I’ve been at this life coaching thing for awhile. Twenty years to be exact. And, in that time I have experienced many amazing moments, witnessed miracles and felt sure I was doing what I am meant to do.
My life has been blessed by this career choice in many ways. My work is flexible and supports me well. It transitioned easily when I moved cross country and because most of my sessions are by phone, I can work from anywhere, wearing whatever I want.
Being a Life Coach has allowed me to study a variety of interesting subjects each year and call it working. It doesn’t hurt that they can be claimed as tax deductions too. My studies have taken me from emotional healing, brain hacks, fearless living, quieting the mind, shifting limiting beliefs, and more. The high point was a master’s program in spiritual psychology. Along the way I met many amazing people traveling a similar path as mine who continue to be my friends today.
The greatest gift though, is my clients. I get to work with some of the most amazing people whose courage, wisdom and commitment are incredible to witness. I grow to love each and every one of them and many have worked with me for years.
But, even with clients I love and years of training and certifications, there have been some strange things that my life coach training didn’t prepare me for.
There Will Be Dropped Calls
It happens all the time. Sometimes we know why, but often we don’t. It’s important to be able to keep the flow going and get back on track quickly when this happens. I was once talking to a client who was driving on a Los Angeles freeway and as I suggested she park somewhere to talk or reschedule she was in an accident. There was a loud crash and then her phone went dead. It was a very scary time.
I also talk to someone each week who sometimes is driving for part of her call. We always lose our connection as she passes a town called Oak Ridge. It’s not unusual for something like this to happen, but in this case it’s a bit eerie because Oak Ridge was a secret city in the 1940’s where they worked on the atomic bomb.
Alexa Will Be Listening
I have clients with Alexa or similar devices that feel they need to whisper through part of their sessions. If they don’t Alexa may start offering suggestions or play a song she feels is appropriate for the moment. I don’t mind as long as she doesn’t start coaching and take my job.
Pets Can Be Coaches Too
When I first started coaching I had a sweet little cat named Samantha. She loved to sit on my desk while I worked with clients and would meow at the perfect times. I’m convinced she was very in tune with the energy of the calls and wanted to help.
I used to have a client I worked with in person whose Rottweiler (read – giant dog) would sit or lay on me so I couldn’t move during the sessions.
My current cats, Joey and Chloe try to help too, but they just get in the way. Speaking of that…
Animal Interruptions
My clients sometimes hear my cats play fighting or my dog barking in the background of our calls. I can hear their pets too. They are just part of the landscape of working by phone. My dog Daisy often sleeps at my feet as I coach and there are times when her snoring comes through loud and strong.
Once, when I lived in California, my cats brought a lizard into the house right before a coaching call. I chased it all around the house and then it disappeared. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Half way through my call I was startled by a tickle on my leg, only to discover the lizard was in my pants. Somehow, I stayed calm and collected and my client never knew what was going on.
Another time a squirrel jumped on a window screen right in front of my face. It wanted to come inside and it’s claws made a lot of noise on the screen so I did need to explain what was happening that time. Not long after that I stopped feeding the squirrels on my porch.
Lately it’s been a misguided woodpecker who keeps pecking at a metal vent on my roof. You would be surprised how much noise that little guy can make.
Mother Nature Doesn’t Always Play Nice
It’s not easy to run a business from home via phone or Zoom when there are earthquakes, storms, tornado warnings and power outages. I’ve heard clients as they react to big earthquakes and sometimes they have trouble hearing me over thunder storms in my area, but no one hears anything when we lose power.
Clients Do Strange Things – and So Do I
While I love my clients there have been moments when things went a little sideways. I have had clients who didn’t want to miss their call even though they had laryngitis and couldn’t talk, excused themselves for a moment to throw up and one who would actually go to the bathroom during our calls.
Anything can happen when coaching clients and it’s important to be able to hold space for them when needed. Sometimes, we just say, “oops!” and have a little laugh. Because I build strong relationships with my clients and they know I care about them we always see our way through, no matter what happens.
Even with all the little strange things that can happen that life coach training didn’t prepare me for, I can’t imagine giving up the work I do. It’s a blessing to my life and my clients tell me it’s a blessing for theirs as well.
If you would like the support of a professional, experienced Life Coach or are a new coach looking for help with client questions or building your business, I would love to talk with you. You can contact me here.
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