As a business coach for entrepreneurs, I work with a lot of purpose-driven individuals who want to build a coaching business. Most of them strongly dislike the idea of relying on social media to find clients.
But we’re all constantly bombarded with ads, courses and programs that claim social media is the key to growing a thriving coaching businesses. People have social media accounts not only for their business but their pets too!
So, what’s the truth? Do we need social media to grow our business or can we find clients without having to post on our Stories every single day?
In this post, I will:
Explain why you don’t need to rely on social media to fill your coaching practice
Show helpful tips for using social media instead
Share how I built my business coaching for entrepreneurs practice without a single client coming from social media
In my experience as a business coach, there are three main reasons why coaches dislike the idea of promoting their business on social media:
They don’t like the idea of self-promotion. I believe it’s safe to say that coaches are focused on their clients’ success and helping them grow—and less focused on growing their IG followers. Coaches are used to being in someone’s corner, not necessarily being the center of attention.
They don’t know what to share online. By definition, coaches support their clients to discover their own answers and make their own decisions. Going on social media and delivering content to “educate” feels like the opposite of what we are taught by our coaching certification courses. Coaches feel like they don’t know what they should be posting about, and they can’t imagine recording a viral TikTok dance.
They don’t feel qualified to share. Most clients I work with deal with imposter syndrome and fear from negative comments. If you’ve ever thought: “Who am I to… [fill in the blank with give advice, call myself a coach, be an expert etc.],” then in addition to this post, also read this one.
I understand all of these concerns and I’d love to help you find your sweet spot with social media. I’d like you to walk away from this post with better and faster ways to gain clients.
But also, I’d like to help you overcome your fears with social media so you could be empowered to use it as your compliment to the rest of your marketing strategies and tactics.
Why You Don’t Need To Rely On Social Media To Find Coaching Clients
What made you think that you need social media to grow your business?
Let’s think about that for a moment. When did you start believing that you needed to have thousands of followers and a ton of content to attract your ideal customers to you?
There are two things that shaped this believe. The first one is that you’ve seen way too many ads and promotions for learning how to get clients with social media. There is an entire industry which profits from making you believe that if you buy their social media courses, you will fill up your practice. If these courses are really great, they’ll teach you strategies that will pay off—but will also take a LOT of time and a lot of effort.
But you need a strategy that gets you clients now.
In my opinion, social media is a complimentary tactic to your strategy, but not your main strategy for attracting clients.
Secondly, you follow some great people with amazing content and many followers. It makes you think that to have clients, you’ll need to do what they’re doing and that seems impossible.
It’s important to remember that these people could be doing something different with their business after years in the industry. They might have a specific niche that they’re experts in. And with years of practice in this niche, they’ve grown an audience. They’ve probably scaled their business where they’re no longer doing one-on-one coaching. They’re probably doing courses and trainings. They’re also amplifying their brand by utilizing other influencer’s platforms or big media channels.
For example, Matthew Hussey is a dating expert, but many people refer to him as a dating coach.
He started his one-on-one practice more than 15 years ago. With time, he started a YouTube channel, grew his email list and his social media. He offers books, courses and retreats. Matthew has 1 million followers on Instagram and millions of views of his YouTube videos. He has been a guest on many TV shows and podcasts since. Therefore, he’d multiplied his following by being guest on other platforms with millions of viewers.
His business strategy, video production quality and posting schedule won’t be yours. He has a team of experts that help him do all of this.
Moreover, you won’t be able to hire him as your dating coach! You can buy a book, a course or watch free videos but if you wanted your own dating coach, you’d need to find someone ELSE.
Do you see how unfair it is to compare yourself with some like that? You could aspire for your business to get on this level but how many people are you serving in the meanwhile? How are you helping people now? What are you going to be know for?
Tony Robbins is a famous business leader, strategists and best-selling author. Many know him as the original “life coach.” He has 5.8 million followers on Instagram. If I waste any time to compared myself with him, I’ll never be able to serve my amazing clients that I love so much. Plus, he’s not doing one-on-one coaching either. So why compare my business strategy to his?
Lastly, there are many people with enormous following, who make NO or little money from their thousands of followers. A big following doesn’t always equal paying customers!
If you want to fill up a one-on-one coaching practice, stay with me until the end because I’ll share with you what you can do to get PAYING clients.
How To Use Social Media As A Coach
How do people hire coaches?
As a business coach for entrepreneurs, I’ve never gotten a single client from my social media accounts. It’s fair to say that I haven’t scaled my business to 7 or 8 figures yet but I do have a coaching practice that most coaches would love to have. I work with 15 clients on average, over the phone, from home, and around my parenting schedule. Moreover, most of my clients fill up their practices without using social media as well.
When I started my own business, I worked with my own business coach for entrepreneurs. Since those days, I’ve worked with a couple more coaches and they were all running great practices. None of the coaches I’ve hired, I found on social media. Lastly, I don’t think they have Facebook or Instagram accounts for their businesses. They do have LinkedIn but that still isn’t their primary source for getting clients.
If you were to hire a business coach for entrepreneurs, what would you do?
I doubt that you’ll go on Facebook searching for one. Most likely, you’ll type up “business coach for entrepreneurs” in a search engine like Google, Yahoo or Bing.
Then, you’ll get some results. You’ll see some ads, some articles with top business coaches for local businesses. Maybe you’ll poke around for a bit and find a few names that interest you. You’ll check out these people’s websites and you’ll narrow down your search to the ones you liked. I’d imagine you’ll hope to see some reviews or testimonials to inspire you to take the next step.
Then, you’ll make a little more research on your favorites. If you’re ready, you’ll get in touch with them. You may schedule a consultation or send an email based on their set up. Maybe, you’ll also see their social media accounts on their website, and you’ll go and check out their content. If it continued to confirm your hypothesis about who they are and what they offered, you’ll most likely go back to get in touch with them.
That leads me to the second major point of this post: how to use social media to grow your coaching business.
In my opinion, your social media profiles are your business cards. It’s an extension to your website. It’s a way to showcase to your prospects who you are and what you’re about. They should be able to see what kind of person you are, what services you offer or what your niche is. They should feel like they like you even more after visiting your IG or LinkedIn profile.
A prospect may follow you after finding you on the web so they can hire you at a later time when they’re ready or if they feel more confident that you can help them. So, your content should continue to showcase how you help your clients. That way, they’ll have the clarity that they need to take action.
Here are a few tips for how to use social media as a coach:
Be generous. Help all the people who can’t afford you (yet). Use your platform to serve. Plus, you never know how these fans will support you in other ways.
Give away your knowledge and expertise. Paying clients will come to you for the personal connection and individualized support. There are people who will follow you for the free resources. But there always will be people who want someone to help them with their specific needs, one-on-one.
Focus on the topics you work on with your clients. If you haven’t had any clients yet, hurry up and get some! You need experience to help you make content that speaks to people. One can only intellectualize so much what you think people’s pain points really are. You can also think of all the things you struggled with years ago. Speak about what specific things helped you overcome them.
Where To Find Clients Outside Of Social Media
Now you may wonder how you’re actually going to get clients. And I promised to help you.
The first thing I do with my clients is create a vision for their lives and businesses. Then, we work on their mission statement and their purpose statement that are rooted in their values. Finally, we create the strategy of how they’re going to go about filling up their practice.
Together, we determine what are their superpowers, skills and talents. Based on their niche and ideal client, we find the easiest, fastest and cheapest ways to present themselves in front of these people.
Some of my clients network like crazy on Clubhouse. Others have a network of connections from previous businesses or a career. A third group, may be speakers and writers that attract clients through their work.
