I can’t move for people shouting out on my social media feeds “I’m so excited to announce I’m now officially a PT! DM me for sessions!” And they’re all the same. They’re all wearing those weird leggings with the seam up the arse crack and the cop top leaving that random bit of flesh between the high waist band and the boob area. Or they’re sporting that trucker cap and tapered sweatpants look with some sort of spray on t-shirt in between. You do you hun. I’m super glad you’re doing what makes you happy. But it ain’t for me. It’s all a bit…empty.
I’ve always known I was designed to help others. I went into a caring profession. In my surgery life, I always try and help people with minimum intervention, but I will also push myself to do what it is that’s right, however challenging that may be. Even when I was a kid, I was always wanting to help the smaller kids whether it was running around hanging onto their pony and dragging them out of the hedges on a Saturday afternoon or helping them nail they’re next belt target at karate, I was never happier than when I was able to be a role model for someone else. Since then, I’ve taught practical skills, I’ve mentored healthcare professionals and now I spend my days providing 1-2-1 performance coaching, providing holistic health advice in a dental setting and helping bigger groups get the most out of themselves by harnessing what they already have. I get my kicks from seeing others succeed by following my advice. Simple as that.
But I’m not sure everyone has the same passion. You see, a certificate doesn’t give you coaching rights. A certificate can’t teach you how to inspire, motivate and navigate the complex world of actual real life people. I’ve got a shit tonne of certificates of varying levels from my prized dental degree down to the one day brand specific training handed out by nutrition and toothpaste companies. But I don’t advertise all that.
I will never try and tell you that I should be coaching because of my certificates. Admittedly, the range of situations I’ve been exposed to gives me a unique perspective on health, but my real advntage doesn’t come from my certificates. It comes from passion. A passion to help and inspire. It also comes from all the learning I constantly show up for; the stuff you DON’T get a certificate for. Health and nutrition are a constantly changing landscape and it is no longer good enough to simply wave your nutrition and weight loss supervisor certificate around and promise to change people’s lives. It is paramount to admit when advice and science has changed and help people to understand that and use it to their advantage.
Being a coach is not about having one rigid method for all clients. It’s not about showing up in your GymShark hoodie and putting together a 6 week gym programme or a three monthly calorie deficit plan. It’s about showing up to help your clients when it really matters and committing to continuous learning and development. It can be hard to pick out who’s doing this and who isn’t. But judging someone as being competent based on their most recent certificate, probably ISN’T the best way to do it. By all means, seek out the person with the qualification relevant to what it is you want to achieve, but also look for their results, for their commitment to challenging the status quo and sharing knowledge to really make a difference, instead of pictures of their abs. The truth is, just because someone can bulk and cut themselves, it doesn’t mean they can do it for you. Just because someone has built a successful business, doesn’t mean they can teach you how to do it. Ultimately, coaches are there to bring out the best in YOU, not make you copy someone else’s blueprint for life.
And that’s the promise I make to you and all of my clients; I promise to always do my best. To always give you the best information and help you to understand how to use it to better yourself. I commit to always trying to bring the best out in you and not let my ego get in the way of what really matters – your success.
I also promise to continue avoiding GymShark.