Online Health Coach Myth-Busting
It’s been nearly two years that I’ve been sharing my coaching journey on my instagram feed. From grocery hauls to workouts, work trips to conference video calls, we virtual health coaches share a lot.
But how is it an actual job? What do you reeaaaalllly do all day?
For those of you who are truly interested in the coaching life, from a participation standpoint, my mentor and I invite you to join our Sneak Peak Facebook group where you can truly learn and the ins and out. But for those of you who are simply curious about what it is a virtual health and fitness coach actually does every day: this post is for you.
I’m going to give you a look into the coach life by myth-busting common assumptions about health and wellness coaches!
[Assumption #1] I take [and post] selfies all the time.
I can’t lie about this… I probably have over 1,000 selfies on my phone at any given moment. However, I am not taking pictures of myself all day every day. When you have a visual strategy or brand on Instagram, you have to come up with a strategy so Instagram doesn’t take over your life. To do this, I take batches of photos and save them for when I need to upload something. This means that just because I post a picture of myself in Tahoe, doesn’t mean I’m in Tahoe! (Or does it?? ;-) )
[Assumption #2] I run workout groups with my friends / my team.
Occasionally- yes- I will have a super fun, live workout with my accountability group. I LOVE these workouts! I work harder and I laugh harder. However, these live workouts are few and far between due to our crazy busy lives, time zone differences, and commitments to different programs. However, regardless of how busy we are or which program we’re doing, my accountability group and I will always share our workouts with each other, with the group, and often on social media. We do this because it helps us stay accountable to our goals!
[Assumption #3] I have hour-long catch-up calls with my friends and call it “work”.
This one is a huge false assumption, but I totally get it. About twice a week I post a picture of my weekly team calls, where 8-10 women will be on a video conference. So YES, I do consistently have these calls with my tribe, but the calls are actually CRUCIAL to our personal growth and development. On these calls, we discuss logistical things such as changes to the business or new product releases. However, the majority of the time on the calls we are coaching each other through different challenges that we face in our personal lives and our businesses!
[Assumption #4] I make money by selling things.
In every conversation I have, every post I write, every action I take for my business, my goal is to build relationships and help others. Whether it’s writing for a photo caption, connecting with my accountability team, or supporting my team of coaches, connection and inspiring are always my top priorities. Of course, in order for anyone to make money, services and products must be purchased. However, in all of the time I spend on my health and wellness business, only about 1% of my time is spent talking about the purchasing of products. I let people decide for themselves what products will be best for their health journey, and I stand by them and support them in every way they need.
[Assumption #5] My life revolves around health and fitness.
I saved this one for last because it’s the most outrageous assumption! My life revolves around enjoying every moment and helping people improve their lives. I don’t obsess over my workouts, and I don’t obsess over my diet. I follow my workout plan and I’m committed to my team, but I balance that with my everyday life: date nights at delicious restaurants, grabbing drinks with my girlfriends, and wine & reality TV on the couch. My point is- you don’t have to be a health and wellness queen for your goals to come alive, you just need balance!
I hope this post helps clear up some of the assumptions and gives a clearer picture of what life is like as a health and fitness coach. If you’re interested in learning even more, you can click here and join my 3-day workshop for a sneak peak into life as an online health and wellness coach!