My Top Three Coach Training Takeaways

Identifying my top three coach training takeaways was a tough task, simply because I have so many favorites. Having gone through the Academic Life Coaching program myself, in addition to now becoming a trainer, you won’t be too shocked to learn that I just friggin love coaching and coach training. Seriously, even when I’m tired at the end of a long day and worried that I won’t have enough juice to get through a class, I always (and I literally mean ALWAYS) leave class with more energy and more motivation than I had at the beginning.

I’m always up for a challenge though, so, pulling from a long list of many, here are my own personal top three takeaways from my life coach training:

1) The Sandbox

The sandbox refers to the fun, playful, and safe learning space that we create as part of training. You’re new to coaching, you won’t be perfect, you’re going to mess up, you’re going to feel awkward, but the best part about the training is that’s perfectly okay! Even better than okay, it’s expected! By approaching training from a true growth mindset perspective, if you’re NOT making mistakes, you’re not stretching yourself and learning as much as you possibly can. And you signed up to learn, right?! I’ve seen coaches of all ages and from all walks of life go through this coach training, and every single one of them brings a unique gift and presence to the class.

The sandbox is where you can get your hands dirty, try new things, and just figure it out. The best part is, once I was able to view class as a sandbox, I started viewing other areas of my life in a similar way. I had more fun, cared less about and learned more from mistakes, and boosted my growth mindset muscles!

2) Discover You

A tad corny, yes, but 110% true. Yes, you’re learning how to become a life coach so you can coach others. But in the process, you’re also being coached by fellow trainees who practice the concepts, which means you are also learning a TON about yourself on a weekly basis. I love when trainees come to the class a tad skeptical about a concept, witness it, experience it, and then throw all of their skepticism to the wind and become utterly wowed by the personal insight they gained from a 20-minute practice session.

I personally went through several ginormous life transitions in the midst of training, and I know that I was able to view these transitions in a way that would not have been possible without coaching. Because of coaching, I could see them in a way that helped me handle them with more grace, more control, and more optimism than I would have hoped. And guess what? Your personal growth impacts your clients’ growth, too. Score!

3) Find Your Niche

My very favorite takeaway is just how incredibly applicable the concepts are to pretty much any situation or population. I honestly believe that anyone and everyone can benefit from life coaching. I wish I had a coach when I was in high school, and I’m ridiculously excited to see what is to become of my current toddler as the product of a life coaching mommy (poor guy, doesn’t even know it yet!). But, just as you will, as I went through training I started thinking what, why, and how I wanted to utilize my new coaching skills (i.e. superpowers!) to help others.

For me, I discovered that my niche and passion lies in helping student-athletes as well as individuals who are coping with an injury. I’ve also had the privilege of watching other colleagues’ careers evolve in other areas, and I am endlessly fascinated by how the same coaching concepts translate to so many different niches. Life coach training empowers you to choose who you want to work with and where you want to focus your energy. Choose wisely by choosing what lights you up and what motivates you even more than that steamy cup of coffee (or green tea – shout out to John!) on an extra-early morning.

So let’s get it going already! Your future clients await!