It seems a little odd to be writing something about success when I feel like I’m only at the beginning of my coaching life – but perhaps there’s something in there about celebrating the small steps forward towards our dreams… hmmm, those sound like coaching words to me!
I discovered coaching less than 3 years ago. I started off life as an automotive design engineer and hated it, so I opted out of “proper” paid work and went to live overseas in remote locations in Central Asia: initially with my husband, and subsequently with a young family too.
We shared a love for the Kyrgyz people (long story…) and wanted to be a blessing to them in whatever way we could, whether it meant working in our professions or otherwise. My main role ended up being family and home, as I place really high value on family life and especially the early years of our children’s growth.
During that time I had a real identity crisis – I spent probably 3 years or so grappling with who I was, whether I had anything left to contribute to the world, and feeling utterly de-skilled. Add to that I had very few people to talk it through with because of our remote location.
By the time we left Asia, we’d been through a people’s revolution, which threw the country and our lives into disarray. I’d seen the real value of getting people to talk through their experiences and integrate them into their on-going lives.
When we returned, I knew I wanted to be involved with people, helping them to be who they had been made to be and to be fulfilled in what they were doing.
A friend mentioned coaching to me. I had never heard of it, but internet searches quickly threw up The Coaching Academy’s Certificate weekend. Within a couple of weeks I was there, and came back with a buzz I had never experienced before.
Money was tight as we were both still readjusting after coming “home” and working out where our careers should go next, so I knew I couldn’t possibly stay with The Coaching Academy as I couldn’t afford the training…. That was until we fully explored my options … within a day I had signed up!
I was convinced I could complete the training within a few months and be on my way, but hadn’t reckoned with the depression which often kicks in with reverse culture shock. I was down for many months, and up and down after that. What energy I did have was focussed on giving my children the best possible attention I could manage, so there was little space left for anything else.
Funnily enough, being enrolled on the home study course turned out then to be absolutely perfect, as I could do bits when I had the energy and then give it a rest when life wasn’t going so well.
I loved watching the live training videos, and whilst regretting the fact that I didn’t have people to practise with there and then, I did feel like I was practically in the room with them all. I tried really hard not to coach fellow coaches for the first part of my course, but later realised that was a mistake, and I would have progressed faster and gained more confidence if I had done it the other way round.
My later coaching calls with fellow coaches came as welcome relief as I realised I was finally understanding what I was aiming at!
I qualified a year ago, and was really chuffed to have obtained a merit despite the ups and downs in my health during the time I was training. (There’s a success to celebrate!) Now I have two strands to my business (greedy, I know, but they do work in similar ways even if aimed at different people!)
WattsYourDream is about empowering mums to live their dreams - helping mums build confidence and creativity in their own sense of identity, leading to happiness and fulfilment in their next stage of life.
WattsYourPathway is life-coaching mixed with debriefing aimed at providing understanding and accompaniment to repatriates during their re-entry experiences into their home culture enabling them to grow and thrive.
So both spring out of personal experiences and passions, needs I see around me all the time. I would love both of these strands of my business to take off such that they provide us with a little more stable income, and more importantly (and possibly more selfishly!), so that I feel that buzz more often!! I so love the feeling I get at the end of a call when a client is excited about what they are going away to do and how much progress they have made!!
What else? Ah yes, that’s my favourite question! I’ve just been working with a fellow graduate of TCA, who has been helping me sort out the business side of things – and that has been invaluable – although TCA provide information on sales and marketing, I still needed more. Chris Catt has provided me with the tools I need to go forward. Thanks, Chris!
As my coach, he’s given me confidence in my niche and who I am selling to – I would thoroughly recommend that new coaches find themselves a business coach too.
My advice to other coaches would be - Take your time to work out your niche rather than rushing straight into finding clients – it gives you confidence and enables you to do what you love to do with all your heart.
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