Getting into the Business of Coaching

My first coach helped me to view myself and experience the world differently. Just after a couple of interactions with the coach in 2013, I realised that there was much in life that I needed to learn and experience. This sense of curiosity gave me the courage to start my own journey of learning the art of coaching. I subsequently got accredited and have been practising ever since. I also saw an opportunity in building my own global coaching business.

To many people, coaching may seem to be an appealing business to build or transition to at this point in time. This is primarily due to the lifestyle changes associated with becoming a coach, start a coaching business or doing both, like myself. Building a coaching business brings exponential learning, immense satisfaction in making a positive contribution to people’s and organizations’ lives, and a plethora of challenges and opportunities in between.

Through this piece, I share my pursuits of becoming a coach, building a coaching business, and using my learnings to support positive changes both in my life and that of others. Drawing from my journey, I walk you through these three defining aspects that have shaped my life up till this point.

Becoming a Coach

1) Best skill to invest in – The ability to coach people is one of the most sought-after skills by businesses today, given that people now interact and collaborate in a global, fast-paced, technically advanced, and culturally diverse environment. My decision of becoming a certified coach and eventually starting my own business helped me stay relevant to the times.

2) Becoming better first – Becoming a coach transformed my life. It helped me become a much better and bolder version of myself, supplying me with immense courage to speak up for myself. I also developed a reverence towards humanity and its potential while working and interacting with people across geographies, cultures, and social status.

3) Believing in others – Coaching taught me to believe in others as I witnessed human and business transformations through truthful, self-reflective, and powerful conversations. I also saw how people revealed themselves in various situations and protected themselves when needed.

Building a Coaching Business

1) Upside down vs. up again – Building a coaching business has turned my life upside down multiple times, in multiple ways. Entrepreneurship has introduced me to unimaginable challenges at all fronts in life. On the other hand, it has also helped me develop invaluable skills like reading a P&L statement, scaling business, creating strategies, amongst others.

2) Dreams vs. reality – While I fulfill my dream of enabling people to use coaching as a tool for growth, I must also make responsible choices for my business, myself, loved ones, and people I meet through business. The truth is, I often found myself facing severe self-doubt when my reality is nothing like what I had imagined it to be.

3) Celebrity vs. commoner – Building a coaching business can often mean glamour in terms of earning respect, money, awards, getting covered in national and international publications, being invited to speak at high-profile events. But there are an equal, if not more, number of days that are devoid of the glitz, especially when things get tough and difficult to deal with, which is a given in business.

Honest Learnings

1) With self – Time and again, I have realized that coaching others and building a coaching business is something I absolutely love. It enables me to truly serve individuals and organizations. I see immense potential in building this business for living a life of fulfilment.

2) With others – Building a coaching business provides immense opportunities to work with people across the globe, especially since an increasing number of people are opening up to the idea of working in a virtual setup. My experience has been one of highs and lows. Many people have proven their worth on the time and money being spent and there are also those that I have failed to work with.

3) With the coach – This business would not have been possible without the support of several coaches I have had the privilege to work with. I have experienced various shifts in perception during coaching sessions, thanks to which I have been able to bring clarity back to things that matter the most in business and in life.

My most important learning from being in the business of coaching is that it is for people who want to live their life to its utmost potential. And this requires courage. Thus, it is people that take time out and invest in this goal who create a life that they are proud of.

Ultimately, the business of coaching is for people who want to harness the power of coaching to make this world a better place.

Happy Coaching!

Vivek Slaria is a certified Executive Coach & co-founder of Greenlatte, an executive coaching, management consulting, and professional training firm.