r/lifecoaching

I have completed all my hours for the ICF coaching log but at the application for the ACC, it asks for proof that the clients consented to having their details provided on the coaching log.

I have the hours and I have notated their names in such a way that is protective of their privacy, but there were multiple coaching sessions that were done either through a platform or in an environment that would've felt weird to formally ask for this. We went over what coaching was and agreements, but I don't have a formal, written consent form. I don't know what to do. A lot of these clients I no longer have a way to contact them.

More than a year fully immersed in pushing something I believed would bring me financial freedom and a lot of transformations.

Here I am to share my real experience and to claim my peace of mind while I look at my “dead body” in front of me: this year of trials, errors and sales.

It does not feel good to share this, but I guess it happens, and it is what happens to most coaches.

Who am I?

I am Filipe G. Miranda. I have spent the last year promoting, helping and coaching men on how to attract relationships, get dates and build their social circles. You can find me on IG and YT if you like.

I started by just helping friends, and then I got my first 2 clients.

Then came the affiliates. Other coaches recommended me to their audiences, and I sold to some of their customers. I got those men incredible transformations. But these men never bought me or my product. They just trusted someone else’s recommendation, and that is what makes a huge difference here. The trust was borrowed. It was never mine.

So I tried to build it on my own. More affiliates, 15k in ad spend, tons of calls, webinars, outreach. I learned photography so I could shoot my clients myself. I built the funnels, the emails, the content. I hosted events and bootcamps. I did 12 sales calls without a single close.

Ironically, my program is quite transformational for the men who took it. But it won’t sell. The market does not want it, and the work of convincing a stranger to work with me feels impossible.

Most men in our society have so many limiting beliefs. It seems the only way to sell to them is to shit on women, promise obnoxious things and then show you are a player.

I built this because I lived the problem myself. I spent years and a lot of my own money on my own dating life in Germany, and I know firsthand how hard it is. That is why it hurts to see that the men who did the work got results, and still almost nobody wants to buy it.

I look at other coaches and they are selling. There is a flow, it is consistent. I am at 0k months.

Either you have a business or you don't. Running a business should not be that hard, I am not saying it is easy, but it should have a nice flow and profits, otherwise, it is just an expensive hobby.

Every day I had a new idea to save it, and no time or resources to test any of them. One good call and I believe again. An hour later I know it can’t work. That back and forth is what I want to stop.

It should not be this hard. Selling should not feel like pushing uphill every single time.

Reasons this won't work?

- Men have too many limiting beliefs about themselves, about women and about me, unless you are in this industry with lots of money to spend on Ads and years of a brand(and offending people online), it won't work.
- You need to polarize and monetize men's resentment on women(that's dirty, but works)
- When you create a new product or system, even it it is great and better than anything else, you might end up selling nothing, because people need so much education into your system that by the time you could sell, you already burned out.
- Business coaches will comment here and try to sell me something... Be careful, no business coach can help you. Even the most well taken care startups with mentors fail. NO BUSINESS OR MARKETING COACH CAN TRULY HELP YOU.
- Business is really luck to a large extent... and yeah, most people won't make it.

It is painful now. It is not nice now. I am drained, tired, and I don't want to have hope of changing anything, I truly just write this to close this chapter.

Anyway, my point here is: how do I let go of hope, so I can find a job and be at peace?

In the past week I have had *five* people book appointments and then either not show up or cancel. I feel that will happen with next week as well which already hasn't booked up.

While I am going for my ICF ACC, I am also being trained in IFS (Internal Family Systems). If someone wants to experience that in their coaching, please let me know.

As far as my niches, they include authenticity, academic, resilience, and spirituality.

If you are interested, drop a comment and I will send my calendly link via chat for a two hour session (so each one of us get an hour)

Will the power of the people (those whom seek coaching) eventually overcome the people in power (biggest, most popular coaching entities) is my overall question. I’m seeking experienced opinions here.

Considering the dog and pony show I’ve discovered through executive, business, career, personal, and other forms of coaching I became attracted to it. Not to play into its bait and switch bluster, but for the opposite reasons. That is because in my past, I have been no angel, business wise, reversing that previous behavior for over 10 years. Yet numerous relationships have asked for or depended on my advice; still do.