My strategy is being a well-established local business that could be easily found on the internet. I strive to be the most respected and trusted business coach for entrepreneurs in San Diego.
I make sure that when people search a business coach near me, they find me. And when they do, I want to make an impression that helps them determine if I am the right fit for them. My 5-star client reviews help my prospects learn more about me from actual clients who were in their shoes.
My website showcases who I am and what I do. It reflects my client’s experience. When they get on the phone with me, they already know what they can expect.
I picked my content and my pictures in a way that are consistent with my brand. I’ve used other tactics like paid ads, SEO, and marketing agencies to help me set everything up. I’ve also taken B School, the business program by Marie Forleo. It helped me build my brand and I learned a ton about online marketing.
With years of my own experience as an entrepreneur, coach, and a passion for business and marketing, I can help YOU, design your own business strategy that’s based on your strengths, niche and ideal client. In other words, I’ve read all the books, took the courses, hired the marketing agencies and tried all the things so you don’t have to!
Get in touch with a business coach for entrepreneurs here and start created a strategy that works for you!
As a Business Coach based in San Diego, I work with fantastic entrepreneurs and business professionals. Many of them had to overcome their personal mindset challenges to be on their A-game. Today, I’d like to share one fresh mindset to help you overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt.
One thing that makes me sad as a business coach is coaching phenomenal human beings and professionals who are being held back by imposter syndrome. I see successful adults from all walks of lives getting in their own way—and it’s such a shame.
Often we feel like we haven’t earned our seat at the table. We believe that we should have to struggle more or work harder to qualify to go after what we want. We find ourselves asking…
“Who am I to call myself [INSERT DESIRED TITLE HERE]?”
My business coaching clients often fear that someone will judge them for not being the right kind of expert in their respective field, or that there are ALL these other people with the same title who are doing things much better. So they shrink themselves, get more education, settle for less pay or set their prices at the bottom of the market.
But when we embark on a new journey, it takes time for a new part of our identity to integrate and settle in.
I remember my first networking events in San Diego as a business coach. I was certified and had passion and experience supporting people one-on-one—but being dressed up in business casual attire and introducing myself to attorneys, insurance agents, realtors and people in high tech was overwhelming. I felt like I didn’t belong there. I was worried that others were more professional, more established and more intelligent.
Most of the people who I encountered back then didn’t really understand what a business coach did, nor did I do a great job explaining it. It took time, experience and coaching for me to fully own who I am and what I am great at.
By the way, some of these folks I met back then are still my friends. So I was wrong.
Today I’d like to share with you some of the things that have helped me and my clients to shift our mindsets so we could overcome the imposter syndrome. Because when you do that, you can start putting your work out there. Because out there is where your ideal customers are—not in our heads.
San Diego Business Coach’s #1 Mindset For Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase: “There is someone out there already doing what you’re dreaming about with less experience.”
I agree with this statement, and I think it’s powerful.(But not enough….keep reading) While you’re sitting here, overthinking how you’re going to break it to the world that you’re launching a coaching business, writing a book or starting a non-profit, there’s someone out there with half of your experience already doing it. And doing it without worrying about getting negative reviews or passive aggressive comments from their relatives on Facebook.
I’d imagine taking this one on is somewhat helpful. Maybe it will help you take a few more steps towards putting yourself out there. But let’s take it even a step further.
What if you knew that there are people who are already doing what you dream about and don’t care about it as much as you do?
Imagine that there are people serving your ideal customer right now or holding your dream job not only with less knowledge but with less heart, passion, integrity and professionalism.
It’s sad but it’s the truth. There are people serving coffee without worrying about curating the best customer experience in the neighborhood. There are people who call themselves coaches and try to sell you on a crazy expensive program without ever coaching a single client. There are writers who paid someone else to write their best-selling book. There are creators who do the minimum effort hoping you won’t know better. There are makers who choose the cheapest way to produce their product so they can make the biggest profit while sacrificing the quality they promised customers.
If you’re held back by imposter syndrome, I’m willing to bet that means you care a lot about the work you want to do. I’d make a bet that you want to deliver excellent work to the people who need it the most. And because of that, you’re already miles ahead of the competition.
Your audience deserves someone like you to create something of quality for them. So go out there and put your service, product or experience out in the world and make sure to let people know how much you want to exceed their expectations.
Moreover, positioning yourself as different to the rest who don’t care about quality as much as you do, could be the way you market yourself—and it’s probably what will end up making you successful.
And if you need to hear it from a business coach: Your commitment to delivering something great could be your superpower.
And if you feel like you’re one step closer to your goal and you’re ready to take yourself to the next level, schedule yourself a free consultation and chat with me. I’m committed to being a business coach based in San Diego (but working with people around the world) well-known for her professionalism, excellence and integrity ☺
Today, I’d like to share my 7 books that entrepreneurs must read list. Because a few things ring true for all entrepreneurs: we need to continue to learn, adapt, and stay inspired and motivated.
If it’s easier, just click the link below if you’d like to watch a video I recorded with the list of books.
Without growth and inspiration, we risk being just a clog in the wheel of our business rather than the leader who elevates the business to the next level.
These 7 books for entrepreneurs are must-reads because they teach new skills, perspectives, strategies, and tactics. Moreover, they’ll keep you inspired and motivated to keep moving forward with your business.
Entrepreneurship is a journey with high peaks of joy, pride and satisfaction—and low slumps of desperation, exhaustion and despair.
As a business coach who works primarily with entrepreneurs, I’ve learned that the ones who have more peaks than lows (and continuously produce quality work and results) have a few things in common. First, they’re my business coaching clients (please excuse the shameless plug-in but I had to). Second they are learners, and lastly, they belong to a larger group of entrepreneurs (professional organizations, clubs, masterminds etc.)
To be on my A-game, I stay “plugged in” as I shared in this entrepreneur magazine. You’ll need to find your ways to stay plugged in as well. Whether you enjoy listening to audiobooks in the car or on a walk, or you’d prefer propping up on the couch with a hard copy, I hope you find these 7 books entrepreneurs must read useful.
First, I’ll give you the list of the 7 books all entrepreneurs must read with one sentence of why it would be great to read. Then, I’ll share a little bit of what I got out of each book.
7 Books Entrepreneurs Must Read: The List
Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo: a fantastic book that gives you a great entrepreneurial mindset.
One Thingby Gary Keller. You’ll learn how to focus, prioritize, and be productive.
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This book will help you understand branding, advertising, and how you can make your business stand out.
Marie Forleo walks you through your challenges like a wise and ultra business-savvy older sister. Her tone is kind, caring, inspiring and honest. I kept this book on my nightstand and read diligently every evening. It was fun and insightful enough to make me go to bed on time so I could read a few pages. If you feel stuck, at a crossroads or in need of clarity—this book is a must read.
This book will help you express your story, your brand and your mission in a way that will make clients and customers pick up what you’re putting down. If you are starting a business or looking to freshen up your website, message or mission, this book will be on your go-to tool. In 2020, I started a separate brand. I read this book twice to help me express well the vision I had in my head. It helped me write the copy of my website but also choose everything branding related.
I love this book so much. I’ve read it cover to cover twice and I randomly pick it up and read from it when I can. It’ll give you a holistic perspective about your business and your mission. Reading it, you’ll find clarity, support and many new perspectives. You’ll want to be a better person and entrepreneur after reading this and you probably will be.
I feel Like I shouldn’t even be telling you about this book so I will be the only one with the tools and wisdom Jay shares in this book. It’s literally packed with strategy and tactics for the entrepreneurs of our time. It is a book all entrepreneurs must read because you’ll learn things relevant for a start up all the way to insider information from the world of the top business in the world.
