Over 30 years, I have built a very successful
coaching business. People have asked me all the time,
"How to start a coaching practice from
scratch?"
The first thing we've got to get really
clear about is: Why you want to do this? It is not for
the weak of heart. I've seen a lot of people who want
to get into coaching because there's money in it. Now, while that is true,
it's not a good reason to jump in. If that's the only reason that you want to
explore this, you won't have the passion or the energy
to sustain it. Trust me, you need to look somewhere else.
Now, most of the people that really succeed in starting up a coaching
business have a passion for it. There's some
topic or process or philosophy that they are really excited about it
gets them out of bed in the morning, they're passionate about it, they want to
share it with people and they feel called to it.
If that word resonates with you, you might be in the right place.
The people who are the most successful see this as part of their ultimate life
purpose. It's something that they feel nudged and pestered
and called to do. And they can't just leave it alone.
If that's true for you, you're probably going down the right
path. And it's still not easy. And this passion that you have has to address
or serve the problems that other people are having.
The only legitimate reason to create a business in the first place
is to solve the problems that other people are having.
And if what you're passionate about really does that
then we've got a pretty good start. So, get clear about your why.
The reason it's so important to get clear about your why
is because that is what is required in order for you to sustain the energy
to carry out the difficult HOWs. Different people are at different points
of their process in becoming a life coach.
You are wherever you are. And wherever you are is okay.
But different people are at different places. I would encourage you
if you're at a point where you're exploring this or possibly
even starting to experiment with coaching, don't quit your day job
yet. Some people quit what they're doing and jump in
with both feet. And that's okay for some people depending on where they are.
The things that are required to actually build a coaching practice
usually take some time to develop and to get into place.
And there's a personal and professional development process that
you get to go through. Many of the people that i'm coaching to become
coaches are really struggling to get out of their own way.
In fact, that's my job --to help them get out of their own way so that they can
show up and offer that thing that they feel
called to do to the people that they can uniquely
serve as they show up and do this service. If
you're not at that point yet, it's okay. There are ways to ease into it
in a way that doesn't throw your family under the bus
or have you driving off of a cliff professionally.
So, don't quit the day job quite yet. Now, there's 3 specific
points that i can give you that are going to help in this transition.
This is really practical. And the first one
is to get some education and training. You don't have to reinvent
the wheel. There are a lot of good resources
that can help you to nail down what you need to do next. It's different
for different people. So, part of this education process might
be getting a coach or a mentor. Someone who can
guide you through the process who's been there before.
And they'll be able to tell you, "Oh, watch out for this particular pitfall."
Or "You may want to consider this." Or "You could really fast
track this thing and avoid a lot of pain and expense if you will do
this at this point." It's invaluable to get that kind of education and training.
and there's a lot of great resources available to you.
The second specific tip that I would have for you as you get started
is to associate. This is kind of like what we already talked about with the
education. But i'm talking about the people now.
Getting into a life coaching business sounds
crazy to a lot of folks. You'll get input from people in your world that you
should get a normal job. Well, you're not a normal
person, are you? And neither are the other people who are
involved in the industry. I love the associations that i have made
in the influencer industry. Now, life coaches are influencers but i
also hang out a lot with professional speakers and
authors and podcasters and YouTubers who are making a big impact on our
planet. I love those associations. When you
associate with people who understand you and get you
who understand this mission that you feel called to,
you're going to feel energized and supported in ways that you won't
when you only hang out with the naysayers. And there's plenty of those as
well. Associate with the people who will
support your development. My third specific
tip for you today is to take courageous action in moving forward. Here's what
I've found: You never feel ready. And that's part of
how we get in our own way. Now, this is a natural defensive
mechanism that your brain has to protect you from things
that can hurt you. You're going to avoid things that seem
dangerous. And this is new. So, it feels a little
risky. I don't know when you totally feel ready
to launch. I'm really fond of launching just before
i feel ready. Now, I take steps to make sure that
there's enough safeguards in place that i'm not taking
a horrendous risk or something that's going to put my family or my livelihood
in the bucket. So, be thoughtful and intentional about it. But there will come
a point when you get to step forward even though you
don't feel fully ready. That's why the education and the association tips that
I already gave you are so important. And there's a lot available to you on that
front. i love the title of a book by Dr. Susan
Jeffers. Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway. What an
amazing title and a profound message right there.
You're going to feel the fear. Do it anyway. You know what? If you're not
feeling some fear about this, you're not thinking big enough. It will
stretch you. Be ready for that. And don't forget your
why. That's why you're considering this in
the first place. This is not about you. It's about all of the people whose lives
are improved when you get out of your way and step
forward with courage to create something that is beautiful
and impactful. This is not for the weak of heart.
And did you know that I am providing support for that. If you would like
me to support you in your life coaching journey,
would you please go to liveonpurpose.coach
where you can connect to a webinar that will get into 7 clarities
that you need to have as you start your practice.