I had a bad-ass career before I became a life coach

I shit you not, this was actually how my friend referred me to a woman looking for some career empowerment coaching. At first, when my friend told me this I laughed, really hard. But about a minute later after I thanked her for the referral I thought to myself, "I did have a BAD-ASS career before I was a coach".

So many coaches these days come into coaching with no experience. I am not saying a coach necessarily needs to have the experience to offer support always. A good coach will be able to help you navigate anything without necessarily having to go through that situation themselves.

And this is why I half believe what I just said. How can you be a divorce coach if you have no experience with divorce? How can you be a career coach if you have not worked in different jobs and situations? How can you be a life coach if you are 23 and have not experienced life?

Choosing a coach means you can connect and relate on a specific level. I wouldn't look for a spiritual coach if they weren't spiritual themselves. And I damn well wouldn't hire a career empowerment coach if that coach didn't have an understanding of the way women in the workforce are treated.

My friend was right. I had a BAD-ASS 15-year career in leadership before becoming a coach. I worked as an executive leader for companies like Spanx, Ralph Lauren, Bath and Body Works, Toys R Us, etc. I lead teams of 50+ people in different countries to launch some of the top web stores in the world. That means I know what women in the workplace feel like, think like, and get treated like. I know how to move up from being a "doer" to an executive leader. Not because I was trained to be a coach, but because I have done it myself.

I can coach almost anyone on anything. The main reason why I can do that is not that I went to school for it, I can do that because I have had a BAD-ASS life before becoming a coach! I have lost a parent, I have left an abusive marriage, I have had a bad-ass career, and most importantly I have moved through it all and am on the other side. I know what it will take to get there and that is what I provide to my clients.

For a coach to have credentials they absolutely should be certified in the ethics and skills of coaching by an accredited school. However, they should also have life experiences that you can relate to and respect.

A coach leads by example.

You don't "do coaching" for a living. You become a coach because of the way you live your BAD-ASS life.

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