Interview with Woman Around Town

Check out the link for the full interview

1) Define "life coach." -- or what is your exact title?

I love the definition my life coach training program used: "A life coach helps a client get from where they are to where they want to be." As a life coach, it is my job to help my clients get clear on what goals and desires they want to achieve, and together we co-create manageable action to get them there.

I completed two training programs to become a coach. The first program was the Beautiful You Life Coaching Academy, and the second was the Insitute for Integrative Nutrition. 

My official title from BYCA is Life Coach and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach from IIN.

I do have plans to become a Certified Life Coach through the ICF.

2) What inspired you to become one?  

My inspiration comes from knowing I am helping others. Clients often seek life coaching because they feel stuck or lack purpose and direction in an area of life. As a coach, I can help others live their best lives. 

 3) What school did you get your accreditation from, and what led you to choose it?

I chose the BYCA because The International Coaching Federation accredits it. The ICF is highly regarded as the industry standard for training.  

Aside from being an accredited program, I loved that this program offered mandatory live training calls. This allowed the students to step out of their comfort zone while being supervised to step into the role of coach. The BYCA created a safe space for us to practice coaching and build our skillset. 

I chose my second program, IIN, because of its depth. Their year-long program covers 12 areas of life. I felt as a coach it was my responsibility to learn as much as I could about the different areas and how I could coach a client. IIN offered lectures and resources from the industry's top leaders. This program helped me understand that health is more than just what is on the plate. 

4) Have you had to defend the work of coaches and the training that goes on to become accredited/certified? 

At this time, I have not had to defend my work. I am in the early stages of coaching full-time, so I am cautious about who I let in. Just like any other area of holistic living, some believe, and some don't.

  5) Would there be innate skills that a person should/would have to feel they could be a "life" coach?

The best skill a life coach could have is genuinely listening to what the client is saying and what they are not. Listening is the key to a successful life coaching session. 

 6) What areas are covered in coaching sessions:nutrition? physical fitness? attitudes? Family make-up? -- could the list go on and on? 

Life is complicated, and areas overlap. The possibilities of what can come up in a coaching session are endless. 

As a coach, it is our responsibility to say in our lane and to educate ourselves continuously. 

7) During covid, will you meet in person as well as online? 

As of now, my coaching sessions take place over the phone or zoom. I love working with others in person; because of that, I plan to offer in-person outdoor sessions come the spring and summer.

 8) If someone were going to choose a life coach, what would they look for? Is "word of mouth" one of the best ways? Or, what would someone look for if they had a few to choose from? Meeting them of course would be big -- do you provide a no-obligation/initial consultation?

My advice for someone choosing a life coach would be to trust their intuition. Most coaches, myself included, offer a free 30-minute clarity call. This is an excellent way for the coach and client to see if they would be a good fit.

Word of mouth is another excellent way. Hearing about a positive experience a friend or family member had is helpful.

Following a potential coach on social media for a while is a great way to get to know them, see what they offer, and what others say about working with them. I have found coaches on membership boards, Facebook groups, and Instagram. 

 9) Is there a contract that you create, whereby the client can see if they are meeting their goals or some way to remain accountable?

 Life coaching is about meeting the client where they are in life. I have contact around finances, offerings, and other details but not meeting their goals. I think it's important to keep in mind that every client is different. They will have their own set of wins and challenges. One tool I use to set goals and hold them accountable is using the SMART ( Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Frame) goal method. This is a great tool to use during a coaching series. We also have bi-weekly calls to review what is working and what is not. This is the client's time to celebrate their wins and to adust anything that might be a challenge. 

10) You were headed towards a career in the corporate world, and over the years, as you've grown to know yourself more, you changed courses and went this route. Can you explain how that went?

When I first started working in corporate, I was in my early 20's and loved everything it had to offer. I loved commuting, city life, and all that came with working in the fashion industry. As I got older and gained more experience, all the glitz and glamour faded. 

After my 30th birthday, I started to experience anxiety around my job. I found it hard to sit at my desk, focus, and be present. After a while, this anxiety started to affect every area of my life, and it became hard to function. During this time, I found a book called, Add More ~ing to Your Life by Gabrielle Bernstein. This book changed my life by introducing me to a new way of living! I started journaling, meditating, and completing the different exercises in this book. I began to feel more like my old self in a few weeks. I consider this my first experience with coaching.  

I sat in my parent's yard one Saturday afternoon, reading this book. In one of the chapters, Gabrielle Bernstein explains what a life coach is and does. I intuitively knew this was meant to do with my life, but I did not act on this right away. 

 I started working with a life coach in 2016 to gain a better idea of what a life coach is, how they can help, and what I would have to do to become one. In the meantime, I left my corporate job for another corporate job and left that corporate job for another- but my anxiety got worse and worse. 

I started working with a therapist and was diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder. This diagnosis was a wake-up call for me to start living a more authentic life. It took a while, but I worked past my fears and resistance around coaching.

At the end of 2017, I left the corporate world for good and got a job at a local physical therapy office. I spent the last four years in different training programs and learning from other coaches. 

It was a lot of work, but I will be a full-time coach come this March.