Throughout my coaching career, I have been fortunate to have been introduced to some great organizations that I became affiliated with to offer my coaching services through.
Creative Golf/ThinkWork Play
When I arrived in Raleigh, my focus was to get out of my house and meet people in this new community I lived in. One way I did that was volunteering, another was attending events. In two of those experiences, when mentioning that I was a coach, a woman I met through my volunteer work said “I worked with a coach, her name is Susan…” and then, a few weeks later, a woman I met at an event said “I have a friend who is a coach, her name is Susan…” Turned out to be the same Susan, so of course I had to meet her.
When Susan and I met, she said she had someone else she wanted me to meet, Doug, someone who she had been creating a special coaching program with, using golf. I must admit (as I did to Susan and Doug at the time) that I was not a golfer. They were happy that I was not as their program focused on using golf in an experiential coaching program to foster team building – and there would be participants who were not golfers either.
So…I stretched out of my comfort zone, learned how to work a golf cart :), and became an affiliate coach with ThinkWorkPlay!
The Coach Connection
One of the many places I spent time my first couple of years in business was as a guest at local BNI (Business Networking International) meetings. At one of those meetings I met a coach, Christy, who I had noticed earlier on the ICF directory as someone I had been wanting to meet. So, when I saw her at that meeting, I immediately asked if she wanted to get coffee to learn more about each other. We did, and a friendship/colleague relationship blossomed!
She then introduced me to The Coach Connection, an organization that matches clients with coaches. In the last several years I have been an affiliate coach with them, I have been referred to clients all over the country (and a few international) that I would not have found (nor they me) on my own.
Organizations
While contracting with organizations is not a large focus of my business, I have had a few great opportunities and want to share how they came about.
A client found me online who was seeking coaching to have a better relationship with his boss and colleagues. We started working together and he achieved great success, so much so that his boss noticed a change in him and asked about it. Well, she happened to be an HR Director and she wound up hiring me to coach her! Then, she asked if I wanted to coach some of the managers in her company, this time having the company pay for it. I’ve been doing that ever since and love the clients I’m working with there!
So you see, opportunities to align with different organizations and people can come from many sources. So, get out there, begin to meet people, and take inspired action (often out of your comfort zone) and you too, may discover amazing possibilities in your own alliances!
Partnerships
While on the board of the ICF Raleigh Chapter I had the opportunity to meet, and get to know, Noa Ronen, a fellow coach. Earlier this year she approached me with an idea to create a program to help coaches be successful. The timing was perfect as I was already thinking similar ideas so I jumped at the chance to partner with her! That collaboration lead us to create The Coaches Lab – helping coaches to build their confidence as they build their business.
If you want the opportunity to create alliances with other coaches as you each build your business…check out The Coaches Lab
