written by Berry Fowler

Life coaching is a booming profession and more and more boomers are flocking to the opportunity of helping others change their lives for the better.

What draws us to this opportunity?

You have probably read about how life coaching is one of the fastest growing professions in the world. And, it’s no wonder. Just look around at your friends and your colleagues. Life’s gotten tougher. There are more stresses and strains than ever before and things are not improving. The recent downturn in our economy has only added to the existing challenges. Many of us are feeling we are trapped in a raging current being propelled through life without control. We know there are things we should be doing to feel more balanced, more fulfilled, more satisfied, but we are too busy reacting to things. We’re putting out fires, helping our children do this and that, consoling our friends or trying to find even a little bit of time for our mates. We are busy working in our lives, but not on our lives. We know people could truly benefit from having a great coach.

What’s it take to be a Great Coach?

Here’s where you might be surprised. You don’t need a degree. You don’t need to have years and years of experience in counseling, psychology, therapy or advising. You don’t even need to be an expert or a guru. The most important thing you need to be a great coach is genuine desire and a heartfelt calling to help others.

To Be a Great Coach You Don’t Need the Answers, But You Do Need the Questions.

Coaching is not about having the answers. Your clients will have the answers. Great coaching is about helping your clients develop the best answers for their goals, for their dreams, for their lifestyle. As a professional coach you will help your clients develop a crystal clear vision of exactly where they want to go. You’ll help them create the plans to quickly, easily and naturally achieve those goals and objectives . And, you will be there for them to keep them motivated, and help them remain accountable to taking the actions steps necessary to live the life of their dreams.

What Do Boomers Have That Others Don’t?

We’ve been around long enough to have developed some real skills that have prepared us to be great coaches. In fact, many of us have already been coaching for quite sometime – maybe not formally, but informally. We’re the “go to” person for our friends, our colleagues, and our family. People come to us for our wisdom, our empathy and our understanding. We’ve learned to listen and they know we care. If you are one of these people, you are already a coach; wouldn’t you enjoy getting paid for it.

Over the past two years, Fowler Wainwright International Institute of Professional Coaching, has trained and certified over two thousand motivated individuals as professional life coaches. The vast majority are boomers. “It’s time to give back” they say. “It’s time to make a difference .” They come to us from all over the world a...