Training, Coaching, Mentoring-Similarities and Differences

Many consultants offer their services and might not be sure how to refer to what they offer: training, coaching, mentoring? There are similarities in these services, ways in which they overlap, and yet there are clear differences in approach and definition between the three.

Here Are the Similarities in Training, Coaching, Mentoring

Those of us involved in any of these practices do it in service to others. As a coach, I want to impart my experiences, expertise, and understanding of certain aspects of life to my clients. My intention in serving my clients is to help them access information that will support them in moving forward in their lives. Trainers and mentoring experts are driven by the same objectives. All of us in these practices feel that our greater purpose in life is help others reach their fullest potential.

Check out the Differences in Training, Coaching, Mentoring

Here’s how trainers, coaches, mentors approach their practices differently:

Training: A trainer imparts knowledge and skills to her clients through lecture, reading, writing, and hands-on practice. She is usually an expert in her field and teaches her clients. Training can be done in a group or individually. There may be an assessment at the end of the training to evaluate whether the participant or client has gained a thorough understanding of the subject matter.

Mentoring: A mentor is an individual that shares knowledge, skills and information with his client. The way it’s different from training is that it typically involves a more personal relationship with the mentee, and is not always limited to one subject area. The mentor provides insight through connection, guidance, consultation, problem solving, positive reinforcement, and goal achievement. A mentoring relationship may involve assessment or evaluation during the relationship to measure the mentee’s success toward goal achievement.

Coaching: A coach partners with her clients in processes that inspire them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Unlike training, the coach may not an expert in the client’s particular field. In fact, coaching honors the client as the expert in her own life. Although a coach’s experience in a certain field lends credibility to her practice and attracts certain clients, the coach’s job is not to teach her clients. A coach is not like a mentor in that mentoring involves imparting knowledge and guidance, usually with attachment to the outcome.

The three practices of training, coaching, mentoring are often confused with one another. And the lines between the three can be challenging to maintain. As a coach, you are responsible to uphold the ICF philosophy in your practice by encouraging client self discovery; clarifying and aligning what your client wants to achieve; eliciting client-generated solutions and strategies; and holding the client responsible and accountable.

SPECIAL BONUSIf you would like step-by-step blueprints for generating a massive income from high paying coaching clients, I invite you to claim your FREE ACCESS to the “Life Coach Salary Secrets” video toolkit. Go HERE to get it FREE.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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To Become a Spiritual Coach or Not?

The phrase ‘become a spiritual coach’ could be threatening, or scary, or not even something you’d want to consider. After all, coaching is about holding your clients accountable, supporting them in moving forward, helping them become successful in their lives. That can be done by using a step by step method that is very straight forward, taking them from point A to point B. Generally the client is expected to reach a tangible result like a new job, more money, a car, etc. Isn’t this enough? How is becoming a spiritual coach any different than ‘regular’ coaching?

If You Become A Spiritual Coach, Who Are Your Clients?

The clients that a spiritual coach works with can be anyone, from the homemaker to the software developer. It’s not so much about who the client is as it is about how I, as the coach approach my clients. My method is based in the understanding that my client is a whole person who is infinitely resourceful and has the answers he needs to find.

Clients and some coaches believe that focusing attention on the strategic result is what matters and is the key to success. However, if satisfaction is gotten only from the having, you may be setting you and your clients up to fall short. The element that’s missing is the greater sense of purpose or direction that gives the achievement of a goal meaning and a sense of fulfillment. This is what the spiritual approach helps the client achieve.

As with all coaching, the client may reject or accept the questions that I ask. When I listen with my heart and inner guidance turned on, my client’s qualities and desires shine through what he thinks he should accomplish.

Here’s What a Spiritual Coach Does

To become a spiritual coach you don’t have to be a guru or religious authority. It’s not about trying to convert someone to a specific spiritual belief; instead a spiritual approach encourages clients to expand their own self awareness and understanding in order to make decisions that will be fulfilling. A spiritual coach honors whatever religious or spiritual practice a client may have.

If you become a spiritual coach it is essential to provide a sacred, safe space for the client by practicing the following

• Pure acceptance
• Confidentiality
• 100% listening
• Connecting at a heart level
• Self responsibility, and expect that the client does the same
• Positive focus

The spiritually based approach helps the client rediscover their core values, true life purpose, and gifts and talents. As I remind the client of their unique core values, their decisions become clearer and effortless, and most of all, fulfilling. It becomes a dance of doing and being with the client, and provides a magical place for my clients to achieve the results they are seeking.

