Life coach is a term that Tony Robbins was backed into a corner to create many long years ago when the state of California thought he was competing with the licensed psychologists — his effectiveness without formal education and credentials was unheard of at the time. How do I know this? I heard it straight from his lips in a wonderful, rather small group, encounter.
Tony is a rare individual. He has studied his craft, honed his talents, served his time and paid long years of what we call dues, and is a living example of a person who walks the talk and lives what he preaches. I admire him and like him very much. I’ve seen the impact of his good work. I know the impact he has had on my life and my business. I’ve hired members of his team to be my consultants and my revenues have increased more than 4 times over–amazing. And yet not so amazing because it is about core focus, due diligence, and concentrated effort alongside good habits. The toughest part for e now is to get my body back into svelt, athletic shape. I’ll do it.
Tony Robbins is the only person I have ever met and known who ought to be allowed ot label himself a life coach — for pay, for admiration, for followership.
As for life coaches overall……I have a problem. Life coach is not a profession, it is a sham. Every other person I meet at a networking event is a life coach of some sort. I give talks, do events, read blogs, look at the people on my social media outlets and repeatedly, there is a glut of:
1. life coaches;
2. social media experts;
3. and people who can make you rich and ensure that your dreams will come true.
As a credentialed professional, I have spent time cleaning up the messes that people calling themselves life coaches have created by coaching someone’s life and/or business and creating a mess. There is a reason, many reasons, why people who you allow to lead you ought to be credible. Academic training has merit, from genuine accredited facilities. There is also merit in awards given for success and leadership from authoritative organizations.
If you have a life coach, ask yourself the tough question — who are they and what are they truly qualified to do?
If you are the life coach, ask yourself the tough question — who are you and what are you truly qualified to do?
You wouldn’t go to a dentist and submit to treatments if you didn’t know they were genuinely certified. Why are you willing to risk your psyche and your cash with a self proclaimed life coach?
Why the rant here and why now?
I got an urgent phone call this evening to intervene on a case where “a life coach, a really good person…” who meant no harm managed to mangle the emotional stability of a marriage in their coaching efforts with the wife. Long story. Bad story. Not the first time I have stepped into something like this. Of course, there is no insurance for malpractice–they have no credentials!
Please, be a smart consumer, don’t fall for the cons who can “make your dreams come true…” It takes work. Surround yourself with people who are better than you are, who are more successful, smarter, wealthier, more educated, and not just selling a moment of hope. Check the credentials out for yourself before you retain anyone–don’t rely on reputation or your gut. Trust that you have the inner strength and means to find a credible expert, true expert for what you need and that you can hold out until you find them, investigate, and know who you are dealing with. Most of all, make sure that you create a map of goals, genuine outcomes that need to be reached and within a time frame.
This is your life, you deserve the best!
