How to Become A Certified Life Coach: A Review of Coach Training Alliance

How do you become a certified coach? If that question is what brought you to this post, let me congratulate you for taking an important first step. Whether you’re committed to a new career or doing research about what a life coach is and how to become one, I hope this overview of Coach Training Alliance provides you some direction.

But before we begin, I’d like you to answer the following questions. It’ll help you decide whether you should become a certified coach or not. Here goes:

• Do you have a passion for helping people?
• Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit?
• Does the prospect of being your own boss excite you?
• Are you interested in using your own experiences to change the lives of others?
• Do you get excited at opportunities for personal and professional growth?
• And most importantly, if you do become a certified coach, do you want to be well-trained and certified by a leader in the industry?
• You might also benefit from taking this free quiz.

Take a moment to reflect on your answers. Does all that sound good to you so far? If it does, coaching may be the career of your dreams.  

Certified Coaching has exploded in popularity in recent years, especially in the wake of these uncertain economic times, where many of us have been forced to seek non-traditional income streams to make ends meet. It’s a rewarding opportunity that has prompted many to leave their traditional jobs in pursuit of something far more authentic and satisfying.

As a licensed mental health counselor (which is similar in many respects to coaching), I can attest to how rewarding it is to spend your days helping others in need. We all need a good reason to get out of bed in the morning, so why not make that reason to help people raise the quality of their lives?

So, where do you start? Let’s start by looking at what a certified coach actually is and whether it’s the right path for you. Then we’ll explore how you become a certified coach through Coach Training Alliance, which is one of the most well-known and reputable online training programs of its kind.

But first, let’s dive deeper into what certified coaching is and the steps you take to become one.

What is a Certified Coach?

A certified coach helps people develop goals and create action plans to achieve them. They help with many issues, from personal problems to professional projects and job transitions. They function like a counselor, providing support, direction, and accountability. Their job is to facilitate change.  

The role of the certified coach can be summed up as follows:

• help clients develop and clarify goals;
• provide your own unique perspective based on life experience;
• Support them in their efforts to achieve those goals;
• Facilitate the transition to a new life once their goals have been achieved.

Working as a certified coach is a rewarding and life-affirming experience. You get to be your own boss and help your clients live the life of their dreams.

Why Should You Become a Certified Coach?

Certified coaches are in high demand. According to the International Coach Federation, there’s a growing and positive view of coaches among potential clients. The data also shows a strong return on investment for those who use certified coaching services. The rate of growth for the industry is expected to be around 13 to 15 percent between 2016 and 2026.

The job market continues to evolve as we plod through the 21st century. Many are abandoning their traditional 8-5 jobs in pursuit of more lucrative and rewarding ventures. The bottom line is this: you can make more money working for yourself than you can by working for somebody else.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for helping others, certified coaching might just be for you.

As a certified coach, you’ll no longer be tied to an 8-5 existence. Don’t get me wrong. You’re going to put in the hours. It’s just that you get to decide when and where and how much and so on. But at the end of the day, you work for yourself.

In the beginning, you’ll work harder and longer while you learn your trade, develop your client list, and establish yourself in the industry. This makes sense if you think about it. Things are always more challenging in the beginning. But as your own boss, the thing you have to keep in mind is that the long-term rewards far exceed anything you could hope to achieve by working for somebody else.

And once you have established yourself and developed a list of paying clients, you’ll be able to travel more, set your own schedule, and work from wherever you want. Coaches make use of video and phone conferencing, and you can do that from pretty much anywhere in the world.

Successful coaches do pretty well for themselves. You’ll not only enjoy more wealth but also more freedom. Helping others achieve abundance translates into more abundance for you.  

How to Become a Certified Coach Online

You can become a certified coach without even leaving your home. You won’t need to participate in face-to-face classes or waste your time on the road. You can become a certified coach online by following a digital program, all from the comfort of your home.

Coach Training Alliance, for example, offers an intensive online six-month training program, small class sizes, and unparalleled support. If you’d like to see what one of their classes is like, they offer one that is totally free.

There are a number of routes a person can take to become a certified coach, but I want to give you a basic overview of the steps most people end up taking. You’ll probably add a few more to the process, but here are 5 steps that are petty much non-negotiable:

1. Choose a Niche Interests You

Coaching is an enormous field, so you’ll need to find a niche that is lucrative, rewarding, and a good fit. Think about your interests, your talents, and your passion. Play to your strengths. Pick something that gets you out of bed in the morning.

Here are some of the niches in which you can specialize:

• Spirituality
• Romantic relationships
• Fitness
• Setting and achieving goals
• Career improvement
• Blogging
• Digital marketing and SEO
• Work-life balance
• Weight loss
• Aging issues
• Small business development
• General wellness.