To learn more about how to generate an endless wave of high paying coaching clients, get your FREE Instant Access to our “Life Coaching Business Blueprint” video toolkit when you go HERE.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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As The Success Coach Do You Approach Your Clients Like You’re An Angel Investor?

It may not seem that as the success coach, your job has anything to do with angel investing. After all, isn’t an angel investor someone who backs a business with a nice investment of money? Seems a bit backwards since you’re probably the one getting paid by your client, rather than the other way around. But consider what you do and maybe you’ll agree that the success coaching approach is strikingly similar to angel investing in many ways.

What Drives an Angel Investor to Back a Business?

Here’s the who, what, why, when and how about angel investors–

1. Who: As an expert in a certain field, the angel investor, in addition to providing monetary support, may provide the business with knowledge, management advice, and other valuable resources. Angel investors have often succeeded in their own businesses, possibly experiencing setbacks along the way and overcoming them.

2. What: The angel investor is the one that fills the funding gap between the ‘friends and family’ investors and the venture capitalists, giving the business a boost to the next level.

3. Why: They make investments in businesses for reasons that go far beyond the money they’re likely to make.

4. When: Often the angel investor gets involved with the business in its early stages.

5. How: The angel investor sees the potential for growth and often the investment is mission-driven.

Does any of this sound familiar to you as a success coach?

Here’s How You’re an Angel for Your Clients as the Success Coach

Let’s compare the success coaching approach to angel investing as defined by the points made above:

1. Who: The best success coaches are those who have experienced real success despite setbacks in their own lives. This is important so that you can be authentically supportive to the client, helping her achieve her own personal and professional goals.

2. What: As the success coach, you fill the gap. You provide a safe space of non-judgment and acceptance, unlike family and friends, and you boost the client’s confidence and ability to reach the next level. You help them move into a place where they know their purpose, identify they want, and begin creating steps toward achieving their goals.

3. Why: You make investments of time and energy in your clients as a coach for reasons other than just making money. You love the work because you are passionate about supporting your clients in their steps toward personal and professional success.

4. When: Most often the success coach is hired in the early stages of a client’s development toward defining what success means to them. As your client begins to use her success muscles, your job is to support her along the journey, through the twists and turns, the challenges and opportunities.

5. How: As a success coach, you are passionate and purposeful, and attract clients who resonate with you. You’re excited by their ‘mission’ and you believe in them, in their potential to succeed and thrive in all areas of their lives.

If you’re thinking of taking the title of the success coach, you may want to don your wings and halo. After all, your work in this world is essential, sharing your expertise and experience, aligning your heart and mind to truly support your client’s journey on the path to success.

By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “Life Coaching Business Blueprint” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your life coaching business blueprint videos.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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Are You The Success Coach or An Angel Investor?

It may not seem that as the success coach, your job has anything to do with angel investing. After all, isn’t an angel investor someone who backs a business with a nice investment of money? Seems a bit backwards since you’re probably the one getting paid by your client, rather than the other way around. But consider what you do and maybe you’ll agree that the success coaching approach is strikingly similar to angel investing in many ways.

What Drives an Angel Investor to Back a Business?

Here’s the who, what, why, when and how about angel investors–

1. Who: As an expert in a certain field, the angel investor, in addition to providing monetary support, may provide the business with knowledge, management advice, and other valuable resources. Angel investors have often succeeded in their own businesses, possibly experiencing setbacks along the way and overcoming them.

2. What: The angel investor is the one that fills the funding gap between the ‘friends and family’ investors and the venture capitalists, giving the business a boost to the next level.

3. Why: They make investments in businesses for reasons that go far beyond the money they’re likely to make.

4. When: Often the angel investor gets involved with the business in its early stages.

5. How: The angel investor sees the potential for growth and often the investment is mission-driven.

Does any of this sound familiar to you as a success coach?

Here’s How You’re an Angel for Your Clients as the Success Coach

Let’s compare the success coaching approach to angel investing as defined by the points made above:

1. Who: The best success coaches are those who have experienced real success despite setbacks in their own lives. This is important so that you can be authentically supportive to the client, helping her achieve her own personal and professional goals.

