Our main objective here at the National Coach Academy is to enable aspiring coaches to reach their full professional potential. One of the most effective ways to educate students about the world of coaching is by offering them a window into the world of real, practicing coaches and showing them all the different ways coaches make a difference in the lives of their clients.
We hope today’s interview adds another insightful glimpse into the dynamic world of coaching.
Today we are interviewing Darlene Hawley. Darlene is a Brand and Business Clarity Coach based in Murrieta, California.
NCA: Can you describe your coaching practice and the kinds of clients you typically work with?
Darlene: I call myself a personal branding and business coach. I work with ambitious heart-centered online entrepreneurs who are struggling with building a successful personal branding business. A lot of times, they’re afraid to share their unique life story so I help them share their story online in a way that helps them start authentically build a brand by focusing on a solid foundation. I help clients with their client work, their messaging, sharing their brand story and helping them create offers that really resonate to their ideal clients.
NCA: How did you arrive at this particular niche?
Darlene: When I started my business, I struggled a lot the first 18 months to 2 years. I knew I had all the tools and resources to help my clients but I struggled with how to actually go out and find clients to work with.
In the beginning, I was trained as a business coach through a franchise. I was given all the tools and the knowledge on how to train and work with clients but I felt like I was missing that piece for myself on how to show up and how to market and actually attract people in.
At about that two-year mark, I sat back and was really defeated, to be honest. I wasn’t sure how to move forward. That was when I really sat down for myself and got super clear on my niche. I felt that I was just doing the surface-level ideal client work, which I think a lot of people do. We think we know our ideal client because we think we were them before or we look at that surface layer, but we never dig really deep and find out what their actual pains are, what their desires are.
When I asked myself the Five Whys, it became clearer who I wanted to work with and how I wanted to market to them. I finally realized that I hadn’t actually done the work. I thought I had, but I hadn’t. When I actually sat down and did the work and dug really deep, that was when I was able to start attracting my ideal clients and started growing my business. That’s what I teach my clients now: the process that I went through for myself. That’s what led me to the coaching packages that I offer today.
NCA: What initially got you interested in becoming a coach in general?
Darlene: I didn’t know I wanted to be a coach. My background is retail management and I was working 60+ hours a week. I was a single mom and I knew that I wanted to make an impact in the world. I knew I wanted to do something that I could give back to people. This was when coaching kind of found me. I was recruited by a franchise for the business coaching practice and I wasn’t even sure what a business coach was when I hopped on the phone with her that day.
But after talking with her, I realized that I had been coaching my whole entire life in retail management. I was in HR training. My job was basically to help employees promote within the company and I realized that was a gift that I had. So I transferred what I was doing in the past and switched it to the business coaching side.
My heart has always been in helping people. People have always come to me asking questions and needing advice and I was always kind of a confidant for them. I was able to see that path on how I could do that as a business coach by helping people make an impact in their world.
You constantly have to stay up to date and learning and growing. I have to be five steps ahead of my clients, so I find time to educate myself and learn new tips and tricks that I can teach them that I’ve done.
NCA: What kind of degree or certifications did you need to complete, if any?
Darlene: I was trained through a franchise, so that was a non-traditional route. I was shaped by the franchise on how to be a business coach, so I got all the tools and the training from them. I didn’t get certified through a traditional ICF-accredited coach training program, whereas I know a lot of people do now. I’ve been coaching since 2007 and there were definitely programs at the time but there weren’t anywhere near as many as there are today. After going through the franchise training, I didn’t feel like I needed to go and get any additional certifications.
I’m also what I call a lifetime learner. I’m somebody who’s constantly reading new books or listening to a podcast or listening to a Facebook Live of people that I’m inspired by or influencers that have a similar message or I do. I’m always learning and growing and taking new information and applying it to my life and my business.
It’s like when you buy a car. As soon as you drive it off the lot, there’s something new already coming out right behind it. You constantly have to stay up to date and learning and growing. I have to be five steps ahead of my clients, so I find time to educate myself and learn new tips and tricks that I can teach them that I’ve done.
NCA: What would you say is the most rewarding part of the work that you do and on the flip side, what is the most challenging aspect of your career?
Darlene: I think the most rewarding piece is seeing the shifts and the transformations that my clients are able to achieve by working with me. I coach them and I ask them a ton of questions and I help guide them in the direction they need to go.
