How to hire a great life coach

Lets start with the obvious question.

What is a life coach, really?

A life coach is a person who’s an expert at helping their clients identify and reach specific goals. They may have various areas of specialty, but generally they help clients: make a plan, discover any blocks to success, provide motivation, support and accountability, and they track RESULTS. All of this helps the client reach their desired results much faster and with greater accuracy then if they did it alone. 

In April I was asked by Pinterest to come give a talk to their employees at their corporate headquarters in San Francisco for their annual KnitCon conference. The topic of my talk was Who Needs A Life Coach Anyway? Where I shared my experience coaching clients on how to manifest their dreams using Pinterest. 

It’s such a great question, because there are so many misconceptions of why someone looks for and hires a life coach. 

 

 

The Myths.

1. Only people who’s lives are a train wreck need a life coach. 

This couldn’t be more false. Most of my clients actually have their “life together,” at least in most categories of their life. They are not “lost,” miserable or “weak.” Instead they are looking for a coach to help take their goals and life to the next level. 

2. Only the rich and famous have a life coach. 

This is obviously not true either, however if the rich and famous are doing it, maybe that should tell you something? Rich and famous people also have personal trainers, chefs, business advisors, financial consultants and other experts to help their lives run at peak performance right? So why would their goals and future be any different? 

3. Life Coaches don’t get tangible results. 

Of course there are coaches out there that might not, and because the market is saturated with a ton of unqualified, untrained “life coaches” this is probably true for those coaches. So I will only speak for myself here; my clients get real results. What I like to call tangible ROI (return on investment).

Measurable results are a result of 1. Coaching a program that is proven to work. 2. Working with a dedicated and motivated client who puts in the effort to get results. 

 

How to hire a good life coach

A successful life coach does for your future, what a personal trainer does for your body. They are experts in their field. They bring a combination of: life experience, knowledge gained by having impactful mentors and experience coaching clients to reach their goals. As a client you benefit from all these factors. 

1. Look for the RIGHT COACH for YOU. 

Life coaches have various areas of specialty, so first make sure that you are searching for one who specializes in the areas where you want to change or get results. Read their bios, story, coaching page or anything other information you can find that gives you a good indication of what they are known for. 

2. Read their reviews or client testimonials. 

Make sure you they have some success stories, from real people that share how the coach has helped them achieve their goals. Good coaches should have several of these. You don’t want to be their guinea-pig, and if you are they shouldn’t be charging you. 

3. Follow them on social media. 

A good coach should have a good online following, people who are listening to what the coach has to say and finding success implementing their tools. 

4. Is their coaching method credible? 

Where does their knowledge to coach come from? Life coaching is an unregulated industry therefore anyone can throw up a website and call themselves a “life coach” with absolutely no training or experience. 

They do not have to be an ICF certified coach to be good, that is just ONE path to being a life coach. But they should have something to reference here. Either a method they have come-up with that has been proven to work. Or a book, lost of references or some other type of qualification that assures you, your money will be well spent. 

5. You get what you pay for. 

A successful life coach with all the above boxes checked is NOT CHEEP so don’t expect them to be. Good coaches charge between $300-800 per-hour and about $10,000 for a day of personal coaching. So again, do your research and understand that this is an investment in your future. If you want to reach your goals bad enough this investment will pay for itself quickly.  

Hiring a life coach is a major investment in your future, both financially and a serious time commitment as well so be ready to write a nice check and do the work.

Lastly, go with your gut. You should be able to have a short free consultation with your coach before you hire them and get a sense of if you could work well with them and if their the right fit for you. 

Referrals are best, so ask your friends or social network who they have worked with, this is the ultimate way to find a genuinely great life coach. 

 

To learn more about MY life coaching CLICK HERE.