The coaching industry is getting real loud.

There are over 53,000 coaches in the world… and that’s just certified coaches, but we’ll get to that later. You would think that this makes it a saturated market but the coaching industry is still growing at an amazingly rapid rate. With the technology BOOM, there is room for a new expansion in the coaching industry.

I say YES to more lightworkers spreading their message always.

AND I see people struggling cutting through the coaching industry noise and shiny advertisements to hear what they truly need. Make no mistake, you do not NEED a coach. The experience is something that will change your life but you do not need one to thrive, and you definitely don’t need one to fix you.

Yes, I am aware how backwards this message sounds because I am in fact a life coach. But this means I am swimming through the sea of coaches all around me, when just a few years ago I didn’t even know life coaching was a thing and self development was a foreign concept to me. 53,000 coaches in the world and I hadn’t even heard of Tony Robbins. For my non-math babes, so you know 53,000 is only 0.000757142857143% of the world’s population. Makes market saturation feel pretty far off, right?! You can breathe now, coaches reading this.

Coaches are not saviours.
Coaches are not your guru.
Coaches are not your only answer.

You do not need a coach, but you just might want one. Because when you do know that the time is right for a coach you can expect a life altering, magical transformation, and accelerated growth into the person you’ve always meant to become.

Not only am I a coach, but I also happen to be [a fantastic] client to many different coaches… not all at once, I do get obsessed with things but not overly obsessed. I’ve worked with life coaches, spiritual coaches, business coaches, transformation coaches, and money coaches. I’ve worked with certified coaches and non-certified coaches. I’ve had life changing coaching experiences and I’ve had subpar coaching experiences. I’ve said HELL YES to myself and soaked up every magical experience and I’ve said yes out of fear and resisted my way through it.

I have a lot to say about the sales industry that has coupled up with coaching, but I think we’ll save that for another post. Today I want to walk through how to find your soulmate coach. Let’s chat about what to look for in a coach, how to know if it’s a full body yes or a no, and what to ask your potential coach… the discovery call is as much for you as it is for the coach, don’t be shy speak your mind to us! Let’s go…

What to look for in your coach…

I remember when I found my very first coach scrolling on Instagram one day. I felt this weird pull to Insta-stalk her a little bit, then I found myself wanting to know everything about her. I LOVED where she was in her life. I LOVED how she showed up in her life. I LOVED the results that she was getting.

This is important, because essentially part of a coaching process is taking you through where your coach is.

I once worked with a coach that I didn’t do full research into, very quickly into the series I realized how much our values did not match up, soon after that I realized that the life this coach was living looked nothing like the life I wanted. This created a lot of friction in the relationship. The action did not match my values, the movement did not match my journey, and the results felt forced instead of aligned.

I like to think of a coach as a personal cheerleader ready to hold you accountable and willing to call you out when you veer off path. Your coach should be goal oriented, an amazing listener, and definitely non-judgemental. Sometimes my coaches have felt like really badass best friends.

Your coach should have energy that matches you, you want to get along with him or her… I mean, you’re going to be hanging out with them for 3, 6, maybe even 12 months. You don’t want to resent having to go to a session. That being said, know there is always what I call a, frustration integration period, in a coaching relationship. This is the moment you step into growth and feel a massive resistance, which usually translates to frustration toward your coach. And I digress once again, so many good topics on the coaching industry. Pont is: Vibe with them.

How to know if it’s fear or it’s the wrong fit

Something I work on with my gorgeous clients is tapping into your own emotions. Through years of numbing out emotion to try and avoid pain, coupled with living in a society where addiction to things like social media, advertisements and other media is okay, it gets hard to  break through all of that noise to hear what it is you truly want. Over the years as we numb out to our emotions we begin to believe the fear voice that is simply trying to protect us is the know-all-be-all of our lives. When the reality is: just because it’s scary doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

Because of the numbing out, there’s a foggy space between fear and when something really is wrong. This becomes a super easy manipulation point in sales, the right coach will work with your fears and give you space to process in your own time.

Here’s a quick test to start practicing trust in what is a full body yes for you:

> Ask yourself a question that is an obvious “Yes” answer
– Example: “Is your name Megan?” For me my answer is “Yes.”

> Stop, breathe, tap into how this feels in your entire body
– Example: I feel relaxed, calm, right, free

> Now ask yourself the same question with an obvious “No” answer
– Example: “Is your name Zoey?” For me my answer would be “No.”

> Stop, breathe, tap into how this feels in your entire body
– Example: I feel airy, light, like this is obvious, happy with my response

> Now ask yourself the same question and lie
– Example: “Is your name Zoey?” For me my answer would be “Yes.”

> Stop, breathe, tap into how this feels in your entire body
– Example: I feel awkward, heavy, tight in my throat

You can practice this with many different questions, in many different scenarios. I would recommend practicing frequently to begin stepping into full trust of your own decisions.

The more you can trust your responses and start to lean into your own fear, the better you will get at discerning if something is a great fit for you!

What to ask

Most coaches will offer a complimentary first call to see if you are a great fit together. Coaching is a partnership, and like I said before, you want to vibe together. This call is important to create that first connection.

It is shocking to me at the end of the call when I say, “what question do you have for me?” And I hear crickets. I think there’s two reasons for this, one is not knowing what to ask [don’t worry, I got you on this, girl], and the second is fear of asking. Speak your heart, your voice needs to be heard! This is a big commitment you are making; it requires time, energy, and financial commitments. You are absolutely entitled to ask questions that will help your heart make this decision.

Here’s some questions to consider through the process:

“What are your coaching qualifications?” – Coaching is not a regulated field. Meaning you do not have to have any education to do this work, life experience is obviously vital, and it is important to make sure your coach is committed to and serious about the growth in their work.

“What are some of the tools you use?” – If writing doesn’t inspire you in the least bit and your coach only works with journaling prompts, you might want to make sure they have a way to adapt to this.

“What is your process?” – Coaches all have unique processes that they walk their clients through, does their process captivate you?

“What will you do if I fall behind on my action toward my goals?” – A gauge on what your accountability will look like

“How did coaching change your life?” – Are they practicing what they preach?

[For business coaches] “How many businesses have you helped create” – I think there are of course exceptions to every rule, and you may in fact work with a coach on a goal that they have never accomplished but when you are looking at business coaches specifically, business success is an important factor to this role.

Time to go choose your coach!

Alright, sister, you are so ready to find the coach that will completely amplify your growth! Look for the coach who will support you and call you out. The one who will hold you accountable to your deepest desires, and ensure that you are constantly stepping out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions you want to know. This is an amazing commitment you are choosing to create. You are decided to step into the person you were always meant to become, deciding to completely accelerate your growth here and now. GO YOU! Have so much fun!

Totally vibe with me and my coaching process!? Check out my With Me Page here, see if we should have our first chat and decided if we are a great fit together!