Martina Blazkova qualified through The Coaching Academy programme and has enthusiastically agreed to share her coaching experience, so we have put her in the Coaching Hot Seat.

Here is Martina’s story:-

I have always liked helping people, doing something for them, however, my professional life took me to a different direction – I completed a degree in corporate economics and management, later on in strategic marketing and moved to London where I worked as a consultant in the market research field.

After a few years within various roles I started to feel that this cannot be all.

A friend of mine invited me to a seminar that was based on coaching and I really liked that. I checked the Internet and found the weekend course of The Coaching Academy so I went there. That time I just wanted to find out more about coaching and realized that I really liked that. It was in 2009. I did another course and started to coach voluntarily next to my full time job.

In 2010 I moved to Barcelona, Spain and decided that it was time to change my career to become a professional coach.

The voluntary coaching opened my eyes and I saw that this was more rewarding for me and it had more meaning than market research (later on I realized though that both disciplines have something in common – asking questions, being curious and trying to find out what is going on).

That was the moment when I decided to do the coaching diploma with The Coaching Academy.

I was very busy last year but I was very determined to complete the Diploma within a year. So I spent every free weekend and evening with watching DVDs, I found practice clients via the coaching e-community (which was very useful for other things too) and was coaching every week, at least the first 4-5 months.

When I started to read the first modules, I realised that there is always something to learn. I really enjoyed reading about values and beliefs, but also the set-up and marketing of a coaching business were very useful.

I enjoyed the coaching very much because I could see how I and of course my clients were progressing.

The practical assessments were very very useful, especially the first one. I was a bit nervous at the first one but I got a very positive feedback which gave me the confidence in myself and the desire to continue and do my best for my clients.

I currently coach and organize conferences and events because I enjoy both activities. I use my coaching skills with my clients, but also in my life – I apply some skills to myself and sometimes to people around me, especially when they complain or procrastinate.

My coaching niche is coaching event planners and organizers because I have been organizing events for many years and know that it can be very stressful. I also coach people who decide to change their career or move to a new country. I have chosen these because I went through these changes and have a first-hand experience.

I’d like to encourage people to pursue their dreams because it is worth it. I changed everything but I am very happy now.

We asked Martina the following questions:

What is the best thing that could happen to your coaching business in the next 2 years?

To have constantly at least 3 paying coaching clients.

What is your favorite coaching question?

“What would need to happen in order for you to ….”

What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

Seeing my client’s progress and their happy faces. The possibility to contribute and empower someone else who may have not been empowered otherwise.

What are your top tips for:

- People who are looking at coaching?

Coaching needs to be experienced to really get the feel of it and see the rewards it brings. Try it first and then decide whether it is for you or not.

- Those coaches currently in training?

Have a plan what you want to do, when and set your own deadline for finishing the training because it is easy to forget, postpone it and time flies very quickly. Have different type of practice clients so that you can practice various styles and techniques suitable for each practice client. Write the record sheets immediately after finishing a module or a coaching session, it will help you later on. And have the practical pre-assessment as soon as you can because it will give you confidence and you will learn a lot.

- Coaches that are about to qualify?

At the beginning it looked like we don’t need to do much but when I was going through all record sheets and papers, I realized it was like a thesis. So allow enough time and enjoy the process of reading your forms from the beginning and seeing your own progress.

- People that are in a similar situation to yourself?

People need to know about you so talking to people about coaching and you doing coaching is essential. What is also important is believing in you and seeing the reason why you want to coach rather than being afraid of selling, promoting or whatever is stopping you from getting out there and getting new clients.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my coaching journey.

Nikki Warnes qualified through The Coaching Academy programme and has enthusiastically agreed to share her coaching experience, so we have put her in the Coaching Hot Seat.

Here is Nikki’s story:-

What brought me to coaching, or rather, what brought coaching to me?

I had spent my life ‘fixing’ stuff. If someone had a thing to sort out I’d tell them how to fix it. Finances, emotions, relationships etc.

If I didn’t know how to fix it, I’d find someone who did and learn from them so I could pass on the information.

I thought this would be great, useful, inspiring and maybe a little bit helpful. Unfortunately that doesn’t quite happen with family and after a couple of big eye opening moments with my sister (organising her paperwork as I organise mine to simplify a system that she couldn’t work with or benefit from) I realised that this was daft. Everyone works in their own way, with their own blueprint and their own systems.

This is where I found Tony Robbins. Ironically my sister had the audio box set “Get The Edge”. It blew my mind. Simply the easiest thing to follow in the Universe. I bought into it 100% but he wasn’t telling me what to do. It was the question ‘What if I could?’ What would I ‘be, do, have, if I could?’