This book will help you be on your A-game. You’ll learn how to stay in top mental and physical shape. Plus, it will break down how to stay inspired and motivated. It’s packed with research and practical tips. Brendon coaches most business thought leaders we all follow and has an insane amount of output in the form of educational videos, courses and tools.
This is another must-read for entrepreneurs, as it will give you a ton of useful and practical tools. With these tools, you’ll know how to spend your time most effectively. You’ll be more focused and productive. But most importantly—you’ll walk away with some wisdom nuggets on what is truly important in life and business.
I learned a ton about traditional advertising, and how the big household brands became top dogs. It will help you understand how you can position your brand in a way that your clients understand who you are, how you’re different and, therefore, be the obvious choice. I listened to it on audio while driving and found it amusing and insightful. Since I listened to it, I can’t unsee positioning everywhere in business or in life.
These 7 books entrepreneurs must read are one fantastic tool to help you succeed in life and business. A couple of other key components for holistic success is having your own business coach for entrepreneurs and having a strong community to belong to.
If you feel like my coaching might be a good fit for you, don’t be shy! Schedule a complimentary consultation and chat with me. I might be a bookworm and a little bit of a nerd but according to my 5-star Google and Yelp reviews, I’m also funny 😉 And therefore- not intimidating.
P.S. This is my positioning: a business and marketing coach nerd that’s also funny and non-intimidating.
P.S.S. If you purchased any of this book from the links I shared, I’ll be very grateful and I’ll probably also be compensated with a small commission. (Sharing the links is a tedious task that I never knew I’d need to do as an entrepreneur, but here we are).
You’ve heard about business coaches for entrepreneurs, and you also have a business idea or a launch in the making. Most of my clients are usually not sure exactly how hiring a coach would benefit them. And of course, they often wonder if it makes sense to invest a portion of their capital in a coach.
Those are all valid questions. In this post I’ll give you the information you need to make the right decision for you.
As a coach who works primarily with entrepreneurs but also an entrepreneur who hires business coaches, I believe I have an insight you may find valuable 🙂.
So—How Does A Business Coach For Entrepreneurs Accelerate Your Launch?
#1 Clarity Creates Motivation
When we’re on our own (speaking from experience here), we tend to get tired from work and all our adult responsibilities. We want to spend our weekends recharging and getting ready for another busy week. We love our business idea, but we rarely get around making significant progress.
I’ve been there, and I get it.
I had this coaching business in my head for months before I launched it. The website you see, any logos, blogs, and even pictures were all created in the safe container of working with my own business coach.
I too had limited time, multiple competing priorities and practically no budget.
A great business coach for entrepreneurs will help you get very clear and specific about your personal purpose, your vision for your life, and the mission of the business.
Once you know exactly what you are creating and how it fits with your vision of success, you’ll find the time and energy you’ll need to invest to make your dream a reality.
A great coach will help you find areas of your life that drain you. Step by step, you’ll eliminate energy vampires and create new ways to make time.
I know it sounds like a hefty promise but it’s continued to be true for me each time I was creating my three separate brands. For a while, they seem impossibly challenging to bring to life and dreamy, but with the right support, you’ll find a way to bring them to life.
#2 Alignment Brings Inspiration
You and your business coach for entrepreneurs should know exactly what your top four-five values are (BTW—here is a link to a detailed post I wrote about this with an exercise to help you identify your values if you’re struggling).
When you know exactly what’s important to you, you can see what makes your business idea special to you.
Sometimes we forget why we decided to start our business. Usually, my clients haven’t talked about why they started the business to begin with in a while. The more we uncover their motivation and how it fits in with their values, the more inspired they feel.
When we align our actions with what’s most precious to us (your mission) that’s when we become unstoppable.
For example, my values are family, well-being, wisdom, connection and fulfilment. Being a professional business coach for entrepreneurs is in perfect alignment with my values.
The flexibility of the business allows me to spend quality time with my family. It’s in the best interest of my business for me to be in an exceptional physical, mental and spiritual shape- that’s well-being.
My passion for wisdom drives me to be constantly learning about myself, universal truths, the human experience which is in perfect alignment with being a great coach.
My love for connection makes supporting others in their own pursuit of fulfillment extremely satisfying. Being in that kind of alignment makes me feel fulfilled.
#3 A Strategic Plan Drives Consistent Action
Together with your coach, you’ll create a strategy for your business. From that strategy, you’ll set goals and priorities. Then, you’ll break down the goals into tasks that you can execute weekly.
If you’ve been procrastinating working on your business, it’s because you were overwhelmed and you didn’t know where to start.
It seemed so big and confusing, it made you open a can of hard kombucha, a bag of popcorn and turn on an episode of Schitt’s Creek. This is a fictional scenario. The details were not inspired from personal experience.
When you start working with a coach, all of this ambiguity will go to the wayside. There have been so many times I hung up the phone with my coach and I was ready for action. When you know the exact step that is in the right direction, you’re 1000% more likely to take that step.
#4 A Well-balanced Life Priorities Increase Performance And Results
If you spend some time finding the right coach for you, they’ll probably have a holistic approach to business and success. They wouldn’t allow you to go all out and grind at any cost.
Having a business is more like a marathon, you have to pace your energy. And as a long-distance athlete you’ll have to hydrate, eat healthy, exercise daily and have a team of professionals supporting you.
A great entrepreneur coach will make sure you’re enjoying a good work-life balance and you’re having fun while you are on your journey.
Often left on our own devices, we forget to embrace the journey. We wait to be happy and proud until we reach a certain milestone.
Your business coach will make sure you remember who you are and what’s truly important.
When you are at your best physically, mentally and spiritually, you make great choices that save you money, time and energy.
Your business coach will identify areas where you can grow, stretch or change your mindset around. They’ll watch out for blind spots and they’ll challenge your current perspective. Often, this will result in saving a TON of time and money.
If I get a dollar each time a client had a breakthrough and made a different choice that saved them time and energy, I’ll have a few hundred bucks, lol.
#5 Coaching + Support + Accountability = Courage To Be Bold
Self-doubt creeps in even in clients who I’ve worked with who already have 7-figure businesses. When you do something new and big, there’ll be overwhelm, imposter syndrome, fear of criticism, fear of competition, and a few more unique limiting beliefs that you’ll encounter. A coach will be there every step of the way to help you with what you need to move past them.
Working with the right coach will provide you with the space to think everything through, to feel supported and confident in your decisions. After working with your coach for a while, they’ll just get you. Moreover, they’ll know you so well that when they encourage you or they assure you that you’ve got what it takes, you’ll know in your core that it’s true.
Hearing from my own coach what he thinks I do well and hearing his words of encouragement are always a superpower. Coaches don’t B.S. you. If they are good, they speak little and what they say is impactful.
#6 Managing The Shiny Object Syndrome Saves Time And Energy
One thing that entrepreneurs have in common is great new ideas and passion to pursue them. In a way, that’s a blessing and a curse. Having multiple competing business ideas or projects makes it hard to bring even one of them to full fruition.
Working with a business coach will help you choose your main priority and stay on track with that. You can still entertain all your other new and shiny ideas. But a great coach will be curious. They’ll ask lots of questions to help you uncover your drivers and motivators.
Sometimes we are so inspired, we come up with a ton of new ideas. But not all great ideas are in alignment with our mission and values. We just have to write those ideas down and revisit them again later to see if they feel more relevant.
#7 Spotting Self-sabotaging Behaviors Save You Lots Of Time And Money
It’s very intriguing that sometimes we self-sabotage by creating new distractions. When our current project is starting to feel overwhelming, we tend to find something else that seems easier, more financially lucrative or suddenly more exciting.
