A Life Coach: Your Path to A Better You

Building the Best You with a Life Coach!

Welcome to the official start of fall!

I know many of you are like me and can’t believe how fast the summer and all of 2025 are flying by! I wanted to move us into fall with a focus on building the best YOU with a life coaching.

I am currently in the beta test stage for my group coaching program, which will launch to a broader audience in October. The testing program is going really well! Each week, up to 3 people receive 1:1 personalized coaching on our online Meetup group call. We are learning that the coaching topics apply and help us all.

I have been working with life coaches for the last five years, and they have helped me completely transform my life. That transformation was the motivation behind my decision to pursue coaching as a full-time career. Over the last few years, I have been exposed to various types of life coaches, so I feel I have a good understanding of what is available in the marketplace.

I know many people still have questions surrounding what a life coach does, and how to go about finding one for themselves. To help clarify some common questions and provide direction on how to best pick a life coach, I decided to write about what I think might help.

For starters, let’s discuss the difference between a coach and a consultant as defined by ICF, the International Coaching Federation. I am a member of ICF and am currently enrolled in their PCC training program. The training entails learning to be a coach using their specific approach to coaching.

According to the ICF coaching format, a coach is someone who partners with a client to help them achieve their goals. We walk alongside a client to help them uncover the answers that are within them. This is different from a consultant in ICF terms. A consultant to ICF is someone who is sought out to tell a client what to do or specifically what actions to take. Not all coaching programs view coaching vs consulting the same way that ICF does, so this is the first important question to ask if you are researching a life coach. A specific question to ask might be, “Are you going to tell me what to do or the next steps or are we coming up with that together?”

Here are some other important things to consider when hiring a life coach:

• Specific frameworks to coaching – ex. ICF, Habit Finder, Human Design, Embodiment, Mindset, Relationship, Business, Life Wheel, Somatic, Neuro-Linguistic, Co-Active Coaching
  • There are lots of different training styles and frameworks around coaching. Many coaches combine several different approaches in their style, but it is helpful to understand the framework that a coach uses for their sessions. The different frameworks could also lead to different styles of coaching or consulting. For my style of life coaching, I combine Mindset Training and ICF frameworks for my sessions. At times, I will step into a consulting role, but I am clear when I do, that I am not acting as a coach as ICF would define one at that moment.
• Subject matter focuses – Life Coaching is a broad term. Some coaches, like myself, coach on all areas of life, while others coach on only specific subjects. It is important to align a coach with the areas of your life you are looking to transform and grow.
• Session structure: Group vs 1:1 and In Person vs On-Line
  • There are many ways to structure life coaching session. Some are group sessions with multiple people involved, and some are 1:1. Within group coaching, there is also a wide range of how the coaching is conducted. It is important to understand the specific details about a group session structure. Coaches also offer in-person and/or online sessions. There is not one format that is better than another. It is personal preference and based on what is best for you, given many different factors ranging from the best way you learn, time commitments, travel requirements, group size, comfort being vulnerable with others, strangers vs friends in a group, financial commitment, comfort with in-person vs online, and many more.
  • I offer both group and 1:1 coaching sessions that are done via online video. In my group sessions, 3 people are coached 1:1 during each session while others listen and learn. These are recorded and can be viewed later by any member of the group program.

• Time commitments – duration, frequency and length of program
  • Coaching sessions typically range from 60-90 minutes, but I have heard of sessions that are as short as 30 minutes. For frequency, it also ranges from once a week, to several times a month to once a month or once a quarter. Length of the program can also range from a pre-determined number of sessions to a set length of time 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. The most important thing is the coach is transparent about these factors so you are aware of the time and finance commitment.
  • My programs start as 3 month coaching programs as I have found that is a good length of time to see real movement toward transformation. My group coaching meets weekly for 90 minutes, and my 1:1 sessions meet for 60 minutes 3 times a month.

