Hiring my first coach literally changed my life. But over the years, I’ve had MANY coaches. For the last 10 years, I’ve made it a goal to invest in at least one personal or professional development opportunity each year and as my goals have evolved, so have my teachers.
Here are 7 tips to help you find the RIGHT coach for where you are in your life/career:
7) Get clear about what you want to learn: Is this season of your life focused on personal development, career development or both? Are there specific skill sets that you want to master? Find a coach with expertise in those areas and be as specific as possible (jacks of all trades and masters of none don’t apply here).
6) Who do you want to learn from? Is it important that they be renowned in their industry or is there someone who is up and coming that you admire? The kind of access you’ll get with someone well known will be very different so also get clear about how closely you want to work with them (this could mean the difference between being in a stadium with 10,000 people or being on a call with 4 people).
5) Which kind of program is right for you? There are tons of options that run the gamut from virtual to in-person or a hybrid of the two. There are also one on one and group coaching programs with pros and cons to both. As a recovering isolationist and introvert, I’ve found that being in a community with other women is super important to me.
4) Who do you want to be surrounded by? Is it important for you to be in a safe space with like-minded people? Other women? People of color? Having been in programs with every kind of group, I’ve found that I get the best results (and formed the closest relationships) with people who I had more in common with and who were heading in the same direction.
3) Does your energy + values align? A few years ago I was super excited to work with a coach who I’d heard great things about. After a few sessions, my instincts started raising red flags. There wasn’t alignment around our energies and rather than being uplifted and inspired I felt bullied and like they just wanted my money. Needless to say, I stopped working with them immediately.
2)Teachers don’t have to be people you actually know: Many of my coaches are folks that I’ll likely never meet but whose books I’ve read. Who are the people who have done what you aspire to do (or who are currently doing it)? Find every book you can get your hands on and start there. Before I ever spent a dime on coaching I started up by loading up my Kindle. On average I read about 100 books a year and I can’t even tell you how watching an hour less of TV each day has transformed my life.
1) Be ready to invest (aka spend money): For most of my career, I was used to having mentors who would show me the ropes for free. But when it came to making major shifts in my life and career, I knew that my mentors had taken me as far as they could. Imagine you’ve spent 20 years learning everything you could about investing in the stock market (it’s a random example but hear me out). Say you’ve learned valuable information through blood, sweat, and tears and now other people want to learn from you. Would you share that information for free? HELL NAW. Why? Because people don’t value free shit.
Think about all the free trainings and programs you’ve signed up for that you didn’t actually take action on. Over the past year, I’ve invested in the high five figures in my personal and professional development and it’s been work every freaking penny (it’s also why I’m writing this email from my couch rather than somebody’s office.
P.S. Applications for the Live In Your Light Bootcamp are now open so if you’re clear about the kind of teacher you need to help you take your life and career to the next level apply here. You’ll get the clarity to discover:
– How to break the destructive patterns and limiting beliefs that are keeping you safe, stuck, and broke
– What truly lights you up and how to do the work you love every single day (and ACTUALLY get paid what you’re worth)
– How to show up in your life and career as not just your best self, but as your most authentic self so you can attract everything that’s waiting for you
