Mar 31, 20215 min read

What is Coaching?

A popular question to the very up-and-coming field of coaching. What is coaching? How does it work... does it actually work? Because coaching works to deliver the unique goal of a client, it's hard to put your finger on a universal outcome of what someone receives when they choose to hire a coach. It doesn't help that the industry is full of all types of coaches, from fitness coaches to money coaches.

The most common form of coaching is executive coaching, which is a combination of life and career coaching skewed for those in senior positions at work. In fact, this is where coaching started originally and until recently remained. With the expansion of coaching comes more access and ways of experiencing the benefits of a 3rd party: courses, webinars, groups, retreats, large-scale corporate programs, etc.

Coaching can range from being a consultative experience, i.e. a fitness coach who tells you exactly what to do, to one that is reflective in nature, i.e. a life coach who listens deeply and helps you see themes, options, and possibilities.

At Collective Gain, our focus is coaches who can hold space for all of who you are: the professional, the partner, the caretaker, the visionary, the dreamer... we are not prescriptive but perceptive and help you arrive at truth with the confidence to own it.

We understand the best way to know what coaching is to work with a coach! But if you have never have taken the opportunity, I've outlined the three big components of coaching and what makes it both powerful and unique. If you are still looking for a coach, be sure to check out our blog post What to ask when hiring a coach.

Coaching creates space

Coaching gives you the space to explore. What you want to explore is up to you. Many of us are on the hamster wheel of life. Work and life responsibilities can be overwhelming, leaving us little to no time to think through where we are now and where we want to go. Coaching is designed to give you the space to do just that. To get off the hamster wheel and create a new path for yourself that is truly aligned with the life you want to create, you need space to explore your emotions, thoughts, desires, and fears. Doing this alone can be daunting, doing it with a coach, who is skilled in asking the right questions to dig deep can bring about new insights and energy to take action. It's a time that is just for you, to focus on yourself and what you want to create.

Coaching is future-focused

Coaching is about who you are now, and where you want to go. A big part of coaching is seeing the life you want to create, and taking strategic steps to get there. Instead of doing it alone, you have a dedicated partner, your coach, who holds the vision of what is possible for you while you take the steps to get there. They help you see your blind spots, areas of growth, and your superpowers to help you grow into the person you need to be to have the life you desire. And when you are tired or faced with a challenge, your coach is there to hold your vision when you aren't able to.

Coaching expedites the future you want

Coaching puts you on the fast track towards the future you want to create. When you want to get healthy and do it fast, you hire a personal trainer. Sure you could do it yourself, wandering from machine to machine at the gym, not really sure if you are getting the most out of your workout. It's the same with coaching. You hire a coach because they know exactly how to help you and how to challenge you to get you where you want to go faster. They are your cheerleader, ally, accountability partner, and the person who will always tell you the truth, even when it's hard, as you take each step to where you want to go.

In their words.

Here is what people who have received coaching through Collective Gain have to say about their experience. Maybe it will help you imagine what hiring a coach could do for you:

"When I first started coaching with my coach, I was feeling stressed, overwhelmed and out of control with my work/life balance. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure that coaching really worked, but my wife strongly suggested that I give it a try – and I’m so glad that I did. Throughout my time coaching I have learned so many tools that I now apply to my everyday life that help me run my life the way that I want it, instead of having my work run me. It has helped me to slow down and focus on the life that I want to live instead of living day-to-day on default. I’m now more present with my family, I’m reclaiming my time and I’m even getting back out on the soccer field and doing fun things for me."

"1:1 coaching has made a hugely significant impact on me. It has brought clarity to my role and a clearer vision to the goals that I have as a manager, and given me the confidence to take more risks."

"Coaching has helped me see things from a different perspective I would have never been able to comprehend. I'm able to frame scenarios differently to understand them from different points of view, and not just my own. It's helped immensely in the way I work with others, the way I manage my team, and in my own personal growth."

"Coaching has helped me to be aware of my thoughts and learn what to drop and what to take action on. Also having on-going coaching sessions has helped me to proactively think through what I want to solve or get clarity on, and this has lead me to approach every day with more clarity and purpose."

"Coaching continues to challenge me in new and varied self-growth. This has been essential to both growing and evolving the work I do and how I work with others. I continue to improve my mindfulness and awareness of the impact I have on others and how I can support others."

And what we hear most often:

"My life and career have been changed entirely by coaching. I'm so grateful and a huge believer in the impact it can have."

Bottom line: Coaching works and it works fast. If you are interested in getting coaching support, we are here for you. We have hundreds of stories and testimonials to share, but what we're most proud of is the quality of Collective Gain coaching is rated 4.9/5 stars. We are committed to delivering an outstanding experience and our process to get you started is simple.

Sign up for our Coaching Membership Trial to help us match you with the right coach for you
Hop on the phone for a 30-minute call with an onboarding guide to talk through your matches
Have discovery calls with your matched coaches to choose the one that feels like a fit for you
Choose your membership level and start coaching!