Circumventing the whole credential game I used nothing more than clear, vivid, confirmable experience. Nothing overly specialized but applying reasonable confidence from 6 years’ colleges, 2 relevant degrees, businesses founded from 19 years old, running (small) corporations, also employed by others over 38 years with significant physical activities, competitive sports, travel, many relationships from early family issues evolving to my own.

No need for displaying details; this coaching interest was literally because of my mistakes, seeking a coach then realizing this puffery. I decided with many relations: cohorts, vendors, competitors, law/regulation, small and large entities mixed with intimacies, big family issues and significant history that I may help or guide others.

I do see there are (I may refer) some coaches who are quite legitimate and have helped a fair number of individuals or entities. It’s in fact why I became more interested of its potential growth. But there is no question of the racket I see in different sections of this industry starting with the credentials‘ vapor wave of persuading their coach wannabes into selling the same system for a chunk of that revenue. I’ve commented in other subreddits it reminds me of the Alaska Gold, Rush.

I spoke with a senior coach this afternoon that I met on Reddit. The conversation was rather uplifting and he encouraged me to seek out community as I build my coaching business. He made the excellent point that society used to do a much better job of helping us maintain social bonds by default (church, family, small villages), and that now we need to be more conscious about building our own communities.

I had a positive experience a decade ago finding mastermind partners on Reddit. I was running a marketing agency at the time and found someone of a similar age who was at a similar stage to me, in a niche that had very little to do with mine. We spoke with a few other people as well, but he was the main person who walked with me on my journey. 11 years later, we don't have our mastermind anymore, but we're still close friends.

So I'm looking to create a group of coaches that meets weekly in a mastermind format. Ideally, you're at the same stage as me, or slightly further on. A bit about me:

- Mid-30s, British, living in Eastern Europe.
- First career was in marketing
- 2 years of part-time experience in the coaching industry
- Have a nice-looking website and a clearly thought-out niche
- Done about 100 hours of 1:1 coaching and organised about 30 local in-person events in my niche
- Don't have an ICF certification, but am considering doing one
- Main problems: consistent client acquisition, difficulty focusing on the business due to money worries

Comment if you're interested, or send me a DM. I'm looking for at least one other coach, potentially up to 4 or 5. If you profile sounds like a good fit, I'll suggest a call to get to know each other as a next step.

I’m considering taking a manifestation/life-coaching course from people who are already established in the space. I’ve been following their work for around two years, have already taken one of their cheaper courses, and genuinely found it valuable. I’ve also spent a lot of time researching them, their work, and the community around them, so I feel like I’ve done my due diligence and understand what I’m paying for. I’m interested in this because I’m considering building something of my own in the life-coaching, and I see this course as a way to learn and develop the skills I’d need. The issue is that my parents are very uncomfortable with the idea. They seem to associate manifestation/life coaching with shady or potentially exploitative spaces, and because I’m a woman, they’re also worried that getting involved in this industry could somehow put me in unsafe situations. I understand that they’re trying to protect me, but their reaction has made me question whether there’s an actual risk I’m overlooking. For people who have experience with life coaching, manifestation, wellness businesses, or similar industries in India: are there any genuine professional or safety risks I should be aware of, particularly as a woman, or is this mostly a case of my parents being unfamiliar with the industry and therefore afraid of it?

ADHD coaches, do you incorporate mindfulness or breath work in your coaching?

Hi! Just starting this journey. Would like to give 3 coaching sessions this week in exchange for feedback.

Just practicing and your honest feedback would help.

Thanks a lot!

I've been coaching part-time for about 2 years. I've done about 100 hours of 1:1 coaching, plus group coaching at about 30 different community events that I've organised locally. It's been a blast.

I've reached the point where I want to take this more seriously and make a full-time living from it. So I'm considering doing an ICF ACC accreditation and using it to find work on platforms like Spring Health, Ezra and Strawberry. I recently spoke with one such platform and the only reason they didn't take me was because I was missing a certification.

My question: how easy is it to be accepted by these sorts of platforms once you have a certification?

