Comments on: Ask Havi #28: How did you get into the coaching thing?

By: Sunshyndreamer

Sunshyndreamer — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:30:37 +0000

Havi,

I feel so freed from the tyranny of certification. THANK YOU!!!

Like you, I have much life-learned knowledge to share, and I am no longer afraid to share it because it isn’t “professionally approved”

Peace & Love
Maureen
Sunshyndreamer´s last post … Riding a motorbike taxi in Tanzania

By: No, I’m Not A “Coach” — And You Shouldn’t Be, Either | TechHerding: Keeping Technical Cats On Track In Training

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:08 +0000

[...] been following the discussion on my friend Havi’s blog about her aversion to being called a “coach” with great interest — because [...]

By: Naomi Niles

Naomi Niles — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:52:54 +0000

Made a friend laugh hysterically at my mad kazooing skills this weekend and remembered you.

I understand what you mean about the word coach. I don’t much like “web designer” either. It just doesn’t feel right, but I still have to use it. Maybe one day that’ll change.

Thanks for sharing your lovely story. I love reading how people got started. I would have done a lot of things different at the beginning myself, but I don’t regret anything. I have before, but realized that it’s pointless because you can’t change what’s done already.

Anyway, if we had all the right answers and everything cleared out for us, life would be pretty boring, right? :)
Naomi Niles´s last post … IttyBiz Site Redesign

By: Christi

Christi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:13:18 +0000

Thank you.

Really, thank you.

I felt like a weirdo because I had a hard time getting the word coach past my teeth when telling people what I’m headed for next.

I feel like a weirdo when I don’t WANNA pick a niche, because I think it’s all tied together, but somebody tells me if I want to get successful at the c word I should define my niche and brand that baby.

Blech.

But I thought I was just being weird and finding a way to stay stuck by not wanting to fit into those boxes.

Did I say thanks for your ever-validating work?

CJ
Christi´s last post … Too Tired to Get Done?

By: Claire

Claire — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:54:16 +0000

OK, lurkdom officially over here.
Two posts I comment on in one day? Wow.
I am looking forward to a few more minutes reading this over again and linking to all the other good stuff to read.
Enjoying the getting to know about you deal.
Thanks again Havi.

By: Havi Brooks

Havi Brooks — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:10:40 +0000

@Tisha – I think you’re going to be okay! I mean, problematic as the “coach”-word is for some of us, the truth is that this is what most people google. It’s what they look for.

So using the word coach (even if you’re explaining your own personal relationship to that word) is very useful. People google coaches. They hire coaches.

I got waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more business after my business mentor (whom I refused to call my coach) told me to put a “coaching” tab on my site or to mention “coaching clients”.

In fact, I even had people tell me “Oh, I had no idea you DID that — I would have hired YOU if I thought you were a coach and instead I went with this other person”. So.

Nothing wrong with using a word that people are familiar with.

And then you can redefine for yourself what your own mix of coaching, love and advocacy is and talk about that.

Your right people will be all YAY TISHA because you are so completely wonderful, and then no one will care about what you call it either way. Does that help?

xox
h

By: Jason (@allpraxis)

Jason (@allpraxis) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:34:36 +0000

I always suspected you had superpowers, and now you’ve admitted it! Glad you’re using your powers for good. Not that I could imagine how they’d be used for evil. (Reckless smallification? Perhaps in bizarro world where your evil twin Ivah lives?) I’m eager to see what road I’ll have to walk to gain my superpower, hopefully without the whole crippling oozy ear infection thing (your radioactive spider?). To quote Twain, “You can’t reach old age by another [woman's] road. My habits protect my life but they would assassinate you.”

Anyway, great post! Stuff happens, you realize you’re a conduit for something kick-ass, you show up (even if that alternates with hiding) and then so does everyone else who needs what you’re channeling. Simple, beautiful, hard.

By: Kaushik

Kaushik — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:10:48 +0000

I used to believe a life coach was someone incapable of living so they coached. Now I’m in danger of becoming one.

Inspirational–thank you.
Kaushik´s last post … Playing…

By: blissmonger

blissmonger — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:28:47 +0000

I SO needed to be reminded of those take-aways today, especially the credentialing hoops thing. Thank you!!! Think I’ll print them out and put them where I can see them often.

Deb
blissmonger´s last post … Glam–several versions

By: Tisha

Tisha — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:18:45 +0000

I’m sure you’ve heard this a hundred times…and I’ll say it again: I feel like this post was written for me!?!! ;)

I think a big part of my stuck is that I’ve been trying to put my thing into the coaching box; I think my truth is that my thing is a form of advocacy for advocates (that includes some coaching stuff in it). And now I have a name and a website and a twitter name that all have coaching in it! Yikes! I’m guessing you’ll say this is a perfect opportunity to speak my truth in an announcement and find my right people and be more of myself and all that…am I right?

Thank you for sharing this…for sharing all the links to your story as I hadn’t read those post before. Giving me hope, Ms. Havi.