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 Kelly McCarthy. Kelly is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach based in Dublin, California.
NCA: Can you describe your coaching practice and the kinds of clients you typically work with?
Kelly: To be honest, when I graduated from my certification program, I thought I would be working with moms returning to the workforce after raising children. Due to a chance encounter with someone who has become a dear friend, I began getting referrals for working with lawyers. It has been such a wonderful unexpected surprise that has taught me a lot about not trying to control my trajectory too much.
In addition to lawyers, I work with men and women who are successful and ambitious, but tend to get in their own way with being overscheduled and overlooking what’s most important to their success. We team up to create a clear, manageable path that is lined up with their values so they can tackle their goals one step at a time. The phrase “slow down to speed up” really resonates with me and it is something I practice in my own life everyday.
I also conduct workshops that build self confidence and self awareness (Emotional Intelligence, personal and/or team values) so clients show up better in their professional lives, which also improves them personally.
I have seen good leaders become extraordinary leaders through increased self awareness and emotional intelligence and the ripple effect it creates in their personal and professional lives. There simply is nothing better for me to know that I played a role in their growth and happiness. It’s extremely fulfilling.
NCA: What initially got you interested in this career path and what kind of degree or certifications did you need to complete, if any?
Kelly: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I have always been deeply interested in people, but as graduation approached, I didn’t think that becoming a therapist was the right path for me.
Fast forward through a career in Public Relations, I met with a dear childhood friend for lunch. She told me that she had hired a coach. For the first time, in a long time, I noticed myself leaning in as she told me about her experience with her coach, how it was different from therapy and how it didn’t dwell in the past. What she described sounded like so much fun, not overly serious, and extremely rewarding.
I quit my job 2 months later, jumped into my coaching program and haven’t looked back. It was the first time I had ever done something that courageous and I came alive inside. This has become part of what I coach others on; taking that scary first step. I’m living proof that great things are on the other side of scary or uncomfortable.
In terms of certifications, there are so many coaching programs on the market, but I was drawn toward The Co-Active Institute (CTI) because of the thoroughness of the training within the program. Additionally, upon completion, CTI students are eligible for multiple certifications: CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) and ACC (Associate Certified Coach) through the ICF (International Coaches Federation). The CTI curriculum is 10 months long, involves direct supervision/feedback and students have to pass a written and an oral exam to become certified. What was unexpected was how much personal growth would take place through my training. I have become a better communicator, wife, mother and friend and I get to be a certified coach.
NCA: What is the most rewarding part of your career and on the flip side, what is the most challenging aspect of the work that you do?
Kelly: I love to coach people toward using more of their natural gifts. I get to use my gifts of intuition, and being a really deep listener and reflecting what I’m hearing on every client call. It’s extremely rewarding to see the results in those “a ha” moments that clients have, and witness the transformative change that follows. I have seen good leaders become extraordinary leaders through increased self awareness and emotional intelligence and the ripple effect it creates in their personal and professional lives. There simply is nothing better for me to know that I played a role in their growth and happiness. It’s extremely fulfilling.
My tribe often believes in me more than I believe in myself, they see things I don’t see, and they don’t allow me to stay complacent, and oftentimes, after talking with them, I don’t want to.
The most challenging aspect for me to be quite honest is the business side of being a coach. I have so many irons in the fire, which is a great problem to have, but I’m also a wife and a mother of 3 beautiful daughters who are growing up so fast. I did not expect to have the level of opportunity that I have and I really must stay conscious of practicing slowing down to speed up so I don’t wake up one day as an empty nester wondering where all the years have gone.
Another challenge that I face is that coaches are constantly bombarded by people who want to sell their services. I am approached by radio shows, marketers, speaking professionals and promoters every single day. Every last one of them talks about how important it is to have a niche. While I understand from a marketing standpoint that may be useful, I have never bought into it. It has always felt very inauthentic to me. It can be a bit lonely to swim against the current, but I’m staying true to myself in doing so.
NCA: Can you think of mentor who was most vital to your success as a coach? In what ways did this mentor help you to thrive in your career?
Kelly: It has been said over and over that every coach should have a coach. I have had the honor of not only having a coach, but a wonderful tribe of coaches that I went through training with. We continue to exchange sessions and give feedback in order to improve. I can’t say that I can attribute my success to one specific person, but rather to the network of people I have called upon to celebrate my successes and talk through my failures.
Having this type of tribe has been a game changer in keeping myself on track, encouraging others in their pursuits, and generating ideas on what I want to do next. We exchange best practices and raise one anothers’ awareness on things we may not have considered. My tribe often believes in me more than I believe in myself, they see things I don’t see, and they don’t allow me to stay complacent, and oftentimes, after talking with them, I don’t want to. I have been able to consistently push my boundaries in service of my own growth and that of my clients.
NCA: Finally, what advice would you give someone looking to get started in the career path that you chose?
Kelly: The first and most important piece is: If you’re serious about having a coaching business, choose a good school. You will create much more work for yourself if you try to choose the path of least resistance. Take the time and spend the money to get excellent training.
The second piece of advice I have is: Do it scared and play full out. If you avoid the things that scare you, you won’t grow as a coach, or as a person. You can’t expect your clients to make changes in their own lives if you also hold yourself back.
Lastly, take every opportunity you are given to foster relationships with colleagues through training or otherwise. Coaching can be very lonely. These relationships will also create opportunities to combine your talents with someone else’s and create magic together in order to better serve your clients.
I wish you all the best on your journey!
