Insights from Flow

When I started my ACC-level coaching certification with FLOW Coaching Institute, my previous experience related to this field consisted mostly of volunteering work in non-profit organizations where I supported, through active listening, individuals overcoming mental-health and homelessness challenges. I had no knowledge of the structure of an ICF standards coaching session, until I was taught the FLOW architecture model in class. With the in-class coaching demonstrations and the weekly practices with other students, I had the opportunity to implement what I learned and guide others towards achieving their goals in the most efficient and non-resistant way. However, there were few moments where I doubted my capabilities as a life coach and let this affect my confidence while coaching other students and new clients. I am sharing with you some of the realizations I made during my learning journey that helped me overcome the fear of “not being good enough”, and expand my coaching skills. If you’re on the path of becoming a certified life coach, here are 5 reminders to boost your confidence while you’re a student:

1- You are becoming a life coaching expert

Each client brings a unique background and story to the coaching session. During the weekly practices, you will have the opportunity to coach and be coached by other students with diverse types of goals. These practice sessions will push you past your comfort zones and make you explore different fields of application of coaching. At first, it might feel awkward to coach someone in a field that you are not fully knowledgable in, but remember, you are becoming a coaching expert first and foremost. With the FLOW architecture model, you will be able to drive a client towards achieving all types of goals, whether those be financial, relational, emotional, career-wise, spiritual, and more.

2- Your presence is valuable

Some of the most valuable things you can offer as a life coach is your presence and support. Providing a safe and non-judgmental space enable others to be vulnerable, share their goals, and explore their inner-world, while allowing creativity to flourish. Once you overcome the tendency to overthink what questions to ask next during a session, the focus shifts to the person being coached and the true meaning behind their expressions. When you start listening with deep attention to their words and body language, you enhance your intuitive ability to ask empowering questions and bring a natural flow to the conversation. Powerful life realizations are then made by the clients and by you, the coach, as well.

3- Take care of your well-being

As an ambitious person who wants to see my coaching business grow and succeed, I can relate to the constant drive and pressure to keep being productive and always bring new innovative ideas to the table. What keeps me going forward is those little moments where I allow myself to relax, refuel, and find balance with the activities that bring me joy. For new students, remember to take a step back, once in a while, and focus on your own growth. Being a coach doesn’t mean you should be perfect: you are still humans with needs that are yearning to be honored. Give yourself the same level of love and support you would have with your clients.

4- Start building your support group

In your life coaching classes, you will be part of a group of students who share similar interests in coaching and who are also growing their skills. During practice, you will have the opportunity to be coached by these students and have the space to work through some of your insecurities, insights, and goals. Seeking my group’s support has personally helped me gain more confidence and continuously shift into a more positive mindset throughout the program. You may even learn from the new questions that resonate with you and then add them to your evolving question bank.

5- Be yourself

What distinguish you from other coaches is your unique set of experiences in life. Although the FLOW architecture model gives structure to your coaching sessions, your individuality brings the energy and dynamism to them. Captivate your audience with your authenticity, and don’t forget to add a touch of your personality and humor in your thought-provoking inquiries. Imagine a career where you can be fully authentic, help others, and bring financial abundance into your life: that is life coaching!

Recently light has been shed on what can go wrong during coaching. Coaching Institutes and programs must place their focus on what to do and not to do during coaching conversations and coaching relationships. An effective coaching certification is needed to equip coaches with tools and processes to mitigate the risk of mistakes and negative effects while coaching.

Negative effects of coaching can be defined as unwanted results for the client caused through coaching. These can have a big impact on the wellbeing of the client.

Coaches must be proactive with their approach to avoid the unwanted effects and take precautions during coaching so that it goes according to the ICF set standards and follow a structure.

