Over a year ago I opened the doors to my PR coaching and consulting business. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to work with several national charities on major fundraising campaigns as well as female entrepreneurs from around Australia and the world. I’ve seen my clients achieve coverage in a range of international and national media outlets, win international awards and conquer their public speaking fears.
The catalyst for my business, the thing that was responsible for me starting was not what many people expect to hear. It was becoming a Life Coach.
Three years ago after the birth of my daughter I took the first real pause from my career. After working in PR for over 15 years it was needed, and gave me the space to revaluate where I was at and where I wanted to go.
When it was time to go back to work I knew I needed a change. My job didn’t challenge and energise me anymore and I needed to find something that did. At this stage I thought this would be outside of PR and I was open to looking at different opportunities. During this time I came across the Beautiful You Coaching Academy (BYCA), it was the first time I’d heard of Julie Parker and the incredible work she does but when I found the BYCA website it just felt like home.
I didn’t know much about Life Coaching when I started but somehow I intuitively knew it was part of the plan and would guide me where I needed to go.
When I told friends and colleagues I was enrolled in the course I received a few surprised looks and questions such as, ‘What’s Life Coaching got to do with PR?’ At the time I didn’t have a great answer for that, but on reflection I would say ‘everything’. Put simply those who have experienced Life Coaching and have great self-awareness and inner confidence will get much more out of PR than those who haven’t.
As the course progressed I began to realise I didn’t have to drop my years of PR experience. There were parts of the job I loved and would miss if I took a completely new direction. The course helped me to evaluate those parts of my job that lit me up and those that didn’t and those that I was really good at and those I was not. Through this discovery the flame for my little coaching business started to burn and I could see a space in the market that no one had claimed.
Apart from the obvious, of teaching me to be an effective Life Coach, here are six surprising ways that completing a life coaching course shaped my business:
1. Gave me the confidence to start
I had dreamed of starting my own PR business from as early as my university days but I had never had the confidence to do it. The BYCA Course helped me find that confidence and provided the nudge to bring my vision to life.
2. Helped me become self-aware
A large component of the course focuses on personal self-development which resulted in heightened self-awareness. Time was spent to reflect on those characteristics, skills and talents that are unique to us. This is something I now spend time on with my clients as self-awareness is a must to develop an authentic brand, provide compelling content and lead conversations in your field.
From a personal perspective it made me dig deeper than I ever have before to look at my own strengths and weaknesses, which in turn was the catalyst for finding my perfect niche and developing my brand.
3. Helped me find my niche
Finding your niche is something you often hear mentioned in business circles. The thing is it is actually really important. From a PR perspective it is paramount in helping you carve out a unique message that will reach your ideal audience. From a business perspective it helps you stand out and become really specific about your brand and services.
After weeks of doing deep self-development work, my niche as a ‘PR Coach to the spotlight shy’ almost landed in my lap.
4. Connected me with an incredible tribe
Everyone who has started a business knows how important it is to connect with likeminded people. People who believe in you and your little dream, hold space for you and support you when you are challenged, and ultimately remind you that you created your business to enhance your life so to enjoy it. The course did this and so much more.
I was paired with the most knowledgeable and generous coaching buddy, who not only shared many tips of business wisdom with me but ended up being my first PR client and through word of mouth was responsible for bringing me many more clients. I then went on to be trained by a BYCA Certified Coach who continues to be one of my biggest business supports. She has also trusted me with her PR work and become a client. I’ve carved out the most beautiful friendships with my fellow coaches. There is nothing quite like the support of the BYCA tribe, if you are ever lucky enough to attend one of their’ Inspiration days’, that are held all around the world, you will know exactly what I mean.
5. Showed me you can create and grow a business with love
Until I started the course I had never really seen how a business could operate through love. Many of the businesses I’d seen online were quite corporate and masculine and it was only when I connected with the BYCA I saw it was possible to create a heart-centred business.
From a practical viewpoint half of the course’s modules focus on building a business and I also completed a Business Coaching series with one of the BYCA’s certified coaches, so with all of this support I was well equipped to start my business from the ground up.
6. Helped me play big
Through the course I’ve made connections throughout the world. I’ve coached clients in Singapore, Germany, the US and UK as well as all around Australia. These have developed into incredible friendships, and when I next travel I will have lots of new friends to meet in person. Without the BYCA I know I wouldn’t have dreamed big with my business, I would have played small and most likely only serviced clients in my area. This would have limited my business and so I’m extremely grateful I had this global platform to start with.
It has also helped me overcome being spotlight shy. Over the last year I’ve presented at a number of different events, been a guest on podcasts and been published in a number of media outlets including Cosmopolitan magazine. I know I would have most probably hidden behind my clients without the course, something I had been doing for years.
Speaking at ‘On the Rise’ in November 2016. Image: Samara Clifford
Until this day I count my lucky stars I stumbled across the BYCA website as I know my business journey would have been a very different one or perhaps not even exist if I hadn’t.
You can find out more about Katie’s experience as a Coach here. If you would like to find out more about Katie’s PR coaching for the Spotlight Shy you can here.