What's Up With The "C" Word Anyway?

I get it…and I get you

Unique, quirky, multifaceted, rocking the work that you do

I see you out there and I know that you struggle with the “C” word (no, not THAT “c” word, but one that many solopreneurs give themselves angst over)

That “C” word is

COACH

In conversations, groups, discussions, many coaches want to be called something different than…Coach. They bemoan the fact that they don’t like the word ‘Coach’ and it doesn’t really describe what they do. I had that T-shirt.

OR

they get all squirmy calling themselves a Coach because they don’t feel they have the “right” to call themselves that because they didn’t go through a formal certification program and they are…(Good Heavens, hide your children: an imposter just playing at being a Coach). Yes, I had that T-shirt too; operative word being had

Some Clients I work with want to come up with a clever moniker that encapsulates the work they do.

Business Awesomizer

Wealth Wizard

Marketing Alchemist

Brilliance Activator

Magical Instigator of Awesome (don’t laugh, I used this one) and I still love the idea of being an Instigator of Awesome

The Joyful Business Facilitator

Empowerment Ninja

Money Manifesting Goddess

you get the idea

Now, I want to be perfectly clear here…it’s your business and you get to call yourself whatever the hell you want

BUT

Do your Right People understand what it is that you do?

Are you using the language that they would use in order to find you…and then hire you?

This is a particularly important question if you are just starting out in your business.

I see you jutting your chin out at me and giving me the evil eye. That’s ok, I still love you and think you’re awesome.

Listen Lovely…It’s simply a place to START

It takes time to build your platform, message, and reputation. When you’ve done that, it’s much easier to call yourself a Life Catalyst Guide rather than a Life Coach (if that’s what resonates with you).

Because while you are agonizing over the perfect handle your Ideal Clients are going to someone else. 

When I first started out, I called myself the Toolbox Teacher (for those of you who may not know, I was a teacher in another lifetime). At the time I thought it was cute and adorable. Guess how many clients I got from using that title?

If you said “not very many”, ding, ding, ding, you get today’s limited time only prize. oops…it’s so limited that it’s gone already. 😉

In teaching there is a term called ‘scaffolding’. 

What that means is that you build upon what is already known to move towards stronger understanding of concepts; slowly introducing new information.

Working with your Ideal Audience is like that. You have to meet them where they are and know what is already in their schema in order to move them to a deeper understanding.

One way to do this is to simply say:

“I’m a Life Coach, or as my wonderful clients say, a Life Awesomizer”

“I’m a Health Coach, or as I like to call myself, a Self-Love Catalyst”

So now, you’re pairing what is known with the unknown. I know what a Health Coach is, I don’t know what a ‘Self-Love’ Catalyst’ is. You need to educate me.

Being a Coach is an honorable and extremely valuable gift. 

You have been gifted with empathy, resilience, an ability to listen, compassion, grace, truth-seeking, and many other gifts that are all whipped up in your own unique blend. 

Yes, there are many others who do what you do, but no one can do it like you do. That’s where your uniqueness comes in; that’s why it’s so important to have clarity around your brand message and platform.

And while there are many, many Coaches out there, there is none quite like YOU.

Having trouble figuring what, exactly, sets you apart? 

I have a few openings in April for Brand Infusion Sessions + when you book a session (for April only), I’ll gift you with the Resonant Marketing with Archetypes class. Because it’s awesome, just like you.