The opportunity to play smaller or to have found “an easy way” could be energizing and therefore blinding. A great entrepreneur coach will help you spot what’s really going on so you can stay the course.
But that doesn’t mean that success has to be difficult.
Just the opposite. Sometimes clients find the longest and most challenging line between A and B because they have an established belief that they have to struggle to get to what they really want.
Working with a great business coach for entrepreneurs is trained to recognize that pattern as well. They’ll help you find new ways to achieve your goals without the hustle and the struggle.
Another self-sabotaging practice I’ve seen as a business coach for entrepreneurs is that clients attract expensive shortcuts that promise quick results.
For example, a client with a small practice was approached by a marketing company. They had convinced her that if she invested about $3,000 a month for 6 months with them, she’d have hundreds of new clients.
In general, there’s nothing wrong with online marketing and finding a ton of new clients but that’s not what my client was trying to build.
She already had a great practice and she was looking to increase her impact in other ways. She could use a couple of extra clients to help her fund her other projects but having any more than that was going to take her off track her bigger purpose.
When we spoke in depth about this opportunity, we identified the reason she got so excited about the prospect of dozens of new clients. She felt as if she needed to have a full practice for credibility for her other projects.
But by asking her the right questions, she recognized that a full practice wouldn’t allow her to have the time to invest in the other projects. And those projects were her main priority. Also, she didn’t need a certain number of clients to be more credible than other experts in her field.
I hope by now you are quickly trying to navigate towards my Get In Touch page so you can send me a message or schedule your free consultation.
I have an extraordinary passion for business and marketing and I’d love to talk shop with you. Especially if you liked my GIFs.
And if you hated my GIFs but you still want to hire a coach (just not me), here is a link to another helpful post I wrote about How to Hire A Business Coach.
You’ve been doing what you do for a long time and you are great at it. You’ve experienced success and things are going well. However, you’ve had this feeling for a while that something is off. Maybe you feel like what you are doing isn’t right anymore, like you’ve outgrown it. Is it time for a career change?
You just keep wondering if there’s something more meaningful and fulfilling that you could be doing. Something that could give you a better work-life balance or make you more money.
Then, you start having doubts and set those ideas for a career change aside. After all, you’ve come so far. What you have going on is good. If it’s not broken, why fix it?
But you can only ignore that gut feeling for so long. And a few days later, that feeling returns.
And you start to wonder if you are really ready for a career change, then why you haven’t taken any action yet?
If you are anything like my clients (or me before I switched careers in my 30s and became a coach) you may be wondering why someone as driven as you feels paralyzed and stuck.
In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned about changing careers as a business coach who has worked with dozens of people who were once in your shoes.
You’ll learn exactly why you haven’t taken any action YET. You’ll learn what the common experiences, fears and limiting beliefs other people go through. And by seeing that your challenges are extremely common, you’ll feel less stuck and more motivated to find the right solutions for you.
As a bonus, I’ll share some thought-provoking questions to help you move one step closer to clarity on what you’d like out of your career and what your next steps should be.
After reading this post, you’ll be able to either put your career change ideas to rest or start taking steps in the right direction.
Career Change Paralysis Reason #1
You’re great at what you’re currently doing.
Most people who hire me to help them with a career change are absolutely fantastic at what they’ve been doing for a living. Their company and co-workers appreciate them and acknowledge them as the experts in their role. Others are owners of 7-figure businesses. Their title is part of their personality and who the world knows them to be.
Therefore, a career change would be really shocking to anyone around them. You may have a hard time even imagining yourself having to explain to everyone you know that you are no longer a product manager but a business consultant for environmental non-profits.
It’s very challenging and counterintuitive to leave something behind that’s already great.
When people know you as a great accountant, lawyer, IT, marketing director or etc., it’s hard to justify a huge life-change.
The tension comes from wondering if there is something more meaningful or that would bring you more fulfilment?
One of the solutions is to start detaching who you are from what you do. Your profession or your title is a big part of your journey and life experience but it doesn’t define you. You may have to spend some time grieving this part of your life and celebrating all the great things that have come from it.
When I was deciding to step away from my role as a Fitness Manager, I had a hard time thinking about leaving something I’ve worked so hard for. I busted my butt for years to be in that role. Also, I was used to being someone who had a team of people who relied on me for help and support. I really enjoyed being able to save the day and help people out.
I realized that I was relying on this role to feel more powerful and in more control. At the time, starting a small business felt like a step down and a less glorious title.
But I just knew with every cell in my body that I couldn’t be a Fitness Manager for much longer. I felt that it was great while it lasted. My coach at the time pointed out that leaving didn’t mean that it wasn’t the right thing or that I was wrong for having pursued this career. It just meant that I’ve learned what I needed and it was time for something different.
Question to ponder: Can I live in peace for the rest of my life not finding out if there is something else out there for me that could bring me more fulfilment?
Career Change Paralysis Reason #2
You are making good (or great) money..
Yep. Most people seeking a career change are mostly satisfied with their income. Therefore, they are finding it harder to justify their desire to be doing something else. I recently spoke to a gentleman who has hit his financial goals for 20 years in a row. He thought that would have been enough but deep down he knew something was still missing.
Being good at what we do and being compensated accordingly doesn’t always bring us the levels of joy and fulfilment we hoped for.
You may be afraid of taking a pay cut, whether it’s small or massive. Often, we assume that if we love what we do or if we start over with something else that would immediately mean we’d make less money.
Instead of fearing that we’d make less money, we can just set a standard for our future role. That standard is a certain financial requirements. And if an opportunity presents itself but it doesn’t meet that criteria, then, it’s not the right opportunity.
Question to ponder: Wouldn’t it be cool if I found a different way to make a living that’s both lucrative and deeply meaningful to me?
Career Change Paralysis Reason #3
You don’t know what your next career or business will be yet.
That’s anothervery common challenge I see with people who reach out for career change coaching. They are curious about their options and are longing for something different but they don’t know what it is YET.
Because you don’t know what you will be doing next, you assume then you must be wrong to have the desire for a career change.
However, you can think of it as a game of elimination—at least you know all the things you don’t want to be doing. If you’ve been in finance for 20 years and you don’t want to be in finance any more, now you have that data as a starting point.
During one of our first sessions, I ask my clients to make a list of all the things that they know for sure they won’t do. It’s a great first step that helps them start seeing a little more light in the dark.
Not knowing what you’ll do next is not a problem. Figuring it out is just a step in the process.
It’s like a puzzle and you just have to put a few more pieces down before it becomes obvious to you what the next piece is.
Career Change Paralysis Reason #4
You feel guilty to want more than what you already have.
It’s very common for my clients to battle with feelings of guilt. You too may feel like you are being ungrateful for wanting more out of life. Do you feel like there are millions of people who would do anything to be in your shoes?
Those feelings are very normal and speak greatly of your character, not poorly.
However, there is a difference between being greedy and aspiring to reach for your potential.
Is there something inside you that’s nudging you? It maybe pointing you to grow and stretch differently. Maybe it’s trying to say that there might be a great opportunity to live more fully. Or it might be saying that there is a way to serve even better.
Maybe you have a deep feeling that there has to be more out there than this, then why not pursue that dream? If life is truly about the journey and not the destination, then keep going on the journey.
Question to ponder: Could there be an even better use of my talents that would make a bigger difference not only for me but for others?
Bonus: Could my work make a bigger difference because I am paid better, more fulfilled, or just happier?
Career Change Paralysis Reason #5
I’m too young or too old to switch careers or start a business.
I’ve worked with both cases—people who graduated only two years ago. They got a great job right out the gate but hate what they’re doing. And I’ve worked with people who had the same job for 20+ years and they wonder if it’s too late.
