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 Grace Redman. Grace is a Success Coach and Hypnotist based in San Mateo, California.
NCA: Can you describe your coaching practice and the kinds of clients you typically work with?
Grace: I am a Success and Transformation coach. I work with women who feel stuck, overwhelmed, and unfulfilled. I help them uncover limiting beliefs and unconscious blocks so they can create a more fulfilling life. We focus on self, relationships, career, money, health, and major life transitions.
I incorporate NLP, EFT, Hypnosis, Ho’oponopono, and Intuitive Energy Healing coaching in my work with my clients. As each client is different, I am grateful to have so many different modalities that I can draw on depending on where they are on their journey.
NCA: What initially got you interested in this career path and what kind of degree or certifications did you need to complete, if any?
Grace: Running my own staffing firm for over two decades, I felt most fulfilled when I was supporting my candidates through some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. I learned that an individual might have excellent credentials, several degrees, and solid professional experience, but if they didn’t believe in themselves, they would end up sabotaging their career search.
I began coaching and mentoring my candidates to help them build self-confidence and recognize their worth prior to their interviews. Through that experience, I felt called further to expand my education in the coaching field.
I am NLP Master Certified, Ho’oponopono Certified, and WealthyMind Certified. I also have an NLP Health Training certification and am a certified Hypnotherapist. I received a life coaching certificate from the Certified Life Coach Institute.
NCA: What is the most rewarding part of your career?
Grace: It has to be witnessing the incredible transformations my clients make. I love watching that light bulb start to switch on as they begin to find the answers within, and their awareness starts to surface. You can actually see a beautiful physical shift in their state, and a glow on their face. It really brings me tremendous joy to watch these alterations.
But even more rewarding is knowing the transformations my clients make have a trickledown effect on their loved ones. As they change, their family and friends notice. But it goes a step further as often my clients share the tools and teachings they learned, particularly with their young children.
One of the best parts of my job is receiving emails and notes from my clients telling me about their continued success, and that of their children too. It’s amazing to have an impact on multiple generations in this way.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are meant to serve, and we need coaches in all different disciplines. It doesn’t matter how many other coaches are teaching similar tools and techniques. Your story and your message needs to be heard,
NCA: What is the most challenging aspect of the work that you do?
Grace: While as a Success and Transformation Mentor and Coach I am most fulfilled when I am working with my students and clients, there are many other aspects of a coaching practice that also need to be addressed.
It is important to consistently market your business, as that is how you will attract new clients. You also need to think about your social media presence, and find ways to reach the right audience for your coaching discipline. This includes an array of tasks such as growing your email list, staying in touch with your students via email blogs or newsletters, and creating valuable content. These days, I find the best way to reach potential clients and students is through videos, which can be a time-consuming and challenging task.
While you can outsource much of these business responsibilities, I feel when you are just starting out, it is a good idea to do as much as possible yourself. This helps you understand what it takes to run each part of your business. At the end of the day, it is also your intention and energy that attracts the ideal clients to you.
NCA: Can you think of a mentor who was most vital to your success as a coach? In what ways did this mentor help you to thrive in your career?
Grace: Sunny Dawn Johnston was – and still is – a mentor that was most vital to my success as a coach. She taught me that I can create a successful practice on my own terms, as long as my intentions are heart-centered.
She is such a generous and giving mentor, yet she is also an excellent example of someone who elegantly sets boundaries and teaches from the heart. She also helped me shift the perception I had about not charging for helping others.
What we provide is a valuable service. We support, guide, and teach others how to achieve their goals and create lives they love, so there is nothing wrong with charging for that service. After all, it is an investment in their future.
NCA: Finally, what advice would you give someone looking to get started in the career path that you chose?
Grace: Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are meant to serve, and we need coaches in all different disciplines. It doesn’t matter how many other coaches are teaching similar tools and techniques. Your story and your message needs to be heard. There is a tribe out there waiting for you, and they need your support and particular wisdom.
