Fast-forward thirteen years and I’ve now written four books.  And in the middle of all this writing, and speaking (all talk about this too!) I found time to start the Certified Coaches Federation in 2004.   Its’ hard to believe that we’ve now certified over 7,500 coaches around the world since we taught our first class in the fall of 2006.

I’d like to offer you some free resources that you may find helpful, whether you’ve been a coach for decades, or you’re just getting into this wonderful business.   Here they are:

Here is our LinkedIn CCF site:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=157066&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Egmr_157066

Here is our Facebook CCF Group site:

http://www.facebook.com/certifiedcoachesfederation

Here is my Facebook “author” site where I’ll be sharing my thoughts on both the topics around the idea of How To Write A Book, as well as topics related to some of my own books. 

Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/derricksweetauthorandspeaker?ref=tn_tnmn

The next 10 Week Online Certified Master Coach Practitioner Course begins in 14 days! The next class runs from May 8th – July 12th. Join us each Tuesday at 7:00 PM (eastern) or each Thursday at 11:00 AM (eastern). Once you register you’ll receive login codes for both the Tuesday class and the Thursday class (we use the gotomeeting.com format). Tuesday’s lesson is repeated live each Thursday.

Become A Certified Master Coach Practitioner!

Additional Information:

1. Receive slide summaries each week
2. Q & A after each class
3. One-on-one coaching available
4. Re-take course for free for life
5. Register Now and get the 5 Week Online Hypnolinguistics.com Course for Free!

Free Hypnolinguistics Course (5 Week Online Program)

Hypnolinguistics is a new self-development tool that can help you change the way you think, create a more positive outlook, or develop a new belief system that is aligned with your biggest dreams!

To earn the Certified Master Coach Practitioner designation each coach must successfully complete the CCF Master Coach Business Plan. The last day to register for the May – July program is Friday, April 27th. To register please visit: www.certifiedmastercoach.com or call 866-455-2155.

Become A Life Coach!  Learn how tonight by joining our free Introduction to Coaching webinar with Certified Coaches Federation Founder, Derrick Sweet!

Learn more about this growing and rewarding profession tonight in this 30 minute webinar which will be followed with a question and answer session!   

To sign up for the latest Introduction to Coaching webinar please go to our home page: www.certifiedcoachesfederation.com and follow the register link, or call us with your questions today at 866-455-2155!

In 10 Weeks You Can Learn Everything You Need To Know!

The Next Live Certified Master Coach Practitioner™ 10 Week Online Course Starts in 28 Days!

This Advanced Life Coach Certification Training Course is available to Professional Life Coaches & Business Coaches who have successfully completed the Certified Coaches Federation’s (CCF) Level One Program or have received comparable training.

In Just 10 Weeks You’ll Learn:

To use social media (the right way) to build your coaching brand with your target market

Where to promote, advertise, and sell your coaching services both off-line and on-line

How to design and customize your website to be search engine friendly

How to write books and use them to get more business

How to build a network of complimentary strategic alliances

How to further develop and maintain your coaching skills

How to get free publicity that works

How to create and protect your intellectual assets, coaching ideas and coaching programs

To create e-books, MP3s, and other products to build your credibility

To position yourself as an authority and expert in your chosen field

To become a great speaker (Speech Mastery Course for Coaches)

How to sell your coaching solutions (Sales Mastery Course for Coaches)

Learn On Your Terms!

For the entire 10 weeks you’ll have two time slots to choose from: Tuesday at 7:00 PM (eastern), or Thursday at 11:00 AM (eastern). The Tuesday live lesson is repeated again on Thursday for your convenience. Choose to be on one or both, it’s up to you!

