At the Catalyst Coaching Institute, we frequently get the question “who can be a wellness coach?” It’s a field that interests people from many different backgrounds, and people with many different career plans going forward. The answer is really two-fold. In terms of who “can” become a wellness coach, the answer is essentially anyone. We’ve had Physicians, Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers, Yoga Instructors, Exercise Physiologists and many other similar backgrounds go through our training. However, we’ve also had sales people, stay-at-home Moms, and coaches (in other areas) pursue the certification – successfully. There’s no perfect background – and there’s no background that puts you off limits.
The second part of the question relates more to who typically becomes a successful wellness coach. The answer to this has far less to do with background than it does to the character traits of the individual. A successful wellness coach must see the career as a long term pursuit. While earning your CWC certification is a critical first step, it’s far from the last. We hate to break the news to you, but you won’t have potential clients beating down your doors the day you pass the final step of certification 🙂
I remember when I first started competing in triathlons and was having lunch with one of the top age-group competitors in our area, Tim Hola. He shared with me that it would take at least 5 years to really get a sense of potential in the sport. I thought he was crazy. 5 years? It’s just swimming, biking and running. Why would it take 5 years to figure that all out and apply it effectively? But sure enough, it took about 5 years to really get it figured out.
Building your own independent wellness coaching business is very similar. It may not take 5 years to get your business up and running, but it’s very likely that you’ll continue to learn and grow for 5, 10, 20 or more years. For now, just keep your expectations in line and stay committed to learning and taking steps forward each and every day. It’s an exciting journey!