Most of my clients come to me when they’ve had their business for a year or two and they’re not making the money that they need to make and they’re not attracting the ideal clients. It’s so rewarding seeing the transformation and seeing them take their business from a place of struggle to a place where they’re starting to get clients.
The most challenging is the mindset piece to it. When they don’t quite believe enough in themselves because they’ve been trying to do things on their own, or trying the cookie cutter approach and taking little bits of pieces from everybody that they’re following. The challenge is they become confused because they’ve seen so many different ways to do things and none of them are working for them.
It’s because they’re doing a marketing strategy that isn’t the right fit for them. They’re doing strategies that work for other people or trying to have somebody else’s voice in their messaging. They’re not authentically showing up as their true self. And when they have that switch and start showing up as themselves, that’s when they start to shine and they’re able to attract their clients.
NCA: What psychological cues to do you pick up with the client that hint to you that whatever message that they have been trying are not suited for them?
Darlene: A lot of times, they see other people doing marketing. Maybe it’s Facebook Live videos and they feel like they should do it, so they start doing it as well but they don’t feel comfortable. They’re making themselves do something that doesn’t feel good to them. They’re not listening to their gut. They’re listening to their head more than their heart. They’re just not showing up as their true selves because they’re not conveying themselves in a way that feels good to them. It comes off as fake or forced where if it’s something that feels really good to them and they’re enjoying it, then they just show up with that sparkle in their eyes and more excitement in the voice and they’re able to share their message in a way that feels really good.
For me, I was always scared of doing a podcast because I don’t want to talk to myself. That feels really uncomfortable and awkward. But if you put somebody else on the line with me, I light up and I can ask questions and I can be engaged and have conversations for hours. Whereas if I had to hit the Record by myself in my office, I’d probably have 5 minutes with something to say, because there’s no engagement. I don’t like talking to myself. Some people do enjoy talking to themselves but for me, I’m not somebody who’s comfortable talking out loud to nobody.
The challenge is [clients] become confused because they’ve seen so many different ways to [market themselves] and none of them are working for them. It’s because they’re doing a marketing strategy that isn’t the right fit for them. They’re doing strategies that work for other people or trying to have somebody else’s voice in their messaging. They’re not authentically showing up as their true self. And when they have that switch and start showing up as themselves, that’s when they start to shine and they’re able to attract their clients.
NCA: Can you think of a mentor in your career who was the most vital to your success as a coach and how did that mentor help you get to the point you’re at now?
Darlene: One of my mentors today is Jenny Shih. I started following Jenny about two years ago and that was the time that I wanted to switch my business from in-person networking only. I grew my practice in the community, growing organically to start meeting people and then we moved out of state when I had my fourth child. I didn’t want to leave him at home and I didn’t want to get a babysitter and so I decided that I wanted to start an online business. That was when I switched to the online business side.
The way that she shows up in a completely authentic way that’s true to herself and she’s not trying to be like everybody else, that was what caught my eye. She called herself a non-compromising business coach and she shows up and she keeps it real and she tells you exactly how she does it. She shows off authentically every single day just as she is and she’s not trying to be somebody else. That was very inspiring for me — somebody who’s wanting to become an online business coach herself. Seeing that you didn’t have to be in a million-dollar home with a Ferrari and the Eiffel Tower. It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel authentic. I don’t even believe that that’s your car or your house or you’re actually in Paris. [laughing]
It’s inspiring to see that you don’t have to be a celebrity to be a business coach. I can just show up and make a great living and connect with people and help them with their businesses and do it in a way that felt good to me. I’ve been inspired by seeing her do it that way and then I’ve had the honor of mentoring with her as well and actually having conversations and learning from her.
When you know there’s actually people who are out there doing it and providing a living for themselves then able to grow a business, that’s refreshing to see when there’s still much that you’re unsure about in the online space.
NCA: What is one piece of advice that you would give to somebody who is just starting the coaching career?
Darlene: What I tell all my clients. My advice is don’t be afraid to do the work and know that it’s hard to grow a practice, but you can do it in a way that feels easy and feels right for you. Sit down and do the foundational steps first. Make sure that you know exactly what niche you want to serve and who your ideal client is. Get really clear on how you want to message to them and create offers that feel really good. You don’t have to do it in a way that feels hard. Create a plan that feels really good to you and follow that plan and schedule it in your calendar. That way you know what you’re working on each day so then as you show up, you don’t have to second guess yourself.
Don’t do what you see everybody else doing. Do what feels good in your heart versus everything that you feel like you should.
