Titles as Clear as Mud…
Last week, one of my clients introduced me to an acquaintance and described me as his life coach.
Last month, a different client introduced me to her colleague as a business coach.
At a recent workshop, the host introduced me as an Idea coach.
Somehow, each of these titles is both accurate and incomplete.
“Accurate and incomplete” is how I often feel about professional titles. I usually find them about as clear as mud.
During my (nearly) 10 years at Northwestern Mutual, despite the evolution of my learning, role, and responsibilities, I never had a formal title. Not one that fully reflected my work or confined me to a specific function.
This had its disadvantages, sure.
But it also offered the flexibility and creative space to customize a role that aligned my strengths with the needs of the firm at any given time, and resulted in a depth of experience I might not have otherwise been exposed to.
When it comes to Anomaly, marketing professionals would say my inconsistency in title creates confusion amongst potential clients. And they’re probably right.
To some, I am an Idea coach. A small percentage of my clients come to coaching with an Idea in mind, and our sessions hone in on the thoughts, feelings, and actions needed to move their vision forward.
Others might think of me as their business coach, but our sessions aren’t exclusively focused on economic advancement. We’re wholistically considering the life they’re creating within and around their work (or the multitude of ways they contribute to this world.)
As for the title of life coach, this one might be most accurate. But it’s also the one I have run from most fervently. I know this title carries connotations in the marketplace that don’t reflect the type of coach that I am.
Holding such titles lightly and loosely feels strangely “on-brand” for Anomaly. Perhaps the blend is part of the differentiator.
Or, maybe all three of these titles can be summed up as this:
Wayfinder: someone using a combination of tools and resources to navigate her way through life, business, and all of the Ideas within… and helping her clients do the same.
Regardless of the adjective you place in front, here’s who I am as a coach (and who my clients know me to be):
A Trusted Thought Partner: someone who facilitates a space to be unpolished and imperfect; to draft, dream, and discover without judgement or obligation
An Idealistic Supporter: someone who believes in the unique way you contribute to this world (even when you forget), and who works to align your vision with empowered action
A Steady Presence: someone who helps you hear the wisdom underneath the noise, finding the simplicity that exists on the other side of complexity
A Compassionate Challenger: someone who asks you to shift out of autopilot, interrupt outgrown patterns, and stretch your perception of what’s possible
Someone Who Lives It to Give It: the credibility, relevance, and relatability that accompanies a shared commitment to personal growth
Personally, I take more pride in these five things than in any flashy or formalized title. They describe who I am as much as they describe what I do, and I can carry them with me wherever I go.
