Why I Always Have A Coach

I have hired countless coaches over the years. 

I’ve worked with business coaches, marketing coaches, life coaches, writing coaches, and personal development coaches. I’ve hired coaches for the sole purpose of enhancing my own coaching skills. I have written checks for coaching that have made me gasp – and have always yielded an extraordinary return on my investment. 

Coaching has been a significant part of my path for a long time.

(This photo shows me with my current coach, Nancy, when we were able to meet in person after nearly a year of working together.) 

Many people ask me why, as a certified and experienced coach myself, I always have a coach. I could write a book in response to this question! But I will sum it up with three key words:

1. PERSPECTIVE. Sports give us great examples of how coaching can benefit everyone, even the best of the best. Michael Jordan, for instance, was an extraordinary basketball player. Most people would not claim that his coach for many years, Phil Jackson, was a better player; however, Jackson deftly pointed out Jordan’s areas for improvement and offered the objectivity and support that allowed Jordan to continually raise his game. We all need someone outside of our own heads to help us fulfill our potential.

2. INTEGRITY. Picture yourself visiting a dentist who admitted that he never saw a dentist himself. “I don’t believe in them enough to invest my time and money in them,” he might say, while expecting you to pay your bill and schedule your next appointment. What would you think? I can’t imagine encouraging others to invest in themselves through coaching if I’m not willing to make that same investment in myself. I believe in the power of coaching so much that I make it a priority for my own development, and I would question a coach that does not.

3. GROWTH. One thing about work and life: there is always room for improvement. You can probably recall a college professor who had all but checked out, using 30-year-old mimeographed handouts and teaching outdated information. Compare that to your favorite professor who always incorporated new research and current events into the lesson and made class come to life through stories. Growth is one of my core values, and coaching is one of the very best tools for expansive growth – both professionally and personally.

When you blend these benefits with the ongoing accountability a coach provides, you are limitless. Yes, at times I am scrambling the day before a session with my coach to fulfill the commitments I made during our previous meeting! 🙂 But the fact of the matter is, the accountability in that coaching partnership can mean the difference between “I am doing what I said I would do – it’s important” and “Eh, that can wait until next week/month/year.” 

Corny but absolutely true: Coaching has changed my life. I am very self-motivated, but I can honestly say I have gone farther in my business with the support of coaches than I ever would have without them.

And that, in a nutshell, is why I always have a coach. 

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