Is Investing in a Coaching Education Worth It For Me?

Is Investing in a Coaching Education Worth It For Me?

​Many of us have been there. Staring at the tuition amount on the screen of the coach training program we are considering signing up for. We feel inspired and excited, yet the questions keep popping up.

• Will my investment be worth it?
• Can I afford this?
• What if I don’t succeed and it’s is a waste of my time and money?

Most of us have been there, on the fence. Unsure if we should proceed, or not. Unsure if the investment will be worth it. 

Hi, I’m Laurel Elders. I’m the founder and CEO of the Institute for Integrative Intelligence. I’ve been in the coaching profession for 20 years and I’d love to help you get clear if the investment in coaching is worth it for you.

I’d like to start with being honest and upfront. Coaching education is not for everyone. It requires humility, patience and deep self-inquiry. If you are not able or willing to meet those three criteria, that is ok and you can stop reading. However, if you are willing and able to meet those criteria, let’s dive in together!

WHY Coaching?

The value coaching carries is connected to the worth we ascribe to it. The value and worth of a program can be boiled down to a multitude of things. The question is, what would make it worth it for you? Really consider this. Take a few minutes now and before reading any further, jot down the top three things that what would make the education in coaching skills worth it for you?
Now, take a few more minutes and connect this to your WHY. Why do I want the worth it provides? Why is this important to my life? What makes this a priority for me?

For some people, worth in a coaching program comes from new self-growth and parenting skills. For others, worth comes from developing leadership superpowers that lower stress levels and elevates productivity. For others it is reaching new financial heights of starting a business while playing a positive role in people’s lives. For me the worth and value came from gaining the ability to own my own business, create my own schedule, spend more time with my children and create a massive positive impact in people’s lives.

Once you determine the worth, value and why, it can help to contrast this with the financial aspects.

Financial Investment

A solid and comprehensive coaching education does require an investment in:

• Tuition
• Study materials
• Credentialing (optional)
• Business start-up expenses (if you are starting one)

It can help to consider the financial value as well. If I invest $15k (the amount of a car) into my education, credential and business start-up, but my earning power is $40-60k, then I can see the worth.

What if you know the value and still feel on the fence? Let’s examine some common roadblocks people face – myself included – when staring at the application form and feeling apprehensive. 

• Can I succeed as a coach?
  • Solution: Get clear on coaching success factors. Can you show up live to classes? Can you commit to 1-3 hours of homework per week? Are you willing to self-reflect and grow? If you did more forward, will you be 100% committed to your success? If yes to these, then you do have the ingredients for success. If not, that is ok. You can come back to coaching in the future, when you are ready.
• I can’t pay the tuition upfront.
  • Solution: Student funding, loans, credit, or monthly repayment options.
    • Pros: You can get started.
    • Cons: You need good credit to qualify, or you will need a co-signer.
• Tuition is unaffordable:
  • Solution: Getting your employer to pay.
    • Pros: Gaining financial backing.
    • Pros: If your company doesn’t have this benefit, you can pitch a proposal. You can outline how the training will benefit your work with them and them.
    • Cons: Some employee tuition benefits have you front the cost, then pay you back after you have completed the program. Check with your employer.
  • Solution: If you are starting a coaching business, the tuition typically qualifies as a tax write off.
    • Pros: This can be a huge financial benefit!
    • Cons: If you aren’t starting a business, it may not be a tax right off. Check with your tax advisor.

​In Summary:

The good news is, that you don’t have to figure this out on your own. We are here to help you navigate worth and financial options. We aren’t here to turn everyone into a coach. We are only here to help those who know coaching is calling them because we know that our coaching education would profoundly expand their path!
​
We hope this outline has been helpful! Click HERE to schedule a call with our Admissions Coach.