Note: I'm an expat living in Eastern Europe, so I don't need to worry about making a US-level income from these platforms. But some extra cashflow would be nice as I transition away from my old career in marketing and seek to stabilise my coaching work.

As the title says, I'm looking for coaching programs to join that is focused on somatic healing and parts work (NOT breathwork). I already incorporate some somatic approaches in my coaching, but I'd like to expand my toolkit.

I'd love to join a group program with a cohort where we could not only learn somatic and parts work approaches, but also have an opportunity to practice with each other and learn from each others' case studies.

Anyone know of a program like this?

I know something needs to change but almost more scared of making the wrong change than staying where I am.

tried coaching, therapy and career assessments before. Some helped but after all that time and money, I’m still unsure what comes next.

I work in project management and feel permanently on. A few months ago I took a weekend away to reset, but ended up alone in the hotel answering Slack while everyone else was at dinner. Nothing was even urgent. That was when I realized how hard it had become to actually disconnect.

I’ve tried better routines, exercise and protecting my evenings, but I can’t tell if I need a new career or better boundaries.

Has anyone worked with a coach for burnout and career direction?

By far the most comments and DMs I get on reddit are questions about Alyssa Nobriga's ICM program. Instead of typing up the same responses again...and again...and again, I thought I'd make a post of my experience that I can direct people to.

Let's make this more fun...If you've done ICM drop a comment of your experience. If you completed a different coaching certification, I'd love to hear how it went for you (and if it went well, maybe direct people there who ICM isn't a fit for...and if it went poorly, we all want to know!). If you've been wondering about ICM (even if it's years after this post was written) drop a comment with your question or letting me know if this was or wasn't helpful :)

My ICM story...I was a member of the 2023 cohort. I decided to get a certification in lifecoaching after finishing my MA Philosophy degree. I really wanted to help people live 'the good life' and I realized humans can't just think their way there! I struggled with deciding if I needed to get another degree in psychology, or spiritual formation, and ultimately landed on ICM.

I was drawn to ICM because Alyssa teaches tools outside of thinking and behavioral changes. She goes into embodied, emotional, and unconscious changes as well. I, being a thinker, can have the tendency to get too caught up in learning and researching and not actually *doing* the thing. ICM is set up so that you have to practice the skills as you're learning them.

Alyssa has been super thoughtful in designing the program for all kinds of learning styles. Its the best online course structure that I've participated in. Additionally, the last 1/3 of the program is all about building your business. You have to be in-action working with clients (again, great for me) it forces you to get experience in building your business while being in a supportive network to troubleshoot any issues that come up.

The price seems worthwhile to me...compared to other coaching certifications it honestly seems underpriced. Compared with a degree from an institution, it seems comparable or, honestly underpriced. I signed in August of 2022, and I think it was an 11k investment on a payment plan.

Do I have any regrets or complaints? The week we spent on manifesting was a little too 'woo' for me. Honestly, I really don't have too many complaints. I feel like I got exactly what was advertised.

Does everyone launch a successful coaching business? No. My goal was only to work part-time, and I have been able to successfully source clients whenever I wanted to in order to meet that goal. The curriculum itself is a coaching container for you, even while you're learning. There are weekly 'peer practices' where you get coached by a peer, then coach a peer. Some people get into the program and realize there's growth and healing that needs to happen before they can launch a business. Other's have life changes (like pregnancies, or illnesses, or family complications) that limit their change their priorities from building a business, but the people I know in those situations were all so very grateful they experienced the program for their own growth.

Alyssa encourages re-enrolling, some people do and use it at their personal coaching container to level-up (one woman who saw a ton of success in my cohort chose to re-enroll specifically because it was working so well as her personal coaching container.)

First, thank you to everyone who responded to my last question. It is so hard to find a sub that you can actually engage with. Second here is another follow-up question to my previous one.

Appreciate the engagement it is teaching me a lot. Like People don't appear to need another goal-setting course.

People appear to need help understanding why they're not following through on goals they already have. And that was learned from all of your inputs.

I finally finished my final edits on my book Finding Sarah You can't read the label from inside your own container. Please clap 👏

Now, I need suggestions (not KDP) for a publishing company.