5 Ways to Ace Your Coaching Relationship:

1. Think about long term influences of coaching on the client. Engage clients and find out about the goals that the client wants to set and paths to achieve them. Also, allot each coaching session it is on goal so there is clarity for the client.
2. Avoid having and imposing personal emotions during coaching. Be empathic and show compassion to your client but don’t get too carried away by emotions. Stay on track, be resilient and don’t let the client’s personal issues come in between your coaching relationship.
3. Be confident in your abilities as a coach. Gain your training, your certification and the required coaching experience and let your skills do the job for you. Coach with confidence as it is evident to the coachee and can affect your coaching connection.
4. Try to reduce the stress and emotional exhaustion that comes with coaching. Manage a decent number of clients so it doesn’t take you over the edge. Having an uncontrollable number of clients may lead you to burnout.
5. Excel at your communication skills. Develop and work actively on improving your communication skills whether it’s the use of open-ended questions or active listening. An effective coach certification program will equip you with the tools and processes necessary to hone your communication skills.

To become an effective coach with all the best qualities and to know more do’s and don’ts of coaching join our upcoming coach certification programs or email us at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com

You may also be interested in reading:

• Become A Professional Certified Coach In 3 Steps
• 16 Success Factors to Consider for A Strong Coaching Business
• 5 Reminders to Boost Your Confidence as a Life Coaching Student

21st Century has changed the way we learn. Not only we learn from many different sources, but also we have the luxury of educating ourselves or learning a new skill wherever we are and whenever we want. This shift is valid for coaching certification training programs too.    

As Professional coaches, we care about listening to demands coming from our customers. First we listened to our students... then our clients and people’s requests. As we listened we understood that we have to ease the life of our students and clients. We identified a few strategies to make that possible:

• Professional Coach Certification should be offered at a more affordable rate to enable more people from the World to have access to coaching certification 
• We understood that people need to learn in a flexible atmosphere. Since ICF (International Coach Federation) mandates that certain percentage of ICF Professional Coach Certification Training programs to be taught live we could not introduced a fully self paced learning package, but we made sure that certain percentage of the program (peer coaching practice, coaching performance evaluations, homeworks, etc) is still self paced
• Eventually we have decided that online coach certification curriculum will give more access to more people, so we switched from being an onsite coach certification institute to online coach certification institute. 

Before we made this switch honestly even we had doubts that online coaching courses would not be as affective and productive as onsite, traditional methods. However, since we started the online platform, we have been having a blast of our lives as the core FLOW faculty,  students and alumni. Not only that we have become a global community but also we have witnessed tremendous positive shift in skill development of our coaches. The online platform as well as the curriculum allows all stakeholders (instructors, students, trainer assistants) to engage fully without sacrificing the quality of coaching practice and skill development.  We are also very happy that  because through online coaching certifion at a more affordable rate truly allows people investing in their skill development. Surely our PCC and MCC credentialed senior faculty members and mentors; the FLOW Coaching methodology & curriculum as well as ICF Coaching Competenties; live coaching demonstrations and live coaching practice and exercises during classroom time adds to the quality of learning and skill development.

A lot of times we don’t even notice that we are connected to each other through a screen which means that we are in flow ☺

It is a common misconception that mentoring and coaching are the same things however there are a variety of differences in between them. The main difference is that a coach doesn’t have to be a subject matter expect however a mentor but be experienced in the subject in which they are mentoring. 

It is essential to keep the learning objective of the individual in mind in order to choose the right term to use. Mentors may use the same skills as coaching but the relationship that will develop will be very different from the one in coaching. Mentors are able to provide specific advice and feedback however the coach focuses on helping the individual find their own solutions. 

A coach has an ability to assist and encourage rather than direct and advice. Coaching is a partnership where the client works out what are their areas of improvement and how can they improve them. Most importantly coach also helps in the self-development of the coachee by increasing self-awareness. Unlike coaching, mentoring is more about providing directions and solutions. 

Mentoring is normally a relationship between two work colleagues where one is more experienced than the other. Due to this dynamic, the more experienced one can use their knowledge and information acquired at work to help the mentee at work.

In today’s fast paced world, technology has freed all boundaries. Online coaching diminishes all traditional obstacles between the coach and the client. Coaches are free to use online coaching as a medium and work as digital nomads i.e. the use of video and audio calls to perform their tasks online.

Due to changing dynamics of the online coaching there are some points to keep in mind when going for online coachingas it is different from traditional face to face coaching. 

