If you do a simple search online and type in Life Coach you will get a gazillion results. It’s almost the same on social media! And if you type in my name, you will see Tina Bailey, Master Life Coach – The Woman for Women.
The problem I have with coaching is there are no regulations associated with being a life coach. You can even take a course and receive a piece of paper certifying you a “Life Coach”. Don’t believe me? Send me a message and I’ll share a link with you. It is valid and credited. I use to GIVE it to my clients at no cost. Why? Because I know watching a few videos will NOT make you a coach no more than going to the hospital will make you a doctor! There’s steps to the game that requires a lot more than a piece of paper. You must be willing to put in the work. You must be willing to do the heavy lifting. You must be willing to be coachable yourself. And let’s face it most people in today’s society are looking for a quick fix and don’t want to put in the work required to learn the skill of coaching.
Therefore I quit calling myself a coach! Yes, I have over a decade of experience and many clients who to this day call me Coach T. I also have several certifications, TEN I think, but it was not those certificates that qualified me to coach. It was the lessons I learned along the way. It was the sweat and tears I shed as I listened to clients pour out their hearts when another attempt at a skill failed. It was trying to convince a client to keep going when they were under pressure. It was digging through my own pile of manure that equipped me to be a coach.
You see coaches help you accomplish goals but most of them don’t teach you how to deal with the obstacles that are outside of your control. Many of the ones that attempt to prepare you for the challenges, have crossed the line and are working outside of their pay grade as an unqualified therapist. 
Don’t get me wrong you will look on my website and some of my brochures and see the words Master Life Coach. Basically that means I’ve studied several different types of coaching techniques and mastered the implementation of them. It also means I am certified to teach other coaches and I still do. I love working with coaches. I love helping them stretch out of their comfort zone. I love helping them develop their coaching business. I love seeing the excitement when they land their first client. I love when they see their program bring life and transformation into another soul. I love when they can look at their own work and be proud. I love the art of coaching. But I hate the lack of regulations that are associated with it.
At the time of this writing, I have trained several coaches, developed a program designed to equip coaches to build their own business, and I have several coaches that I refer clients to. I even have a handful of clients that I still work with on a coaching level. BUT my passion has changed. One will say, I still coach but I do more business to business transactions right now.
I believe I can reach more people, training than I can coaching. I can help others grow into their passion and be fulfilled in mine. I am not knocking the coaching industry – hell I support it with every thing I have and my business plan is evident of it. I just want to make it clear that obtaining a piece of paper does not equate to being a coach.
If you have a desire to be a coach, I would tell you to go for it. It is a very exciting and fulfilling job. But remember you are placing someone’s life in your hands. They are looking at you as the expert. As the person that can get them from point A to point B in the quickest amount of time as possible. Many of them have tried several alternatives and failed. You are sometimes their final hope. So if you are heart is not in it and you are only looking to make your next dollar, GET OUT! Leave this job to those of us that have a real desire to see others excel.
I will always be a coach. I will always hold my certification and credentialing dear and guard them. I will continue to put in the work to sharpen my skill. I will work even harder to help others sharpen their skills and become gifted at coaching. I worked hard for my title as Master Life Coach. But being a mentor and a consultant to businesses makes my heart smile.
Find the thing you love and you will never have to work.
Until Next Time,