2. What: As the success coach, you fill the gap. You provide a safe space of non-judgment and acceptance, unlike family and friends, and you boost the client’s confidence and ability to reach the next level. You help them move into a place where they know their purpose, identify they want, and begin creating steps toward achieving their goals.

3. Why: You make investments of time and energy in your clients as a coach for reasons other than just making money. You love the work because you are passionate about supporting your clients in their steps toward personal and professional success.

4. When: Most often the success coach is hired in the early stages of a client’s development toward defining what success means to them. As your client begins to use her success muscles, your job is to support her along the journey, through the twists and turns, the challenges and opportunities.

5. How: As a success coach, you are passionate and purposeful, and attract clients who resonate with you. You’re excited by their ‘mission’ and you believe in them, in their potential to succeed and thrive in all areas of their lives.

If you’re thinking of taking the title of the success coach, you may want to don your wings and halo. After all, your work in this world is essential, sharing your expertise and experience, aligning your heart and mind to truly support your client’s journey on the path to success.

Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article… Thank you!

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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How to Become A Certified Relationship Coach and Fill a Real Need

Have you ever wondered how to become a certified relationship coach? Maybe you’ve had great luck in relationships. Or maybe you just know the keys to making relationships work. Are you thinking about becoming a coach? Maybe you’re already coaching others and want to expand your practice to address relationship issues.

I don’t know about you, but relationships are at the top of my list when it comes to affecting my life. Many of my friends and family want to know how to make their relationships work for them. People always need support in this issue, so there’s always going to be clients. Would you like to know how to become a certifiable relationship coach?

Facts You Can Use: How to Become a Certified Relationship Coach

Helping people create joyful, balanced, and fulfilling interactions with others is the goal of a relationship coach. Healthy relationship skills can be learned when the client and coach work together to create a vision and plan for their relationships. In that way, relationship coaching is not much different than other coaching practices.

As a relationship coach, you may want to target a certain niche, and most often this is one that you relate to personally, one that is unique to you. Some examples include coaching gay and lesbian relationships, internet dating, couples’ relationships, marriage or divorce, dating relationships. Relationship coaching is  not limited to ‘love’ relationships; you can focus on relationships within families, professionally, or the office. You probably have known someone who’s been challenged by a professional relationship in a work situation – it happens all the time.

If you’ve wondered about how to become a certified relationship coach, training is available through several training institutes. Primarily, it takes a person who is passionate about helping people live a balanced approach to getting along with others. Some programs add a blend of teaching and mentoring to the certified practice.

Services Offered by Relationship Coaches

There are some dating coaches that actually go out with their clients, coaching them on the spot; or you can take a more traditional approach. It’s a decision you can make based upon the niche you’ve chosen.

Supporting your clients in developing healthy relationship skills is the primary and proven approach. Issues such as communication, boundaries, acceptance, and assertiveness are addressed. Help them create ways to let go of old negative habits and become better at interacting with others.

Modeling your understanding, insight and experience in the sessions with your clients will provide them with a clear demonstration of healthy and conscious relationships.  When you have a passion for and understanding of the subject matter, your clients will respond accordingly. Bring your honesty and vulnerability to the sessions and you’ll have a greater impact on how and what they learn from you.

Additional questions you might have around how to become a certified relationship coach can be answered by researching the variety of training programs on the Internet. Once you discover how to become a certified relationship coach, focus on marketing your services, and you’re likely to have a lot of requests for your brilliant coaching.

Would you like an endless stream of new coaching clients? Simply fill out the form to the right with your first name and email and I’ll send you free videos with step-by-step blueprints for generating a massive income from high paying coaching clients.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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My Personal Coach is Like the Statue of Liberty

If you haven’t already heard, the Statue of Liberty is closing down in October for renovations, the day after her 125th birthday. During the year-long closure, her insides will be restructured, spruced up and brought to code. How would you like to stop all that you’re doing and let someone renovate you, kind of like the Statue of Liberty?

For me, I can’t wait to meet each week with

If you haven’t already heard, the Statue of Liberty is closing down in October for renovations, the day after her 125th  birthday. During the year-long closure, her insides will be restructured, spruced up and brought to code. How would you like to stop all that you’re doing and let someone renovate you, kind of like the Statue of Liberty?

