I want to become a life coach/motivational speaker but I have absolutely no clue where to start. Are there educational degrees offered towards this or should one just get a general bachelor degree? Master degree? Phd? I'm sure getting a higher degree would be best and I have every intention of going towards my phD but I want to know where to start, what path to follow, what classes to take.

Speech? English? Phychology?

How old are you? I would not want someone 30 years old as a life coach.

So do you think 30 is too young or too old to be a life coach? I've seen several people all over who are very inspiring no matter what their age.

And you didn't really answer my question so your response is useless.

and you didn't really answer my question so your response is useless.Good luck with your career choice with this kind of communication skills.:rolleyes:

It's titt for tatt, sweetie.

But, to be specific, this answer IS useless to me. I didn't ask for whether they'd hire me if I were a certain age. I asked what area I should study first. Basically this person told me I could be worthless if I were 30 as a life coach. How do you think someone who is 30 is reading this might feel?

So because I didn't sugar coat my answer I'd make a bad life coach?

30 is a very young age. What wisdom can you offer at such a young age. I'm assuming you are much younger since you didn't state your age. You can do whatever you want in life, but to do this it will take time and there is no way to be certain that you will even be good at this. You don't just wake up one day, decide to become a life coach go to school for a few years and bingo. It just doesn't work that way. It takes wisdom which doesn't happen overnight, knowledge and not just from books. It's not like learning how to be a baker or a florist. You can go to college and get various degrees. My advice is to take one day at a time. Ask a college counselor for a direction as far as courses. Head toward that direction. Work, live and perhaps one day you will get to the point where you have what you need to offer. Good luck.

I want to become a life coach/motivational speaker but I have absolutely no clue where to start.
Basically if you don't know where to start with this then you are pretty stuffed.
If you are serious then you'll need to do a shed load of research on this niche market.

Now the real question is why have you decided on this activity when you have no knowledge what is expected?

I did not say I didn't know what is expected I just didn't know what a good jump off point would be.

I guess I was hoping to hear from some REAL life coaches on what they did. The best way to learn is to ask so that's what I was doing.

It's really no big deal. I'll just start asking away, somewhere else. But you people really don't give much positive thoughts to those at the very beginning of a career. I could be 21 and want to be a life coach. I didn't say I wanted to be one NOW, I just wanted to know where to start. At 21 how the heck am I supposed to know where to start without freakin' asking! What if I wanted to be a lawyer? Are you telling me that because I don't know the law in its entirety that I have no right to become a lawyer?

Please enlighten me on this.

30 is a very young age. What wisdom can you offer at such a young age. I'm assuming you are much younger since you didn't state your age.

Well I'm not 21 and I'm not 30. I do have life experience. Not that I have to justify it to any of you.

I just wanted a jump off point. Starting up my own life coaching biz and then saying "well, I've got all this life experience and have been giving friends my opinion for years." just doesn't seem like a legititimate reason to give to clients on why they should pay me. I figured having a formal education to at least supplement said life experience would be a pretty good idea.

Wouldn't you think so?

Would you hire me simply because I was old enough to have life experience? Probably not. Even a 50 year-old could be senile and not have a clue as to what he/she was talking about.

What is your educational background, sassypea?

I am currently working on my bachelor's in phsychology. I got a late start to my college education.

Me too. Seems like you are in the right line of work.

I saw a woman on "What Not to Wear" that called herself a life coach and she was in her early 30s (I think). So I don't think age is the problem.

Is Life Coach just a modern term for counselor? I mean there are so many things in life you could coach about, body image, relationships, careers. Are you going to specialize in something?

Well emland that's a good question. I've been searching a long time for what I want to do "when I grow up" and it came down to a few areas of career. I thought back to when I was have the greatest of times in my life and made a list. From that list I figured out what careers I could do. Life coach was one of them.

There's so many things I'm interested in and I don't think I'll ever stop on my quest for knowledge. So I can't pinpoint exactly where I'd narrow the life coach area to. But like I said, that's a good question and I hadn't thought of it before you mentioned it. Knowing me I'll pick one area and then keep broadening my knoweledge base to include other areas.

Well wouldn't you know it. Looks like I found my answer. After doing some digging I'll be attending a session hosted by current life coaches with other prospective life coaches on a roundtable discussion of sorts on if this is what I want to pursue or not and how to go about doing it.

Thanks to those of you who were helpful. And not so much to those who were not.

From the start you sounded very young (maybe 20) and lost on this subject. The reason I used the number 30 was just to show you that 30 is young for such an undertaking. You never stated where you were (age, background) so you led others to make assumptions in that regard. I thought my last post was good advice to see a college counselor. I didn't know that you were already attending college. I wish you would have been more clear from the start. We can achieve the goals we set for ourselves in life. Good luck.

Sadly you couldn't do a simple Google search?
"life coach" - Google Search (http://www.google.ca/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=%22life+coach%22&btnG=Google+Search&meta=)

Sadly you couldn't do a simple Google search?
"life coach" - Google Search (http://www.google.ca/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=%22life+coach%22&btnG=Google+Search&meta=)
Yes. Sadly.

Google has always worked out well for me. I guess I should have known better than to ask on a forum that said "ask me, help desk". Dur. My bad.

I am kind of surprised by the nasty remarks, too, sassypea. Maybe folks got confused and thought you were looking for the position of God or something. My background is HR for small business and I always recommend to people that are looking to work in a field that they need guidance with - ask someone in the field. I would ask someone in a different city, so you wouldn't be perceived as a competitor.