I think we’ve all seen the infographics with the ages of different millionaires. They started their business or career at an unorthodox age. We’ve also heard the stories of people getting a “no” dozens of times. Or stories of people being told to give up on their dream but they finally made it—Michael Jordan with basketball and J.K Rowling with Harry Potter.
Therefore, we know that it’s been done. There are people around the world already doing what you want to do. And they are probably doing it with less knowledge or talent or doing something braver at a younger or older age you think it’s normal.
What’s conventionally done is not always the best—and it may just not be your path.
A big part of the journey of a career change is accepting that you’ll have to do something unconventional or big that you didn’t plan to do.
One of the biggest challenges that you’ll have to overcome is your own ideas of what you thought your life was going to be versus what your life is unfolding to be.
You can kick, scream and resist or go with the natural flow.
Sometimes great things come to an end. That end doesn’t mean the great thing wasn’t the right thing at the time. Athletes are great examples. Usually they reach an age at which they have to retire and do something different. That doesn’t mean that their sport’s career wasn’t awesome. It just means that it runs its natural course.
In conclusion, we change, we grow and we evolve. Part of our life journey is to accept the things we didn’t expect. Having a lot of emotions around a career change is normal.
Notice what your emotions are, honor them and determine what you need at this time of your life.
Also, be patient with yourself. Momentum takes time to build up. Everyone has a different threshold that they need to reach before they are ready to take action.
If you have a hard time getting to your threshold—the good news is that you don’t have to do this alone. Reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation and see if coaching is the right tool for you.
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” -Maya Angelou
When you need to persevere and put in consistent effort to reach your dreams, where do you look for motivation? What drives you? Do you seek out validation? Are you fired up by proving people wrong? Including yourself?
To me, proving to others that we are capable of achieving something has always felt like a useless pursuit. Why bother trying to show people who didn’t believe in you in the first place how amazing you are? What makes their their opinions matter? Why would anyone want to organize their life around showing the “haters” that they were wrong?
But for some reason—up until recently—proving myself wrong has always been a valid motivator.
Today, I’d like to explore the “whys” behind our motivation and what drives us to achieve.
First, let’s take a deeper look at using “proving others wrong” as motivation
You may have seen this motivation play out on talent shows like America’s Got Talent. A performer gets on stage and shares that they’ve had a terrible experience with bullying, which inspired their act. Then, the judges say something like: “Show those bullies how great you are.”
In my opinion, this is the exact opposite of what anyone would want to do. Bullies, haters and non-supporters of our vision shouldn’t be given the spotlight—they should be ignored.
By showing them anything, you’re making their opinion of you more important than your opinion of you.
Moreover, you don’t need any crazy talent or 7 figures in the bank to show the world that you’re great. If that was true, then we’re basically saying that people who don’t have great talent or find success deserve to be bullied.
Nobody deserves to be put down or to be mistreated. Period. No proof of coolness or skill is required.
I’d imagine that there is a short boost of satisfaction to show somebody that they were wrong about you, but that’s all coming from our ego and a place of lack and insecurity. Any time we’re looking for confirmation from the outside world regarding anything, we can use it as an indicator to show us where we need to love ourselves more. Those are the parts of you that need more love and compassion from you—not the outside world.
Which leads me to peeling back another layer of the onion.
What if we’re on the quest to prove ourselves something? What if what’s driving you is your desire to show yourself you can do something?
I hadn’t pondered this question much until I had a conversation with a client a couple of weeks ago. We’ve been working on creating a more joyful and purposeful life. We’ve had several conversations around her values, her goals and her current beliefs about herself.
One big theme was achievement. She craved achieving big things and it was one of her strongest drivers. I asked several questions to try to understand the root of the motivation for achievement. It’s important as her coach to know what is driving her behaviour and how her values became what they are today. Was it a family value? Something she intrinsically felt drawn to? Or did achievement become a value to compensate for something?
After a very thought-provoking and insightful conversation, my client concluded that it was important for her to prove to herself that she is capable of achieving her goals. She assumed that after achieving these goals, she’d feel more confident in herself and be more fulfilled.
Because I was coaching someone else, it was easy for me to see how exhausting it must be to try to convince your own self that you’re capable. The question: “What would you do if you had nothing to prove to yourself?” rolled out with ease. I continued: “What would you be focusing on if you just believed that you are already capable? Could we skip the step of proving yourself?”
There was a significant amount of silence after this question. My client was really considering how much easier her life would be if she did what she wanted to do because she wanted to do it; because it was bringing her joy to do it; or because the driving motivations was the love for that particular interest. Not the collection of evidence she needed firstso she can give herself permission to be fulfilled.
So it made me think about the ways I’ve been trying to prove to myself that I’m capable of achieving my hefty goals. I often think about what is that that I want and what is making me want it. Somehow proving to myself that I am able to do something big and significant was a good kind of motivation.
What about you? What drives you?
Spend a moment thinking about your biggest accomplishments. What were the driving motivators for you at the time?
My motivation has always been a mix of fulfilling my potential, using my gifts to make a difference and a dose of showing myself that I can do big things.
But when I remembered my conversation with my client, it really reminded me that a lot of my drive for achievement comes from wanting to make myself proud as well.
Does that mean there are two selves within me? One sitting there giving approval, feeling proud, and another one hustling to earn it? How crazy of an idea is that? I’d imagine it’s just as crazy as trying to show your bullies that you’re actually awesome!
So then—what is a healthy motivation to move us forward?
The first thoughts that pop into my head are the words of Seth Godin from This Is Marketing: “making things better.” Also, Sadghuro’s words from his recent interview with Lewis Howes for the School of Greatness Podcast who talked about the difference between chasing happiness and being an expression of joy instead. And lastly, one of my favorite thinkers- Edghkart Tolle who suggests in his book A New Earth to use joy and enthusiasm as clues that guide you on your journey.
So I’m leaving you here with these questions to ponder:
What would you be doing if you had nothing to prove to anyone, including yourself?
What drives you to be a better version of yourself? Are those drivers coming from a place of love or fear?
What are the ways that your life could be an expression of joy?
Could you build your life equation with your worthiness and capabilities being a constant instead of variables dependent on an external measure?
Could you just focus on the variables of love and joy?
What would be different in the way you experience life?
As usual, I’m available for your questions and comments. Shoot me your thoughts at info@coachkalina.com. I love hearing from you!
And if you want to explore those questions and how you can bring more meaning and purpose in your life and work, schedule your free coaching consultation at www.coachkalina.com/get-in-touch.
The universe is cold and indifferent yet simultaneously gives birth to all we find meaningful and beautiful—how are both true and false at the sametime?
This is not a riddle or a paradox. The universe is outside of the scope of our ability to define in terms of its quality of having meaning. A fish cannot say if it feels wet or knows the shape of the ocean because those descriptions are beyond the reference point of the fish’s perspective.
Does this mean that the universe is meaningless? No. In fact, the universe is full of meaning—it’s meaningful. Everything we find important and valuable is part of the universe and the universe is responsible for what we hold as sacred. Meaning emerges from non-meaning, much like a
rainbow emerges from droplets of water and sunlight or temperature emerges from the movement of particles but cannot be measured or isolated within any single particle.
Why is this important?
First, there is a tendency to see things dualistically. We want hard boundaries so we can categorize things because it makes it convenient for us:
Male & Female
Me & Other
Meaning & Non-meaning
But things are not so simple; they are non-dual.
