Getting Motivated
Helping other grow, personal coaches rise in esteem - and pay
Originally published in the Asbury Park Press, November 13, 1999
By Brenda Barbosa
Natalie Gahrmann gets paid to inspire people.
She's not a personal trainer, a minister or even a therapist. The Piscataway woman is a professional coach. Her business is to help people set personal goals - whether in relationships or business - and see to it that they meet them.
"I'm an expert in people and helping them see what they can do to make positive changes in their lives," Gahrmann said. "I'm not a therapist. I don't heal people. I work with people who are whole, people who want to make career changes or want to improve their lives. I work with people who believe there's a gap between where they are and where they want to be."
IN other words, Gahrmann's job is to be a friend, a mentor, a financial planner, a career consultant, a shoulder to cry on and a cheerleader - all at the same time.
"Coaching is more a collaborative relationship," Gahrmann said. "You don't tell people what to do. You don't counsel them. It's really listening to what they want to do with their lives. Some people just need someone who is going to believe in them and believe in the changes they want to make in their lives. That's where I come in."
Seem hokey? Maybe not.
Inspiration is a billion-dollar industry these days. Motivational speakers such as Tony Robbins appear before sold-out stadiums and at major companies all over the world. Motivational workshops have caught on with the public, too, because they address the whole individual, industry analysts say.
According to the International Coaching Federation, coaching is one of the hottest and most lucrative professions to get into. In the 1980s, few people had ever heard pf coaching outside of athletics. But over the last decade, the number of professionally certified coaches throughout the world has increased to about 10,000. Corporations such as AT&T Corp. and IBM are shelling out millions of dollars to hire coaches to work on business strategies with top executives. In fact, a 1998 survey conducted by motivational seminars specialists Crawford Associates indicated that three-quarters of companies favor coaching as a key means of training.
Originally, the business coach was a special perk for senior executives. Those in the coaching business dispensed advice to directors struggling to come to terms either with the job itself or their situation, like an athletic trainer who builds a close relationship with a tennis player or swimmer. Nowadays, coaches are keen to stress that their services are less about self-indulgent CEOs and more about the needs of the organization.
"The coach helps (people) let go of the 'shoulda's,' 'coulda's,' 'oughta's' and the deadly 'if only's,' " Gahrmann said. She said she believes coaching can enhance a manager's interpersonal skills, increase a company's revenues and improve the morale and productivity of employees by helping people set goals and plans of action
But coaching also can boost a person's self-confidence in other matters. When Gahrmann began thinking about leaving her post at AT&T after 10 years as a human resources specialist, she thought a lot about what she might do. She was disillusioned by the corporate culture, which she believed did not readily embrace change or encourage employees' creativity. And she didn't want to be like her parents who, she said, spent a lot more time working than with family.
But Gahrmann was hesitant to leave a job in which she earned a steady income. She thought about the things she is good at and what she loves to do. She decided her passion is people.
I was a manager, but really my background has always been with nurturing people," she said.
After a conversation with a personal coach, she decided to go into business for herself. About a year and a half ago, Gahrmann launched Personal Best, a coaching and development business she runs, from in her home. Gahrmann meets with about 15 to 20 clients a month and helps them with everything from developing an exercise routine to changing careers. Managing her own business allows her to spend more time with her two children while doing what she loves to do. Gahrmann wants to develop a niche coaching more working families.
Denise Schiera of West Windsor is a staunch believer in personal coaching. A full-time marketing consultant, Schiera turned to personal coach Carol Gerrish of Monmouth Junction when she was pregnant with her daughter Alisa, now 2.
"I said to myself, 'All I do is work, and then I come home and talk about work to my husband,'" Schiera recalled. I knew I needed some balance in my life, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. My coach helped me to figure out what my goals were and how I could meet those goals."
Schiera now participates in a working-mothers support group led by Gahrmann. The Central Jersey Women's Network, the group Gahrmann founded, meets via conference calls the second Wednesday of each month. The group is free and open to the public.
Finding a coach to work with is a lot like finding a doctor: You hire a person based on their experience, personality and cost. Coaches can charge anywhere from $150 to thousands of dollars an hour, so it's important for people to find someone they feel comfortable with.
Gahrmann suggests asking the coach the difficult questions about level of experience and certification (Did the coach attend coaching college?); coaching techniques (Does the coach work better in group settings or one on one?), and flexibility (Can the coach work over the telephone or through e-mail?).
Coaching sessions usually are done one-on-one by telephone in four half-hour sessions per month. Sessions can be scheduled weekly or biweekly. The fees are usually tax-deductible for business owners.
