If you’ve decided now is the time to tackle your Imposter Syndrome, you’ve come to the right place.
Embarking on coaching is exciting, but it can also be a bit scary: how much time will it take? What am I going to need from you? How will it all work?!
Read on to find out the answer! 😁
My Coaching Process
I’ve been coaching for over three years now, and during that time I’ve defined the ideal coaching process to deliver the best possible results for my clients.
(If you want to see proof, have a look at my testimonials!)
My clients:
🔥 find their Naked Confidence, ie re-discover that deep-rooted self-belief that has been covered up by self-doubt and limiting beliefs
🔥 develop powerful skills that help them quieten that terrible inner critic
🔥 and learn instead how to build their positive, supportive internal cheerleader.
As a result, my clients:
💪 have been promoted (including to Managing Director, running their own organisations)
💪 have had the confidence to go for career changes, or move countries to follow their career dreams
💪 and most importantly they’ve learned how to thrive professionally and emotionally, no matter what their work throws at them.
It is a joy and a privilege to help my clients achieve these goals! 😍
In this blog post I break down the exact process, step by step, so you know exactly what to expect when working with me.
(Please note, coaching is a journey that each client and I walk together. So the actual CONTENT of the coaching sessions – while they will have some common themes, or tools – is unique to each client. But the PROCESS by which these sessions are delivered is consistent.)
✴️ 1. Booking the initial call
Once you think you’d like to find out more about how I can help you achieve your goals, the first step is to book an initial call.
You do this through my online booking system, which allows you to select an available slot in my calendar.
This is scheduled for 30 minutes, but I encourage you to make sure you don’t have to rush off straight away at the 30 minutes mark – sometimes we get so deep in the session that it’s good to have a bit more time! 😁
Within 24 hours of you booking this session, you will receive by email:
- confirmation from me that I’ve seen you’ve booked into my diary
- a Zoom link for our session
- a pre-session questionnaire, so that we can hit the ground running (to be completed at least 24 hours before the call please)
- plus some pre-reading so that you have as much information as possible before we talk.
The pre-reading will include some helpful background on my coaching.
✴️ 2. During the initial call
This is an opportunity for me to get a better understanding of your exact situation currently, and how you want it to change.
So I will start the call by asking you questions about this, building on the information you’ve given me in your questionnaire answers.
This process is always an enlightening experience: you will begin to understand more about yourself and your goals just from these questions – and also start learning some tools you can put into practice straight away.
(In fact, one of my clients aced a job interview just from the work we did during her initial call!)
Then, if it seems like we’re a good fit, we will talk about how my coaching process can help you.
There is no hard sell!
If I don’t believe I can help you, or I don’t think that we’ll work well together, I will tell you. (It’s not in my interests to take on a client for whom I don’t think I’m the right coach.)
My signature programme is for 6 months of online coaching, but I do have other options that we can discuss, to get the best results for you, at your budget.
Making a decision
If you decide you want to go ahead on the call, we will choose the date for our first session, and I will take a few registration details (phone number, address etc).
This date will be subject to both our diaries, but it’s usually within two weeks of the initial call.
Then there are a few options, depending on how you’re going to fund the coaching:
🔥 If you’re self-funding, we will decide your payment terms (ie do you want to pay in full up front, in two instalments, monthly (ie for two sessions), or per session.
🔥 If you’re seeking financial support from your organisation, we will discuss their goals for your coaching, so that I can reflect those in the draft Business Case.
Finally, you don’t have to decide if you want to go ahead on the call!
If you want some time to think it through, that’s absolutely fine – it’s important you feel ready.
I will follow up with you about 48 hours after our session to see what you’ve decided, or at the frequency you prefer that we agree on the call.
(All I ask is that you do let me know your decision – I’ve had one situation where someone just disappeared after the intro call and stopped replying to my emails, which was a bit disconcerting…)
✴️ 3. Once you’ve decided to go ahead: preparations for the first session
After the call, you will receive these pre-coaching documents via email from either me or my Administrator Ruth Walker, within maximum one week (or sooner, if our session is sooner than that!):
- the Pre-Coaching Questionnaire (which expands on the information you’ve already given me, in preparation for goal-setting during our first session)
- the Coaching Contract (which sets out all the terms and conditions, including payment terms, cancellation policy, refund policy, and confidentiality/ GDPR terms)
- the first invoice, for payment before the session.
Please send me/ Ruth the completed documents minimum 24 hours before our first session.
If we’re working together on a Business Case for your coaching to be funded by your organisation, you’ll receive that as a pdf on email from me within 48 hours of our intro call.
If you have any edits to suggest I will make the changes, then you will have the Business Case ready to submit internally.
As long as you’ve had approval to go ahead, I’m happy to start the coaching process – I know sometimes it can be slow for the financial administration to be sorted out in larger organisations…
You will also get your first WhatsApp from me before the first session, to make sure that line of ongoing communication is working!
One thing that is a bit different about my coaching is the amount of contact I want to supply BETWEEN sessions.