We search for meaning and expect the experience of finding it to be clear and obvious, when in fact things are complex and nuanced, and we often look in the wrong places. Meaning is everywhere and it’s right in front of us but it’s also elusive. When we think we’ve found it, we can’t see it. Much like the rainbow, there must be the right perspective and the right conditions for it to be seen but it can’t be grasped.
So, if we want to bring more meaning into our life, we need to cultivate the right conditions and be in the right state of mind where we can receive it. We must let go of our egos and stop our futile attempt to endlessly control everything.
When we fully let go of our egos, we realize that we are not separate from the universe. Albert Einstein once said to the effect, “our feeling of being separate from the universe is a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.” It is in this place where we can sense and feel the meaning that is in all experiences.
I’ve been a certified Life Coach in San Diego since late 2016, and one thing I know for sure is that most people have no clue what a Life Coach does.
The misconceptions I’ve heard about my job are longer than my to-do list on a Monday morning. I’ve had Bumble dates ask me ridiculous questions about what I do for a living (some of them quite inappropriate), and even close friends are curious about how exactly I help my clients and what “kind of people” hire me. And most of the inquiries I get for life coaching are from people who’ve never worked with a coach before and are not sure what to expect. If my experience tells us anything, it’s that the life coaching profession needs a little better publicity.
And so in this article, I’m going to give you ALL the information you want to know if you’ve ever thought about hiring a Life Coach and or even becoming one.
As a certified and accredited Life Coach (some would say the best Life Coach in San Diego 😉) I understand the ins and outs of the profession. I’ve worked with multiple coaches who, like me, have also been accredited with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I also actively participate in the field by continuing my education, connecting with other coaches, and participating in local San Diego Life Coaching chapters. In addition to all my coaching work and hobbies, I’ve worked with other similar practitioners as well, so I’ll be sharing with you what the difference is between life coaching and therapy, and the difference between people with a title “coach” and certified life coaches. And finally, I’ve also coached a few life coaches to become life coaches themselves.
I want you to know about ALL the benefits of working with a Life Coach, why get a Life Coach, what is a career coach, what does a Life Coach do for you, how much does a good Life Coach charge and so much more. You’ll gain enough information to know the answers of questions like:
What do I look for in a Life Coach?
How do I find the right Life Coach?
What does a Life Coach do for you?
Because of my personal experience working with coaches and the massive impact it’s had on my life, I’m passionate about spreading awareness of this life-changing partnership. If you’d like to hear more about my personal story, you can read it here.
To be 100% honest, before I got certified as a Life Coach, I was pretty confused as well. Once I dove into the field, I was so fascinated with the power of coaching and the results it gave me and how it changed my life that I could not wait to work my butt off to become a top Life Coach in San Diego. I have a passion to support people to live their “Best-Case Scenario” in life. And part of this passion is making sure I spread the word about life coaching so more people can know about the service and transform their lives to align with their dreams.
So let’s get started.
#1 What is a Life Coach?
A Life Coach is a strategic partner who helps you achieve your goals and reach your potential. A Life Coach is someone who is highly trained to help you close the gap between where you are in life right now and where you’d like to be in the future.
For someone to become a Life Coach, they’ll need to obtain a life coaching certification. If they go on to become accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), they’ll need to complete rigorous coursework, a number of hours working with a mentor coach, pass a test, complete hundreds of coaching hours and demonstrate their coaching skills.
They’ll also have to follow the ICF code of ethics and continue their education to maintain their credentials.
It’s important to note that anyone can call themselves a coach. There are many people who call themselves coaches but are not certified. Rather, they have a specific expertise that can help you with a specific problem, similar to a consultant. However, that’s not technically a Life Coach. Certified coaches use proven methods to help their clients find their own creative solutions. In other words, the best life coaches are extremely impactful because they help you become successful on your own terms in a way that’s authentic to you. They don’t use a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all blueprint to “change your life.” Instead, they help you play to your strengths and rely on your own internal wisdom and guidance to create real, sustainable change.
Some new professions are using the word “coach” for a lack of an existing term or because their current title has gained some negative reputation. I’ve seen people from the sales and marketing field as well as palm readers call themselves coaches to make their service seem more appealing.
#2 What should I look for in a Life Coach?
If you’re looking to work with a professional, highly-skilled and qualified coach then make sure to check their credentials, expertise and experience.
Ideally, you’d like your coach to have a life coaching certification, coaching experience or at least similar experience and real client testimonials.
In addition to their qualifications, you’d like to make sure that your coach is empathetic, kind, open, direct, honest, and matches your needs. Get clear on what type of coach would be best for you. I work best with people who are empathetic, goal-oriented, business savvy, spiritual, not afraid to challenge, and who enjoy living life to the fullest. I like to be pushed a little past my comfort zone while feeling like they understand my challenges.
Here are some questions you can ask a Life Coach to see if you two will be a good fit:
Who are your favorite clients to work with?
What does a typical coaching session look like?
What are your client’s biggest accomplishments?
Have you worked with a Life Coach yourself?
Why did you become a coach?
What are some of your own personal and professional goals?
Do you have a specialty?
What do your past clients say about you? (and match those words with their reviews online)
By working with a Life Coach, you’ll gain more clarity, peace of mind, joy, fulfilment, and life satisfaction.
#3 Why get a Life Coach?
Can’t I just talk to my friends or relatives?
There is a lot of value in talking about your goals with friends and relatives. In the best case scenario, they can listen and share an opinion or give advice based on what they know. But it doesn’t replace the value of life coaching.
Life coaching is an ongoing relationship that takes into account your whole being and all the possible solutions (the known to you and the unknown). High-quality life coaching empowers you to uncover creative solutions, overcome current limiting beliefs (as well as fear, procrastination, imposter syndrome, etc.,) and is fully focused on your success, on your own terms. Your Life Coach will help you grow and rise above your challenges.
The essence of coaching is to “coach” you through your own decision making using different coaching techniques. It is NOT to tell you what to do (unlike most friends and relatives).
On the other hand, people who are in our lives have layers of biases and their own ideas of who we are and what’s right for us. No matter how well-meaning they are, they are not trained to support you to live out your own vision for your life. For that exact reason, I don’t coach my friends. It’s near impossible to provide them with the same level of coaching as I do with my clients.
Another reason to hire a coach is that you can’t “think” your way to your success. Having a weekly conversation about your goals and progress is half of the work that leads to success because of the consistency of your actions. By just showing up to your sessions and engaging with your coach, you’re ensuring your progress.
The other important part is the co-creation. During your sessions with your coach, you’ll discover other perspectives, alternative solutions, come up with great ideas together and process verbally in a safe and confidential space. You’ll leave your sessions with clarity, peace of mind and a plan for action.
If what’s at stake in life for you is high, you need high-quality support.
#4 What does a Life Coach do for you?
In short, a coach will help you reach your goals faster and in a more holistic way. I made the list from my personal experience as a Life Coach in San Diego. Here are some examples of goals that you may want to hire a coach for if you:
have personal goals: getting more clear on your life goals, getting more clear on your direction in life, balancing your life priorities, having better relationships, finding a romantic partner, having better communication skills, having more confidence, having more peace of mind, reaching your potential, reconnecting with your spirituality, or deepen your spirituality
have professional goals: getting a better job, advancing in your career, becoming a better leader, reaching your potential, finding more fulfilment in your work, finding your vocation, or increasing your impact
want to switch careers
would like to start a business
need to experience more work-life balance
desire a better quality of life
would like to make more money
want to be happier
going through a major life transition like changing careers, divorce, marriage, parenthood, relocation, or any other significant life event
want a change
overwhelmed with life and/or work
need to talk to someone like-minded who just gets you
You can hire a Life Coach to help you work through anything, but those are some of the most common issues and challenges I’ve helped people work through.
