5 myths about hiring a coach

About a week ago, I took the plunge and hired a personal trainer. I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while, but my brain created so much drama around what that would mean that I never did it. 

But finally, I decided to put myself first and let go of the need to control every aspect of my life. I decided to lean into the idea that there are people out there who are much smarter than I am in their field. 

I don’t need to have all the answers because I’m not a trainer. I can let someone in and I can let them work their magic. I just had to decide one thing….

I had to decide to let myself be coached. 

If I wasn’t willing to make that decision, there would be no way this would work out. 

This entire process really got me thinking. It put me in the shoes of so many people out there who have thought about hiring a coach but hesitate. Maybe their brains gave them a laundry list of reasons why they should be able to do this themselves.

Or maybe they feel selfish for putting their own needs first. Or maybe they are scared.

I hear ‘ya. Those were all part of the drama my brain made up. None of it is true. Let me repeat that….

NONE OF IT IS TRUE.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell there, but I felt like I needed to say that a little louder for the ones in the back. 

Today, I wanted to tackle some common myths I hear about hiring a coach. These could be applied to any type of coach - personal trainer, business coach, mentor, or maybe even a health coach (wink wink). 

Myth # 1: A coach will make you do his or her program.

I hear this ALL THE TIME from people interested in working with me. “I would love to work with you, Lindsay, but I don’t want to give up meat.” 

I get it. But the thing is, just because I don’t eat meat doesn’t mean that you have to give it up. I will not put you on my eating plan because you are not me. 

Part of being a professional coach is getting to know your client. Each and every one of them. Because none of you are the same. You all have different nutritional requirements, likes and dislikes, budgets, and lifestyles. 

No, I’m not going to make you eat tofu. But I will challenge you. 

This topic came up on my first call with my trainer. One of his clients is an Iron Man athlete. If you’re not familiar with Iron Man competitions, they are triathlons where competitors compete in the legs of cycling, swimming, and running. They are a serious test of endurance and strength. Google it. It’s bananas and the thought of it makes me want to cry…

Anyways, my trainer told me that putting together this particular athlete’s workouts is wild. He said the warm-ups alone are insane. He said he would die if he tried to do them. 

Keep in mind, my trainer is a professional body-builder. He lives and breathes fitness. My point, I’m not getting an Iron Man training program. I’m not getting a bodybuilder’s training program. I’m getting a program aimed at helping me hit my goals. 

When you work with a professional coach, you get a tailored-to-you program. It’s as simple as that.

Myth # 2: A coach will yell at you.

I have never yelled at one of my clients. I’ve never even been close. I have been known to do a happy dance or two, but I have never yelled at anyone. 

For many of us, when we think of working with a “coach”, images of NFL coaches throwing iPads and screaming at their players probably come to mind. I have a very vivid memory of one of my club volleyball coaches throwing a chair during a game once. Ok, twice.

That is not the type of coach we’re talking about here. Those people are nuts.

Coaches are there to hold you accountable, inspire you, and be a sounding board for you to bounce ideas off of. And they answer your millions and millions of questions. They don’t yell.

In fact, a really good coach will help you dig deeper into why you didn’t complete a task and figure out a way to help you be successful next time.

When you are being coached as an adult, it’s really important to remember that you are in control. Coaches do not and cannot make you do anything. Your success is ultimately determined by how much effort you put into the program. 

Sure, we as coaches have certain obligations and tools to help you get there. But you won’t ever be yelled at. And guess what? If you hire a coach and he or she yells at you, fire that coach immediately and get a different one. That’s not cool. 

Don’t get me wrong, I will call you out on your BS. I don’t like excuses. And if you’re giving me excuses, you can bet your booty I’m going to call you out on it. That’s part of being a really good coach. Yelling, however, isn’t a part of that.

Myth # 3: A coach will never understand YOUR situation.

I’m going to say something here that I don’t want you to take the wrong way but it needs to be said. 

You are not a special unicorn.

In this world of participation trophies and warm fuzzies, we have been conditioned to believe that we are super-special, unique beings and that there is no one like us on the planet. Sure, that might be true to an extent. BUT that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Professional coaches work with many different people. The good ones can recognize trends in their clients. They are pretty easy to recognize. But the real magic comes from how a coach takes that trend and applies it to your particular situation. 

