So, you have decided to become a coach. This is great! Most often people become coaches because they want to help people better their life somehow, and not just to earn money.
What is the reason or reasons you have decided to become a coach? What is it about coaching that you find enjoyable?
Perhaps, you are just thinking about changing careers and becoming a coach, which is fantastic!
Before I started my coaching business, I was a health educator. I loved my job. My boss was wonderful, and I lived in a magnificently beautiful place.
Although I truly loved my position as a health educator, I wanted something more. I wanted freedom. I wanted to help more people, and I wanted to do it from anywhere in the world.
Having been raised by an entrepreneur mother, I found myself on the same path. Most of my businesses failed. However, I didn't fail at everything. I succeeded at learning something from each of those experiences.
One thing that was common among the businesses I started was I did not have any passion for any of them. Yes, I made money, and yes, I gained a lot of experience, but my heart and soul were not fully in any of them.
I knew one day I would find something to be passionate about and that I could put my heart and soul into.
In fact, I took a course to become a life coach back in 2004 or 2005. I created a course called the 12 Week Life Transformation. For some reason, I wasn't ready for the success that followed.
Unfortunately, I still had many limiting beliefs, self-worth issues, and I was still holding onto too much bad stuff.
Despite all this, and many years later, I finally realized my purpose, passion, and the things I’m good at, and I decided to become a men's coach.
In three short years, I have built a solid coaching practice. With my previous business experience, online marketing skills, and education, I got my business going very quickly and even started a great podcast.
Being in the coaching business and meeting other coaches and consultants, I discovered right away what successful coaches do.
Unfortunately, I see many new coaches do the opposite of what successful coaches do. Sadly, I am surprised many are "certified coaches", yet they make some very costly and time-consuming mistakes.
What is the biggest mistake new coaches make?
One of the biggest mistakes I see new coaches make is they want to help everyone. They don't care who it is, they just want to help everyone.
Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to help people. In fact, most coaches have this wonderful characteristic about them, they are givers and they just want to help people better their lives.
The problem with this is there are so many other people they can choose from. Why choose you? Somehow you must differentiate yourself from others.
I will go even further and give you another big mistake many new coaches make.
The other big mistake new coaches make is they are more focused on their views of a subject they are passionate about and they want to change people’s views to be more like theirs.
Let me give you an example.
I once met a lady who hated the fact that sugar is in just about everything people consume today. She hates how the sugar industry has lobbyist and give so much money to politicians to keep us blind about the impact sugar is having in our lives.
Her goal was more about enlightening others about the dangers of sugar. Even though she wanted to help people live healthier lives, she was going about it the wrong way.
Now, there is nothing wrong with having a desire to change the world by opening people’s eyes about the dangers of sugar and how the sugar industry is ruining people’s lives.
The problem is she is too focused on providing information about the sugar industry and not so much on helping people improve their health with proper nutrition.
She was coming from the belief that if she could educate people about the sugar industry that she could get the government to start focusing on helping people get access to healthier food options.
So, what can this person do instead?
Perhaps it would be better for her to focus on being a nutrition coach for diabetics. She can still educate people about the dangers of sugar and how the sugar industry is subsidized but create a separate blog for that passion.
As you begin your coaching career, think about these two things. What separates you from other coaches and be mindful about what your client needs are and how you can specifically help them.
If you would like to start your coaching business off with a solid foundation and plan, check out my free online training, “Save Me Time, Money, and Energy Coaching Business Plan” Get Access Here.