#5 How does a Life Coach help you?
As life coaches, we are highly trained to have thought-provoking conversations to help you gain more awareness, find creative solutions, set goals that are aligned with your values, achieve your goals faster and experience more peace, joy and love while you do that.
Some of the coaching methods most commonly used include:
Listening to you openly and actively
Asking powerful questions
Reflecting back to you (also known as mirroring)
Offering different perspectives
Providing structure
Assisting in setting goals, planning and strategizing
Holding you accountable for what you want to achieve
Trusting you to make your own decisions
Noticing your blind spots and pointing them out to you
Showing up with your best interests at heart
Telling the truth (sometimes it’s calling you on your own B.S. and sometimes it’s reminding you how awesome you are)
Believing in you and your highest good
#6 How do I find the right Life Coach?
First, think about the specific goals you’d like help with. Then, determine what kind of coach would be best for you based on your previous experience with teachers, therapists, professors, and mentors. Who have been the most motivating and inspiring people to work with? What do they have in common? Would you need someone who is fast-paced, a deep thinker, spiritual, energetic, from similar background or someone who is creative, intuitive and artistic?
Make sure that you feel a great working chemistry with the life coaches you interview. Don’t hesitate to call around and make a few appointments. Most life coaches offer free consultations, also called discovery calls.
Determine if you think this person will be fun to work with. After all, you want to look forward to your sessions. 😉
To actually find good prospects for a Life Coach, I would search online based on customer reviews through Yelp or Google. Read a few testimonials and look for the ones that have lots of detail. That will help you understand what kind of coach this person is. If you feel like the people leaving reviews are similar to you, that means that this Life Coach is a good candidate. For example, if a few people talked about their career change and how this coach helped them transition successfully, and you too are looking to find a more fulfilling work, then you have a possible match.
#7 How do I find a coach online?
The easiest way that comes to my mind is to type up “Life Coach in San Diego” or the city you live in. This way you’ll see some of the review-based websites like the ones I mentioned above or you can see coaches with well established online presence. Their website and all the information they share willingly will help you narrow down your search.
You can also go to the ICF website and search through their directory or use other life coaching directories.
#8 What is a Career Coach?
A Career Coach will focus on helping you grow and excel in your career. Their focus is your professional life and there is a big chance that they won’t be addressing your life as a whole. Some career coaches could help you with work-life balance and overall goal setting but in general, you can expect them to be more focused on your professional success.
They’ll help you with outlining specific career goals that are in alignment with your vision, finding and leveraging your strengths, improving on areas of opportunities, finding blind spots (things you didn’t know or you don’t know but want to know), creating a plan for action, strategizing to get to what you want, and holding you accountable to stay in action.
You can expect to gain more confidence and courage, become a better leader, have stronger communication skills and have a more strategic approach in your career.
You can learn some golden nuggets of information from their personal or professional experience.
From working with a Career Coach you’ll gain more peace of mind, satisfaction and fulfillment. Lfe coaches could also be career coaches.
#9 What is a career counselor?
A career counselor can give you information about different career paths, what working in these careers may look like and how to get there (at best). Think of it as an informational resource. Sometimes you can get more support in the form of a few meetings to help you problem-solve or narrow down your interests. Counselors could offer personality tests to help you find a profession that’s a good fit or to help you with your resume and cover letter.
#10 How much does a good Life Coach in San Diego cost?
I thought you’d never ask! Life coaching prices vary greatly. A top Life Coach in San Diego, for example, may charge $10,000 for 6 months of coaching. Some of the life coaches in San Diego offer month-to-month coaching packages ranging from $300 to $1,000 per month, some offer sessions a-la-carte and some require a longer commitment. The price of life coaching would depend on the coach’s credentials, experience and the amount of support and resources included in the package.
#11 Is life coaching worth the money?
To determine if life coaching is the right option for you, think of the specific goals you’d like to accomplish. Then try putting a price tag on them. How much do you think the total value is of the changes you want to make? Would the results of working with a coach outweigh the time and money?
For example, I worked with a life and business coach. He was my mentor coach as part of my coaching accreditation process. I worked with him for about 20 months. As a result of our work together I completed my ACC credential with the ICF. Between you and I, I almost gave up on getting the credential. It was a lot of work but my coach reminded me why it was important to me. I also started my coaching practice, I grew my coaching business, and I replaced a lot of my income with coaching. Then I started a whole other business/passion project. I did things I never thought I could (like blogging, making YouTube videos, editing YouTube videos, making websites, starting masterminds, etc.,). Lastly, I managed multiple complex relationships (family, friends and even pets) during our work together and made some major life choices with his support.
In conclusion, I can’t put a price tag on ALL of the results I see in my life as a result of coaching but it for sure exceeds the price I paid for my coach’s fees.
#12 What do Life Coaches in San Diego charge per hour?
Very few coaches charge by the hour. You can expect to pay a monthly retainer or a total fee for a coaching program. From my experience, an accredited Life Coach in San Diego usually charges between $150/h and $500/h.
Remember that a really high price tag doesn’t always mean that you’re working with the best Life Coach in San Diego. There are people who are opportunistic and take chances.
To work with a top Life Coach in San Diego, you definitely want to ask for their credentials, experience and see client’s reviews or testimonials.
Did you really enjoyed talking to the coach but you’re not sure if they’re worth the money? You can ask them to connect you with some of their past clients and get more insight from them. I had a prospect ask me to do that and she gained more confidence to hire me after she spoke with two of my past clients herself.
#13 What’s the difference between a therapist and a Life Coach?
Although both practitioners want to help you live a better quality of life, they are very different. Your therapist would help you with your mental health. Usually, they’ll help you with healing trauma and dealing with heavy emotions.
The job of a Life Coach is to help you set and achieve goals. Therapists usually focus on why you feel and behave a certain way. And a coach may help you with discovering how you need to change and what you need to do so you make your dreams a reality.
#14 Do you need a license to be a Life Coach in California?
No, you don’t need a licence. If you’re considering becoming a Life Coach, I recommend looking into Life Coaching certifications.
I hope this post gives you everything you want to know about life coaching. If you have any extra questions please reach out. You can email me at info@coachkalina.com or schedule your complimentary consultation here.
How To Improve Your Environment – Feeling and performing at your best requires a significant amount of energy. Sometimes it feels nearly impossible to excel in our careers, spend time with family, take care of our bodies and grow our business all at the same time. Sleep, exercise, good nutrition, and connection play a huge role in having consistently high energy levels throughout the day—but they’re not the only factors.
Our outside world and environment are often indicators of how we’re feeling on the inside. It’s hard to feel energized if you’re surrounded by messy rooms and unorganized closets. Having more flow in your environment brings more flow into your internal state. Leaving your external world a mess zaps your energy. You feel like nothing is working and you’re constantly bumping into challenges.
What if instead, you experienced things flowing easily throughout your day, allowing you to take care of the things that matter to you the most? I’ve worked with a few clients who had significant personal and professional success by improving their external environment.
So in this post, I’ll summarize the easiest and most successful ways to leverage your environment to gain more energy and give you a system for identifying your areas for improvement. This way, you’ll be able to manage your environment for more energy and perform at your best.
Step #1: Take inventory of what you’re physically tolerating – How To Improve Your Environment
Make a list of all the things in your environment that annoy you: dishes in the sink, broken doorknob, overdue oil change, too many folders on your desktop, unanswered emails, piles of laundry, etc. Take a little notebook or start a note on your phone and list every single thing that you don’t like around you.
We’re just making a list—don’t get overwhelmed with how you’re going to fix everything yet.
