Coaching Blog

I've talked to hundreds of coaches and nearly all of them say the same thing:

They see themselves equally as entrepreneurs and professionals. I'm not surprised.

DEFINITION:

Entrepreneur: Someone who starts businesses for fun. May or may not be successful.

Professional: Someone with professional training & credentials who offers professional services for a fee. May or may not be successful.

Coaches don't just wear two hats. You could say we have two brains, when it comes to running our businesses. One for the entrepreneur (Fun & profit!) and one for the professional (I'll learn everything I can to give the best results and I have credentials that confirm that.)

I love being an entrepreneur. It's loads of fun. I bet you do too. And I bet your inner professional held you back until he/she was convinced you'd done what it takes to be the best you can be. Not always fun - but worth it, if you want to be a professional with integrity. And necessary, if you want to be a professional who succeeds.

You see, to your inner professional, practicing your profession without the appropriate credentials is as terrifying as walking down the red carpet stark naked!

• Or performing brain surgery without being a doctor.
• Or flying a plane without a pilot's license.

There's no getting around this, if you see yourself as a professional. So, if you're a coach who wants more clients and you're trying to do it without training and certification (the coaching profession's recognized credentials), then your inner professional is just trying to save you from disaster and humiliation.

You can thank it for that.

Your inner entrepreneur doesn't get this. It's busy running a cool business and it doesn't have time & money to spend on more training. And anyway, coaches don't really need certification, right?

Actually, according to a number of studies (See Coaching Sherpa), professional coaches without training & certification earn less, become successful more slowly, and/or drop out of the profession after a couple of years.

No surprise, eh?

You've got to get your inner professional and inner entrepreneur talking to each other. They need to work together so you can have the fun, ease and profits you planned on and the integrity you require.

Fortunately for you, there's something that will make both your inner professional and inner entrepreneur very, very happy.

It's called Certification Bootcamp. It's for practicing coaches, only, and it's short on both time and money, long on fun, and high on quality, value and results (Listen, I'm a professional, too).

The premiere edition of CERTIFICATION BOOTCAMP is coming up in a few weeks.

IT INCLUDES:

• 10 TELE-WEBINAR CLASSES
• 4 TELECONFERENCES
• 1 LIVE EVENT

You can customize it and take only what you need.

It's fast and fun and priced so low, even your inner entrepreneur will love it. If you jump in quickly, you inner professional will breathe a sigh of relief and will finally, FINALLY, let you succeed like you know you are meant to.

NO MORE GOING NAKED.

This program is only open to a few good coaches and it's already filling, so if you're at all curious, check it out right now. Your inner professional will thank you.

If you have more questions, call us at +1-877-224-2780

Check out Coach Certification Bootcamp here.

* Harvard is studying us.
* The CEO of Google is bragging about us.
* Even the Wall Street Journal has great things to say about coaching.

Guess what? The ‘wild west' days of coaching are over.

Cliches about coaching that held true ten years ago, like that  coaches really don't need to be certified, aren't holding up like they used to.

Our surveys show that about 70% of coaches want coach certification, not because they're insecure, but just because it feels right to them. And since other surveys find that untrained, uncertified coaches are less likely to succeed, that intuition is well founded.

But coaches are busy with their businesses, so actually getting certified gets shoved to the back burner. It's a Catch 22. 

So we're giving you a one-time-only reason to pay close attention and get certified, right now: Starting November 16th, three certifiers (Natalie Tucker Miller, IAC-CC, Elizabeth Nofziger, IAC-CC, and Julia Stewart, IAC-CC)* are getting together for an eight hour course to teach you in detail what you need to pass certification. We've rolled it into three packages, so if you need a refresher course, first, you'll get that, and if you're ready to record your coaching sessions, you can get that too and save money.

2010 could be the year that you put those coveted letters after your name. 

Click below to find out more and choose the package that fits your needs best. Or call 877-224-2780 to ask about further customization to help you get certified. 

