What is stopping you from becoming a life coach? It is one of those professions where you are available to help others. We understand why choosing to pursue this career path might be daunting. One reason is the bad advice that has been given by inexperienced coaches. Two, the marketing strategies of some Life Coaching Institutes. In this piece, we will cover how to become a life coach, the types of Coaches there are, and what you stand to earn if you become one. 

Let us begin by sharing two experiences encountered by an individual who sought the help of a life coach. The first was that the individual had barely explained his problems before the life coach started to give bemusing instructions.  

The second experience was more pleasant, as the individual felt relaxed, and the life coach was able to put himself into the shoes of the attendee and proffer solutions to the challenges. 

If you noticed, the problem was entirely the individual, as he had not done a thorough job researching the life coach that could help him. And there is a conclusion that sets these two Life Coaches apart is the level of training both received. But what are we driving at? 

It is imperative that you understand who a life coach is and seek quality training so you do not be a burden on your client. 

Who is a Life Coach?

A life coach is defined by BetterUp, as an individual who takes up the mantle to help people through all situations in different phases of life. Since people go through things and crises, or to put it subtly, periods of indecision, a life coach may come to help people in both professional and personal capacities. Hence, this means that if you become a life coach, you can choose to be specific career-wise by taking a path in either of the following: 

• Nutrition 
• Relationships 
• Divorce 
• Financial Wellbeing 
• Personal Development 
• Grief, etc. 

The work of a life coach, though as defined, might seem narrowed down, but they can do any of the under-listed things: 

1. They can help improve how you manage stress, time, and how you can prioritize. 
2. They can help you develop teamwork and team spirit. 
3. They will help increase productivity and maintain focus. 
4. They can help you develop good communication skills. 
5. They can help you navigate through difficult moments, uncertainty, and change. 
6. Help you build self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-compassion. 
7. They can help you improve your overall performance at your workplace. 
8. Help you with mental wellness and clarity. 
9. They can help you fight fatigue. 
10. If you are the type that struggles with decision-making, they can help you make better decisions. 

And the list is endless. The takeaway is that a life coach has a grasp of one or more areas of life, and their developed expertise ensures they offer a tailored service to suit your needs. 

Before it skips our thought process, they are also handy when you struggle with romantic relationships, marriage, friendship, dating, divorce, and much more.

How to Become a Life Coach – A Step-by-Step Guide 

Step 1: – Find a Life Coaching Niche 

As discussed above, you have to develop an area of expertise to become a life coach. And become successful at that. Focusing on a niche assures your customers that you have the qualifications to advise them on any specific area of life they have a challenge with.  

Although that is better, you do not have to limit yourself so soon. NerdWallet emphasized the need to maintain knowledge of broad areas of life since they might come to reference when your client’s specific need is not isolated altogether.

As soon as you can define a niche service, you are a step closer to becoming a professional coach. 

Step 2: – Get Certified 

It is not mandatory to obtain a certificate, according to ICF, (International Coach Federation). Many life coaches numbering up to 77% assert that clients would expect that they are certified. On the client side, a report noted that 83% of them see it as a necessity that the coach they approach has a certificate. And lastly, those with certificates get more recommendations or referrals than those with no credentials. Read How to Obtain a Life Coach Certificate here.

Step 3: – Set up your Life Coaching Business 

Like all other small businesses, a Life Coach comes under the umbrella of a small business. You will have to go through the registration process and pay all attendant fees for the State you choose to set up. For ease of advice and a seamless process, you should consult with a lawyer in your locality. It will help you know which type of business organization is suitable for your business. 

Step 4: – Start Promoting your Business. 

Now that you have incorporated your business, you will need to work your socks off to get clients. You can make this easy by developing a marketing plan.  

Your marketing plan should include self-promotion through word of mouth. Start with people already close to you, such as your friends, family, and colleagues, by offering free coaching services to them. When done, ask them to give an honest opinion of you and your impact on their lives. That is where your referral networks will come from. 

Going Live on Social Media is another way Life Coaches Promote themselves. Or if you have the skills, you can write a book on your area of expertise or any topic of choice.

Another opportunity for promoting yourself is joining the Association of Life Coach. Attending their conferences, webinars, and any other gathering will enable you to network with professionals in your field and how they are able to get clients. It helps a lot, as you can easily navigate your path. 

Finally, promote yourself on social media. The effect of social media marketing must be balanced in the present age. Thus, explore every option available at your disposal. For a better understanding, check out how effective social media is for marketing. 

Step 5: – Automate and scale your email marketing 

When you become a life coach, you will hardly have time to market yourself aggressively. Hence, you might have to automate some of the processes. Email marketing takes time, and you do not have much time handy to focus on it. Active Campaigns suggests you automate the process to enable you to channel your time into other important things. 

After exploring the step-by-step guide on how to become a life coach, you will want to remain relevant in your business by investing in continuing education. 

Type of Life Coach  

1. Career Coach: They help those considering a career switch or planning retirement. They also help young aspirants to determine what career best suits their talents.  
2. Mental Health Coach: They must be qualified since they cannot dabble in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Depression (mental health issues), which are better handled by Psychotherapists. Mental Health Coaches are renowned for managing conflict, grief, and anger. 
3. Health and Wellness Coaches: For those looking at losing weight and generally watching the food they eat in terms of nutritional value, Health and Wellness Life Coaches will help you with motivations and tips to maintain fitness, eat nutritionally and lose weight. They should, however, not replace medical doctors and nutritionists. 
4. Spiritual Life Coaches: Those who struggle with finding a firm belief in religion or spirituality may approach Spiritual Life Coaches to enlighten them and have a deeper understanding of life, spirituality, and religion. 
5. Relationship and Family Coaches: Quite straightforward, this type of life coach deals with family and relationship issues. They help individuals and families solve communication issues, breakups, divorce, and other minute family challenges. 

Hourly Rate of Coaches

When you have just become a life coach, you might want to consider the hourly rate to determine how much you should charge for your services. Here we bring you some of the life coach hourly rates around. 

The average rate a life coach will charge per hour is between $75 to $250, according to two sources, Bonsai and Life Purpose Institute. However, the amount can increase depending on the skills, experience, and certification. Life Purpose Institute reported that some, such as Executive Life Coaches, charge a minimum of $250- $500. Whereas Bonsai noted that some earn about $1,000 per hour depending on the above-listed factors. 

As someone who has just become a life coach and is looking to gain experience and skills, you should benchmark what you would like to earn with the figures provided above. Increase your fees as your level of expertise increases.