Take the list with you throughout the day and notice other things that aren’t working or are not efficient. Continue the exercise for a day or two. Don’t forget to list essential items like organizing your personal documents and less important but still annoying things like getting a new garden hose.
Making a list will help you close all of the open tabs in your brain of things you’re trying to remember. Having ALL those items in one single list will already start to give you some more energy.
Step #2:Take inventory of what you’re virtually tolerating.
We spend a lot of time on our computers and phones. Make a list of what you can organize better there as well.
I recently had a session with a client who has been procrastinating on completing a big project for a few weeks. It was clear that he really wanted to complete it, but something was holding him back. Finally, he shared that his current working environment is less than optimal. His computer and desk weren’t comfortable and his desktop was overly cluttered. He shared that he had files and folders everywhere and a dozen tabs open at all times.
It’s almost impossible to focus when your workspace is disorganized. So ask yourself if there are areas in your phone, computer or tablet that could be cleaned up.
Step #3: Take inventory of what you’re tolerating in your business.
If you’re self-employed or you run a business, carve a couple of hours in your schedule to look into everything that could be optimized, simplified, systemized, automated or DELEGATED.
Bonus tip: Delegating is the most unutilized solution. You can delegate anything that you don’t want to do, don’t like doing or that’s slowing you down. Maybe it’s not possible for you to delegate much at this time, but set it as a goal and eventually, it will be.
Example: meals, cleaning, busy work, repetitive tasks, etc. I often think of my hourly rate and the hourly rate I can pay someone to get the job done. If I feel like I’ll have a good return on investment to pay someone else I usually do so.
Step #4: Start living as if you were the most organized person you know.
Before you start taking action on your lists, start making changes as you go.
Before, I used to let my laundry accumulate through the week and then do several loads on the weekend. Then, I’d have dry laundry on my bed for days. At night, I’d move it to the couch and in the morning, I’d move it back on my bed for future Kalina to worry about.
Now, the moment I have enough for a load, I just throw it in the washer, then in the drier, and then I fold it the same evening as I’m talking on the phone or listening to an audiobook.
The problem is, we think we don’t have time throughout the day to take care of the small things. So then the small things pile up and become the big things that drain our energy.
Think about the small things in your life that always seem to get in the way. Make a point to not let them build up any more.
Step #5: Prioritize your list and spread out your tasks in your calendar.
Now that you’re clear on what you need to do differently, you can start taking action.
First, re-write your list of things you’re tolerating by putting the ones that annoy you the most up on top. Complete it with listing everything else.
Next, find 30-minute blocks in your schedule and book one of the items you listed and take care of it. The goal is to make this easy, simple and not overwhelming so break it down into small chunks. You don’t need to block out a weekend to re-organize but you can chip away at your goals every day.
Lastly, keep the list somewhere where you’ll see it. You don’t want to forget to use the opportunity to knock more stuff off as you go.
In conclusion, our energy levels and how we feel depend to a big extent on what our external world looks like and how well it works. I think almost anyone would agree that they feel happier and more productive in a clean and organized home. And most entrepreneurs feel in a better state of flow when they’ve set up their business with the systems it needs to run smoothly. Setting up those systems can take some upfront time and energy but the results are worth the effort.
Even checking the smallest little annoyance off of your list will make you feel energized. You’ll probably experience a little boost of the feel-good hormone dopamine as you take care of something. That little moment of reward will boost your energy and make you want to continue these new habits.
If you still feel overwhelmed and stuck, you know who to call. Book your complimentary consultation over here.
Being a good listener is a great communication skill that will help you establish strong
relationships and be more successful. Being a better listener can help you with your
personal relationships but it could be one of your superpowers at work as well. so here are the 5 ways to be a better listener.
By implementing these 5 easy ways to be a better listener you’ll reap many benefits like being
liked, being trusted, and feeling connected to. When people feel heard, they feel respected
and understood, and that builds up a connection. Most of the human experience is about
wanting to feel connected.
The most successful leaders, coaches, realtors, and even
hostage negotiators leverage their listening skills to be more successful.
Often, our default setting is listening to find a way to respond and persuade or to wait for our
turn to speak.
One of the important things to remember when we talk about listening is that when we listen
to someone else, we need to focus on understanding them and being present to what’s
being said. It’s important to keep our own thoughts quiet and not to worry about responding.
The best way to build our relationships is from that kind of listening.
Here are the 5 easy ways to help you become a better listener:
1. Body language
Be hyper aware of what you face and body are showing to the person you’re listening to- are
you making eye contact, nodding your head to show that you’re listening, do you have open
body (uncross your arms and legs whenever possible), are you leaning in a bit towards the
speaker, are you turning your body towards to the person speaking? Pay attention to your facial
expressions and show that you’re engaged. Of course, looking around, playing with your
phone or fidgeting around are signs of boredom so try to stay as focused on the person as
you can. If you feel like you’re getting distracted, you can get back to being focused by
getting really present to the words being used, the tone, the speed of speech and to their
body language. When you set this as a goal, you’ll find it easier to stay focused.
2. Wait a few seconds after someone has finished speaking to start talking
One of the golden rules of life coaching is to wait about 3 seconds after my clients have
finished speaking to respond or to start talking. It’s not easy and sometimes it feels awkward.
But time and time again, I’ve seen amazing results from this practice- people tend to
continue speaking if allowed space and often share the most important bits of
information after you’ve made that pause.
I know that sometimes we really can’t wait to make a comment or ask another question but you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much you’ll
be rewarded if you just leave more “space” in the conversation. It makes the speaker feel
like what they’re saying matters and once they feel like you’re allowing them to continue to
speak, they’ll share more of what their thoughts and beliefs are. Then, they’ll feel a stronger
connection to you because they’ll feel heard and understood.
3. Don’t finish people’s sentences no matter how enticing it is.
This one is short and sweet- just let people find their own words no matter how slow of a
speaker they are. When I was younger I loved offering up words from my vocab but with time
I learned that when we do this we strip off some of the trust and intimacy we’ve built up with
that person. We seem impatient and not as interested. When you allow that extra time for
people to speak, they’ll see that you’re really interested in what they have to say. And that’s
great listening skills 🙂
4. Ask more clarifying questions to make sure you understand
When you ask more questions, you show the person your genuine interest and that you’re
willing to spend more time on making sure you understand them. That makes people feel
important and like they matter to you. Even if you feel like you’ve got what they were trying to
say, just asking a question to make sure you got them “right” will boost your relationship with
this person. And you may be surprised how many times it would turn out that you didn’t get
perfectly right what they were trying to say.
Think of conversations like peeling onions. You’ll
stay on the surface if you don’t ask questions but if you want to deepen the relationship,
you’ll need to ask more questions to get closer to the core.
Bonus points: start your questions with the word “What” and not “Why”. For example: What
is it about this that’s important to you? vs Why is this important to you? What is asking for
more depth and Why is asking for their reasons which could seem like you’re questioning
their motivations.
5. Acknowledge the speaker and thank them for their openness to share
It’s not only good manners to thank someone for the conversation but you’ll show them that
this interaction was meaningful to you. Also, you’ll acknowledge the fact that being open and
vulnerable to share your thoughts, feedback or opinion is not always easy. Everyone likes
a reward for their courage to share and therefore makes them more likely to do it
again. Moreover, by thanking people you’ll make them feel good about this interaction. The
better people feel around you the stronger your relationship with them will be.
I hope you enjoyed these 5 easy ways to be a better listener. If you like learning about
communication skills, you’ll probably like this post I wrote about recently about another easy
way to improve your communication skills.
As usual, I’m staying available for your comments or questions 🙂 Reach out at
info@coachkalina.com or schedule your complimentary consultation by clicking here.