*We'll be working with the IAC Coaching Masteries^TM. We were the first coach training company in the world to be licensed to teach them and collectively, we've taught mentored or certified most of today's IAC Certified Coaches. In fact, Natalie and Elizabeth are current IAC Certifiers. But we are representing School of Coaching Mastery in this course, not the IAC, itself. 

If you'd like to hear a recording that will give you a taste of the learning you'll get from this value-packed course, the three of us  just did a call for the IAC North American Virtual Chapter and you'll immediately get a copy of that recording for joining, which is free.  

Go here for more info about Certified Coach: Master What the Certifiers Are Looking For 

Her background and how she got into coaching: ‘I'm an intercultural trainer and consultant, cultural orientation training. Originally I'm from the UK and am now living in Houston, Texas. I came into coaching via my coach who is a totally astounding and wonderful coach, called Mattison Grey. I just was so impressed and so assisted by being coached. I thought, Wow this might be a really amazing job to do!'

On what she learned while preparing for certification: ‘I found that going through your certification course was, my experience of person development, was very profound, more than I could have imagined. It seemed to get deeper and deeper and deeper. And that's my own experience...I want to do that, anyway. It also put me on the fast track for that personal development. So that's a very significant piece for me.

I found the instruction to be absolutely excellent, classes with you and Natalie. They were very well facilitated and you both held us in the highest respect even when we were struggling. And it's not easy! There was so much more to this!

I had to hold onto the stair rails very tightly at times. And it was through those challenging times that I so appreciated everybody, the instructors as well as the other people in the class.'

On IAC grading: ‘Challenging. Very high standards. You don't get away with anything, and not that I was trying to get away with anything, but even the masteries I thought I had really gotten well in the recordings. Everything is thoroughly sliced and diced and of course also very honoring...That was little surprising only because I didn't know what to expect.'

Advice for coaches who want to get certified: ‘The practicums are extremely helpful in getting the feedback you need. In addition...I personally have been working with a group of wonderful coaches here in Houston in a study group. That's been absolutely wonderful.
I would also recommend that to get ones own coach whilst you're working on it. There might be things that come up...old deep-seated fears...working with a coach to remove some of the blocks that come up.'

‘It's an absolutely just glorious feeling!'

Listen to the entire recording here:

Go here to learn from three Certifier/Instructors and...Master What the Certifiers are Looking For

[UPDATE: In June 2012, MyLifeCompass.com announced that it would no longer be a multi-level marketing company for life coaching. It was unclear what the company's future plans would be.]

Compass Coach, Kristi Arndt, qualified for a free Mercedes from Compass at the end of last August. She just went shopping for it yesterday:

To get the free car, Kristi and several other Compass Representatives qualified to become Compass Presidential Ambassadors by a certain date.

Kristi will be my special guest today at the first ever Compass Mastery Team  call, which I'll be leading once per month to mentor the Compass Coaches and Representatives on my team, so they create their own brand of success on their own terms.

Kristi is the perfect example of building a successful coaching business on your own terms. She's not one of those high-powered types who charges around grabbing what she wants and leaving bodies littered in her path. In fact, her personal symbol is the turtle, because she uses her own inner wisdom and timing to create the coaching business of her dreams, even if it takes her a little longer.

And Kristi's personal story is gripping, as well. This past summer, while Kristi was working passionately toward becoming a Presidential Ambassador, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and because breast cancer runs in her family, she chose to treat it aggressively.

Listen to Kristi tell the story of how her challenge with cancer turned into a wonderful experience. And how it didn't stop her from reaching her goals this summer.

Kristi is an amazingly inspiring person in so many ways. She shares her passion and joy with everyone who's interested and has built her business organically by making deep connections with the people who are most attracted to her.

Of course, I'm a little biased since Kristi is a personal coaching client of mine (she gave me permission to share that). She's also the very first person to register for a course at the (then) brand-new School of Coaching Mastery and then she promptly went out and qualified for IAC Coach Certification!

[UPDATE: January 2013, MyLifeCompass.com announced to its stakeholders that it was filing for bankruptcy.]

Click here if you want to learn more about Compass Coaching.

