How I Became A Coach
In 2018 before I left New Zealand to travel the world for six months, I felt totally lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do in my career (or more accurately, I had too many things to choose from – can’t I be a writer who hosts a TV show, scuba dives, has a therapy/interior design/breakdancing company AND is Miley Cyrus’s backup breakdancer? The answer is yes. But it’s tricky to be pulled in so many directions). For the last two years after I finished travelling, I’ve been living in England, and I can say without a doubt that I’ve found my calling: the Personal Development Industry.
It didn’t hit like lightning and there was no big epiphany. Just day by day, the quiet voice inside me got louder and louder until it was all I could hear. My mum suggested the book “High Performance Habits” by Brendon Burchard, and while I was travelling, I listened to it on audiobook – over and over. I was hooked. I chose to take a giant leap of faith and put my savings into a High Performance Coaching Certification in Arizona.
I had the wildest ride making it to the training. The world tested me again and again:
I was denied boarding on the plane because I didn’t know I needed an ESTA visa waiver.
I missed the flight and had to wait for my ESTA to come through. They said it would happen instantly – but it took eight hours. I was running out of time – I was going to miss the training.
The ESTA finally came through and I booked a new flight for $2000, on the spot ($2000 I didn’t have – I borrowed from my boyfriend Daniel, and he only had $15 left on his card to get the bus home).
That flight was immediately cancelled.
I needed to get from London to New Jersey, New Jersey to Arizona. The flight attendant said they could only get me to New York.
So I took it. And I planned to get a taxi across states.
I arrived at JFK, and got in the taxi.
We got on the motorway and the taxi driver was pulled over by the Police for speeding.
We’re sitting on the side of the road for 10 minutes, and the meter is still running, racking up the fee.
An hour-long taxi journey later, we arrived at New Jersey airport at 1am – the airport was completely closed. I asked for the fee to be dropped (putting my life in danger + charging me for sitting on the side of the road, I want a discount on my $150 taxi!).
The driver locked me in the car.
I wasn’t in a space to argue, so I paid the full amount and left, grateful to be safe.
I got my final flight and arrived to my certification two hours late with almost no sleep.
At every single roadblock, I thought, is this a sign that I’m not supposed to do this work?
No way. I wasn’t going to believe that. I knew it was really a test of my own character – to see how badly I wanted it, and what I was truly willing to do to get it.
The training turned out to be phenomenal, it was absolutely the right decision. I’ve never felt so fired up for life! I learned how to coach powerfully, how to transform people’s lives, and bonus, I completely got rid of my imposter syndrome.
If you’re thinking of becoming a coach feel free to send me a message I’m happy to answer any questions you have (it’s one of my favourite topics!).