Following are the few points to keep in mind when turning into a digital nomad online coach: 

1. Your environment can change:
   You have to keep up with your changing environment being an online coach. Believe in yourself that even though your environment is changing you are the same person. In changing environments, you would have to keep yourself self-motivated as your lifestyle changes and you might be faced with some distractions. You might find it difficult to work in a chaotic environment or even from a tropical getaway that is why it is important to maintain you focus.
2. Your clientele will expand:
   Think about your ideal clients, would they prefer working with you digitally? Being an online coach creates an ocean of opportunities where you can have clients from different cities and countries all over the globe. This will widen your horizon and give you a chance to have a bigger reach when it comes to clients.
3. You will be faced with unique challenges:
   Working boundaryless will bring you different challenges such as language difference, time zones, internet connections etc. It is up to how to tackle them and embrace the differences. Keep in mind to plan your daily routine to suit your client’s preferences.
4. Creating an online presence:
   Unlike impressing people with your looks and freshly ironed shirts you would have to put an effort to building your online presence. An online coach certification, initial coaching experience, an area to coach in and a fresh coach bio are just some things to start from. Select your target market and create your coach identity keeping them in mind.

Once you become an online coach your skills and talent are the one that will shine more. You have to believe in your skills and be flexible just as your clients are flexible with you coaching online. Being an online coach brings its own challenges and perks and it is up to you how you weigh them. Being a digital nomad, you can work from the comfort of your own home with your coffee in your hands and the client on your computer screen. Online coaching expands you as a coach in many unexpected ways where you find yourself expanding your own range of skills. 

In order to build a successful online coaching business, you need to develop a strategy first and then act on it. An online coaching business is like any other business where you have input, transformation and output. A proper business model is needed to create a successful online coaching business. 

The following are just a few steps to set your pace as an online coaching business owner. 

1. Make Commitment & Create Goals:

First step in creating your online coaching business is making a commitment to it. Create SMART goals to organize your resources and income. How much do you want to earn? How many hours do you want to work? What is your differentiation point? Make sure you remind yourself of these goals frequently and make ways on how to achieve them.

2. Identify your Clients:

To become a successful online coach, you must know all the pains and desires of your clients in order to serve them better. Get in touch with potential clients, ask them, observe them and know them as much as possible about what they actually look for. 

3. Differentiate yourself:

What is your unique selling proposition? There are hundreds of online coaches all over the world, how do you stand out from the crowd? It is very important to differentiate yourself and your offering to achieve success, especially in the early stages. Your job is to come up with an offer which solves the problems of your target market. 

4. Put a price on it:

If you are targeting a niche area of coaching don’t be scared to charge a premium for it. Match your pricing offer with your worth so you can skim out non potentials and target quality clients. 

5. Find Clients:

Try to reach out in your network to find immediate clients. Keep it simple and talk to the emotions of your clients. At the end of the day the clients want to achieve results, and this is what you will commit to deliver them as their online coach.

6. Connect with your audience:

Find time to look for ways to expand your business and visibility such as build an online community where you stay in touch with your clients. Invite members to join the group and the conversations, post client interviews, testimonials and related content so you stay connected with the audience. Grow your community by encouraging joint ventures and partnerships. 

Business coaches are typically experienced entrepreneurs, business executives or business owners themselves who decide to use their talents for building and growing a business to help other business owners reach their goals.

The difference between business consultant and business coach lies in the conversation. Business consultant gives advice and provide a direct support; whereas business coach provides insight and act as a motivation & accountability partner in the relationship. In business coaching as in all professional coaching relationship, the business coach applies a system where he/she acts as an accountability partner and the approach is not only focused on business results but also the skills, habits and relationship matters that will lead to these desired results.

While business consultants provide direct information and advice available on how to start and grow a business or how to track business metrics, specific to your unique business, business coaches, on the other hand, are able to provide something more important – personalized, custom approach.

As the Microsoft’s founder, one and only Bill Gates pointed out once: “All famous athletes has a coach, why not I should have one?”.
We agree with Bill Gate’s logic – the fact that great coaches and mentors are the quickest routes to success – to most every pursuit, yet the same logic is often overlooked when it comes to growing a business. Business coaches are typically expert entrepreneurs or executives with years of business experience who know what it takes to make a business successful.

