I just was clearing through some old files and articles and found this interview that I gave to a magazine several years ago about life coaching which thought might be of use. I just updated the answer to the question I was asked about the cost of life coaching and the short biography at the end.
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Interview with a Life Coach
Rasheed Ogunlaru is one of the UK’s leading life coaches. His clients include entrepreneurs, performers, the public and businesses and he regularly writes and speaks on personal success in the media. Here for he lifts the lid on life coaching and how it can help you.
Tell us a bit about the roots of coaching?
For years athletes and entrepreneurs seeking to be the best have hired top coaches to help them achieve fulfil their goals and dreams. Now thousands of people of all walks of in the UK are beginning to too.
Life Coaching isn’t new and has its roots in a wide range of places including in sports coaching, mentoring, psychology and good old personal development.
It first emerged in the U.S.A in the 1970s, grew through the 80s/90s and now larger numbers of individuals and organisations are benefiting from it.
So what is life coaching?
Basically coaching is a means to help you identify, action and achieve your goals in all areas of your life, step by step working with a professional coach.
It’s holistic and covers whatever areas are important to you in your life, career, health, money, relationships, health and personal happiness, free time and interests, and any other area that’s important to you. I liken it to having a personal fitness trainer, but a life coach helps motivate and support you to achieve your ideal in all areas of life.
What’s involved and how does it work?
Usually series of regular sessions by phone or face to face with your life coach. For example I coach my clients over a series of weekly sessions over a month or more.
Does a coach sort out my life for me and what’s their role exactly?
A life coach helps you to become master of your life and destiny. They don’t tell you what to do. In fact coaching is about you uncovering your self belief, taking action and achieving your goals. Just like having a personal trainer you’re the one who shows up, puts in the effort and gets the result.
The skill of the life coach is to facilitate the process. Just like a personal trainer, a life coach has a good range of tools, skills, and insights to help you clarify and achieve your goals. A coach will help motivate, focus you and crucially help you overcome the ‘limiting belief’s that tend to stop people from achieving their goals. A coach helps put you on track and helps you stay there.
Why would I need a life coach?
It’s not a case of having a need. Just like athletes do, the value in having a coach is to help you reach your full potential. Many people achieve more than they would imagine, far faster than they ever might by themselves through partnership which gives you the space to achieve what you want in your life. Having a clear motivating vision, belief and taking action is the basis of success in all areas be it getting fit to running a successful international company. This is what coaching helps you develop.
So what makes it work? And what tools do coaches use?
A good life coach has a range of skills that will help you identify who you are, what’s important to you, where you want to go and how to get there. Many coaches, including myself, use a range of traditional coaching goal-setting insights and tools and NLP skills (Neuro Linguistic Programming). NLP helps us understand and effectively live life using how think, feel, act, behave and use language and communication. Ultimately what makes coaching work is the connection, trust and empowering space created by the coach and client. For this reason I also work on a direct instinctive heart and soul level with people.
Can anyone benefit and will I get results?
Yes anyone who wants to move ahead and take action will benefit and get results. The more you want to move ahead the more you’ll achieve.
What’s the difference between coaching and counselling?
Coaching is focused on the present and future – and on putting you in charge of your life. It’s suited to people who are ready and willing to take action to move ahead in their lives.
How can it help me?
If your looking to move ahead in your job or career, relationships, health, personal fulfilment or in any other areas of your life.
What sort of people have a life coach?
Anyone. All sorts from single parents to politicians.
What type people do you life coach, Rasheed?
I coach people of all backgrounds. My clients include the public, performers, entrepreneurs, healers, teachers, other life coaches, wellbeing professionals, high achievers, politicians and young people.
What made you decide to become a life coach?
I’ve always had a passion for life, people and our possibilities. I’ve always been involved with people through my various careers in media, training, as a volunteer and singer-songwriter. I never intended to become a life coach it just happened. Whilst I was pursuing my music career I met so many singers, actors who struggled with confidence, career progression, direction, life balance, happiness and so on that that struck me. I wanted to help people become masters of their own destinies. I trained as a life coach. First I worked only with performers – now I help people of all backgrounds.