On September 29th, CNNMoney wrote, "Should You Hire a Career Coach?"

In it, Christopher Metzler, associate dean for human resources studies at Georgetown University, says, "Any time there's an economic downturn, career coaching spikes,"

With job searches now averaging 25 weeks, it's no surprise that the out-of-work are looking for every competitive advantage they can find. And while career coaching is not cheap,  one session averages $161, it more than pays for itself, if you land a great job a few months earlier than you would have otherwise.

There are pitfalls, however. As the article points out, not everyone who calls him/herself a career coach is skilled or qualified to help you reach your goals. And the quality of coach certifications varies widely. Some coach certification training programs take only a weekend to complete, with every participant guaranteed a certificate just for showing up. (I recently spoke to a coach who completed one such program. She confirmed that it was "pretty much a joke.")

Two places you can find career coaches who have pledged their professionalism, are the coaching trade organizations, IAC and ICF. Each has a Find-a-Coach feature. You can also find career coaches at Mastery Coach Exchange, where you can easily connect with and find out about your coach, before trying them out.

Other coaching specialties that do especially well in economic downturns are business and corporate coaching, executive coaching, and money coaching, but even fields like life coaching do surprisingly well, especially now that there are lower-cost options.

Here's the full CNNMoney article on career coaching. Check out their sidebar for more interesting information about it.

Read the Coaching Commons article on the same subject here.

If you're one of the many coaches who view coach certification as an critical goal in 2009, this will interest you.

We were planning one of our advanced coach certification weekends this October, but coaches told us they want something else. I invite you to tell us what you want, too, in the survey called, 'Certification in a Weekend?' The survey closes this Thursday. So far, over 50 coaches have told us what they want and how much they want to pay for it. We have every single bit of it, too!

We're offering a special preview recording of 'Master Coach Demos', a new product that we're producing, to everyone who participates in the survey. We'll also provide you with customized recommendations, so you get the certification support you need, not just a pre-packaged product that may not fit your unique requirements. 

Take the quick 2-page Certification survey right now

Most of the coaches I talk to fit the following description:

Coaching, But Not Actually Open for Business

They think they're in business, but they're not. Confusion is holding them back. Confusion turns away coaching clients, just like the business in this picture turns away customers. 

The reason I know this is that unlike most coaching schools, I (or someone else at SCM) actually talk to the coaches who visit our site. We listen to what they are up to and help them find the resources they need. It's a labor-intensive process that average coach training schools skip. But we're not average.

Our Enrollment Advisor, Donna Miller, commented on this to me the other day. Most coaches are either coaching, but have no business, or they've started a business, but they're not sure how to coach. Those are bad combinations. They send the same mixed message as the business pictured above. The open sign is on, but the security gate is closed.

If your coaching business is struggling, ask yourself if you're actually open for business.

Here's My Stand:

There is (or should be) an enormous difference between amateurs who coach and professional coaches. If you want a successful coaching business, you need to  be coaching a whole lot better than your client's best friend, next door neighbor and office mate, because those folks are all "coaching" too (and a most of them are coaching for free).

A good coaching school will give you clarity and clarity creates success. It's not magic, but it feels like magic. Mixed signals will keep you stuck. If you are stuck, get the clarity you need. 

One place you can get clarity is in our "How to Become..." free mini-course series. The next one is on How to Become a Certified Coach.

Register for 'How to Become a Certified Coach' Here

If you're a professional business or life coach who is considering coach certification, you're not alone.

One of the biggest trends in coaching, in 2009, is that veteran coaches are finding for the first time that they need coach certification. For years, prospective clients and employers didn't even ask about it, but that has changed. However, if you've been coaching professionally for a while, you don't want to go back to the very beginning and start your coach training at an accredited coaching school.

And you really don't want one of those embarrassing fly-by-night certifications. 

So what are your options? That's what our free 4-hour mini-course on how to become a certified coach is all about. It's led by SCM President, Julia Stewart, IAC-CC. It'll cover some of the pros and cons of various certifications, plus it'll hook you up with some valuable resources that can help you get there faster. 

