A few weeks ago, I shared how I, yet again, switched email delivery systems. I explained how there’s some sense of shame when I do this.
I tend to kind of nerd out on the technological aspects of business. There’s a part of me that finds solace in these less confronting actions. So it can be fun. And it can certainly be helpful to my business in some sense.
But there’s another part of me that knows that tinkering with things like this is not the real work. It’s often a distraction from really getting right within myself, honing my craft, connecting with others, and sharing what I do from an authentic, clean place.
Well, I’ve done it again.
This time, the form the tinkering is taking is transitioning from calling myself a “leadership coach” to a “purpose coach.”
In fairness to myself, this change did not take a lot of time. It hasn’t been a huge distraction. But I do feel some sense of guilt in constantly tinkering with things like this. I want to convey a sense of stability and consistency, and endlessly tinkering doesn’t really serve that.
Nonetheless, I’ve decided to give it a go, at least as an experiment.
I once got advice that while coaches have so many different names for themselves, most prospective clients only really know about life coaches and executive coaches. More specific names can work for clearly niched coaches, like marketing coaches, social media coaches, etc., where they offer a defined service and come from a specific technical expertise.
But “life coach” has always carried a certain amount of cringe for me. It feels so broad. And my mental image of a life coach is someone who is somewhat insincere, hocking shallow affirmations and platitudes.
“Executive coach” has felt somewhat elitist, like I only work with a certain tier of professional. This is both simply untrue of, and is not something I’d personally want to convey to the world.
“Leadership coach” felt like a nice middle ground. I do aspire to serve purpose-driven leaders, at least in the broadest sense of the term, separated from institutional or social authority. And it’s something most people have some sense of. It sounds professional enough.
But lately, as I feel into it further, “leadership coach” just doesn’t really convey what I do or reflect what I care most about. Yes, I do help my clients claim leadership over their lives and their role in social change. But the frameworks I gravitate toward have much more to do with purpose. I help people find and harness their unique genius and then offer it as a gift to a world, but in a way that maintains their well-being and sense of peace.
My hope is that “purpose coach” both differentiates me further from the crowd and is a clearer distillation of what I actually do. And, though this term isn’t quite as well-known or sought after, perhaps it will have a way of calling in those whom I can best serve.
What do you think?
Peter Schulte
I help aspiring changemakers do good in the world and feel good in the process.