your emotional angst and the likes. The purpose of evaluating the past events of your life here is to determine what you have done wrong in the past so that you can correct them in the future. The role of your life coach is simply to help you chart your directions in life so that you will be able to function well. Your life coach will help you direct your attention to the right path and then help you work out a system than will bring you success.

SMART Goals

After helping you evaluate the past events of your life, your life coach will now assist you in the process of identifying your short term, medium term and long term goals in life. Goal setting is very important so that you will be guided accordingly. Your goals must be smart, meaning they should be systematic, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bounded. Your short term goal must be such that it will facilitate the achievement of your medium term and long term goals. In other words, your goals must be cohesive and holistic.

Once your goals are set, you and your life coach will now work on finding ways and means to achieve your goals. At this point, you and your life coach will come up with a systematic work plan for you to follow. You work plan should definitely not be rigid. In other words, your work plan must be flexible to allow for changes as you go along.