Tell us about your approach to life coaching and your specialist area?
Yes lasting fulfilment is my specialist area and it’s the starting point for everything else: career, health, relationships and so on. Everything points to inner fulfilment. Basically most people seek either greater success or fulfilment in life. People only seek success because they believe it will bring fulfilment. We’re led to believe that success leads to fulfilment. This is fundamentally flawed as it suggests that you are not whole already. This is why so many people have low self esteem, feel unfulfilled whatever they ‘achieve’…and why many fail under the pressure to achieve success. In truth fulfilment brings ‘self defined success’. Success is meaningless without fulfilment. We’ve been led to pursue success and fulfilment in the wrong order. It is a fundamental flaw in modern thinking; that x,y or z will make you whole and your life complete. You are already whole, complete and full. Happiness is in essence innate. So I help people ‘become who they are’, by brushing away all the fears and ideas of things that they’ve been led to think they are think they should be. This is what frees your potential, self belief and enables you to do the things that resonate with you in all aspects of your life. It enables you to achieve fulfilment in all areas of your life and career and enables richer relationships. It also leads you to achieve a deeper understanding and compassion for yourself and others.
You sound passionate about your work, why?
Millions of people drift through life too afraid, nervous, or unsure of themselves to live life as they wish to live it.
What’s more from birth we’re conditioned with all sorts of ideas about ourselves and the world. As a result many people end up carrying negative beliefs that they are too: tall, short, fat, thin, smart, dumb, old young, talented and untalented the list goes on and on. It’s these beliefs that are the main hurdle to success and happiness.
But it is possible to ‘become who you are’ and move beyond these fears and ideas and to find fulfilment in all you do.
Top 5 reasons you might approach a coach:
- Job / career change and progression
- Gaining life direction / self belief
- Improve health and fitness
- Enhance relationships
- Work-life balance / overcoming stress
Top 5 key benefits
- Self belief, confidence, direction
- Making positive life changes (career, health, financial, relationships)
- Happiness, balance and fulfilment
- Taking action, self-empowerment
- Focus / staying on track
What does it cost and is it worth it?
Typically anything from around £50 to over £150 per session depending on the coach. Cost is not necessarily directly related to experience or quality. However coaching can have life changing benefits. For the cost of holiday it may improve all areas of your life: career, finances, relationships, health etc.
How do coaches help you get results?
Coaches use a range of skills, insights, questions and tools to help set goals, take action, overcome negative beliefs and get the results you want. I use a range of coaching skills together with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) which if you like the applied science of human excellence. Like a personal fitness coach I also help motivate and inspire and enthuse clients.
Where can I find one and what should I look for in a coach?
Coaches can be found on the internet, including coaching directories, through to the phone book and here on this website. Most people reach me and other coaches I know via word of mouth. Ask your potential coach what training and qualifications they have, how they work, how they’ll help you achieve your goals and ask for references. Above all trust you instincts and only select a coach if they seem right for you.
What kind of successes have people you’ve coached gone on to have?
I’m constantly thrilled by what my people achieve. People I have seen have worked with have got fitter, healthier, passed exams, overcome nerves, boosted their income and have gone on to positions in their careers they didn’t think possible. Many, including those who’ve had ‘successful careers’ have improved their relationships, enjoy their home life, loved ones and have a better life balance. Many people are running their own businesses. Some are enjoying successful careers in areas like music, acting and politics. Above all it’s wonderful seeing people achieve inner happiness and deeply appreciating themselves – this is my real passion and it’s the essence lasting fulfilment and success.
Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading life coach, business coach and motivational speaker. He is author of Soul Trader – Putting the Heart Back into Your Business and a range of inspiring books, videos and audio talks. He helps people of all backgrounds achieve lasting fulfilment in all areas of their lives..Rasheed regularly appears in the media – including several appearances on ITN News and regular appearances on BBC London 94.9fm. Rasheed coaches by phone, Skype in person and runs motivation talks and seminars. For further information visit www.rasaru.com,
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