Certification Standards:

To be certified as a Certified Master Coach Practitioner you must complete the 14 Step Business Builder Blueprint within 30 days after the final module has been completed. To register please call 866-455-2155 or register online by following this link:
www.certifiedmastercoach.com

Special Early Bird Bonus:

Register for the May Certified Master Coach Practitioner Course before April 21st and get the www.Hypnolinguistics.com Course or the www.LifeMasteryCourse.com Course absolutely FREE!
To register please call 866-455-2155 or register online by following this link:
www.certifiedmastercoach.com

It’s not complicated!  Learn more about Joint Venture Partnerships for coaches in this month’s continuing education modules.  It’s jam-packed with timely ideas to help you build your coaching business!  The Certified Coaches Federation offers a life-time membership in our continuing education program for free to all CCF graduates of our Life Coach Certification Courses! 

Make sure you tune in to part one of our two part program on creating joint ventures. Part one is already available to download in the members only section of our website. Part one offers some suggestions to begin the process of developing some new relationships that can help you build your coaching business. Part two provides the steps to take to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and includes a 5 point action plan! Part two will be available on Monday, April 9th.

If you’re not a CCF graduate you can join CCF by calling 866-455-2155. Membership includes access to our continuing education program. Yearly membership is only $199.00!

Did you know that Mark Twain, the genius writer who is now recognized as the “father of American literature,” was not educated beyond elementary school? Mark Twain education quotes express his cynicism towards the mediocre education system. He believes that “schooling” is different from “education.” He warns us of the hazards of following the education system with blind faith*.  If he were alive today I’m sure he would warn you of putting too much weight in using quantification rather than qualification in your assessment of an educational experience.  CCF is inspired by the quality of the experience and its effectiveness in coaching.  Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.”  When asked about his approach in solving problems he replied, “Remove the non-essential componants to the problem,” and that is what CCF has done with Life Coach Training.

Mark Twain would be having a good laugh over the fact that out-dated measurements of quality, such as time invested to complete a course, still influence the value of the experience.  Does this kind of logic do anything but promote a mediocre learning experience?  Ironically, it does take time to learn the lessons that I good coach has learned.  Life lessons happen in life.  The difference between theory and reality is the difference between classroom (125 hours) and real life lessons (your life experience).   The value of Life Coach Training is not conforming to meet a time restriction, it’s revolutionizing the process of giving perspective, and that’s what CCF has been doing since 2006.

*http://quotations.about.com/od/marktwainquotes/a/twainedu.htm

“This fall I attended a conference on coaching held at Harvard university.  The attendance was international and filled a large hotel ballroom completely.  Derrick, you represent 6000 graduates from your program and your website is in denial of the licensing issue that will loom up in  the US.   The international coaching federation has a protocol that has been taken up by at least 10 major universities.  It is the standard at these schools.  You need, according to this conference and these schools, 125 hours of instruction and supervised coaching experience.at least.  The IFC will be the standard bearer.  Please address these issues and be in contact with the people who will push in the legislature to enact the IFC standard.  They are at Harvard and are at the vanguard.  They do not overtly talk legislation because they are probably funded for research and want to remain politically neutral.   Thank you Bob.”

And here (below) is my repy:

Dear Bob, 

Thank you for your email. I appreciate you taking the time to inform me of
your concerns. You mentioned that ICF has a protocol. This sounds serious.
The word protocol, according to Merriam-Webster, means “preliminary
memorandum often formulated and signed by diplomatic negotiators as a basis for a final convention or treaty.”

The Certified Coaches Federation (CCF) does not share the view that 125
hours are needed to become a coach. We have a very different approach.
There is a lot of fear in the world of coach training and standards. We
simply do not subscribe to fear-based, ego-based, or politically motivated
propaganda. Propaganda is another interesting word. Here is what Wikipedia
has to say about it:

“Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the
attitude of a community toward some cause or position. Propaganda is usually
repeated and dispersed over a wide variety of media in order to create the
desired result in audience attitudes. As opposed to impartially providing
information, propaganda, in its most basic sense, presents information
primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts
selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular
synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than
rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a
change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further
a political agenda. Propaganda can be used as a form of political warfare.”

