Dara Emerita McKinley is one of the really cool women I know that hang around the School of Womanly Arts. She calls herself, “a warrior for the creative and healing power of our feminine essence and the rise of emotionally brilliant folks.” She blogs, teaches classes and writes books on the subject of “provocative and soul stirring feminine truth.”
She recently wrote a blog on the top ten things she adores about working with a coach.
Here’s what she said:
- Deepest Truth. Good coaches know they aren’t going to get anywhere unless the client is rooted beyond rooted in their deepest truths. Coaching is always on the hunt for “resonance,” unveiling and attending to all the things that make a client light up from the depths.
- Protection. Anyone who dares to live their genius is going to have some major (MAJOR) tussles with doubt. Coaches take on the task of warding off doubt. I can’t tell you how helpful it has been to have someone on my team who specializes in getting doubt to take a hike.
- More Protection. Not only does doubt have something to worry about when you have a coach on your side, but so do negative emotions and beliefs. When an emotion or belief somehow takes the center stage of my business, my coach is there to identify the culprit, find out what it has to offer and then position it to serve, not sabotage.
- Coaches don’t believe in the impossible. When I think I have hit a dead end, my coach shines her torch on all the other options that I was completely ignoring because I was so focused on the dead end. Coaches = possibilities.
- Coaches bring on the Vitamin See. Yes, as you can imagine, this is one of my faves and was one of my main reasons for hiring my coach. I realized I had dug myself into a professional hole of solitude and when you don’t have any reflection (especially if you are woman) you are taking the long, hard, and in my adorable opinion, destructive road.
- Coaches push creative edges. However I might think things are going to look and take shape, my coach always pushes my creative edge towards bigger, better and easier. Love this.
- Coaches are a well of resources. So I don’t get bogged down by all the minutiae I must accomplish, my coach offers wonderful referrals. Since we have regularly scheduled appointments, I have an “ask Tanya” list that frees up a lot of mental space.
- Accountability. Everyone who works their online biz from home (which is probably 99% of folks) knows that the dark side is all the potential distraction (Facebook, online shopping and Celebitchy are some of my faves.) Coaches provide structure, finish lines, someone to answer to and hold you accountable within the nebulousness of working from home.
- Coaching is on the phone. I don’t have to hustle across town, find parking or pay a meter. I just plug in my headset, find a quiet, kid-free place, and it’s on.
- Coaches CHEER YOU ON AND CELEBRATE! Since they are on the frontlines, they see all the big AND small accomplishments and insist that ALL of them are honored. It’s so fab and important.
Now, as a disclaimer, Dara is not my client. But I’m sharing her wisdom with you because I too believe that hiring a coach is critical to success. Depending where you are in your life the speciality of your coach might vary from health, to pleasure, to business ( like me). When choosing one you cannot underestimate your personal connection to the individual. So as Dara suggests, shop around. She has several suggestions to start with. Here is what she said about me.
“Joanne is a straight shot business and life coach. She had a 25 year LOVE affair with corporate America AND is a woman who lives from her deepest feminine powers. An indomitable combination.”
Thank you Dara. I am honored.
For more on Dara Emerita McKinley please visit her website, Volvernow.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
How does one find the “right” coach? Is in person better than phone consult?
Great question! The first thing you need to do is narrow your search down to what kind of coach you want. For example do you want a business coach or a nutrition coach? Recommendations from people whose opinions you value are always good. Most coaches have some sort of web presence and you can gauge alot from that about how they think and their approach and if it resonates with you. I think coaching is such a personal thing that it is always good to interview at least three and see how you connect.
More and more coaching today is occuring on the phone or via Skype which is an advantage in that coaching is a time commitment. And if you take travel time out of the equation you are being more efficient with your time.
Does that help?
It does help – thank you! I’ve been looking into it and think I woudl benefit more from talking to someone in-person. Many of the coaches offer services via phone, but I just don’t see how you can get a sense of someone over the phone. Thanks!!!
The phone can and does work, especially when utilizing Skype, but that is an individual preference. If you want to experiment with the phone interviewing feel free to email me directly at jtombrakos@me.com and we can set up some time!