Nikki Warnes qualified through The Coaching Academy programme and has enthusiastically agreed to share her coaching experience, so we have put her in the Coaching Hot Seat.
Here is Nikki’s story:-
What brought me to coaching, or rather, what brought coaching to me?
I had spent my life ‘fixing’ stuff. If someone had a thing to sort out I’d tell them how to fix it. Finances, emotions, relationships etc.
If I didn’t know how to fix it, I’d find someone who did and learn from them so I could pass on the information.
I thought this would be great, useful, inspiring and maybe a little bit helpful. Unfortunately that doesn’t quite happen with family and after a couple of big eye opening moments with my sister (organising her paperwork as I organise mine to simplify a system that she couldn’t work with or benefit from) I realised that this was daft. Everyone works in their own way, with their own blueprint and their own systems.
This is where I found Tony Robbins. Ironically my sister had the audio box set “Get The Edge”. It blew my mind. Simply the easiest thing to follow in the Universe. I bought into it 100% but he wasn’t telling me what to do. It was the question ‘What if I could?’ What would I ‘be, do, have, if I could?’
I wanted to know more and even though there are so many life coaching ads and companies offering training, The Coaching Academy came up time and time again.
The free weekend did it ! It got me started. The GROW model, wheel of life , there’s no more to say but WOW and Bev James telling her coaching story to her dad really made me laugh.
Yes coaches do take you to where you want to go and also to places you’ve never been before. Yes, the wheels will fall off sometimes but it’s all repairable and replaceable. It’s your reality NOW not your reality of your future that you start from.
Before coaching I’d worked in food hygiene, quality control, cleaning management and even Parliament before finally setting up a child-minding business for my mum after a ‘big wheels falling off’ moment in my world. I started working with her, it would only be till I was back on my feet.
At the point in time that I found The Coaching Academy I had left the business and stepped back 10 years to an old role thinking it would be easier to work for someone else rather than myself. Big mistake.
It is quite challenging having a boss when you are used to being one ! I stepped back into the business and opened my world to coaching. Two years later we’ve just got our Outstanding from Ofsted and passed our Quality Mark !
My journey
I love to motivate, inspire and help others achieve. The Coaching Academy qualification would give me the base I needed. If it’s to be, it’s up to me.
My folder turned up and boy what a folder. It was huge. I kick started my training with a week intensive accelerator. 5 accelerator days back to back. It was amazing. I went home every night with new ideas, concepts and strategies to move my game forward.
On the Friday I came home and put the book and a whole pad of notes, on the shelf. Where it sat for 6 months ! Life took over.
From starting in September 2009 I finally qualified in March 2011 !
The most interesting bits I learnt were about myself. The most rewarding bits were that I took every single activity and used it on me. If I knew I could use it then my future clients would too. I enjoyed everything about it.
What could I do ? Wow the sky really is the limit.
The paperwork took a fair amount of time. I had found my practice clients quite easily as I was so enthusiastic about what the benefits of coaching were. The practical assessments were very daunting until me and a fellow trainee decided to ‘just do it’ in the famous words of Nike.
We booked all 3 sessions in with Jan, there was no going back. Was I ever going to be ‘good enough’ ?
Session one went well. Session 2 was awful. I even stopped talking at one point just watching the clock ticking away, with not a clue what to ask next. After a good dissection afterwards I realised that it’s all about the moment. No amount of notes or prompts will keep it flowing. So just listen and stay curious.
Session 3 was good. And I sat on my space hopper the whole time ! No I’m not joking! Keep it light, don’t tie yourself up in knots over the right or wrong thing to say and most of all ….have fun!
Also it’s the people you meet along the way. Connection is one of the 6 human needs according to Tony Robbins. The people around me have made such a profound impact on my life and I am very grateful for that.
I am part of the Essex coaching network group and it is fabulous. For support and a change in perspective if you need it, I would recommend joining up with a group of like minded people. It will keep your momentum up !
So where am I now?
I’m running several avenues at the moment. My child-minding business, the house, I have 2 young children, my passion for fitness and motion has blossomed into a fitness class where I take people out to move and coach them at the same time ! My biggest step was to get a contract with the local authority working with families in school.
My niche is parents and families.
This stems from the childminding but also from a deep care of nurture and growing self esteem, young or old, this can have such a big effect on many peoples lives. I want to be able to make a difference. To help people find their happiness.
My next 2 years are set to be awesome. Starting with a business coach this year I want to open up coaching to the wider community. Parent workshops and life skills are all in the pipeline. To be able to talk on stage at a big event, with confidence and the knowing that I am inspiring others is what I am really looking forward to.
My favourite coaching question always will be ‘what if you could?’ I enjoy watching people open their mind to new possibilities. I love that about coaching.
My top tips for those coaches currently in training:
Don’t get overwhelmed by the process. Chunk it into manageable bits. Smile, it changes your ‘state’.
My top tips for coaches about to qualify:
Be organised enough that as you read through each section, you have your final paper sitting right there too. This will save having to re read each section. I wish you all the fun and laughter you can possibly stand in your life and good luck x
If you want to get in touch with me please feel free to contact me through The Coaching Academy LinkedIn Group.