For me, I can’t wait to meet each week with my personal coach because that’s just what happens. I get to stop whatever I’m doing, and spend 30-45 minutes dedicated just to me where my spirit, mind and body gets lifted, supported and updated.

My Personal Coach is Essential to My Business

As a coach, it’s just as important for me to be coached as it is for me to coach others. In fact, part of the marketing spiel I use when I’m talking about my coaching business is that “it’s the gift you give to yourself each week.”

My personal coach’s job is not only to keep me on track; she provides me a space where I can get reconnected to myself, my purpose and my own infinite resourcefulness. It’s my time to bring awareness to what might be bothering me, help me break through any limiting beliefs, realign me with my intentions, and fill myself up so that I can better serve my own clients. I can share personal issues and life situations in a totally safe, confidential environment, guided by powerful questions and inquiries to find my own best answers. Working with my personal coach, I’m able to more quickly and easily reach my goals than I would without her on-going support.

After I meet with my personal coach I feel like a million bucks, and then I’m at my best when coaching others. I can let go of the distractions of my own stuff and focus only on being present for my clients. They benefit from it as much as I do.

Liberty, Enlightening the World

The Statue of Liberty is the icon of the United States. She stands for freedom, integrity, honesty, and a safe harbor for everyone. As a coach, you embody these same qualities for your clients. It’s your job to shine the light so that they can navigate their world with purpose, enjoy the journey along the way, and reach their planned-for destinations.

As she’s being re-fitted and refined, Lady Liberty will continue to shine her torch for those entering the harbor. Take a lesson from her and get continued coaching support for yourself so that your torch stays lit and you’re at your best for your clients.

By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “Master Coach Blueprint” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your master coach blueprint videos.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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Coaching Tips: Being an Amazing Coach!

Without a doubt, the most important coaching tips I learned in my life coaches training were about how critically important it is to maintain a conscious presence in each coaching session, and this is attained by practicing first-rate self care and personal management. The key coaching questions to ask, outstanding inquiries to pose, and remarkable processes to use can fall flat if I don’t approach each session with my own tank filled to the max!

Self Management is the Key

It takes just a few quick minutes to integrate these three simple coaching tips into your practice each time you’re about to begin a session.

Tip #1: Take the time to center yourself. You can choose what works best for you, and this might include meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or reading inspirational passages.

Tip #2: Remind yourself of your own magnificence. You can post a list of your core values or your personal life purpose statement in your coaching space. Take a few moments to read these and fill your self with your own amazing attributes.

Tip #3: Let go of your own agenda, distractions, or anything that might be taking up space in your head. Remind yourself that those will be waiting for you when you’re finished with the coaching session. Your clients pay you well and deserve 100% of your focus.

Practice These Coaching Tips and Soon They will Become Second Nature!

Coaching is about getting out of the way and letting the client access their own most resourceful self. This means that the coach brings none of his or her own judgments, fears, or emotions to the session. Maintaining awareness of when I do, as a coach, get triggered by something my client is processing is much easier when I have approached the session after practicing my own self care by using the coaching tips. At that point, I then take the responsibility to let go of my own agenda or emotions for the time I’m in the session and quickly bring my focus back to the client.
The underlying foundation of being an amazing coach and practicing awareness is self acceptance. I am human and certain issues that my client addresses may hook me. Instead of falling into the chasm of self judgment, I exercise awareness, acceptance and forgiveness, and then again place 100% focus on my client’s agenda.

It is this high level of self awareness, self responsibility, and self acceptance coupled with each of the coach’s tip that creates the safe space for my clients to share their deepest thoughts and challenges, and move forward in their lives. Try each tip and fill your own tank in order to be a more conscious and amazingly present coach for your clients.

To learn more about how to generate an endless wave of high paying coaching clients, get your FREE Instant Access to our “Life Coaching Business Blueprint” video toolkit when you go HERE.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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Careers in Wellness Coaching: Real Alchemy

Opportunities abound out there for careers in wellness coaching. Wellness coaches work with individuals and groups in supporting them to engage in healthy living. This includes areas of health such as weight management, fitness, diabetes management, nutrition, and others that impact an individual’s health. You can work individually with clients and support their healthy lifestyle changes; or work for a coaching company that contracts wellness coaching to corporations; or you can work directly for a corporation as their Health & Wellness Coach.

