Coach in The Spotlight - Rafael Pompeo

After I returned to Brazil, my home country, the idea of becoming a coach began to grow in my mind. I did, however, face many challenges in order to embark on this journey. Firstly, I didn’t have the financial means to pay for the course in British pounds. Secondly, I couldn’t stop my work as an English and German language teacher for six months to go and do the course in Britain as I had my bills to pay and couldn’t afford to support myself as a student in the UK without having to work at the same time. Thirdly, even though there were many coaching schools in Brazil, I wanted to do the coaching course in English so as to add up to my then existing language teaching skills. As one can see, such challenges were there to test my desire to become a coach. 

I then sent an e-mail to TCA and laid out my intentions and challenges. I got a reply telling me I could do the distance learning course specifically designed for overseas students, should my application be approved. I wrote them a letter and, for my greatest joy and surprise, I was accepted! I now had two things to overcome: to pay for the fees, as I’d just promised to do the course, and to organise my existing busy teaching schedule so I would keep track of my time and discipline in order to study alone. It was definitely not easy, nevertheless I managed to pay for the fees, graduate and on top of that, I learnt I was capable of doing much more than I'd ever thought I could! 

I must say that the promptness in answering my questions, support, kindness and professionalism I experienced from TCA during my training inspired me to become the professional I am today. 

After I qualified, the greatest difficulty I had was to show people that what I was offering (Coaching in English), however new and different it may have seemed, was going to benefit them in a way they’d never experienced before. Now, doing this in a country, which had recently been engulfed by one of its greatest political and economic crisis in its history, was – and it’s still has been, the greatest challenge of all. 

Thanks to the proactive mindset I’d learnt whilst my training at TCA, I set out to look for alternatives to keep myself going with courage and resilience given all the pitfalls that were surrounding me and everyone living in my country. I decided to create a coaching service for groups of people which is given entirely in English. By proposing such an idea, I am able to help as many people as possible to pay affordable prices for the coaching teachings along with English classes. 

I’m still in the middle of developing this niche in Brazil. On a daily basis, I face lots of difficulties concerning money to invest in marketing, graphic design, advertisement and so on. Nevertheless, I resolved it by getting in touch with professionals of other areas who have been helping me shape this product by bartering services. 

I now know that it’s only a matter of time and resilience to turn the corner and begin to reap the financial rewards of the many years of relentless hard work and unbeatable belief in a dream. The proof of that is that a local TV station has come to my place to interview me and film a little of my work. They are producing a series of reports to show the population that multitask professionals like me is what Brazil needs most at the moment so as to curb the current crisis.

Needless to say, I am ever so thankful for the TCA team for inspiring me and giving me the opportunity to become the person I am today! 

If Rafael’s words have inspired you and you feel that Coaching could be a potential full or part time opportunity for you, or if you would just like to know a little more about what Coaching is and how it can benefit you and the lives of others, please contact our Specialist Course Advisor, Jamil on 0208 996 4830 or email: Jamil@the-coaching-academy.com.

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