I’ve been at a business conference this week. And I met someone who wants to be a “health and wellness coach”. Fair warning: there’s a rant ahead. The only thing I hate more are “life coaches”. What the hell does that even mean??? Oh yeah, second warning: my language may not be the most, shall we say “polite” while ranting.
Anyway, I met this person who wants to be a “health and wellness coach”. What exactly does that mean? She had zero training or qualification in any kind of actual health or wellness discipline. And did I mention the best part? She was at least 150 lbs. overweight, probably closer to 200. And no, I’m not exaggerating. She was very much grossly overweight.
I’m not saying she was a bad person or anything. She seemed perfectly nice. Now I don’t know about you, but grossly overweight isn’t my definition of health or wellness. How could anybody take someone like that seriously to help them with their “health and wellness”???
She thinks that because she’s “coaching some friends” (again, whatever that means), she can coach other people for money. I would never give any money to anyone who wasn’t walking their talk, and there’s no way someone like that could make claims that they’re “healthy”. Well, I guess they could, actually, since anyone can say anything these days, whether it’s true or not. Sigh…
I run into these people all the time at business conferences, and it drives me crazy. They take people’s money and don’t get them results, because they have no training, no qualifications, and frankly, no business coaching anybody.
Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse. There are all sorts of people online selling “coaching” and “coaching certification” programs. As long as you pay the money and take their course, they’ll certify you as a “coach”. Whatever that means. I’m beginning to hate the word “coach”, even though all top athletes and many, many top people in their fields have real coaches who help them.
The problem is there are no standards, and anyone can become a “coach”. The “certifications” are bullshit made up by the people selling the coaching programs. And I absolutely hate seeing people get ripped off by these “coaches”.
People are genuinely looking for help, and getting ripped off by these people and then they get discouraged and afraid to try again. It breaks my heart to see this over and over again.
So, if you’re considering working with any kind of a coach, here are the basic things you want to know about them before you ever consider giving them a penny:
- What are their qualifications to coach people in this field?
- How long have they been doing it?
- What kind of results do people get while working with them?
So just for a basis of comparison, here are my qualifications: I’m a licensed and practicing medical professional. I didn’t spend $5,000 on an online “coaching certification”. I spent over $100,000 and four years of my life in medical school, and I’ve been practicing Oriental Medicine for 20 years. And, I come from a science background. I used to do research in one of the top medical schools in the country, and I’ve been studying nutrition for about 30 years. I’ve been teaching what I learned that works to my patients for the last 20 years. The results they get are life-changing, because once they learn the system, they never have to worry about fad diets or the latest craze, ever again. Put that in your hat and eat it, “health and wellness coaches”!
Oh yeah, since I was saying that people need to walk their talk, I’m at an appropriate weight for my height, healthy, and look 10-15 years younger than my actual age. I was talking to someone yesterday that had no idea of my age, and when I told her, she was amazed, because she thought I’m way younger. (I thought we were about the same age, because she looked closer to my age. Oops!) I’ve actually had to show people my driver’s license, because they don’t believe me! Again, put that in your hat and eat it “health and wellness coaches”!
And finally, anyone you consider working with as a coach or mentor needs to be a good personality match, meaning you need to feel comfortable working with them. If you don’t feel comfortable, and like they’d be a good fit for you, just don’t even start with them. When I talk to potential clients, if I feel like they’re not a good fit for me to work with, I don’t want their money. I’d rather they find someone else that’s a better fit for them.
If you made it all the way here, thanks for reading through my rant. There are some valuable lessons in here, and I hope you’ll think seriously about them before investing any time or money with any kind of coach.
All the best,
Wendy
Wendy Goldman
founder of EatRightForever.com, and not some damn “lie coach”. OMG! Did you see what I just typed?!? I meant to say “life” coach, but hey, let’s leave that truthful Freudian slip right there, shall we?