Do you need a coach?

I had no interest in coaching people. In corporate America I had led companies with thousands of employees and had mentored hundreds of people over 2 decades as part of my role as a CRO. When I went to work for myself, I immersed myself in promoting my book Confidence Creator and delivering speeches as my primary revenue streams. A new business ultimately evolved out of requests and my on line course was born. Once my course was successful and began scaling, I started receiving requests for private coaching. I hadn’t even realized this was a business and I didn’t see it as a scaleable one so I avoided it. That is until I discovered the high price tag many coaches put on their one on one time. Some coaches charge 25K per one hour session.

Coaching is simply mentoring someone for a fee. 

The truth is most people you want as a mentor are probably extremely busy and value their time immensely. 

When you are paid $20K for a 60-minute keynote, you need to evaluate how you spend your one hour increments daily. 

To land one of the most sought after mentors, you need to clearly lay out your goals, challenges and needs and be ready to compensate that person for their time. 

So many people complain that they can’t find a good mentor. If you are not a part of an organization where that is part of the leader’s job, it will be very difficult to find someone qualified to do it pro bono.

Another option that provides clarity, deliverables and scheduling is hiring a coach. This also holds the person accountable as they are making a financial investment in themselves.

Something to keep in mind with anyone that claims to be a coach is the need to do your due diligence on that person ahead of time. 

First, you want to check that person’s Linkedin profile to get a factual resume on their expertise and previous work experience, awards and accomplishments. While on Linkedin you want to read their reviews and recommendations. Because this is a public forum, you will find accurate information. Checking someone’s website is important too, however that is not in a public forum and can be misleading. 

When I wrote my first book there was nothing more valuable to me then hiring my editor. He had written 19 books and he was able to coach me through so many challenges that I had not seen. Working with someone that has expertise and has found ways to navigate through challenges will deliver you results quickly. 

When I decided to get serious about the professional speaking business I hired a company that elevates speakers. They coached me on the tools I would need to market myself and which bureaus and agents to work with. My speaking career took off within my first year as a result. 

No one needs a coach. You can figure things out on your own. However, you can move much faster if you identify a coach that has been where you are and is now light years ahead of you. Across my career I have had countless mentors and coaches and that is exactly why I am successful today. Invest in yourself and get ready to reap the rewards.