As a trained coach there is one thing you already know about working with clients. No matter what the focus is, they benefit most from an approach that’s holistic, builds on their strengths, acknowledges what they’ve already accomplished, and celebrates when they reach a goal.

This is where alchemy comes into play. It’s recognizing that each person is already whole, not full of holes…helping them find their greatest assets, focus on those, and replace the bad habits and behaviors that have hindered their health.

What Qualifications Are Needed for Careers in Wellness Coaching?

Regardless of whether you’re interested in wellness as an individual coach or as part of a company, it’s important to establish your credibility in the industry. Most of those who have careers in wellness coaching have experience in providing health-related programs and a degree in one of the following fields:

• Exercise Physiology
• Physical Therapy
• Nursing/Health Care
• Health Education/Health Promotion
• Nutrition /Dietetics
• Personal or Athletic Training
• Kinesiology

Got the Degree, Love Healthy Living, and You’re an Excellent Coach

What are you waiting for? These careers are out there for you. Decide if you want to work for yourself or for someone else. Questions to consider when making the decision to take up a career in wellness coaching are:

• Am I trained as a coach and have a special interest in health and wellness?
• Do I want to work for a coaching company that specializes in careers in wellness coaching?
• Would I rather work as a contractor and market my program to businesses that are interested in keeping their employees healthy and happy?
• Do I enjoy group work as well as individual coaching?
• Do I have certification from an accredited wellness coach training program?

Process to Use With Clients

Because it’s important to approach the client as a whole person, you can begin by taking him/her on a self discovery journey. Helping the client find their innate values, talents and strengths allows them to clarify what it is they truly want in their lives.

Then you can work with your client to develop a focused wellness plan that is in alignment with his/her core values. The plan includes realistic goals, action steps to reach the goals, and integration of new behaviors into their life. You provide support and understanding in a non-judgmental way, and celebrate when they achieve results.

There are a variety of careers in wellness coaching available to those who have experience in the wellness industry and the desire to work with individuals who are ready to become healthy and live more fulfilled lives.

To learn more about how to generate an endless wave of high paying coaching clients, get your FREE Instant Access to our “Life Coaching Business Blueprint” video toolkit when you go HERE.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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Integrating Coaching and Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology is a fairly new approach, and the alliance between coaching and positive psychology is a natural one. Positive psychology is the scientific exploration of the conditions and processes that lead to optimal health, well being, and performance. It is an applied science that has a developed body of research, theory and practical tools.

The Connection Between Coaching and Positive Psychology

As a coach, you know that your clients are their own greatest resource. You help them get to the answers that serve them best by assisting them in accessing their highest potential, tapping into their inner guidance, and inspiring them to take action. There’s nothing better than witnessing a client when they get it, when the ‘aha’ moment happens, when the shift occurs. You’ve probably found that your coaching is most effective when your client discovered their answers within.

Both coaching and positive psychology focus on what makes individuals thrive, live happily, and achieve. It was founded by Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania in 1998.

Positive psychologists are committed to helping their clients by emphasizing the strengths-based aspects of their lives, rather than dwelling in the negative. This is not to say that clients are not allowed to bring up negative issues. Instead, both coaches and positive psychologists help their clients deal with the negative. They help their client see the big picture (including both negative and positive experiences), taking advantage of their character strengths and values.

Using Positive Psychology Coaching Gives Meaning to Your Client’s Life

The positive psychology practice has created numerous assessments and questionnaires that scientifically measure overall happiness, character strengths, life satisfaction and meaning in life. In researching positive psychology to use in my life coach practice I found the questionnaires and assessments to be fascinating and revealing. I completed several myself, and you can too at Dr. Seligman’s website: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu. Even as a veteran coach, I know it’s good to revisit where I stand in my own happiness, what my strengths are, and my own sense of meaning for life.

The positive psychology assessments coupled with the skill of coaching makes for a successful marriage between the science of psychology and the art of coaching. The assessments can be very useful for you to use with your clients. By familiarizing yourself with the variety of questionnaires and assessments, you can enhance your coach’s tool chest of processes for guiding clients to their most desirable outcome.

Coaches and positive psychologists, with both putting their emphasis on best possible functioning and well-being, are natural allies. Coaching and positive psychology work beautifully together and there are now several Positive Psychology Coaches practicing currently throughout the country. As positive psychology becomes more accepted, researched and practiced, the professionalism of coaching will only benefit.

Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article… Thank you!

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community

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