Coach In The Spotlight - Alex Shann

Following my father’s death a friend suggested that I speak with her mum who is a life coach. My first reaction was ‘gosh I must appear unstable’ and my second was of excitement and enthusiasm as I have always looked upon life coaching as an LA celebrity’s commodity. Immediately after my first session I researched my coach's background and qualifications. She trained with The Coaching Academy and I found an advertisement for the two day certificate event; I booked my place!

I applied for the Protégé Programme before I even left the event on the Sunday and then returned to my profession as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities. I was honoured to be accepted on to the Protégé scheme; however I was struggling to find the funds as I had just enrolled my daughter in private education. I made the decision to start with the Life Coaching Diploma and Corporate and Executive programme, with a view to upgrade to the Protégé Programme at a later date. This was the beginning of a new me...

The most inspirational part of the studying for me was the coaches who delivered the training. Their stories, experience, achievements and transformations were fascinating. I also found the relationship between our values and goals interesting and how important it is to ensure that they are congruent with each other. I was also interested in ‘move towards’ and ‘move away’ motivators and how they can affect our behaviour.

The most rewarding part of training with The Coaching Academy is working with enthusiastic, like minded people who are also very different to each other and have their own story to tell and reasons for being there. I thoroughly enjoyed taking my learning home from accelerator days and applying it to encourage my daughter and clients to be positive, take responsibility and achieve their goals no matter how small some people perceive them.

Throughout my training, cost and childcare were often on my mind and leaving my daughter to go on the accelerator days was very hard for me. I overcame this by continuing to use my life coach to take action and put things in place.

Since qualifying and setting up my company, Infinite Coaching, in August 2013, I have used my skills and experience to support some admirable people and causes. I have worked with charities, families of murder victims, people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, prolific offenders, new mums and professionals. I have also set up a fund to help people who cannot afford to access coaching but who would benefit from it greatly.

I am running some coaching workshops and have exhibited at well-being fairs. I have even made my own stress dolls and well-being hampers to create interest and attract people to coaching.

My biggest achievements so far are my work with a prolific offender and alcoholic who has made huge progress and a different life for himself. I have made many contacts through networking that enabled him to work with a boxing academy to give him confidence, purpose, direction and genuine support. He now socialises with some professional sports personalities.

I am honoured to be working with the family of murdered PC Nicola Hughes and her memorial charity and to have been asked to run some coaching workshops for the deaf community. This has given my life and business confidence purpose, direction and genuine support. The best thing that could happen to my business next is to be featured in a magazine and even get a regular coaching feature in order to build my profile and credibility whilst making coaching more accessible.

My favourite coaching question has to be ‘what would you advise a friend in the same situation?’ I also find asking about a time when the client has felt the feeling that they are aiming to achieve very enlightening for the client. For example ‘when have you felt successful?’ The most enjoyable part of coaching for me is helping people to live their best life and seeing their progression. I also get a real buzz from networking. I have co-founded an initiative called ‘Netwalking’, which involves networking whilst getting fresh air, exercise and enjoying some stunning views.

For anyone thinking about coaching I highly recommend attending the two day certificate course run by The Coaching Academy and of course one of my creative and informative workshops. For those currently training with the academy I would say to attend all of the accelerator days and to put in as much as you can whilst looking after your well-being. A great tip from me for coaches about to qualify would be to trust the GROW model and do not entertain any self doubt that you may have. An area that I know most of us will have been told to decide on is to have a coaching niche, this and social media are my greatest tools for marketing and networking; you can connect to me through The Coaching Academy linked in group.