If you're a life coach, do you think the sector is totally oversaturated? Thinking of career change...

[Bollyhood]

Exactly that. Thinking of life coach as a different route workwise. Yet to refine my area of interest, but have a few ideas. I'm doing a lot of research but I'd love to hear people's thoughts who are currently working in that space.

But nobody, absolutely nobody, was going to pay Richard Williams to be their tennis coach until after his DDs became champions. Before that, he has zero credibility. He's just a dad.

Well true enough, but that’s not what you said. Anyway, not really the point of the thread.

the Executive coach I know makes her money training people to be coaches!

But why do you want to be a ‘LifeCoach’ OP?

If it is because you want to work in a caring profession, helping people to progress psychologically,,emotionally or professionally , then I think there are more intellectually respectable routes , which would probably involve some fairly rigorous and intensive training. That would be a major commitment, but could be very rewarding.

If it’s because you are fed up with your current career and fancy a change, you probably lack the motivation for my previous definition.

I’m tempted to say maybe you need a few sessions with a life coach, but that would be naughty, so I won’t. 🤐

I don’t believe Richard Williams played tennis. Not sure your analogy works on that front!

He's not a professional tennis coach, he's just their dad who "coached" his daughters.

Their primary teaching before their dad took over was at this bloke's tennis academy and he is a tennis pro:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Macci
They moved specifically so the sisters could go there and after a few years (presumably when they'd learnt what they needed) he withdrew them and took over the 'coaching'.

It's my point exactly. If you were looking for a tennis coach to actually teach you tennis, you wouldn't pick him and I'm not sure he's ever "coached" anyone other than his daughters.

I'm working on the ILM credential which work paid for- and it's to coach internal colleagues. There's a huge waiting list of people who want it for free internally.

We don't coach the most senior mgrs as that wouldn't be appropriate.

That said, I won't be quitting my day job (which I love and which is not coaching)

You were defensiveness for no reason and your post lacked any context, so 2 things to work on to be an effective coach. That aside.

I’m a (female) senior exec and have had 1:1 exec coaching in the past (note not life coaching). I’ve also interacted with a lot of other coaches in my time. I’d say the really good ones are rare. They’ve either been there/done it and succeeded themselves, or are otherwise in a position to coach people more senior than them (e.g. HR advisor to CEO/leadership team). Many are average, that might be ok depending on who you are targeting.

So from a business perspective you need to think:

• who is my ideal customer and how many of them are there (is the niche too niche or not)
• how do I attract them (reputation and network key in my experience, not something people advertise necessarily)
• how long are you expecting someone to work with you (few sessions or week or many months?)
• what seniority / type of transition or support coaching are you hoping for as this will determine fees

I would think its potentially tough to make a living unless you are v senior/credible with a large network; its only a lifestyle business for you; or you’ve genuinely identified a niche and are credible to fill it.

This will be my last post.

Thanks to all the helpful comments (there are many that are not helpful, at all, just rude). I do appreciate them and I've taken them on board.

I wouldn't call those people life coaches. More like psychologists specialising in specific issues.