I wanted to know more and even though there are so many life coaching ads and companies offering training, The Coaching Academy came up time and time again.

The free weekend did it ! It got me started. The GROW model, wheel of life , there’s no more to say but WOW and Bev James telling her coaching story to her dad really made me laugh.

Yes coaches do take you to where you want to go and also to places you’ve never been before. Yes, the wheels will fall off sometimes but it’s all repairable and replaceable. It’s your reality NOW not your reality of your future that you start from.

Before coaching I’d worked in food hygiene, quality control, cleaning management and even Parliament before finally setting up a child-minding business for my mum after a ‘big wheels falling off’ moment in my world. I started working with her, it would only be till I was back on my feet.

At the point in time that I found The Coaching Academy I had left the business and stepped back 10 years to an old role thinking it would be easier to work for someone else rather than myself. Big mistake.

It is quite challenging having a boss when you are used to being one ! I stepped back into the business and opened my world to coaching. Two years later we’ve just got our Outstanding from Ofsted and passed our Quality Mark !

My journey

I love to motivate, inspire and help others achieve. The Coaching Academy qualification would give me the base I needed. If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

My folder turned up and boy what a folder. It was huge. I kick started my training with a week intensive accelerator. 5 accelerator days back to back. It was amazing. I went home every night with new ideas, concepts and strategies to move my game forward.

On the Friday I came home and put the book and a whole pad of notes, on the shelf. Where it sat for 6 months ! Life took over.

From starting in September 2009 I finally qualified in March 2011 !

The most interesting bits I learnt were about myself. The most rewarding bits were that I took every single activity and used it on me. If I knew I could use it then my future clients would too. I enjoyed everything about it.

What could I do ? Wow the sky really is the limit.

The paperwork took a fair amount of time. I had found my practice clients quite easily as I was so enthusiastic about what the benefits of coaching were. The practical assessments were very daunting until me and a fellow trainee decided to ‘just do it’ in the famous words of Nike.

We booked all 3 sessions in with Jan, there was no going back. Was I ever going to be ‘good enough’ ?

Session one went well. Session 2 was awful. I even stopped talking at one point just watching the clock ticking away, with not a clue what to ask next. After a good dissection afterwards I realised that it’s all about the moment. No amount of notes or prompts will keep it flowing. So just listen and stay curious.

Session 3 was good. And I sat on my space hopper the whole time ! No I’m not joking! Keep it light, don’t tie yourself up in knots over the right or wrong thing to say and most of all ….have fun!

Also it’s the people you meet along the way. Connection is one of the 6 human needs according to Tony Robbins. The people around me have made such a profound impact on my life and I am very grateful for that.

I am part of the Essex coaching network group and it is fabulous. For support and a change in perspective if you need it, I would recommend joining up with a group of like minded people. It will keep your momentum up !

So where am I now?

I’m running several avenues at the moment. My child-minding business, the house, I have 2 young children, my passion for fitness and motion has blossomed into a fitness class where I take people out to move and coach them at the same time ! My biggest step was to get a contract with the local authority working with families in school.

My niche is parents and families.

This stems from the childminding but also from a deep care of nurture and growing self esteem, young or old, this can have such a big effect on many peoples lives. I want to be able to make a difference. To help people find their happiness.

My next 2 years are set to be awesome. Starting with a business coach this year I want to open up coaching to the wider community. Parent workshops and life skills are all in the pipeline. To be able to talk on stage at a big event, with confidence and the knowing that I am inspiring others is what I am really looking forward to.

My favourite coaching question always will be ‘what if you could?’ I enjoy watching people open their mind to new possibilities. I love that about coaching.

My top tips for those coaches currently in training:

Don’t get overwhelmed by the process. Chunk it into manageable bits. Smile, it changes your ‘state’.

My top tips for coaches about to qualify:

Be organised enough that as you read through each section, you have your final paper sitting right there too. This will save having to re read each section. I wish you all the fun and laughter you can possibly stand in your life and good luck x

If you want to get in touch with me please feel free to contact me through The Coaching Academy LinkedIn Group.

Arifa Chakera qualified through The Coaching Academy programme and has enthusiastically agreed to share her coaching experience, so we have put her in the Coaching Hot Seat.

Here is Arifa’s story:-

What brought you to coaching?

I was a typical “Chartered Civil Engineer” who worked with teams to build things and everyone were always task oriented.

As my experience grew and gradually moved away from design and construction projects to leading Change and Transformation projects, I realised that people were an important aspect to enable a successful delivery.

