There’s something I need to get off my chest.
In the world of the crazy Internet, social media and ‘gurus’ coming out of the woodwork for every industry and every niche it seems the meaning of the term ‘coach’ has turned into the OPPOSITE of the reason I got into coaching in the first place.
This is a bit of a rant so be prepared…
It seems that nowadays you can take a quick course online or sign up to be a distributor for certain products, and you are then slapped with the prestigious title of coach.
Example 1 – bought, reno’d and flipped a house once = real estate profit coach.
Example 2 – made 7% returns for the last two months on the stock market = financial coach.
Example 3 – lost 20lbs using good diet and exercise but joined an MLM = health coach.
And here’s why I am not ok with that.
To me, coaching implies a deep understanding of the subject matter in which you coach. It implies education, experience, and a significant investment of time and money when it comes to crafting your expertise.
Not just, “Something worked for me once, so I’ll tell people about it and sell them a service.”
A coach illuminates the path for a client’s success.
They deeply understand and empathize with the feelings and desires of their client. They ask meaningful questions that allow the client to step into a new, higher-level of self.
So, is someone who distributes a product they didn’t know existed two weeks ago or who took a test online in 30 minutes truly a coach? In my opinion, no.
Some people won’t like this message, and that’s ok.
It’s important for me to put this message out into the world though so that people cannot only make educated decisions on who to work with when they hire a coach, but also, so I can distinguish what I believe is one of the most honorable professions in the world.
Here at 360 Fitness, we have a team of true expert coaches who have lived and breathed what we do for years. We have over 100 years of experience with our team of 30 fitness professionals, literally thousands of success stories, and numerous business recognitions.
And we would consider ourselves ‘newbies’ being around only 10 years. Because the more you know, the more you know you DON’T KNOW.
So, we are constantly learning, improving and bringing our ‘A’ game because we have a moral obligation to be good coaches.
If you’re looking for some support with your fitness and health goals, we would love to start a conversation with you. Shoot us a message and ask us anything.
Jack Wheeler is a personal trainer and the owner of 360 Fitness in Red Deer.
