The most challenging piece is satisfying the required number of hours of actual coaching, the majority of which needs to be paid hours! This is when my resolve was truly tested. Starting something like a coaching practice from scratch takes a lot of grit and perseverance. There are days I remember wanting to give up because it was getting very frustrating hearing the word NO all the time.

All the beautiful people that were in my life now, either directly or indirectly, encouraged me to stick with it. I am eternally grateful to Steve Keiges of the Coach Training Academy for being my mentor. Every step, and to this day, he has a way of helping me grow as a coach ( I also want to thank people like Benay Dyor and all those who may not know they are my mentors).

What really kept me in my big boy pants, were two things that always repeat in my head. The first was my dad went through something similar. Except for him, he became a real estate agent. He went from a newbie with nothing more than a real estate license to being the number 1 agent in the state of California – he never gave up. The other is a piece of advice from a lecture that featured Condolezza Rice. In her lecture, she said something very simple but effective – “success takes time and constant effort”. There are no shortcuts. So although you may find the steps to achieve your goals difficult, that is what it takes. For me, it comes down to my mindset. I began to truly enjoy this journey once I went from trying to jump directly to the top of the mountain to embracing each step of the journey. As I prepare for my exam on Saturday, I am naturally nervous, but I am also looking forward to the experience!