I wanted to learn more about how people work and how to motivate and drive people with sensitivity and support. All in all, wanted to understand what makes people tick and how to ensure I could get the best out of them (and myself).

What were your original thoughts for applying the coaching?

Coaching to me is a valued proposition for my company as I lead and manage large transformations projects.

I believe by really understanding what drives people and what motivates them, I have been able to create ownership from the start during a time on uncertainty. This has lead to successful project completion and delivery.

I have delivered a number of Mergers and Acquisitions and Organisational Transformations.

By focusing on both the hard project delivery timelines and understanding / supporting the behaviour of individuals has made a drastic improvement in project delivery by focusing on ownership and sustainability.

What did you find most interesting to learn?

I think the most interesting thing I found through coaching was how I think, work and play.

By really understanding myself and my drivers, I was able to be honest with people and get the best out of me. Subsequently by understanding myself better, I am able to understand my clients, colleagues, friends and family better and support them appropriately.

I have become a more sensitive person and moved away from assuming they way I think is the way everyone thinks and vice versa.

What was the most rewarding part of the journey?

I believe the most rewarding part of the session in meeting like minded people and sharing knowledge and supporting each other though the training sessions. This has given me the much needed confidence to growing my business.

Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?

As I continue to grow my business, I use my coaching skills pretty much every day.

Majority of my work is within transformation projects therefore helping people adapt to new environments, new processes and new ways of working in the quickest sustainable way requires in depth coaching.

In parallel, I have learnt to be sensitive, supportive and the art of active listening, which has helped within my personal life.

What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?

My coaching niche is coaching companies, employers and employees through change to make them more successful.

I mainly work in the corporate sector. I chose this sector as I enjoy the challenge of transformation and making the change sustainable.

What is the best thing that could happen to your coaching business in the next 2 years?

The best thing that could happen is that I break into the local Yorkshire and North East market and get known to be an excellent coach.

What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

Really invoking their beliefs, especially when someone says I don’t think I can do that? Explain to me what is stopping you. This always brings people to highlight their beliefs and challenging them is fantastic, especially when they have a light bulb moment saying “wow, I did not realise I am stopping myself”

What are your top tips for:

- People who are looking at coaching?

Get someone who complements you; get recommendations, test them out yourself and see if you feel comfortable with them challenging you.

Coaching is like a relationship and needs to be built on trust, openness and confidentiality. If there is no mutual trust and comfort, coaching will be superficial and therefore you don’t feel right about the coach, tell them. Follow your instincts of getting the right coach.

- Those coaches currently in training?

If you are training, nearing qualifications or qualified, I would say the most important aspect is be keep your CPD up to date whether it is through coaching, meeting colleagues, reading manuals and attending more training.

Keep all the tools and models in a central place and review them regularly so that it becomes second nature.

Dear All

Fanfare please….

So – an exciting announcement for you.

As you may know, we send out surveys to all of our qualified coaches asking them how they found the training with The Coaching Academy.

Whilst the feedback we receive is almost always fantastic – we are always looking at ways to improve, to offer more and to meet the needs of our students.

One topic that keeps popping up is “OK – so I’ve got the skills. How do I GROW a successful coaching business?”

So with that in mind…

I am delighted to be able tell you about a brand new feature we will be including as part of the weekly PS Online e-zine.

ASK BEV

Bev James – our Managing Director and best selling author of “Do It! or Ditch It” – has agreed to share her wealth of knowledge, ideas and experience around a subject she is no stranger to – GROW-ING A SUCCESSFUL COACHING BUSINESS.

Having trained with The Coaching Academy in 2005, Bev embarked on her own coaching career and soon found herself working with a growing client base of personal clients, small businesses and larger organisations such as Manpower, Swarovski and David Lloyd Health Clubs before settling on her coaching niche, working with Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs.

As Managing Director of the world’s largest coach training organisation Bev still sets time aside to work with a select number of Entrepreneurs.

Bev works with TV Dragon, James Caan providing mentoring for business owners and also works with Dame Kelly Holmes as part of the DKH Legacy Trust, a trust that provides coaching/ mentoring to retired Olympic and Wold Champion athletes – whatever your niche, Bev is ideally situated to answer your business related questions and share her hints, tips and solutions.

And what might you ASK BEV?

Any questions you have with regards to setting up and growing your coaching business from attracting more clients to setting your coaching fees.

So what do you need to do?

Simply complete the short form below with your question for Bev to answer and it will be submitted to the PS Online Team.

Bev will pick out a few questions each week to feature as part of PS Online. I am certain you’ll find this an invaluable resource as part of your business development strategy.

Wishing you continued success.

