There are people that you meet in life that have the power to deeply inspire. Daniel Francis is one of those people. He can make profound connections with groups or individuals. For years Daniel traveled all over the country using his talents to raise millions of dollars for non-for-profit and religious organizations. Now, Daniel is putting his skills to use to help individuals. I recently posed three questions to him about being a life coach. Here is what he had to say.
1) What made you become a life coach?
Whether at a cocktail party, after Church on Sunday or waiting in line at the bank, I found that even strangers I spoke with often began speaking to pain points that were preventing them from living on a better, fuller, happier level. Just asking certain questions like “What’s in your way?” or “What do you need to do to accomplish that?” opened up shed waters of revelation and surprise. Becoming a coach was organic in that it flowed from the way I typically speak to most people.
2) How can people who choose a life coach and best approach the life coach process?
The best coaches use similar (and successful) techniques for the majority of what is blocking someone. One of the exceptions to this is addiction coaching which warrants a specific helping relationship. Other than that, take advantage of the typical “first session free” (as I provide on my website, www.dmfcoaching.com) as many coaches offer that. A good coach should: a) mirror back to you what your greatest needs are; b) challenge you; c) affirm you; but d) also provide some benchmark/goal-setting work that allows you to see real progress within a relatively short period of time.
3) How can people determine if a life coach is a good fit for them?
Great question. You know you’ve found someone who will help you bridge the gap between where you are now and where you know you want to be if:
1) You feel very comfortable opening up to him/her;
2) You begin to FEEL that there’s progress within a month or two;
3) You SEE significant progress within 3 months (usually less, depending on what’s blocking you, etc.); and
4) Your frequency of visits begins to diminish over time and you only need to contact the coach when a major life obstacle begins looming large.