Allow our graduate Liz Cresci to share how to find the right coach training school for you.
Enrolling in a coach training school has been an ongoing dream of mine since I first heard about life coaching about 20 years ago. It was the answer to the question I had been carrying around for years. I knew what I wanted to do but didn’t know how to define it. Finally, I had an actual, real-life, description of what I had known was my calling. I had never been so excited.I have been the “go-to” person for friends and family for as long as I can remember. They would come to me as a sounding board for their ideas/dreams; the one to support them through challenges; cheer them on and act as the impartial voice of reason when they traversed new territory; and the one who walked them through their thinking process as they solved challenges and problems they found in their way.I have a desire to serve my clients to the best of my ability and above all "do no harm". My decision to pursue life coaching certification at a coach training school was born from these desires.Having a formal certification ensured I would have the skills and knowledge to bring my best to my clients. There are many “shingles” out there, hung by those who offer advice and call themselves coaches. Not allowing clients to work through their own thought processes and empowering them to make their own decisions by throwing advice to them, does more harm than good. While the advice is sometimes warranted or even necessary, most often solving the clients' problems for them robs them of the opportunity to grow and learn. Had I not enrolled in a formal certification program, I’m not sure I would have understood these nuances.The task was set. I had to find the right coach training school for me. There are so many out there to choose from. I believe that to get the most out of your coach training school, looking at the track record and reputation of the school is important. Equally important is the community involvement and the support after the formal learning ends. Here is where the difference becomes more than just a bullet point in their brochure. Most coach training schools will give you the knowledge and the skills to be a coach, but not every coach training school will help you build a business. What happens after you complete the education portion of the program? Learning the skills is critical but knowing what to do with those skills is paramount. Jay Shetty Certification School is that school. They are invested in you and the growth of your business.The school experience is also really important. With the Jay Shetty Coaching School, the community is by far the best aspect. The knowledge and skill-building are top-notch, but having the community takes the learning to another level altogether. People are there to support, coach, and raise each other to new heights as they share knowledge and experience. It is very much a group of supportive men and women who are there to help you succeed. There is no competition. Opportunities abound to collaborate and raise the bar for the whole coaching profession.Once I completed coach training school and learned how to build my business, it was time to choose a coaching avenue or niche. There are as many different types of coaching businesses as there are coaches and clients to work with them. Overall, there are only a few main categories of coaching: life, business, and executive coaching. Executive coaching works with top business executives who are seeking business coaching from the angle of working with a large corporate entity. Supporting the senior leaders helps to support those who work for them. Business coaching works with small-mid-sized business owners to hone their plans and move their businesses to greater levels of success. Life coaching is the catch-all phrase for all those who don’t fit in either executive or business coaching.Wanting to bring a blend of business and life coaching, I have chosen to be a Strategic Growth Coach. I work with new and aspiring entrepreneurs who are seeking strategic growth in their life and business. Being intentional and designing a life/lifestyle is what it’s all about. Many people have the desire to leave their job and be in business for themselves. It is not about the attractiveness of long grueling hours and lost family time, it is about creating the lifestyle they desire by owning their time and not having to punch a time clock.Being an entrepreneur is amazing and challenging and often lonely. Unless you have a partner, which brings its own set of issues, it can often feel like you’re working in a silo. It’s easy to get lost in the business and lose sight of the lifestyle. Having a coach with whom to partner, who works with you to create the strategy, keeps you on track, brings the outside perspective to tackle any challenges which may arise, and helps you design systems that allow you to have the lifestyle and grow your business is so beneficial.The only decision I wish I had made differently would be the timeframe in which I decided to join the coach training school. If I could go back and do it again, I’d enroll in coach training school earlier, and not wait 20+ years to make the leap. Embrace who you are meant to be and go for it! There are so many clients out there waiting for you to help them live their lives and build the business for which they are longing.Then again, perhaps I was waiting for the Jay Shetty Certification School, which I believe is the best experience in coach training schools out there today.