You’ll want to focus on one area only and market your services for a specific niche. You might think it’s a better idea to cast a wide net, but the more specific the better.

2. Select a Legitimate Coach Training Program

Just like earning a college degree, becoming a certified coach takes time and costs money. A certified coach, after all, is certified. This tells the general public that you have achieved a certain level of competence in the profession. It also separates you from the fly-by-nighters who prey on the uninformed.  

Most legitimate certified coaching programs cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. But your earning potential as a certified coach can easily crest $75-100,000 a year. It’s a sizable up-front investment, but you’ll be positioned to recoup your expenses and then some.

Just don’t think that you’ll be earning a gigantic salary when you start. It’s certainly possible, but entrepreneurship takes a great deal of work. You’ll have to establish yourself in the industry and build a list of paying clients before you see any real earnings. As a result, you should probably keep your day job until your earnings as a certified coach begin to rival your current salary.

There are many coach training programs on the market, so choose the best one for your needs. Fortunately, you have the International Coach Federation at your side. This organization serves two purposes.

1. It promotes certified coaching around the world.
2. It differentiates the legitimate training programs from the fakes.  

A legitimate coach training program has the accreditation of the International Coach Federation. It will also offer specialized coaching programs performed by experts.

Coaching Training Alliance is a global leader in the industry and one that you should consider using.

3. Choose a Certified Coaching Program that Fits your Lifestyle

We all have responsibilities. We have careers, spouses, children. Life has a way of pulling us in 19 different directions.

If you choose to become a certified coach, you’ll want to choose a program that is high in quality but also convenient.

Fortunately, you can complete many certified coaching programs online. You can also choose a learning system that is convenient and can be performed at your own pace. Make sure you choose a program that is engaging, interactive, and practical as well.

4. Set up your Business

Once you have completed your online certified coaching program, you’ll need to create your own business. Certified coaches are small business owners, so you’ll need to make sure you are in compliance with state and local laws. You’ll also need to register your business with your state.

There are a few different options for small business owners, so you’ll want to discuss your plans with an expert. You can also visit some of the online vendors that assist you with the process for a fee. One of them is a company called ZenBusiness. You can visit them by going here.

Take your time with this step. Plan your startup costs carefully. Remember to budget for marketing, web design, and hosting. Consider investing in a high-quality, professional website to attract clients.

5. Develop an Online Marketing Strategy

Finally, you’ll want to establish an online presence so potential customers can find you. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Build a website on WordPress or Wix that will function as a marketing tool and lead magnet. Blogs are a great way to do that. You provide valuable information for free which in turn attracts customers who want to pay you for your services;
• Get active on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest;
• Guest post on related websites to promote your name and your services;
• Use paid ads so future clients can find you;
• Develop an email list to market to future clients;
• Solicit reviews and testimonials from current clients to establish trust and authority;
• Start a YouTube channel;
• Start a podcast;
• Join relevant Facebook Groups to learn from more experienced coaches and to develop leads.

This step may sound a bit overwhelming, and it is at first. Fortunately, the internet is teeming with blogs and free YouTube video tutorials that can take you through these various processes.

Finally, start connecting with other certified coaches online. While many of them will be your competition, you’ll find that there are so many different types of coaches and so many different niches that there’s plenty of room for collaboration.

Join Coach Training Alliance

Coach Training Alliance offers a multitude of coaching programs. They have certified coaching programs, human capital training, a yoga program, and a leadership program. They even offer a free class, which you can sign up for here.

Coach Training Alliance offers excellent support and a comprehensive, easy-to-understand coaching plan. They cater to those with or without previous coaching experience.

Take this free quiz to see if you’ve got what it takes.

Become a Certified Coach Online

How do you become a life coach? You do it by contacting a reputable institution like Coach Training Alliance. You talk to their admissions officers. You ask good questions. You make sure you make the decision that is right for you and your situation. Then, you leverage their advanced, ICF-approved programs to realize your dreams and become a certified coach.  

With a network of 8,000 alumni from 13 countries worldwide, Coach Training Alliance is one of the top life coaching agencies in the world. They are second to none in passion for the coaching business. They are also passionate about helping our students to put into practice what they learn.  

Start your coaching program today and take your first big step to a new and rewarding life.

If you visit Coach Training Alliance, be sure to check out one of the most comprehensive compendiums of coach training material available. Their Coach Training Accelerator is a self-paced, self-study program that uses proven techniques and guidance for launching a successful coaching practice.

A well-designed and expedited way to launch a coaching practice, the Coach Training Accelerator can be applied to and used in conjunction with the Coach Training Alliance’s Certified Coach Program.