Happy Coaching!

Kris Robertson
Operations Director
The Coaching Academy

Glen Roughead qualified through The Coaching Academy programme and has enthusiastically agreed to share his coaching experience, so we have put him in the Coaching Hot Seat.

Here is Glen’s story:-

What brought you to coaching?

I always wanted to work for myself / run my own business, whilst helping people and leaving something behind. With my personality and skill sets, coaching has been perfect for me.

What were your original thoughts for applying the coaching?

Honestly? I was very skeptical, however now I truly believe everyone should have a coach. Coaching is the most powerful force for change on the planet.

What was your profession before becoming a coach?

Being only 26 I had a place at university to study criminology, but my passion for music was always there. My band were signed to Sony BMG and released 2 albums before we called it a day.

I believe this was my “apprenticeship” for the other business I run, playing acoustically and singing at weddings, engagements, restaurants and functions etc.

What did you find most interesting to learn?

I honestly couldn’t pick one thing.

I loved the way coaching is structured and how the smallest question or pause can be life changing. I found the simple task of writing something you want to achieve down (a goal) on paper and working towards it everyday so simple, yet effective.

What was the most rewarding part of the training/journey?

I always said throughout my journey that even if I won the lottery I would still be here. It has shaped my life personally and professionally.

I love the fact I can now focus all my talent and energy into making all areas of my life a success, working to get better everyday.

Which bits did you enjoy the most?

Again I loved it all. Studying hours on end then fine tuning my knowledge at the training days.

I also loved going back each month and watch people grow, watching their confidence grow and to find out if people had achieved goals they set at the last training day.

How did the qualification slot in with your current life?

Both my Coaching Qualification and NLP Practitioner slotted in perfectly with my life.

I literally just moved house the week I qualified and moved in with my girlfriend to start a new amazing chapter in my life. Timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

What else did you have to consider whilst qualifying?

I had other future based things to consider whilst qualifying but they were all to do with how I was going to make my business a success. I also had to consider the background of other people training.

I remember having a life changing moment when someone said: “I don’t want to be the best” I had never heard this before as I’m a very driven person, from that moment on I learnt that I can’t make assumptions about people.

Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?

I am running my own coaching business, which is picking up. I am working with paying clients who are getting amazing results.

I am using my coaching skills everyday, both personally and professionally. I have used what I have learnt to achieve so much in a short period of time, even completing a goal of earning a month’s mortgage in 1 day.

What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?

My niche’s are confidence and weight loss, I’m also starting work with young people starting next year.

The reason I chose confidence is we all need confidence, we need it now and we need it for the rest of our lives. I have found it’s one of the major aspects that holds people back, stopping them achieving anything and everything they’ve ever wanted.

I chose weight loss because the results are measurable. At the end of the day everything has to be measured If you want to be 8-9-10-11 etc stone and you have set a goal to get there and your not managing it, then its my job to help you achieve it. It’s a big challenge but hugely rewarding

What is your favourite coaching question?

“What are you getting out of staying the same?”

What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

I LOVE getting an email or phone call from clients just telling me about something they have achieved. That for me is priceless, knowing you have helped someone achieve something they previously hadn’t is amazing.

I love seeing my clients realize that they can have what ever they want out of life and a lot of the time how close they are already. Acting as a catalyst for change I get huge job satisfaction hearing the tone in their voice change as they commit to some actions on their way to completing their goal.

What are your top tips for:

- People who are looking at coaching?

GO FOR IT. I believe coaching is the most powerful force for change on the planet. I truly believe everyone should have a coach (providing they want it).

We can all improve no matter where we are on the ladder. Keep growing.

- Those coaches currently in training?

Don’t be afraid to get out there and practice. Remember we all have to start somewhere.

Don’t spend too much time worrying if you have a challenging session or you feel it didn’t go as well as you thought. You never know what your client is thinking. It’s largely possible that they have had some big light bulb moments and have taken a great deal from the session.

Remember if you ask roughly 15-20 questions a session it only takes 1 to unlock the door.

Keep up to date with the session forms don’t let them pile up, this will only cause stress near the deadline.

- Coaches that are about to qualify?

Congratulations! This could be the start of a new life, go ahead and take it!

Speak to other successful coaches and ask them how they have made a success of there business.

Get out there and sell yourself. The key to getting clients is to tell as many people as possible pick up the phone, network physically go and tell people. You never know who will be interested.

Finally KEEP GOING, Surround yourself with people that are only going to lift you higher.

“Success might be just around the corner, over the next hill, or at the end of that next effort. Hang in there!” - Zig Ziglar

There’s always a way, if your committed.