The following is taken from David’s interview with Marcia Reynolds in 10 Super Coaches.
What were the biggest doubts you had in your early months?
Why would people pay out of their pockets for coaching, especially when I hadn’t completed my training? And then when they paid me, would I really be able to help them shift and create new lives? I suffered from the “fraud factor” as I have now found that almost all new coaches experience.
To overcome this, I just “acted as if”, knowing that if I gave 100 per cent to my clients, really listened and cared about them, I would know what to say. Since coaching is more about facilitation than having answers, I found that I could “be a good coach” faster than I realized.
The following is an excerpt from David’s independent report on coaching training and certification.
Before you look at training, decide whether you will get certified, not get certified, or keep your options open.
A good reason to get certified is because you believe in the philosophy of the training school you choose, and the value of the association you belong to. And, because you want to continually improve your coaching skills.
A bad reason to get certified is because you think that will get you more clients, or in some way it will make you ‘worthy’ as a coach. Our experience has been that it does neither. A certificate might look good on the way, and it feels good to be able to say it – but few coaching clients bother to ask about your school of training or level of certification.
The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
Thousands of people are every day turning what excites them into a fun and productive business which lets them either quit their day jobs or create an additional revenue stream in their lives. You could be one of them.
What might your life look like?
for a moment, imagine yourself sharing your gifts or interests or skills with the world and then…
and then… and then… (are you ready?) …imagine it happening without requiring your time or
physical presence. imagine that while you’re out on a walk, shopping, or taking
A yoga class, someone is downloading your ebook in australia. Imagine that during a month-long holiday with your family and friends in Costa Rica, people across europe buy 2,000 copies of your new “how to” Cd and publishers are reaching out to you with book deals.
What I’m talking about here is how your life could be if you take advantage of the exploding revenue possibilities by starting an internet-based business as your primary or secondary source of revenue. The lifestyle i’m describing is so new and such an unusual concept that we need a new term to describe it. What do you call people who share their gifts with thousands and then automate that sharing so they are free to work or play, travel whenever they like and live wherever they wish? Perhaps we simply call them… free.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Leza Danly in 10 Super Coaches.
What was most disheartening for you while building your practice?
I built my practice quickly, reaching my goal of 20 clients in less than 6 months. It was my goal for the end of my coaching certification, to have a full practice before the exam. I got my 20th client on the day of our last group call. I never really had a major block, but I remember the first time I lost a lot of clients in a short period of time and I went into some scarcity about that.
How I dealt with it was to take a deeper responsibility for why I created them leaving. I discovered I was hungry to make a deeper commitment to coaching clients who wanted to do really deep work, and that the clients I lost were not fulfilling for me. It was a shout from the universe telling me to raise the bar on my standards.
What was the most interesting or exciting thing for you about building your practice?
Well, the most exciting thing was watching the dream come alive. The idea that I could create a professional life for myself by loving and supporting people and building intimate relationships was a revelation. It was my dream career, and I was creating it magically. It was a total high! And I was giving it to myself.
The following is an excerpt from the CoachStart Manual.
Coaching is not advice. It’s coaching. As a human being, you will have opinions regarding what a client should do. But you need to be really clear about when this is your opinion, versus helping them get clear for themselves on what they should do. At different times, your client will want both.
“Should I break up with my boyfriend?” A coaching response might be: “What is best for you?”
I had a client looking to make extra income. She was actually considering applying to work for an escort agency. My initial reaction, which I stifled, was — “Surely there’s an alternative to prostitution!” But remembering I had my coaching hat on, I asked her why. It seemed she didn’t have any moral judgments about it, and thought it might actually be an interesting experience. She did have other options, so it wasn’t coming out of desperation. In fact, I discovered the main thing holding her back from pursuing this avenue, was worrying about what a future partner might think of her — which I don’t find a powerful reason for any decision! In the course of time, she made her own decision not to follow that path. But she wasn’t stifled by the judgments and opinions of her coach.
The following is an sample form from Top Coaching Techniques.
1. What have you achieved since the last coaching session, in any/all areas of your life? (Include anything you have learned)
2. Are any actions not done or incomplete from the last coaching session? I will complete these by:
3. Have you been blocked anywhere? What is your current Perspective and underlying Judgment? What new Perspective will you create?
4. Please name three things in your life for which you are currently grateful (at least one should be different from previous weeks).
5. What concerns, if any, do you currently have?
6. What opportunities exist, or can you create for yourself this week? (In particular, you might like to use any insights from 3 or 5)
7. Please list the actions you will take to move yourself forward by the next coaching session:
(List numbered down the page, and please be specific)
8. What do you want to accomplish from your upcoming coaching session? Please be as specific as you can, and if you draw a blank, I invite you to create something!