For a fee -either retainer or a package based- business coaches work alongside executives and business owners to help them define their goals, polish their vision and strategy for their business, and set in place a series of plans that will help the owner and his/her team achieve their desired results.

If a business owner goes through tough challenges or runs into problems along the way, the business coach will be there to help them to navigate their issues in the most effective way possible. Those challenges do not have to be directly related to business, they might also be personal challenges of the business owner for example finding the right talent or going through so much stress or leading family dynamics in family companies might also become the focus of the business coaching relationship.

Having a business coach is much like having a highly experienced success partner on your team, and the value that they bring to you and your business priceless.

Whether you have business goals that you want to work towards or your business is struggling and you need a way to revive it or you simply want to take your brand to the next level, bringing on a certified business coach on board is one of the best investment decisions you would give. Investing in a business coaching relationship is a very effective ROI.

Congratulations on discovering the type of work you’d like to do! Once you’ve determined that becoming a life coach is the next step in your career path, one of the tasks you’ll need to complete is researching the training options available to help you reach your goal. Life coach training in Toronto does offer several options, but it is important to consider each school and determine which program is right for you.

Becoming a certified life coach is still a relatively new career path and the industry is still developing and growing to meet the demands and interest levels. As you are doing your research to find out more about completing life coach training, be sure to consider things like cost, accreditation, program delivery and long-term support for program graduates. The FLOW Coaching Institute in Toronto offers accredited life coaching training and can offer the following guidelines for those seeking to find out more about training options.

Life Coach Training Programs – The Details

Each person considering life coach training will have different reasons and goals for wanting to complete the program. As such, each of the following categories will help you determine which program will be right for you.

Curriculum

Most life coach training schools in Toronto offer various coaching specialties which will allow you to narrow down your area of interest and expertise. Some of the specialties that you can choose from are wellness, relationships, parenting, or executive coaching. At the FLOW Coaching Institute, we suggest 11 specialty options for students to choose from.

In addition to the course content, you should also investigate how the curriculum is delivered. Is the program all online? Is there a practicum or mandatory in class sessions? Be sure to find out what the requirements are so that you can understand if the delivery method will work for you.

Post Program Support

Completing the life coach training is the first step, but what do you do once the program is complete? Many accredited programs offer post program support to help new graduates get their coaching business up and running. For example, once you enroll in a FLOW coaching program, you will have lifetime access to our FLOW Business School materials to help guide and support you as you build your new coaching business.

School Credentials

This may sound obvious, but be sure to find out about each program’s credentials! Don’t assume that a life coach school is an accredited program just because they have a professional looking website that provides details on programs offered. Any school should be more than happy to answer any questions you have about the credentials and accreditations of the program and be clear about what credentials you will achieve once you complete their program. Start your research by looking into Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) Certified Schools.

Tuition and Other Fees

Find out what the tuition is and what that tuition includes. Be sure to ask if there are any additional fees for course materials, software or other technology that will be required. Once you know about the total cost of the program, ask out about any payment programs available to help make the costs more manageable.

Testimonials and Referrals

Once you’ve explored the life coaching program’s website, had your questions answered by the school, and read up on the curriculum choices offered, look at testimonials from previous students. Testimonials will give you a good idea of what to expect, as well as what other students loved about the program.

Find the School that Works for You

It may seem a little overwhelming to research and process all the life coach training options available, but finding the right school is worth it. The FLOW Coaching Institute in Toronto can provide you with the experience, knowledge, and accreditation to help you start your coaching journey. Our coaches teach the world-class FLOW Coach Method that provides students with the skills needed to confidently launch a fulfilling and profitable coaching career. Contact us to find how to get started!

According to a 2009 ICF (International Coach Federation) study run by PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), when you plan it well, coaching can generate 7 times your initial investment while allowing you to enjoy being your own boss.

If you are interested in hearing more of the benefits of becoming a professional coach, whether a life coach, parent coach or an executive coach… here are 7 more reasons!

