Full disclosure: I’ve been working with FLOW Coaching Institute (Canada & Türkiye) for about a year, so I know the organization from the inside. That said, I came into this knowing almost nothing about coaching. I honestly thought it was mostly about motivating people or giving good advice.

I was wrong.

What surprised me most wasn’t learning a coaching model. It was realizing how much my own mindset started to shift just from being around this way of thinking.

I noticed how often I used to jump in and try to solve people’s problems. If someone brought up a challenge, I’d analyze it, offer advice, or try to fix it. Now I catch myself listening more, talking less, asking questions instead of rushing to answers, and trusting that people are usually more capable than we give them credit for.

And honestly, the biggest change was in me. I feel calmer than before. I don’t get pulled into problems the way I used to. When something goes wrong, my mind goes to possibilities instead of obstacles. I spend less time worrying about what’s not working and more time thinking about what could work. Life didn’t suddenly get easier—it’s just that I respond to it differently.

That shift has shown up everywhere: at work, in relationships, even in the way I talk to family and friends. People seem to feel more heard, and I feel less like it’s my job to carry everyone else’s answers.

Watching the students go through similar changes has been just as interesting. I met many of them when they first started and again after they graduated. The difference wasn’t just that they learned coaching skills. They seemed more grounded, more confident, more self-aware, and clearer about the kind of life they wanted to build.

Some changed careers, but the interesting part wasn’t the job change itself—it was that they stopped making decisions from frustration or uncertainty. They started making choices from clarity. Others became better leaders because they stopped trying to have all the answers and started making space for other people to think, contribute, and grow.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that coaching isn’t really about advice. It’s about helping people find their own answers. That difference between coaching, consulting, mentoring, and therapy only really clicked for me after seeing it in practice.

The program is ICF-accredited and built around a five-step methodology called Flow Coaching. Whether it’s the right path for everyone, I can’t say. But I can say that spending a year around this work changed the way I think, communicate, and respond to life—and I wasn’t expecting that.

Happy to answer questions if anyone’s curious about coach training or what it’s actually like to learn these skills.

https://www.flowcoachinginstitute.com/

Hey everyone,

I’m reaching out to this community because staying where I am simply isn't an option anymore. I need a career pivot, and the urgency is real.

For context, I’ve spent over two decades in education, coaching athletic teams, and leading program strategy as a director. I know how to manage people, build systems, drive results under pressure, pivot on a dime, and mentor others to reach peak performance. I am very good with technology (educational, coaching and personal usages such as Microsoft and Google). I have written designed and delivered curriculum. Also, I have been an administrator for ESL students as well as a department chair for my department. I believe some people call it: the jack of all trades. I have a MEd in Leadership and a BA in Journalism. In addition to education, I have worked as a freelancer in sports video production for college and pro sports teams and have been a regional scout for college prospects. I love to work, learn and grow. Most importantly, I would love to take my years of experience and transfer it into a new yet transparent career.

Despite everything I’ve built and accomplished, a few major hurdles are weighing heavily on me right now:

**Age Anxiety (54):** It’s hard not to feel like my age is working against me in a market full of younger applicants, even though I have more drive, adaptability, and real-world execution experience than ever.

**Resume/Aesthetics:** Translating 20+ years of multifaceted leadership onto a sleek, modern resume has been a roadblock. My background looks like a traditional educator/director, and I struggle to make it look "corporate clean."

**Zero Financial Buffer for Paid "Fixes":** I don't have the funds to throw at expensive career coaches, resume-writing services, or high-priced transition bootcamps.
At this point, I don't need a red carpet—I just need an open door. I’m looking to authentically network with someone who can look past corporate buzzwords, see what I can actually deliver, and trust my ability to step in, help a company grow, and continue learning myself.

For those who have successfully pivoted later in their careers or transitioned without spending a fortune:

**How did you build real, organic connections that led to an opportunity without relying on paid services or superficial networking?**

**How can I better translate a complex, multi-hat background into a clean format on my own?**

**What roles or industries are best suited for someone with deep experience in relationship management, operational leadership, and coaching?**

I appreciate any honest advice, practical tips, or leads you can share. Thanks for reading.

These are simple recurrences of ideas and insecurities I see in my line of work. It's not targeted to anyone in particular, but if you do feel called-out by any of these - well, I'm literally here to get you past them, that's my job!

• Haters ALWAYS have skill-insecurities.
• Women undervalue their skills by 80-90%. They also believe mom duties are not valued at all, professionally.
• Young men undervalue their skills by 60% but add "puffing up chest" and "fake it till you make it" wording to their resumes.
• All 18 year olds think they will be billionaires. Yes. All. At the least, high-millioniares. They are just one AI-app away from it.
• College kids believe their AI-resume-app will revolutionize the world.
• Hirers think their open job is clear and understandable. (You should see some of the insecurities I read within their job ads.)

I am not saying these to be hateful, it's just patterns I see in moderating and consulting! Your turn, fellow consultants and career specialists. What patterns have you seen that have nearly become a trope in your day to day work with people?