• Life experience – It is important to understand a coach’s professional background and life experience. While education is important, I feel life experience is equally as important for a life coach. I believe as coaches, we are best positioned to help people who are experiencing life transitions where we have either direct or indirect experience. For example, if you are dealing with a family member with a life threatening disease, it might be important to have a coach who has experience with something similar. Some other subjects where life experience might be important are career shifts, marital shifts, stages of parenting, parental relationship challenges, health challenges, spiritual preferences, entrepreneur experience or alignment with financial situations.
  • My background as a single mother, ex-VP of Sales who was fired, experience as an entrepreneur with multiple career pivots and my journey into personal wellness and spirituality allow me to connect with my client base of ambitious women at a crossroads seeking clarity and confidence to place themselves at the center of their lives.
• Personal connection – Having a connection with a coach is equally as important as credentials, experience and framework. If you are seeking a coach, you are interested in growing and transforming. That level of inner work will require being vulnerable and feeling safe and understood. Having a connection and comfort with a coach is one of the most important criteria!
• • One of the core competencies of the ICF training that I am a part of is to establish trust and safety with our clients. It is essential that in every coaching session we demonstrate actively working to ensure our client’s feel safe, heard and supported.

• Reviews – Being able to learn how past clients have benefited from a coaching experience is as valuable as researching any business investment, where reviews help to make informed purchasing decisions. While all coaching is confidential and asking for referrals is not feasible, many coaches will have reviews or testimonials from past clients.
  • My website contains multiple reviews from past clients, and I often receive messages regarding client progress that I can share in a blinded format.

• Responsiveness/Professionalism – Hiring a life coach is the same as hiring any service business. It is important to pay attention to the responsiveness of the coach or their business along with the professionalism surrounding contracts, transparency on pricing, commitment and structure. The saying you get what you pay for is often true and if things feel fishy or too good to be true, your gut instinct is probably correct.
• • Since my career background is in 22 years running a sales team, I approach all of my business services with a high degree of organization, communication and structure. My website contains full transparency around all the details of my programs and pricing. My contracts are clear and are upfront as part of the purchasing process. I utilize automated email communications for many parts of my business, so things do not fall through the cracks. I utilize an online booking system for 1:1 sessions and an online community platform for my group programs and courses.

• Education, professional memberships, years in business – Every coach should be open to sharing their education, years in business and any professional memberships they are a part of. I do not consider any of these metrics to be a stop sign for a good coach. I have met great coaches who are just starting out. Sometimes, coaching is a gift that is evident, even without formal training or decades of experience in business. These metrics will impact price and availability though so it is important to understand the impact they have on the services you will receive.
  • I have been an entrepreneur for over five years and have spent those 5 years investing in being coached, coach training and personal growth experience. I have a certification as a Mindset coach, am a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and am enrolled in their PCC training program that requires 500 hours of coaching plus 125 hours of instruction along with passing their credentials exam. I am on target to take their exam in 2026.

• Coaching vs Licensed Therapy – It is important to understand the role of a coach vs a licensed therapist. In a simple definition, a therapist often focuses on looking backward to understand the present. A coach focuses on the present and a future state a client wishes to go. There are many situations that require a licensed therapist and a coach should be educated to understand when best to bring in a licensed professional as part of the overall growth plan. There are many situations where a combination of a therapist and a life coach can be a helpful approach.
  • I personally have used both coaching and therapy as part of my transformation journey, so I have experience with both specialties. I have clients who also use both as part of their personal growth plan. Each has a role, experience and skills that can be helpful. I am also trained to identify when a situation might be better suited for a licensed therapist vs myself as a coach and can make a recommendation to a client to seek out such support.

Based on my experience in the coaching field both as a client and as a coach, I am fully committed to the vast benefits of coaching! I meet weekly with my coach as there are always topics I can discuss and work through.

If you are curious about a life coach and want to learn more, I am happy to connect with you for a free 30 minute call to see if a life coach is a good next step on your personal growth journey. You can book time on my calendar HERE.

Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a client have their “ah ha” moment during a coaching session. We are all seeking clarity and increased confidence as we navigate the game of life! Maybe now is the time you experience that moment for yourself!

~xo Jeanne

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