We are pleased to be featuring Bashayer Alissa as one of our two Coaches in the Spotlight this week! Bashayer is based in the Middle East and trained with The Coaching Academy after the global pandemic made her question what she really wanted to do with her life. She now runs her own successful coaching business The Motivation Coach with a focus on empowering Arab millennials in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region to improve their lives!
What has led you to coaching?
When the pandemic happened it really made me question what I really wanted to do in life. I’ve grown up with great grades and a good relationship with education. The subjects I chose to study, were based on world trends. I did my undergrad in computer information systems because the world was becoming tech-focused. I did my masters in entrepreneurial leadership because start-ups in the Middle East were becoming front runners.
Although I am grateful for my educational background, it didn’t fill me with purpose. So, after a lot of soul-searching and personal learning, I realised I THRIVE most when being proactive and getting things done. I realised I get satisfaction from accomplishing goals and helping others do the same and that led me to my calling (coaching!). The difference in how I feel as a life coach compared to how I felt when I worked in one of the big 4 accounting firms in the world, and how I felt working at a cool accelerator focused on MENA front-runner start-ups, is MASSIVE. I feel fulfilled, purposeful and happy that I truly enjoy coaching and being with my clients.
How has coaching benefited/changed your life?
Coaching gives back to me two-fold what it does to my clients. The happiness and pride I get when I see my clients achieve their goals is a 1000x better than any promotion in corporate life. Coaching benefits my life through understanding that the best investment you can do, is investing in yourself. Giving me that space and acceptance of working on myself and improving my life has changed so many things. I do not feel guilty in giving myself compassion, space and attention. I instead embrace my self-growth and self-improvement journey and applaud myself when I hit small milestones.
Coaching has allowed me to be proactive in improving my life and given me the tools to help others improve their lives as well.
How did the qualification slot in with your busy life?
My journey as a TCA student was great! I really took advantage of lockdown and created a personal timetable to keep me on target. I loved that it was flexible and allowed me to oversee the timing of the course structure. It was easy to add it into my life because it was on my own time, and I appreciated my self-accountability because it made it VERY clear to me that coaching was what I really wanted to do.
The most rewarding part of coaching was understanding that this really was for me. Being active in accelerator sessions, answering questions and making great connections with my peers made me confident in my skills and abilities. My reciprocal coaching hours proved to me how impactful coaching is and made me gain good friends on the same coaching journey. I love how natural coaching is to me, and I appreciate being a part of a like-minded community. It makes me happy to know how many of us there really are!
Tell us about the work you do, how are you using your coaching skills?
I have jumped feet first into life coaching and have become a full-time life coach. I have my practice The Motivating Coach, and I focus on empowering Arab millennials in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region to improve their lives! I am proud and happy to be a player in introducing life coaching to the MENA region. Through my work I hope more Arab millennials take the time to invest in their selves and see the importance and advantages of having a life coach.
What’s the biggest area in coaching you are curious about and why?
I am curious about discovering different niches I could add to my repertoire. Currently I am exploring NLP and seeing how it could fit into my empowerment and self-improvement narrative for my clients!
What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a life coaching career?
The advice I would give to someone wanting to pursue a life coaching career, is to really take the time to think about why you want to become a coach. If the reasons align with your values and future goals, GO FOR IT!
What are the best resources that have helped you along your coach training?
The support team at The Coaching Academy have been amazing. Their responses are prompt, and they really take the time to carefully answer your questions completely.
Thank you Bashayer for sharing your coaching journey with us!
If you are feeling inspired and would you like to have a coaching business you can run from the comfort of your own home, then do join us on our Introduction to Life Coaching webinar - choose from available dates.
Are you already qualified as a coach? Our wide range of coaching training events, webinars and courses will enable you to upskill in your career or grow your coaching business – view booking calendar.
If you'd like to read about the coaching journey of more of our qualified coaches, visit our blog and keep an eye out for our monthly Coach in the Spotlight features!
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.
