22 year old business/mindset coach - AIBU

[2021namechanges]

Have been looking around for a business coach recently. In my investigations I’ve come across some guy who is 22 years old - and from what I can tell - the only business he’s ever “built is the fucking coaching business he’s trying to flog.

Now I may be getting old (am 38) but Aibu to say that quite frankly this is fucking ridiculous. Along the way I’ve found coaches that have also set up and when I take a look at their LinkedIn profiles - in the nicest way - their jobs before will be along the lines of “recruitment agent”, or “PA” - again nowt wrong with this - but being a business advisor - sorry no

I do get that you can retrain but Aibu to say this is absolute nonsense

Wonder if anyone is daft enough to hire him.

Probably someone does.

It is worth doing the research to find someone.

Well he can call himself Santa Claus if he likes, but if he can’t magic up reindeer and a sleigh on 24 December...

I’m doing a lot of research at the moment - I actually had someone but for very long winded reasons we had to stop.
It’s incredibly difficult to find someone decent. But throw in the absolute shysters when you’re wading through makes it harder.

I think this about lots of consultant type jobs. I had to grit my teeth when we were given a talk by an educational consultant who had never taught or worked with young people.

There are coach mlms now. I think that might be that.

I know a 21 year old "life coach". Her mother is a family member, I can hardly keep a straight face when she talks about her DD's "business".

Life coach? She's a child who has never left home and still can't work the washing machine who's mother has to get her out of bed in the morning as she's, quote "not good with alarms and shit".

I know a 'life coach' in their 40s who has never had a career or successful relationship, still lives at home with mum and dad and gets an allowance from them.

I think good on them for trying but I do find it totally baffling about how they can be so confident in their abilities to help others...

@SchrodingersImmigrant

There are coach mlms now. I think that might be that.

They are horrific actually. I met a coaching MLM bot on a networking thing recently. I’m polite so always try and ask a couple of questions (despite being completely uninterested) so was asking “oh what sort of life coaching is it - are you more mindset, NLP etc? She just kept robotically saying “we have a revolutionary method” it was painful.

She never actually did get round to asking what I do!

They could have a lot of training and qualifications- you could be 50 and have no qualifications. Would that be any better, just because they've lived longer? Don't judge someone's ability without even meeting them, surely?

Coaching seems to be becoming as prevalent as MLM businesses.

Business coach, life coach, I saw a thread on here the other day about a Fertility Coach charging hundreds of pounds ffs, who turned out to be dishing out advice on extreme diets and herbs.

I think good on them for trying but I do find it totally baffling about how they can be so confident in their abilities to help others...

In order to know how good you are at something requires exactly the same skills as it does to be good at that thing in the first place. There will always be stupid people willing to take money off other stupid people who can’t recognise how stupid either of them are.

@imalmostthere sorry but no. Not for business coaching. Someone who has not at least held a senior position or run a successful is NOT equipped to do it.
Theory isn’t enough.

Would you risk your income on it? Take a punt on a 23 year old surgeon who’d never operated before and had no one senior with them?

Reminds me of this:

They could have a lot of training and qualifications

At 22 the could not, and without the experience it wouldn't matter anyway.

@hayley037 or this one!

@2021namechanges
I see your point, but as far as a young surgeon goes, the doctor who very literally saved my child's life when she was born, was 23. I owe her everything. I think it very much depends on the individual. I also think berating someone trying to make a living in this climate, solely based on age, is harsh. I hope he proves everyone wrong 😊

Ah yes, coaches. A bugbear of mine when I had my own business. There is one especially annoying woman In LinkedIn who posts 'positivity' every day along with inspirational stories of the Live Laugh Love ilk. As far as i can see, the only comments she ever gets are from other coaches massaging each others' egoes. There is no evidence whatsoever of any real clients.

So I should risk my living on someone else’s?

Also your 22 doctor would have had an entire team behind her.

@Katyppp did you ever use one?

She just kept robotically saying “we have a revolutionary method” it was painful.
😔 I believe that.

Yeah... I'd love to run my 56years past him!

You know, there can be coaches and advisors in some non profits. Like organisation aimed at women in business can have some or can at least usually recommend afaik.

I am with you on the age thing. He can be very smart and all but he simply cannot have enough experience behind him to advise especially if he hasn't had any business bar this one. Well he could potentially if he was involved in other businesses at the core since 16 but otherwise no. And that's not being mean and judging someone by their age. That's simple facts.

Truth is he's probably doing it as a job as he's not good enough to find employment.

Sorry, but I've just realised. i didn't know you can be a doctor by 23😱 I thought it takes like 4 or 5 years at uni and then some years training and then you become a doctor.
I am just curious. Honestly thought it's really long route