Michael O. Cooper - Inner Firewalking

Michael O. Cooper on Building a Practice

The following is taken from David’s interview with Michael O. Cooper in 10 Super Coaches.

What was most disheartening for you while building your practice?

I barely survived my first year as a full-time coach – and sank over $40,000 of my own money into the business and on living expenses. That was a real slap in the face. After all, I was helping my clients achieve success in their businesses and I had succeeded in other businesses before, why couldn’t I do it on my own now?

I felt like a fraud. But I also knew dozens of other coaches experiencing the same situation; some even left coaching for more security. Underneath, my fears of failing, attachment to the outcome of marketing efforts (the antithesis of attraction marketing), and stubborn resistance to positioning myself as an expert within a niche, nearly contributed to catastrophe.

Within one month of allowing success – by providing value for the joy of it, establishing a clear nice where demand already existed and trusting that I could succeed – my business quadrupled in revenue. More importantly, other coaches started sending me endorsed referrals out of the blue!

Michael O. Cooper on Training and Experience

The following is taken from David’s interview with Michael O. Cooper in 10 Super Coaches.

What training, experience and qualifications did you have when you started coaching?

None! My first client told me they wanted to hire me before I even knew what coaching was. She gave me an article about coaching, told me I would be perfect for it, and wanted to hire me on the spot. I spent about four weeks reading all I could, enrolling in Coach U and hiring my own coach before our first session.

I subsequently discovered that I had been using a coach approach in managing teams, working with clients and developing strategy in my role as a management consultant.

What were the biggest doubts you had in your early months?

The need to be an expert! My own coach helped me see that I was rarely an expert in my role as a management consultant, but that I had a methodology, framework and best practices to help clients improve their businesses and systems – it was an easy shift to apply this same approach to my coaching business.