I have many clients who have reached the coveted 6-figure mark advising people on relationships, mindful eating or trust. But what makes these coaches' business work is that they've chosen a very specific niche and haven't been afraid to build a brand around a very specific problem. Technically, you don't need to get a life coach certification to work as a life coach. Becoming a life coach isn't like becoming a psychologist or doctor, which by law requires years of intense training before you can practice.
However, according to the ICF study mentioned above, 89% of professional trainers receive training that is accredited or approved by a professional training organization. Becoming a successful life coach is a hero's journey. There will be challenges and there will be guides along the way. There will be mistakes and lessons that will serve your continued evolution.
You will feel lost and scared, but you will continue to answer the call to fulfill your greater purpose. Your journey of hardship and victory will lead you to the final result: becoming who you should be and fulfilling your destiny by sharing your true gift with those you are meant to serve. All that said, many successful life coaches choose not to get the ICF certification. While it can be valuable if you want to be a corporate coach, certification can be expensive and time consuming.
Although it may seem that learning to become a life coach requires little more than excellent listening skills and enormous compassion, in reality, becoming a life coach is a business decision. Other training associations are the International Coaching Association (IAC) and the American Coaching Association (ACA). Heck, we've already made fun of life coaches at GrowthLab, but now we'd like to go deeper and show exactly why someone chooses to become a life coach (even though there are too many life coaches who claim to have their stuff together), how they became a life coach, and how exactly they earn their money. I really loved the work I did, but people who want to be life coaches are probably doing so with the same desperation that I had, which is not good for anyone.
Some qualities help a person succeed as a life coach more than others, since certification is not required to become a successful life coach. That's why it's crucial to have a comprehensive marketing plan from the start of your efforts to become a life coach, and if you're squeamish about self-promotion, becoming a life coach may not be right for you. If you decide not to get certified by a recognized training organization, make sure that you have other ways to demonstrate credibility to potential customers. Becoming a certified life coach can be an intense process, and you'll likely have to complete a certain number of training hours before you can get certified.
Ask other coaches what they do to learn new skills and techniques, or find communities on Facebook or LinkedIn. Coaching is such a vibrant occupation that if you hire clients to pay the bills, you've already lost. In this scenario, a coach helps you discover the industry in which you will thrive that matches your purpose in life. I looked at people like Tony Robbins and how he created a movement with years of coaching experience.
While there are plenty of free marketing ideas to help spread the word about your life coaching business, you can also opt for some paid ads, especially when you're starting out and want to grow your client list. I found the article useful and I hope that Growth Lab will include more “negative” stories about training. .
