"Couching" is a service that helps someone get to the next point of where they want to be. When I was a community college tutor before becoming a teacher, I tutored people on the same premise.
Although I am still a "Noob" or "Novice" to blogging or providing content on the Internet that's worth reading, I think I can safely say Garrett is describing a consultation model. For example, when my dad was working corporate, he consulted on both legal and tax issues. Later as a criminal defender, he did his best for the client who needed to transverse the legal realm. In both types of jobs, Garrett's definition of coaching seems to hold because my dad developed a relationship with a client, listen to their needs, and then provided advice on those needs as it met the limits or rules that had to be dealt with in the corporate or courtroom sense.
Another key point is a coach/consultant has to believe in their client.
Noah St.John of the Secret Code Of Success (http://www.secretcodebook.com/)even cites in his research that most successful people have at least one person who believes in them. In this regard, we could consider that every successful person has had a coach. For example, Joan Jett of the Runaways had manager Kim Fowley. Fowley coached her on how to be a success in the music business. If he didn't believe in Runnways he wouldn't have invested his time and money (http://newsroom.mtv.com/tag/the-runaways/).
Who Coaches a Coach?
This is hard because before you can coach someone, someone has to believe and support you. In my case, I've had good friends and former students kick me when I am feeling down or remind me what I have to offer when a plan does not go exactly as I would have wanted it. Bottom line, you need a healthy diverse support group that helps in many ways before you can really offer developing someone else. The part about this is it takes time to build these types of relationships.
Should I get paid to couch?
I reluctantly say "yes" to this questions because I don't think this it is simply an hourly wage or rate for consultation unless your working with or for a major corporation or small firm. I think for start-up projects with independents, payment should come in other forms (i.e. favors, connections, or project percentages, etc.). In consideration of Guy Kawasaki Art of Start, the focus should be helping people learn, develop, and grow because if the focus is only on money then people won't be successful and financial rewards just won't happen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3xaeVXTSBg).
Am I a coach?
You are as long as you have some experience you have to share with someone else that gets them to the next level. LOL, the moment you give someone really good advice that helps them, you are a coach. From a Full Sail assignment, I thank Kurt from TGT because inadvertently gave me coaching on pod-casting. Also, there's nothing wrong with being a coach and getting coached on something else. My art is getting better because I am being coached by Diane Hyppolite.
What if I give bad advice?
LOL, Then you are a bad coach. Okay, seriously, figure out what you don't know, or what you need to learn to become a better coach. For example, when I first started working in education, I couldn't help this Japanese student with her English paper, so I got ESL classes to make me a better tutor. This was the same for legal, tax, and business advice. Of course, I've spent alot of money on formal education, but there's plenty of free learning on the net.
How to Get Started...
From: http://www.chrisg.com/build-coaching-practice/
1. Referrals – Do great job of wowing your existing clients and they will bring friends. Again, it is about results mostly, but also their relationship with you. When they praise you, ask for referrals.
2. Networking – If you are looking for business people then use LinkedIn. Lewis has a brilliant video course that will make your LinkedIn work rock. I already learned a great deal from watching a couple of his videos. Life coaches could find many people in Facebook. I have picked up a fair few clients from live events and workshops – relationship is so important that seeing you face to face makes a huge difference.
3. Forums – By answering questions and showing you “have the right stuff” you will build a reputation, and again, allow people to get to know you.
Re: People I Work “With”
Two projects I am current on have really been interesting to start off on a consultant/partner level: “NeoGlow Entertainment” with Diane Hypolite (www.kickstarter.com) and “Win Writing” with Wendoll Douglas (Web Presence in works). Neoglow Entertainment as of now is working on developing a designer toy line and Win Writing will be a adult writing project hopefully coming out this summer 2011.
Above: This is a button/achievement Diane Hyppolite created for the "OMG It's Shaun White Project".
Re: Offers that Didn’t Workout
However, I have been offered two consultation positions that did not workout. Both with two Art groups, the first offer fell through because of a lack of communication from multiple parties. The second was an art group that I didn’t have the time to give given the hours they would pay me.
Inadvertently, I’ve been following Garrett’s advice of limiting those I work with based on certain criteria (Chris.com 2011, 3, 26). The first is getting to know someone, which I’ve cheated because I’m only working with close friends so far. The second is time; meaning, even though when my pocket book is hungry at times, I cannot morally just take someone’s money or commit to a project if I won’t see it through.
Of course, I plan to start smaller projects where I’m just a coach/consultant with people in the near future instead of my current model of practice.
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