The 'How to Become a Certified Coach' course is taught live via webinar (or you can just access it by phone) on two separate days. Each class is a total of 2-hours long, broken down into 90 minutes of instruction, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A.

You'll come away with clarity, tools and a path to success. It may not take you as long as you might think to qualify for a respected coach certification.

The free course has been completed. Check our course catalog for upcoming courses, including some that are free.

Are you ready to get started and quickly become a certified coach?

If you’re anything like your coaching clients,

...then you probably want tools for reaching your goals more quickly and easily. And if one of your goals right now is Coach Certification, then the information in this article can help you get there faster and more easily.

How?

Well first, if you’re a talented coach, you probably can obtain IAC Certification more quickly than any other certification from a recognized independent coach certifier. Second, I’m going to share a big secret about how to do that.

As you probably know, the IAC Coaching Masteries™ Learning Guides...

...are a wonderful tool for checking your own coaching sessions to see if you’re using these skills at a masterful level.

It’s helpful to note though, that the information in the Learning Guides defines masterful coaching, as it is scored or graded and that they can be rather inscrutable to most coaches, when it comes to learning the level of mastery required to obtain the IAC Certified Coach designation.

Learning coaching and scoring coaching are two very different processes.

The IAC’s mission is to score and certify, not teach, so their materials tell you “what” they are looking for, not “how” to achieve it. Big difference.

That’s one of the reasons why you can achieve mastery more quickly by working with coaches who are masters of the IAC Coaching Masteries™. That’s also why I’m about to share one of the most powerful “how to’s”, you’ll ever learn.

But first, here’s a handy metaphor.

Years ago, a famous retired sea captain named, Skippy Lane, taught me to sail on Long Island Sound. Skippy’s mastery of sailing was legendary in the New York City archipelago where we lived. One day I asked Skippy how sailors kept track of everything while they sailed. The current, the wind direction, the sails, the rudder; it was all so overwhelming!

Skippy said, “You sail a boat by the seat of your pants.”

I can still hear his booming voice. What he meant was that when you’re sailing, if you have everything optimally lined up, the energy of the wind pulls the boat up out of the water and you feel it rise up literally through the seat of your pants! That’s when a sailor knows he’s on track.

And that’s exactly what happens when you ride the energy of the conversation throughout your coaching sessions. That energy is called curiosity and when it rises, it tells you that you’re on track. It’s so simple and so much more effective to do it this way, than it is to try to remember all the effective behaviors required for IAC Certification. When you focus on the skills and details, you’re too busy thinking to notice what’s really going on. When you focus on the energy, you’re attention is on the client and what your inklings are telling you about your client. That’s what separates good coaching from great coaching.

The amazing thing is that when curiosity is used well,

...many of the events that the IAC wants to see like, “The client is no longer held back but is instead excited and moving forward…” or “The client communicates more effortlessly and resourcefully”, show up as a result of you sailing masterfully though the energy of the coaching conversation. Pretty cool!

How do you use the energy of curiosity to coach masterfully?

There is not nearly enough space in this article to cover all the ways, but here are three simple steps to get you started:

1. Notice what you’re curious about and ask your client about it.

2. Notice what your client is curious about and ask about that.

3. Use your curiosity and your client’s curiosity (and your curiosity about your client’s curiosity) as continuous feedback loops to help you navigate throughout the coaching conversation.

It’s quite simple and the results are magic.

To master this, practice it with other coaches who are knowledgeable about the IAC approach to coaching.

School of Coaching Mastery has some free resources to help you with that, such as our free Study Groups and our networking group for coaches who want buddies and triad partners for practicing the masteries. You don’t have to be an SCM student to use these free services.

And of course, we also have much more information about energy, mastery and curiosity in our Coach Training Programs.

Skippy never heard of coaching, but he taught me the key to masterful coaching when he taught me how to sail. Interestingly, that legendary master of coaching, Thomas Leonard, called this skill, “Navigating via Curiosity.”

A shorter version of this article appeared in the February issue of the IAC VOICE.

Copyright, Julia Stewart, 2009