How I Got Into Coaching

I got into coaching a few years ago when I had some group coaching with a facilitator. I was struck by how hard it was to not ask closed questions and how powerful a question and sitting in some silence could be to get people to open up. From then on I tried to implement coaching in my day to day with my team, trying not to propose solutions but ask questions ‘what have you tried so far?’ ‘what do you think the next step is?’, I think it’s so important to show your team you trust them and recognise that they have the expertise (not you).

Then I did a CMI qualification in Leadership Coaching & Mentoring to get me started on my journey, which was great but it was all theory based, self learning and essay writing. I realised I wanted to actually do coaching.

I decided to finally take the plunge. I knew I would be getting a bonus in 2025 so I decided to invest this straight back into myself and do a coaching course.

Then I started to research qualifications and courses. It was important to me that the provider I chose had connections to the coaching bodies in EU and worldwide. Currently coaching isn’t regulated, meaning anyone can call themselves a coach and start charging clients, whether they have the skills or understand coaching or not. I am someone that needs the confidence of being officially trained and vetted to feel ‘legitimate’ as a coach.

Based on the growth in demand for coaches I thought it would only be a matter of time until it does become regulated or if not, at least people will become more savvy when selecting their coach. I picked Optimus Coach Academy after they came up on search and via chatgpt as a great school. I watched a few videos of the founder Ruth Kudzi who has such an impressive background in education, psychology and is a Master coach. She devised her own school when she attended other training and felt it was missing elements. She mentioned that she had ADHD and talked a lot and that was it, as someone who talks A LOT, I thought 'I can learn how to listen more and say less’

As I have been building up my coaching hours as I work towards my accreditation I have been constantly reminded why I LOVE coaching. When I observe a shift in perspective or energy from a client it makes me so happy! I am generally an energetic person and I usually see the positives in everything so I try to bring this vibe to my coaching.

I am constantly honoured when my clients share personal experiences with me and I am always inspired by how incredible they are. I think someone who seeks out a coach in the first place is in a distinct category because they are showing focus, self-awareness and openness to change and grow.

I passed my Optimus Academy live coaching observation in February with Professional EMCC accreditation and now I am partnering with clients to achieve their goals as I work towards my ICF qualification.