Whatever the ICF does will only effect the coaches who subscribe to the
ICF’s policies. CCF (www.certifiedcoachesfederation.com) is a separate Life
Coach Training & Life Coach Certification organization which represents
individuals who share our philosophy; a philosophy that believes the number
one criteria to qualify as a coach is your life experience. We don’t have
an agenda. We don’t have a protocol. We don’t want to rule over all the
coaches of the world. We don’t want to invade other countries either! We
are an organization who believes in simplicity in coaching, simplicity in
coach training, and freedom of choice. ICF does not want you to have
freedom of choice in regard to coach training. They want to make that
choice for you. They have a protocol to promote.

ICF has 19,000 members and was established in 1995. We have only been around since 2006 and have 7,000 members. The tide is shifting. It is anticipated that we will have as many members as the ICF or more by 2016. From our very beginning in 2006 we decided not to become affiliated with ICF. We believed there should be more choices in Life Coach Training and Life Coach Certification. No one coach organization has all the answers or should have “governing” authority over the kinds of Life Coach Training options individuals may choose.

In governments, we recognize what dictatorship is. Let’s look at what
Wikipedia says about this concept:

“A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the
government is ruled by an individual: a dictator. It has three possible
meanings:

1) A Roman dictator was the incumbent of a political office of the Roman
Republic. Roman dictators were allocated absolute power during times of
emergency. Their power was originally neither arbitrary nor unaccountable,
being subject to law and requiring retrospective justification. There were
no such dictatorships after the beginning of the 2nd century BC, and later
dictators such as Sulla and the Roman Emperors exercised power much more
personally and arbitrarily.

2) A government controlled by one person, or a small group of people. In this
form of government the power rests entirely on the person or group of
people, and can be obtained by force or by inheritance. The dictator(s) may
also take away much of its peoples’ freedom.

3) In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an autocratic form of absolute rule by leadership unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state.”

Do you see any resemblance in what is being attempted in coaching? Did you
pick door number two?

We have 7,000 graduates around the world who also share our belief. No one
can enforce anything on you as a coach that you do not agree with. No one
can enforce anything on you as a human being that you do not agree with.
Speak up, and speak out if you share our philosophy. If you don’t share our
philosophy, that’s ok too. Our aim has never been to force anyone to take
our courses; we let our philosophy attract the individuals who share our
beliefs about coaching. These people buy our courses, love our training,
and proudly display their CCF Certified Coach Practitioner Certificate. My
suggestion to you is go out and coach. Become the best coach you can be.
Live each day to your fullest potential, and let the politicians, policy
makers, and rule makers do what they do, while you do what you do. You do
not have to participate in rules that don’t apply to you unless you think
you do, and if you do, then feel free to join ICF.

If you agree with anything I’ve written here you can just go back to coaching and building your coaching practice. I want you to know that I take your email very seriously. I take this profession very seriously. CCF will always exist, and proudly exist, and always represent the philosophy that the number one criteria to qualify as a coach is your life experience. Coaching is a natural process that is complimented by your experience and your expertise.  A good Coach Training Program will teach you both the language of coaching and the process of coaching. We simply believe you can learn this language and process in two days…and the market has agreed!

Sincerely,

Derrick Sweet-Chairman & CEO
www.CertifiedCoachesFederation.com

There is a new Time Management tool called Wunderlist that can help you help your coaching clients stay focused on completing their daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly tasks. 

You can download the Wunderlist app and you can also use Wunderlist on your desktop or laptop.  What I love about this program, besides being FREE, is how easy it is to use.  The first step to using Wunderlist is to make lists in all the important areas of your life like career, family, financial, health, fitness, etc.  Once you make your lists you can then enter all the goals or tasks related to each list and assign completion dates to each goal or task. 

Now you’ll have all your lists, goals and tasks to be completed right at your finger tips!  To try it out just go to www.wunderlist.com.  What do you think?   I’d love to hear your comments below!