Ready to see clients now!
OK, I have cards and a website so now it is time to start seeing clients and collect that 100 hours for ICF certification. I'm not feeling very confident in my abilities so I will consider this first 100 hours as a learning experience and charge $1 for coaching. Surely I will do well enough that some of these almost free folks will want to continue to coach at a very reasonable rate after I reach the 100 hour mark.
Alrighty then...now all I have to do is find some guinea pigs...I mean clients. Let's see who do I know that will be willing to do this and who will trust me to do this? Hey I lead over 70 people when I worked at a local church and surely some of those folks would like some free coaching. I also teach an exercise class and I know those people trust me. Then I do have friends who may know people that would like some cheap coaching. Cool, I will send out an email to the whole bunch of them. After all, I only need 10-15 people to coach for 8-10 sessions and I will have my 100 hours.
YIKES! Everyone I know wants coaching...who knew?
OK, first come first serve. I will just start making appointments and meeting people at coffee houses. Look out ICF and world...Here comes SUPER COACH!!!!! So this went pretty well with one huge exception! It is almost totally impossible to stay focused in between the unbelievably loud sounds of cappacino machines, other people talking on cell phones, and blenders. Never mind how focused they are I can't hear myself think not matter how centered I try to get. This ain't (that's Texas for is not) going to work! I really need an office, nothing big, about the size of a small bedroom will do. How much would that cost I wonder.
Give me some space!
Hey, there are some office condos near my house...I'll just drive by those, collect phone numbers, then call and see what is for rent. Boy, there are some wonderful deals out there but they are all for 3-4 room suites and I am just one little old me so that won't work. Plan B...I will call some of those executive suite places and see what they charge. Holy shit! Are they kidding me $800 a month for a stupid 100-150 square foot office! No *(&^%&^ing way!!!! Now it is time to get creative...how about Craig's list? Yep, I'm gonna give that one a try. YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS ONE!!! I went on Craig's list saw one sub-lease out of about 40 that looked good enough to email so I did. The next morning I get a call from one of the ladies in my exercise class asking if I had checked my email yet...well no I had not. The one, single, only, and first office space I tried from Craig's list was hers!!! Do not tell me that there is not a plan!!! AMAZING and even better... it is my very own slightly larger than a walk-in closet space for only $250 a month bills and everything. I HAVE A HOME!!!! Crap...I just got 250 business cards with my home address on them...good thing they were cheap.
What I Learned
1) There is a great need for coaching out there in the world.
2) It is very easy to get clients for $1 a session
3) Driving all over town to coach in coffee shops is not a great idea.
4) You can get a small office sub-lease for very little money and God is at work in my life!
5) Having an office sure made me feel real.
6) Might be a good idea to get cheap business cards until you are fully established.
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