Overcoming Coaching Stereotypes Through Diversity

… and how it increases opportunities for all.

Article written by Kitty Kistler

If you’re a coach, influencer or social marketer who’s been paying attention, you already know that coaching has been reinvigorated, or even revolutionized, by the growing obsession over self improvement and personal wellness.

Over the past two decades, the industry has massively shifted into the online space, allowing the average person a backstage pass to tools and techniques, as well as real people, to lead them to a better life experience. 

After decades of coaches being somewhat hidden in plain sight, known more by those in the high ranking positions of business, wealth, and fame, the term “coaching” is now showing the world it should belong in the lower ranks as well. Because the terminology is becoming more mainstream, the industry is cashing in on becoming more accessible and available to all people. However, it appears the self-inflating cyber bubble has begun receiving kickback because of, what can be classified as, “perceived detachment” from the struggles of the real world.

And right now, the real world is on fire.

Real Pain. Real Suffering. Real Life.

Which is why more people are tuning in, watching, eager to tap into easy to obtain wealth, beauty, and freedom all at the shift of their mindset. But this same ease has prompted industry speculations that the integrity of coaching’s propaganda is potentially harmful, even at times, toxic. 

Now, more than ever, inclusion and diversity matter.

And they look more like ethics, integrity, and acceptance.

As the idea of living by your own rules becomes more normalized, it also demands change in how coaches take up space, and make room for others at the table.

During these past few years, the fight for equity is one that can’t be denied. From postgenderism, women’s rights, racial inclusion, cultural acceptance, and religious apostasy, coaches must learn to witness others without assumption or the desire for creating uniformed conformity.  

And as a coach, helping to bridge the gap between where a human is, in their current reality, to where they want to transition into, you’re asked to provide safe spaces for the broken, the exhausted, the lost, the scared, and the humbled–ones that look more like giant hugs, meadows to frolic, and wilderness to wander.

The world is full of asylum seekers whose homes, offices, churches, schools, communities, and minds are not safe. When they can’t find this safety, they assume they are too different to survive it, too poor to afford it, and too broken to deserve it which has created the need for diversity and inclusion to become a major talking point around clarifying your values, solidifying your core message, breaking the industry trends, and reshaping the landscape to welcome those desperately seeking change.

To accommodate social consciousness, corporations specifically, are changing the way they hire, promote, and market. As a coach, you’re also a business owner and should begin embracing similar concepts to create healthy standards and develop a company culture.

Here are 3 ways you can weave these principles into your business:

1. Truly know and understand your client and potential client. Knowing who you serve and who you are as a person allows you to include those who will benefit most from your message and align with your values. Your clients deserve a safe, empathic space that accepts and welcomes them as they are.
2. Be sure to create offers, products, and systems that align with your mission and core values. Knowing what you stand for and what doesn’t fit your value guidelines will eliminate confusion, frustration, and assumptive risk when signing a new client or inviting them into your community. 
3. Understand the reality of your audience. Pricing and service offers depend on who you choose to work with. While it’s in your company’s best interest to charge for the value of your work, the time you invest, and the sustainability of your business, grossly over (or under) charging will leave a gap in the trust / expectation between you and your audience.

It’s essential, as an entrepreneur, to create a business that’s sustainable and profitable to carry out your mission of serving others, but as a coach it’s imperative to know who you are as a person, who you serve best, and the values base of your company. All 3 of these guidelines will help you to present your programs as true service offers and eliminate the need for harmful marketing.

Being a diverse and inclusive leader demands an open mind and a softer understanding of the needs of others, which allows you to meet them where they are to create a safer harbor.

The landscape of the industry, and the world, is changing and this is your opportunity to create a heart-led business that embraces real people, equally, with integrity. 

Kitty Kistler is an experienced Life Coach + Business Mentor.

Driven by a desire to see integrity within the coaching community she created Ready, Set, Coach Academy to teach aspiring coaches, course creators, influencers, and social marketers how to coach professionally and build sustainable heart + values centered businesses. Her goal is to expand and diversify the industry while helping more coaches become successful, profitable business owners as well.