Life Coach, Flow Coaching Institute

• You Can Earn An Extraordinary Income

Coaches around the World earn between $30,000 and $500,000 per year. Celebrity coaches earn more. Hourly rates range from $50 for a fresh coach to $350 for a more experienced coach. There are also executive coaches and life coaches who charge between $500 and $ 1000 per hour. As you gain experience and work within your chosen niche, you can start making a higher income and build your reputation as a desirable coach.

• You Build Empowering Relationships That Last A Lifetime

Starting with your coach training program you realize that people who are attracted to this profession have the capacity to build strong bonds that last a long time. In addition, people who want to be coaches are the kind of people who understand the power of trust and intimacy who enjoy meaningful and authentic communication and connection.

• You Will Be Able To Work On Your Own Time

Most coaches (whether life coaches, executive coaches, wellness coaches, etc.) are able to work on their own terms and conditions. With proper planning and prioritization professional coaching is one of the rare career paths with room for time flexibility meaning you don’t have to skip a beat when it comes to your own personal life plans.

• You Get To Feel Fulfilled In Utilizing Your Strengths And Values

A full-time professional coach is on a path where she/he can enjoy living a life fully up to her/his values. Coaches have the opportunity to choose their clients and coach with their own unique personalized signature highlighting their strengths and adding value to the relationship.

• You Will Leave A Legacy.

People who were being coached by you will remember you with your significant contributions to them and their lives. The impact of your support will be always with them. They will never forget about you!

• You Will Gain A Helpful And Supportive Network

Certified coaches like to stay connected with each other and the people you coach will be your lifetime network, plus they will connect you with others! Within the first day, you begin your coaching journey you will experience the expansive and positive movement towards an incredibly loving and supportive network.

• You Will Overcome Your Personal Barriers And Blockages

One of the best ways to learn and grow is to coach others. As you coach people you learn more about yourself on a personal level. Every day you gain enriching and fulfilling encounters and experience the joy of being on the path of personal growth and development while facilitating others who are doing the same. 

Talyaa Vardar, MA, PCC

Founding Partner & C Suite Coach

Columnist I HBR I Women's Health

Some people are just naturally good coaches. Maybe you are one of them. Do your co-workers and friends ever approach you with problems and ask for your thoughts and guidance? Has your manager ever requested that you help mentor a new employee at the work place? If so, the people around you have already seen the great coaching potential you possess. It is time to unlock that potential with an accredited coach training program that offers executive coaching certification!

What is an accredited coach training program? The best ones will give you the tools that you need to become a successful coach, solve problems, and craft creative solutions. A good accredited coach training program will show the philosophy and methodology of being a good coach as well as offering you practicum to put your lessons into action.

“If I am already a good coach, why do I need to take courses?”  Good question. Here are a few ways that accredited coach training can help you make a bigger difference:

Improve on Nature

You may have natural talent, but it is still raw and unpolished. To succeed, talent needs to be shaped, moulded, and developed into something that works. Think of it like a gifted athlete: a naturally-good hockey player first needs to learn how to skate, how to handle a stick, and then all the strategies and techniques used by the best players of the past. It works the same with coaching. You might have an instinct for it, but coach training will shape your abilities, improve on nature, and offer knowledge on new strategies that you might not even know about.

Gives Credentials

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need a piece of paper to tell people that we are good at something - we would just show them. But it isn’t a perfect world and people like to see proof of what you can do. An accredited coach training program offers the official credentials that you can offer to future employers or clients.

Attract Clients

With executive coaching certification under your belt, you can get start making coaching as part of your professional profile. The certification will help convince potential clients of your skills and experience as an executive coach. In turn, this will help to…

Increase Your Revenue

Accredited coach training will give you a significant and desired skill set in the professional world. This certification will present you with the opportunity to increase your role at your current workplace, moonlight as an executive coach, seek new opportunities, or even go into business as a full-time business coach. Whatever path you choose, you can increase your income.

Looking for an accredited coach training program so you can make a difference in your life and the lives of others? Look no further than the FLOW Coaching Institute, the premier executive coaching certification program in Toronto. Using the exclusive FLOW Coach Method, our talented instructors will guide you throughout our five modules and the final supervised practicum to help you become a successful coach. The FLOW Coaching Institute is an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP). Contact us today and find out how you can make a difference with coaching!