18 months ago, I left the corporate world and re-trained as a business and personal coach. Plenty of people have said that it was a brave decision, but at the time it felt less brave, and more necessary and uplifting. I recognise now that it was an incredibly brave thing to do, but ironically what I’m doing right now feels much more like bravery – I am asking for more work.
I thought long and hard about whether to write this blog. My first thought was that it wasn’t appropriate to openly ask for more clients on such a public forum; it was being too vulnerable and raw, and would open me up to judgement and criticism. Would it give current or prospective clients the perception that I’m no good? I have no doubt there will be people that say it’s career suicide – how can you admit you need more work and then think you can provide support to your clients? How can I trust a coach that has too many of her own worries? How can she help me if she doesn’t have the answers for herself?
I would counter that and say be wary of the person that appears to have it all wrapped up. We all learn and grow from our own mistakes and life experiences. Coaching is all about breaking down personal barriers and blockers, being honest and open and truthful. If I cannot do this myself, then how can I ask this of my clients? And I would love to have clients that really want to learn about themselves, that see personal development and growth as signals of being a high achiever, not as ‘someone who needs help’.
Just writing this blog felt exhilarating, daring and utterly terrifying. In our fast-paced, ever-excelling world, we don’t like to admit weakness, failure or vulnerability. Yet, if my coaching training has taught me anything at all, it’s that these are the places where real growth and success breed.
It also struck me – how is asking for more work a bad thing? How many people can genuinely say that in their first two years of business they were turning work away? It was time to face up to my fears and speak plainly and honestly – and so here I am asking if any of you would like a coach or know someone who would benefit.
I entered the coaching profession because I was tired of the merry go round and doing what I thought was expected of me – the big job, the husband, the 2 kids, the nice house. It wasn’t making me happy and it certainly didn’t result in me working at my best. Thankfully I had the strength and self-awareness to realise and do something about it. It’s the best choice I’ve ever made and I’m doing something now that I truly believe makes a difference for my clients, and that feels good.
I still have moments of fear and anxiety – Did I make the right decision? Can I make this a sustainable reality? But then there are the highs after coaching someone and realising that you’ve helped them shift something or seen something they hadn’t see before, and that makes the fear and panic all worthwhile. In this busy, high-pressured and stressed-out world we live in, the role of a coach has probably never been more important.
In hindsight, my act of bravery 18 months ago was probably more calculating than my conscious mind would allow. I would not have been as good a coach 10 years ago; my life experiences enable a greater empathy, understanding and non-judgement – three key attributes that all good coaches possess. I know I have the skills and character to build the career I want but, like the raw grad or entry level careerist, I’m still building my network of people that might consider using a coach.
So, this is my moment of being brave. If you’ve ever considered a coach, whether it’s changing careers or being the best you can be in your current role, why not come and be brave with me? I will help you explore and build the future you want, and break down the barriers that stop you living out your potential.
I’ll let you know how the bravery worked out for me, but I’m pretty sure that either way, it’s going to have taught me something about myself and that’s worth its weight in gold. I’d love to hear about your acts of bravery and how they turned out for you.
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