When you working towards transforming your mindset, you really benefit from regular reminders and encouragement. This helps you take the consistent action that’s necessary to build the best possible neural pathways.
I describe this to my clients as me being your cheerleader while you’re learning to develop your own! It’s amazing how much of a difference it can make, knowing that you can get support at the touch of button. It might not be instant, depending on my diary, but it will be same day.
(I have had one client prefer to use email than WhatsApp for this regular contact, so I will adapt if you have a different means – but generally I’ve found WhatsApp works really well.)
✴️ 4. The first coaching session
This is one of my favourite parts of the process, when we properly get started!
Your first session will begin with some initial discussions about the coaching process: how you like to be treated, confidentiality, the “wrong question” (your get-out-of-jail-free card if you don’t want to answer a particular question!) etc.
This is also an opportunity for you to ask me any questions you have.
Then we will move onto goal-setting for our journey together.
We will already have discussed this during the initial call, plus you’ve had had a further opportunity to think about this with the Pre-Coaching Questionnaire. So this is the time where we really look at your priorities, and where exactly you want to be by the end of the process.
Please note, this is not fixed in stone!
As I will tell you on the call, if at any point you want to change your overarching goal, that’s absolutely fine. (I may test you to make sure you DO want to change them, but I will not hold you to something you don’t think is right for you any more.)
Then, after the initial discussion, and the goal-setting, we will start on the coaching!
Exactly where and how we start will depend on your specific circumstances, but you will make progress even in your first session.
Lastly, each session will finish with:
- a wrap-up on progress during that session
- agreement of what homework, if any, you will do before our next session (this could be specific worksheets, or a mini-course, or just practising the tools you’ve learned – it will depend on the stage of your journey towards your goal)
- and finally, setting the date for the next session.
Sessions are ideally held fortnightly, diaries permitting: I’ve discovered that frequency creates the right balance between momentum between sessions, and enough time to really process and build on what you’ve learned.
Each coaching session lasts 75 minutes – I’ve also discovered that 60 minutes isn’t quite enough to get really deep into something, then also take some time to reflect on progress.
I do encourage you not to book something straight after each coaching session by the way – you may be feeling thoughtful, or even emotional – it’s good to give yourself at least 15 minutes to process the session before going into something else. So do bear that in mind when you’re booking your session times!
One thing to note: I offer a full refund of any money paid after this first session, if you decide you don’t want to carry on.
I do this to give you confidence that if you feel like I’m not going to help you, you can stop – you won’t be forced to carry on for another six sessions.
No-one has ever asked for this refund! But you might find it reassuring to know it’s there…
✴️ 5. Ongoing coaching sessions
The exact content of this part of the journey will depend on you, your goals, and the progress you’re making.
I will be keeping an eye on our overall coaching goals, to make sure that you meet them by the end of our time together.
What this means is that I will come to each session with an idea of where I think we could focus.
However, this is not fixed in stone either – if you are thrown a curve-ball that you want to discuss in a session (a member of staff leaving, an argument with a colleague), or you have a particular area you’d like us to focus on, you are of course free to suggest this.
This is YOUR time, and we will use it the best we can to support you in the best way that works for you.
One thing all clients will receive is a DISC profile, which is included in your coaching package.
This is a personality profile that helps you understand your tendencies and preferences, and clients find it a very enlightening part of the process. Exactly when we do this will depend on your journey (sometimes it’s helpful to do it earlier, sometimes later).
You will also also receive a Progress Questionnaire from me half-way through the coaching sessions so that we can reflect on progress so far, and see where we want to focus for the second half of our time together.
This will arrive on email after the third session.
✴️ 6. The closing session
The last coaching session is an opportunity for us to make any final progress towards your goal; and then to reflect on your progress so far.
This is always a bitter-sweet moment for me: I love hearing about the transformation clients have made, but it’s always sad that this journey is over!
However, it doesn’t have to be the end of our time working together.
Some clients choose to carry on for a period of time – whether that’s one or two extra sessions, or signing up to my ongoing Nurture Programme. This offers a regular slot (usually 3-weekly or monthly) to help keep clients moving forwards towards their goals.
I’ve been working with some clients for over two years now – one says her sessions with me are now just a budgeted monthly outgoing that she couldn’t do without 😊
Whether we are going to carry on working together or not, I do have a WhatsApp group for former clients (the Naked Confidence Club), which is a lovely community that you can choose to join.
Plus I am also in touch directly with former clients over WhatsApp and email – once you’re part of the family… 😉
✴️ Conclusion
Hopefully that’s given you a much clearer idea of what it’s like to work with me 😁
I have the best job in the world, and I’m very and proud of what I do – so I’ve spent time and energy refining my coaching processes so I can get my clients the best possible results.
If this all sounds good to you, then it’s very easy to take the first step in the process: book into my calendar for your initial call, using the button below!
Or if you’ve already booked, I very much look forward to meeting you at our initial call 😊
Until then, wishing you a positive, productive and Nakedly Confident week! 😁🔥💪
with much love 💖
Kirsten xx
p.s. don’t forget, if you want to book an initial call to start this process, you can book into my calendar here 😊
