Is a life coach worth it?
A Life coach is like getting feedback from a friend in your profession, only completely impartial.
I’d like to endorse the idea of having a coach. I’m slightly biased because I am one, albeit a voice and presentation coach. However, I can definitely vouch for the fact that whether it’s a life, business or voice coach you consider working with, it will definitely improve your game!
The reason is that we generally don’t see the proverbial wood from the trees and sometimes go forward blindly in our pursuits and business without necessary recourse.
A coach is like a guide. Someone who will not only challenge you and keep you on track with a strategy and support but make you accountable for your actions, which let’s face it, we don’t do ourselves and either procrastinate through unnecessary distractions or new and shiny objects.
When I was ‘cutting my teeth’ as a musician it was rare to receive feedback from your peers, which could very well be an English trait, but the few times that I did receive any constructive criticism was when I asked for it.
I’ve been predominantly a sax player and singer, but I have also dabbled in playing Jazz drums for my sins and had an opportunity when fixing a restaurant gig to book the best bass players in London (The enticement of good food can attract even the most entrepreneurial ‘muso’). After one gig over a coffee, I asked one of these very schooled players what he thought I should work on, anticipating that he would suggest that my soloing needed more ‘language’ or perhaps change my ride pattern….actually he told me that I needed to work on my swing, which threw me for six!! To this day, I’m grateful for that nugget and try (when I’m brave enough) to take the opportunity to ask people their opinion about whatever it is I’m working on at the time, whether it be my videos, training, or other business decisions.
Of course, we can’t all afford a personal coach, and that’s not always needed.
A mentoring group or buddy can also work really well. You’re both accountable for each others' actions, and the mutual support is not only comforting but motivating.
When I was at music college, I used to have a sparring partner (not literally), and we would work together on various techniques and concepts, encouraging each other to be more accurate and become better musicians.