49. Not All Coaches are Created Equal

Mar 31

The term "coach" is overused. What exactly is a coach anyway? What qualifications are needed to be a coach? How does a coach differ from a mentor or a consultant? These are important questions to ask as not everyone who claims to be a life coach deserves the title. If you’re looking for a coach, make sure you know what to look for and what you can expect from a coaching relationship.

This episode consists mostly of India asking questions of Erica about her journey into coaching, how a coach becomes certified, and what you can expect from a coaching relationship.

In this episode, Erica + India cover the following:

[0:03:48] Compare and contrast a coach with a cosmetologist.
[0:09:08] What is a life coach?
[0:12:40] What is a Power Tools Model?
[0:14:17] What are ICA and ICF?
[0:16:04] What about people who claim to be a coach but have not training or certification?
[0:19:06] About Blended coaching and Pure coaching
[0:19:40] A coach's sphere of influence. A trained coach knows when to refer someone to a psychologist.
[0:21:00] When seeking a coach, get informed and ask questions.
[0:25:46] India's take on Erica as a coach.
[0:27:26] Coach vs consultant vs mentor
[0:28:34] Blended coaching = coaching + consulting

“A COACH IS NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO. THEY’RE NOT THERE TO GIVE YOU ADVICE. THEY’RE NOT THERE TO PASS JUDGMENT. THEY ARE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS TO GET YOU TO REALIZE THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU’RE SEEKING.” — Erica

QUOTES

"There are a lot of people that are utilizing the title of coach and working under the umbrella of a "coach" that have never taken a class a day in their life. They have no certifications." — Erica

"Let's also acknowledge that that also means that I'm working through my own shit while I'm doing it, because I can't show up and coach somebody else if I'm not clear on what empathy looks like. I can't talk to you about your ability to see yourself clearly and what your self-judgment looks like if I'm not clear on what self-judgment actually is." — Erica

"There is a framework for what you do. It's not just 'I'm going to step on in here and coach somebody.' There's a framework behind that." — India

"I have no control over how someone chooses to react, but I have control over what I choose to contribute." — Erica

"Somebody who really, really cares about their clients, they're going to do due diligence to make sure that they have the education and the training to fully support them, to fully understand what they need, how to facilitate the changes they want to see." — India

"There is a difference between coach, consultant, and mentor. It is important to understand which one you're paying for and what you're actually getting." — Erica