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 April Davis. April is the President of LUMA Luxury Matchmaking, a high-end introduction service for busy executives & professionals nationwide.
NCA: Can you describe your coaching practice and the kinds of clients you typically work with?
April: LUMA Matchmaking is a high-end matchmaking firm. We work with a lot of busy professionals, executives, business owners — people that just don’t have a lot of time but are looking for someone to spend the rest of their lives with and have a long term committed relationship.
NCA: Do you find that there are any common personality traits or general life trajectories among the clients that typically come to you?
April: There are a lot of different types of personalities but we see a lot of business owners. If you’re looking at an Enneagram, they would be the Challengers, or the 8’s, in the Enneagram. They’re driven. They’re high achievers. They’re going after what they want. Maybe they’ve done other methods of trying to find that right person and those haven’t worked for them. Just like anything in life, you can outsource. They will choose to outsource that whole process of trying to find the one and enable the services of a matchmaker. That’s one personality type.
We also tend to see a lot of physicians and attorneys. Actually, attorney is the number one occupation for women clients that we have. I think they’re really driven people that tend to put their career first, so the relationship side doesn’t always get the attention that it needs.
NCA: What initially got you interested in this career path?
April: Matchmaking is something that I’ve always been doing. The first couple I ever put together was when I was 16 years old and they ended up getting married. It’s funny, all throughout my life I have been coaching people and talking to people about relationships and giving them advice. I always thought it was common sense but apparently, I’ve learned that it’s not that common. So it was just natural for me to go down that path.
Also, because of my business background. I put the two together to apply my business background and process improvement background to dating, relationships, and coaching.
NCA: In working with your clients, what would you say is the most rewarding part of that process and on the flip side of that, what is the most challenging aspect of the work that you do?
April: It’s really exciting and rewarding when it works out and they find someone. I think it’s especially rewarding when we have a client who doubted the process and had a lot of challenges along the way. Then we get them to turn around and be positive and eventually end up in a relationship with someone that we introduced to them.
The most challenging part of what we do and the people that we work with is sometimes they think they have all the answers, they have it all figured out, and they think that they can just buy a person like how you can go on Amazon and buy anything. They think that by using a matchmaker, you’re just buying a person. And that’s just not how relationships work. They aren’t perfect, and they have to make changes to themselves and adjust accordingly.
NCA: Can you think of a mentor or a coach in your own career who was the most vital to your success and in what ways did this individual help you thrive in your career?
April: Kary Kruger. She’s a dating coach, Matchmaker, and also a Business Coach. She worked with me for about a year or two after I first started the company. She had a lot of years of experience and insights and she was extremely positive and helped me to get that wheel turning at the beginning stages of the company.
NCA: What is one piece of advice that you would give to somebody who is in the beginning stage of their coaching career?
April: Just practice. Maybe start out by doing it with people that are not paying clients and really get your process down. Get it really clear and finite so when you’re ready and when people do hire you, you have a really great process and are really helping people to the best of your ability.
It takes a lot of experience. Get out there and practice your craft and be the best at it. You should own it and go after it. Continue studying, learning, growing, and doing whatever you can to improve your craft.