Want to be an Olympian? (feelin preachy w a brill client feature)
/I talk to people about coaching A LOT. Every day!
And when you do, you begin to learn the general flavour of people’s perception on the topic. You spot themes and patterns.
One pattern I always notice is that my wonderful fellow woman, man and every other gender of human often believe that a coach is someone who helps you if:
A) Your life is truly shit
B) You don’t know how to eat with a knife and fork (hear me out on this one)
And so a coach would:
1. Put on their cape and rescue you from that deep dark whole of stinky faeces
2. Instruct you on basic life skills (this is legit what some think) and/or any other form of how you should do your life “right”
The former being more the role of a therapist. Although, even a therapist can’t save you if you aren’t willing to pick up the shit shovel yourself. (BTW, I love therapy and I’m a complete advocate for it. It’s just not coaching!) And the latter, being more the role of a consultant who advises you if you do happen to have a specific problem.
As you might be able to tell, I can be a stickler for people understanding what this whole coaching malarkey is about. And though also slightly cliche, one of my fave ways to describe it is that of the Olympian.
You’re good at life already or at least some parts of it. Now, imagine what your potential could be if you had a coach challenging and nurturing you to get even more from it? You could become the equivalent of an Olympian at life.
That’s who this month’s client feature is about. Her life wasn’t a complete shit show when we met but she was inspired for something more from herself and her life. So, with a ton of courage, she decided to commit herself to becoming the Olympian of her life and achieve her potential (cliche but a good metaphor, right?). And Lisette is one of the most enthused Olympians I know. Now, a fellow successful coach (Olympian trainer ;), I’m excited to share a snippet of her thoughts, journey and tips in my short interview with Lisette van der Valk below:
There are lots of different coaches out there. What kind of coach are you?
I’m a leadership coach, I work from the Netherlands (and sometimes other places) with amazing entrepreneurs and executives on their mindset, skill-set and toolset. I've worked with clients from Alaska, USA to Brisbane, Australia - and so many places in between. I regularly train new coaches as an assistant leader with CTI in Amsterdam
Why do you do it?
I fell in love with the possibility in life that coaches tend to talk about. To find brilliant humans and to help them develop their mindset, skill-set and toolset it something that is so close to my heart. Having people see their own brilliance and learning to work with it is so amazing!
What were the biggest challenges you faced on the journey to where you are today?
The nay-sayers, most definitely. They made me doubt my own abilities – which is exactly why I understand what my clients are going through!
How did you overcome them?
I’ve worked with several coaches over the last five years, Rachael being my very first in 2014! Learning to do the tough stuff, and to trust yourself is incredibly valuable in creating exactly what you want!
Looking back, what was the biggest thing you got from our work?
It’s been so much, but the biggest thing would be learning more skills as a coach. Having a coach while you’re learning to coach is like someone showing you the ropes!
What are your goals moving forward?
My life long goal is to live a happy and fulfilling life. May it never be boring, and always present me with a new way to grow. No particular goals in the near future, other than supporting amazing people through my coaching!
What’s one thing you’ve taken from your journey so far that you believe will help you achieve what’s next?
Failure is part of the game. It’s not how many times you fail, it’s the fact that you get up after you fail. And to give yourself grace in the process ;-)
