Thanks for checking out the Fowler International Academy of Professional Coaching Blog. I am so excited to launch our blog as we share with you coaching insights, personal stories and information about FIA’s incredible coach training opportunities. At FIA we truly are a community of coaches with big hearts. We care about the success of not only our clients, but also each other. Our new blog is one of many ways we can remain unified as a coaching community. By sharing our thoughts and experiences, we can find greater strength and commonalities in each of our coaching careers. My name is Liz Venendaal and I am a FIA Certified Professional Coach, Certified Master Trainer and Director of FIA’s We Live Without Limits division. I welcome you to join me on this journey as I present our very first FIA blog post.
I have to admit, transitioning into my coaching career was fairly smooth. I have no doubt that I was meant to be a coach. I love every second of what I do. What took some time to try on for size was my professional title of “Life Coach”.
Maybe it’s because I have been a stay at home parent for so long, and that role has me calling “time-out” on a regular basis. It could be because I have a background in mental health services and the red tape and professional licenses required to help others are in no short supply. I can’t help but giggle when I think about how my physical disability, paired with little to no interest in athletics, has left me clueless when it comes to sports. The cliché of it all hasn’t escaped me. Yet, that is who I am. My clients call me “Coach”.
Although there are clearly no stripes and whistles involved, I felt disconnected from the actual title of the profession that I know and love. Am I really a coach? I grabbed hold of my dictionary and in its pages I was confronted the knowledge of who I am and the foundation of my entire professional career. The term “coach” is defined in many ways including: to teach, to give, and to guide.
Now, that is exactly why I chose this profession. As I read, line-by-line, all of the silly imagery and hesitations surrounding my title of Life Coach faded away. Those three simple words hold tremendous meaning in my career and the positive impact I have on my clients.
There are many thoughts and images that are conjured up at the mention of a professional Coach. The depth of my desire to teach, give and guide others to live boldly in their truth is what has gripped me to assert my title of Life Coach.
The fit is undeniable and the meaning far too powerful to ignore. That is who I am and what I do. Call me “Coach”.
