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Olivia Carter- Remember your why

The Coaching Academy Blog

Posted: June 2020

This week's Coach in the Spotlight is Olivia Carter, who discovered her coaching niche after leaning into helping women deal with the same challenges she experienced as a corporate leader. We hope you enjoy her inspiring story!

Have you ever felt like you’re giving all you have to the job but you’re still underperforming? Many women deal with low confidence and burnout and Olivia is on a mission to empower women leaders to be the best versions of themselves. 

Read more about Olivia's story below. 

What inspired you to enrol with The Coaching Academy?

I attended the free training event in Manchester, it was inspirational and aligned with what I wanted to do. Having previously done a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy I could utilise similar skills which I'd gained whilst empowering people to make changes and grow.  

What was/is your profession before becoming a coach? 

Before that, I was as A Senior National Account manager in the food sector industry. I took a career break to raise our 3 children and during this time I reflected on what I wanted to do.
One thing which was clear is I wanted to have a positive impact on people's lives. I then went on a journey of doing my counselling qualifications before discovering the amazing world of coaching. 

What was the most rewarding part of your training/journey?

The most rewarding part was working with clients and seeing the positive impact our coaching conversations had on their lives.
Seeing them grow and make changes, knowing I'd added value was an amazing feeling. Hearing feedback from the assessors spurred me on to know how I could continually improve, and develop my coaching skills.  

Throughout my journey, I connected with some amazing people who were an inspiration throughout my TCA student journey. Post my qualification they continue to be an inspiration, amazing support network and know will be life-long friends. 

How did you fit coach training into your busy life?

I dedicated specific times of the day/week and had clear goals in place. I kept breaking down the requirements into daily / weekly tasks.
I'm a big believer in boundaries and I also had 3 children to juggle while studying, so I worked with clients who could fit into my schedule. That way I knew I could be in a good space to give them the most valuable coaching.  

Where are you now and how are you using your coaching skills?

I am working with clients mainly through referrals and connections and in the process of setting up my coaching business. I am using my coaching skills daily on a personal level to continue to grow and also find it hugely beneficial with our children

What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?

I'm a believer in your niche often finds you. I love working with committed professional women in the corporate sector who struggle with confidence, self-belief and burnout all of which I experienced in my previous career.
I am passionate about empowering women leaders to be the best version of themselves. 

What are your top tips for:
People who are looking to become qualified as a professional coach?

My top tip would be to a work with a coach to experience coaching from a clients point of you and go through a development journey. I am a big believer in walking the walk.  

Those currently in training with TCA?

  1. Remember your Why. It can be challenging at times and going back to your why always helps to motivate and inspire you.
  2. Keep breaking down the tasks and requirements, push yourself out of your comfort zone, ask for help from others and enjoy the journey and learnings.
  3. See assessments as a valuable learning opportunity rather than a " Test " - this helped with my nerves going into them and I was excited to do my 5th.
  4. Keep on top of your paperwork and look at the requirements the TCA are looking for.
  5. In the final paper breaking the word count down really helped.
  6. I'm an auditory learner so recording my sessions with the clients' permission helped, as well as doing a 3-way coaching triangle to get feedback and learn from others coaching styles. 

Transform Lives through Life Coaching

Take your first step towards a rewarding & fulfilling Coaching career, just like Olivia did, with our Introduction to Life Coaching online training.

If you would like to know a little more about what Coaching is and how it can benefit you and the lives of others, or if you feel that Coaching could be a potential full or part-time opportunity for you, join us in this interactive training. Choose from available dates here.

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Who we are

The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.

In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.

We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

Our next free Introduction to Life Coaching webinar

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2nd of January at 6:00pm
FREE Introduction to Life Coaching With Rachel Russell
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