“I collaborate with coaches and others who possess extensive knowledge.”

Kate Solovieva is a past psychology professor, a PN master coach, and the director of community engagement at PN. The quote above has become one of her key phrases.

Although Coach Kate has guided thousands of “ordinary” clients, her primary focus is coaching fellow coaches. Through her role as an instructor with PN’s Level 2 Master Health Coaching Certification, as a facilitator for PN’s private online coaching communities, and as a coach in her personal practice, she gains direct insight into the questions and challenges faced by both novice and experienced coaches.

Coach Kate understands what her fellow coaches are up to. She has witnessed the triumphs and the mistakes made by thousands of coaches, and today, she will discuss three common errors she observes.

If there’s one thing Coach Kate desires, it’s to witness her colleagues achieving remarkable success, so her aim with this article is to assist coaches in:

• Ceasing to feel immobilized by insecurity and doubt—and initiating the growth of their business
• Learning to view their clients more impartially, enabling them to better address their needs and aspirations
• Clearly defining their responsibilities as a coach (hint: they aren’t what many coaches often assume)
• Channeling their inherent passion and investment in a client’s achievement—without exhausting themselves in the process

We will explore three typical coaching missteps, along with the solutions to address them. Let’s dive in.

Coaching misstep #1: Prioritizing coaching over selling

Coach Kate likens a coaching business to a three-legged stool.

• The coaching leg (which represents your skills and expertise as a coach),
• A selling leg (which encompasses your capability to market and draw in a steady stream of clients), and
• An administrative leg (which includes the processes for clients to schedule appointments, make payments, and other organizational tools and systems).

“Most individuals entering the coaching field begin with the coaching leg,” Kate explains. “They aspire to become the best coach possible, which is fantastic. However, to reach that level of excellence, information and theory alone won’t suffice.”

As Kate states, “You cannot achieve your full potential as a coach in isolation, speaking to yourself in your office.” This is why she encourages many coaches to resist the urge to wait until their knowledge feels “complete.” Instead, she recommends simply starting to sell.

Why?

Coaches who begin selling sooner also get to start coaching sooner.

As time progresses, they will have a competitive edge over coaches who seek to be “the BEST coach they can be” by obtaining 12 certifications before offering their services. In contrast, the coach who “doesn’t fully understand what they’re doing” but begins practicing anyway will start to build their business and coaching experience—and likely enhance their chances of overall success.

Solution: Remember to present yourself as a COACH, not an EXPERT

Many aspiring coaches have a natural tendency to seek 12 certifications before they start coaching, hoping to reach a level of confidence where they can address any question that arises, as Kate suggests.

Because as every coach is aware, when you inform people about what you do, they will inquire. Often, they will pose questions you cannot answer, which can be uncomfortable… even humiliating.

(You’re meant to be the expert, right??)

According to Coach Kate, the belief that you must be an authority with all the answers is rooted in a flawed assumption. “When I engage in a coaching conversation, my role is not ‘the expert,’” she states.

Indeed, coaches need to approach client interactions with a fundamental level of nutrition knowledge. (For instance, if a client