The first time I heard the term life coach was on the show I mentioned previously, but there are a whole lotta people out there that could use some coaching on several topics (including me!). I wish you well.

Them, I think God would be an excellent career for me to pursue. Perhaps those with the nasty comments could offer advice as to how I might get into such a position?




Or should I just Google it?

You could go to divinity school.

em, I think God would be an excellent career for me to pursue. perhaps those with the nasty comments could offer advice as to how I might get into such a position?




Or should I just google it?
Your arrogance is only overwhelmed by your sarcasm.
To be God, you must exude charisma and people all around must admire and trust you. I don't see that happening. I know people who have turned many calendars but don't really have a clue. I sure if we think about it, we all know someone like this. And then I've met people much younger than myself (the big five-O this year) who have lived a much richer life than many will ever see. Keep your mind open and you can learn from both

I am kind of surprised by the nasty remarks, too...
Sassypea's responses start passive-aggressive and moves to being outright arrogant.

Take a closer look at Post #3 (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/job-training/where-start-life-coach-67674.html#post395329) in this thread. Sassypea's response ends by "sticking it" to the questioner. Follow that pattern of behaviour down... to "Or should I just Google it?".

A key factor in dealing with people is knowing that how you impact responses from people by your communication style.

Sassypea has the potential to be a great life coach, but still has a lot of work and studying to do before that can happen.

Sassypea's responses start passive-aggressive and move to being outright arrogant.

I was attacked, what would you expect?



Take a closer look at Post #3 in this thread. Sassypea's response ends by "sticking it" to the questioner. Follow that pattern of behaviour down... to "Or should I just Google it?".again, I was just following titt for tatt. I'm not going to just sit around and let people call me immature when my very first post simply asked where to get started. And I was questioned in my ability to be a coach.

Yup, got a little snarky. Had fun too. You have no idea what I do professionally now so you really don't know if my comments are geniunely me or if I am someone in their 20's, or if I'm just trying to hit back. One must be a bit of a chameleon to be able to read others well, I think. One must also have a quick wit and be able to think on their toes to give good advice. Just because I would rather not put up with the potential abuse of those not interested in answering my question does not make me arrogant.

And wanting to be God was me having some fun with Em's comments. My goodness, do you honestly think I could jump so easily between being a life coach and God? You take things entirely too seriously.


A key factor in dealing with people is knowing that how you impact responses from people by your communication style.

Oh I knew. I just didn't expect to be jumped all over because I took offense to being called immature or, god forbid, asking a question on how to do something on a BB specifically made for asking how to do something.


Sassypea has the potential to be a great life coach, but still has a lot of work and studying to do before that can happen.

EXACTLY! I'm the first to admit it. Oh wait, I WAS the first to admit it when I asked the question in the first place on where to get started and I was attacked for being too young.



And we come back full circle.


Look, I never said I knew it all. I said I wanted to know where to start. Because I'm sarcastic, arrogant and uneducated NOW doesn't mean I can't be a good coach later. Isn't that the whole point of time, growing up, and life? We learn new things as we go along. We help each other out. Any of this ring any bells?

You never stated where you were (age, background) so you led others to make assumptions in that regard. I thought my last post was good advice to see a college counselor. I didn't know that you were already attending college. I wish you would have been more clear from the start. We can achieve the goals we set for ourselves in life. Good luck.
I chose not to give out personal information. I did not believe that it was necessary in determining where to start on the path.

I'm only a few classes into school and again, did not think that such a little amount of college was necessary to disclose. At this point I could change my major to accounting and it wouldn't make a difference.

I was attacked, what would you expect?

"how old are you? I would not want someone 30 years old as a life coach."

That's the post that you felt attacked you?

Actually, not really that one.

But this one


Good luck with your career choice with this kind of communication skills.:rolleyes:

Oh and how about that one


Now the real question is why have you decided on this activity when you have no knowledge what is expected ??

My whole point was to get an idea of where to start and I was questioned and told why I can't be a coach.

But you told that poster that her response was useless, you think that's a good way to communicate with people on a forum?

I was attacked, what would you expect?
To be honest, I would expect better... of a life coach.

You were not attacked. The poster simply stated their opinion... They didn't call you arrogant. Didn't call you unqualified. Didn't even call you immature... Just said they weren't sure about the age they would prefer to see someone in that job. You projected more into the comment than was there.


I was just following titt for tatt...
This is simply an excuse you use to dodge responsibility for your passive-agressive escalation. Your "snarky" responses attracted even more negativity to you... Don't you see that?

Perhaps you felt the first reply was implying you didn't have the potential. Okay, fair enough... However -

It was you that went on the defensive.

It was you that took the first "jab" when the mere question of age was asked.

It is you that continues to be putting up the fight to "defend yourself".


To your original question - I think this thread is a good "jumping off" point for you.

Go back and really consider your responses and what your part was in generating the negative comments to yourself. Look at your own attitude, and what you are projecting on to others. And look back again next month, next year, and if the site is still around... in 5 or 10 years.

You may feel that I wasn't attacked but I do.

I'll go back and read it but only if I feel like it. You're not the boss of me.

But you told that poster that her response was useless, you think that's a good way to communicate with people on a forum?
Sure, when the answer doesn't answer my question it's useless to me.