Coaches do know your situation. Experienced coaches know the questions to ask to get the information they need. I can assure you, I rarely ask a random question. Each question I ask a client leads to another one which leads to another one. Your answers give me an idea of the direction I need to take the session. 

This is a bit of an art form. Conversations often seem organic but the reality is that when you’re working with a true professional, that conversation and every question and answer in that conversation serves a purpose. 

But don’t worry, you don’t need to know all of that. You just need to answer the questions honestly. If you’re not honest with your coach, he or she won’t be able to develop the very best program for you. 

Can I tell you another secret? The vast majority of people in the holistic health field got into it either as a result of their own health journey or that of a loved one. Many have overcome the very problem you are trying to solve.

This question was asked at a conference I just attended with over 200 practitioners. At least 75% of the practitioners raised their hands when asked if they got into this field as a result of their own or a loved one’s health situation. 

Chances are, your coach has been where you are. Many of us didn’t grow up this way. We didn’t grow up eating super healthy or working out consistently. Something in us pushed us to this field.

Just like something within you is pushing you to want to work with a coach.

Myth # 4: A coach will judge you.

I don’t have time to judge you. In a 60-minute session with you, I don’t have time to go there. I am spending our valuable time together putting together a plan and asking the best questions. It’s not my job to judge you. 

The questions coaches ask and the things they ask you to do are not designed to make you feel bad, insecure, ashamed, or to make you fail. I want you to succeed! The things I ask you to do are designed to help you be the very best version of yourself! That’s what you’re paying us for, aren’t you?

Want to get over this fear of being judged? Hire a personal trainer who has you send him progress pictures each week. Yikes. Yep, that will make you get over that fear really quickly!

The progress pictures are for me, not him. The process of taking them and submitting them is an accountability practice. No matter how self-conscious I feel about doing it, I just have to keep telling myself that by not submitting my pictures, I am hindering my progress. 

I’m only hurting myself. 

Get over the fear of being judged. You are your own worst critic. And just to drive this point home a little further, almost everyone feels the same way you do. We’re all worried about others judging us. 

But your coach is on your side! We want you to succeed! 

Myth # 5: Coaches are super crazy, super-humans in their personal lives who never make mistakes and totally have their shit together.

I have met a few coaches who may act like that and they are certainly not the ones I would want to work with or recommend to my clients. But the vast majority of coaches are working on their own health journey at the very moment you hire him or her.

They probably don’t have it all together all the time. In fact, I will admit that I am my own worst client. Not because I don’t believe in my program, but because I don’t have anyone holding me accountable for my actions. It’s hard!

That’s why I hired a coach. 

Many people make comments like, “Well, I’m sure you don’t know what it’s like to have these cravings all the time,” or, “You don’t get it, but I just don’t have time to eat healthy.” 

I don’t get it?

That is literally why I changed careers!

We all make mistakes. We all fail. We all get frustrated. We all want to give up, sometimes several times in one day. We all have bad days, bad weeks, or a bad year. We all question what we’re doing and wonder if we’re doing this right.

But the difference between regular coaches and good ones is how we choose to handle those tough times. 

We walk the walk to inspire YOU! 

If you do what I do, will you have what I have?

YES! Nothing about my life is perfect. It never will be because I live in the same imperfect, terrifying, unfair world that you do. But you know what? I think that’s what makes life so beautiful.

I don’t need to be perfect to work with you and inspire you to be your best. 

And you don’t have to be perfect to work with me. That imperfection is what makes us human and what will make us a great team. 

Quotes about adversity are coming to mind here. I’m fighting the urge to include a bunch of them….

So, instead, I will wrap this up with a final thought. When you hire a coach, you pay for two of the most important things you can pay for: knowledge and accountability. We have the result you are looking for and we have the path to get you there.

All you have to do is push down all that drama your brain is creating, which again, is NOT TRUE, and take the first step. 

Ready to learn more about how we can work together? Click the button below to schedule your FREE 30-minute Discovery Call!

Hope to talk to you soon!

Peace, love & kale!

Lindsay