Why did I save an entire post for 10 hours of coaching? I didn’t. The last 10 hours flew by. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice them, of course I noticed them! I had been working towards 100 coaching hours and this milestone meant I could apply for the ACC certification. Here’s what I learned about coaching, building a business, and about myself in my first 100 hours.

  1. Coaching is about listening. Listening deeply. Not just for what’s said, but for what’s not said.
  2. Noticing a client, providing feedback, and acknowledging who the client is being is a gift.
  3. As a coach, we go through training to give us tools and templates to support clients. There was a shift in my coaching when I brought myself into the learning and customized what I had learned to who I am and who my clients are.
  4. Coaching is about co-creating with your client, it’s about a partnership, and about support. It’s not about leading or guiding your client through anything, but supporting them as they grow.
  5. Give yourself the same space you give your clients.
  6. The people you know are your best resources. You’ve already built a relationship with them, they know you, they like you, they believe in you and they want to support you. Tell them what you’re doing so they can help.
  7. Record as many sessions as you can and listen to them. Hearing yourself coach is the best feedback you can receive to better support your coaching and your clients.
  8. Reflect after each session even if you don’t record them. This reflection will support your learning.
  9. Don’t worry about taking a lot of notes during a session, listen.
  10. Don’t get paralyzed by tools. They are there to support your client’s learning, but they aren’t the core of the learning.
  11. Don’t forget about the competencies, pick one to focus on at a time. When I started doing this, it made the reflection process less overwhelming.
  12. Get to know other coaches! Building a solo business can get lonely. Other coaches are my friends and colleagues. We are all doing our own thing, but having someone there, having people who have a shared mindset and the same anxieties, is golden.
  13. Look two steps ahead instead of 1,000. Keeping moving forward, but don’t feel like you need to make giant leaps. Small steps are still steps!
  14. Eat well, sleep, exercise, spend time with your family and friends, and drink water. Take care of yourself so you can support others and grow your practice.