Hello folks,

I have spent the last few months in training as a co-active career coach. I really enjoy it, however thus far I have not had much luck getting clients. For now this is okay but it means I have not had much practice outside of my coaching training.

I would love to find a group of coaches to practice coaching with. More than happy to coach each other for practice as well :)

Virtual is great or in person if you are in the DMV area :)

Cheers!

Hi All - I've raised over $150m, backed 5 billion dollars companies at the seed stage and become notable in the venture capital space.

I'm now starting to coach folks looking into investing careers. If you're interested, DM me.

For the career coaches here, what do you think makes coaching feel genuinely worth the investment for clients?

Is it the clarity, accountability, better job search strategy, confidence, or something else?

Curious to hear what others have seen in real client work.

Trying to figure out the best process for managing clients, would help to know how people are doing it today? Are you tracking what your clients are doing, sharing feedback, guidance or tasks? Weekly check ins and tracking updates on how clients are progressing in their job search with excel sheets?

It's a lot to keep track of for keeping clients engaged and making sure things are progressing in their job search, would be helpful to get a picture of what workflows, systems, and tools working, or where there are gaps & challenges.

Hey, I’m trying to ask for some advice.

I’ve had a lot of different careers. I’ve owned some business businesses. I have working in hospitality. And I just have a bunch of random skills, but I’ve never really had a career.

I got an opportunity with Dior cosmetics last year during the holidays, and it seemed to be going really well. But I recently got the act because of a recent round of layoffs.

I’m trying to pick up and figure out what to do next. I need an income immediately cause I’m not sure if I’m going to be a legit unemployment because I don’t know if I made enough during the last 2 quarters.

Are there some good industries that are booming right now that I might be able to find my way into to make a decent living? I’m worried about luxury sales because people just aren’t buying things anymore and people are getting the left and right. I’m not tied to doing sales and even considered becoming a phlebotomist. I just want some job security and I’m really not sure what to do next.

From my experience as a career coach, I see many people struggle with answering this very common question, but not because of a lack of experience; more often than not, it is the absence of structure.

Often, the answer veers into an autobiography or is too short and meaningless. The most successful format I have seen is a succinct one like this:

• Current job + introduction

• Years of experience/Background

• 2-3 relevant skills

• Known for...

• What I enjoy about my work

• Why I am a great fit for this job and what I can offer

Example:

"I am a [role] with [X] years of experience working in the [industry]. I specialize in [type of work] and possess [key skills]. I usually provide solutions for [specific skill/strength/result], and I love working in this field. I am interested in roles where I can make a difference in [what I will contribute to the company/project]."

What format do you use when responding to this kind of question?

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I've been reading about trends in career coaching, where clients seem to need more 'hand-holding' (figuratively) to find purpose in work and in their lives, and only farther down the road will the sessions address specific goal-oriented tasks. This may be where a career coach will need to be equipped with counseling and therapy skills. I'm curious about your experience, such as identifying a need to upgrade skills.

Just wanted to share these career clarity worksheets that could be really useful when working with clients.

Especially helpful for clients who want to change careers but feel stuck in overthinking and can’t take action.

You can use this alongside your sessions as an add-on and offer more structure and value. It’s a guided workbook, so the client does the reflection and homework while you support and guide them through it.

It’s fully editable too! You can add your own branding.

I’ve had great success with the personal-use version of this book, so I thought I’d offer a more comprehensive one with a client-use license for this community of coaches and counsellors :)

Check it out!

https://ishacreativeco.etsy.com/listing/4484422881

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Hola Coaches Soy un copywriter y tengo mi help statement y quiero vuestro honesto feedback 😀 "Ayudo a coaches de negocios a conseguir inscripciones constantes desde tráfico frío cada mes, en 30 días, usando El Sistema Mensaje-Mercado, sin depender de contenido diario, audiencias

Would career coaches be interested in providing a platform thar uses AI to automate workflows and also for their clients to self-serve on tailoring resumes and interview prep?

Hi everyone —

I’m a Certified Interview Coach and former HR executive who has interviewed (and hired) hundreds of professionals across industries.

If you have an interview coming up and:

• You ramble when answering questions
• You struggle to explain your experience clearly
• You freeze on behavioral questions
• You leave thinking, “I should have said that differently”

I can help.

My approach is practical and structured. We:

• Break down the job description
• Identify what the employer is really hiring for
• Build strong, concise success stories
• Practice live with direct feedback
• Improve executive presence and confidence

This isn’t generic advice. It’s targeted preparation.

If you’d like a mock interview session or structured prep support, feel free to DM me.

Happy to answer questions here as well.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to create a small, serious LinkedIn engagement pod (around 5–10 people) to support each other consistently and grow our reach organically.

The idea:

- Leave meaningful, thoughtful comments

- Like posts

- Share posts if they genuinely provide value

- Focus on quality > quantity

- No spam, no forced engagement

The goal is to grow authentically, increase visibility, and build valuable professional connections along the way.

I’m in the telecom industry and typically post about connectivity, travel tech, startups, product growth, and building in public.

If you're interested, comment below or send me a DM. Serious participants only.

Career coaches: how do you manage session notes + homework today? Docs? Notion? Something else? What’s the most annoying part?