Successful Sistas is an interview series featuring successful women pursuing their dream careers.
Job Title: Certified Life Purpose Coach specializing in the Quarter Life Experience; founder & owner of Polka Dot Coaching (PolkaDotCoaching.com)
What is Polka Dot Coaching?
Polka Dot Coaching is a coaching practice dedicated to connecting the dots of our 20-something lives. It’s about embracing the trials and uncertainty we all experience during our twenties so that we can focus on what’s really important– living insanely fulfilling lives! I provide one-on-one coaching, group coaching, webinars and home study courses all geared towards helping women unleash their extraordinary passion so they can begin living life out loud.
How did you become interested in coaching?
I’ve always been a social person, and I thrive on connecting people with the people or things they need. I really enjoy taking processes from start to finish and that’s what coaching is on a base level. You’re helping people get from where they are to where they want to be– You’re bridging the gap. Ever since I was young, I always cited ‘helping people’ as my one true passion. With coaching, I’m able to turn that passion into a career. Plus, there are so many different avenues you can take with coaching–I’m guaranteed to never get bored.
Why did you decide to create a business?
I always knew I wanted to go into business for myself. I’m big on time freedom and autonomy, and those are two things that the corporate world is not set up to offer you. For me, it was just a matter of figuring out what type of business I wanted to start. After graduating from college, I totally hit a wall. I felt so unsure of what I was supposed to be doing and the things I did feel certain about, I had no idea how to go about achieving them. After talking to a lot of other women my age, I found that I wasn’t an anomaly– a lot of them felt the same way I did. I really wanted to create a safe place for people navigating the waters of their 20-something lives. And I wanted to help others get over their own 20-something crisis faster so they could get to the good stuff sooner. I realized I could take my passion for helping people and creating connections and apply it to a coaching practice, and so Polka Dot Coaching was born.
What do you love most about your career?
I love talking to other 20-something women. It’s amazing the amount of drive and talent and moxy that exists out there. I love hearing their big ideas. It’s incredible to see what can be accomplished with a little push in the right direction. I’m a big nerd, I love watching others grow. I love watching the light bulb go off in their minds as they reach their ‘aha’ moment. I love pulling those great ideas and big feelings out of people. It’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s extremely important to me that I’m able to spend my time working on projects that are meaningful to me. When I’m coaching, whether it’s a face-to-face session or writing a blog post, I’m happy because I feel like I’m living my purpose.
What is the most stressful aspect of your career?
Right now, Polka Dot Coaching is a one-woman show– it’s all up to me to make things work: If I want to be successful, I need to work for it. If I want more blog readers or clients or more speaking gigs, I need to get out there and get them. No one is just going to hand over their hard-earned cash to me because I have a nice website. There’s a lot of noise out there in the online space so I’m constantly competing for attention. I work my behind off to ensure that the service I’m providing is the absolutely best service it can be. The unknown can be stressful, but it’s also thrilling. Because I love what I do, I don’t mind putting in the work. And that’s what makes the difference.
What is a typical day like for you?
Oh gosh– I don’t know if I ever have a typical day! Right now I’m working on a couple of different coaching courses so a good chunk of my day is spent in front of the computer crafting content for each course. I also blog three times a week on the Polka Dot Coaching blog and write guest posts on other relevant blogs. I try to get any writing done in the morning because that’s when my mind is freshest. If I have a client, I’ll take some time to prepare for the session by reviewing her file and putting together any resources that may be helpful for her. I spend some time in the late afternoon on Twitter, Facebook and reading and commenting on other blogs. Lastly, I usually host groups sessions or workshops in the evenings or on Saturdays.
What advice or tips would you want to give someone who wants to do what you do?
Do your research. Check out what other coaches are doing. Think about what you’d like to specialize in. You could even book a session with a Life Coach to see what it entails. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has good information about what life coaching is and what you can expect as a life coach. You can also find a list of all of the ICF approved certification courses on their website. If you’re serious about it, find a certification course and get certified. You don’t necessarily have to be become certified if you want to be a life coach, but I highly recommend it. I completed my certification through Life Purpose Institute in San Diego, but there are a variety of ICF approved certifications out there.
To be an effective coach, you need to understand your target market. If you’re specializing in career coaching then you really need to understand why someone would seek out your services and what problems they may have. Life Coaching is an exciting and fulfilling industry, but it takes hard work to be successful. If anyone out there wants to learn more about coaching, feel free to shoot me an email: nblades [at] gmail [dot] com.
Finish this sentence: This career is for you if___
You are passionate about helping people successfully getting from point A to point B; you enjoy inspiring others to live the lives they truly deserve; you love interacting and connecting with people; you’re not afraid of the work and commitment it takes to build a successful coaching practice.
