How Coaching Works | Sheila Chandra World Music Pioneer & Life Coach

How Coaching and Mentoring Work

Coaching is a collaborative process designed to help you achieve the results you want in your life more quickly. A good coach draws out each client’s own wisdom and empowers them to be more resourceful and make better decisions. They will listen, observe and give gentle guidance in a confidential setting that brings out your own creativity and problem solving skills. Mentoring is when someone with more experience in your field is able to point you to specific strategies and resources that will enhance your career. As an arts-based career coach, I offer both.

What are the benefits of using a coach?

Coaching is a powerful process for people who have a creative vision bursting to get out, which they haven’t been able to realise. This may be because they haven’t had the emotional support and nurturing they need or because they haven’t had the tools.

People in creative careers often find it hard to access good advice and information from their peers – and end up spending their most precious years ‘reinventing the wheel’. Quite often they leave college with an arts degree or diploma that hasn’t educated them for the real world, or the business of setting up a successful career that will support them financially. In other cases, they may come from a non-arts background and simply lack knowledge about work culture in the arts or a well-informed network of people to consult.

You’ll benefit from working with a creative career coach when you’re feeling stuck, and are tired of trying to solve your problems yourself. Or when things are going well, but you want to get to the next level. It’s a confidential setting in which you can discuss your fears, weaknesses and get a sympathetic and objective view on how to move forward. I can help with your creative process, lifestyle, personal, career strategy and motivation issues. If you don’t yet have a manager, this can be invaluable. And I can also help with areas of concern that your manager can’t.

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What’s the difference between coaching and counselling?

A counsellor or therapist will work with emotional issues that are causing you distress, by examining your past with a view to your feeling different in the present. By contrast a coach will help you to achieve your goals by focusing on the steps you need to take to get there – and supporting you through them. Coaching focuses on the future, and the strategies and behaviours that will get you your desired outcomes. It works best when you’re ready to fully commit to the process, be completely open and honest, and take action on the steps we agree.

How do I choose a coach?

It’s a good idea to know what you’d like to achieve and what sort of coaching you’ll need. It can help to pick a coach who specialises in your area of interest e.g. entrepreneur, life/lifestyle, creativity etc. but it should be someone with whom you have a good rapport. Do some research and get in touch with your top three to find out who is going to suit you best. I offer a free 30 minute consultation to help you discover if I’m the right coach for you.

Contact me today for a 30 minute free consultation
to see if I’m the creative career coach for you.

Where and how do you offer coaching?

I work via Skype video call – so the ‘where’ is up to you. This means we can keep your coaching going while you’re on tour or away doing PR without any interruption to our way of working. I have a pain condition which affects speech, so you talk and I type. This means we stay focused on you – and you have an automatic record of my suggestions within a session to refer to.

How long will I need?

Sessions last 60 minutes. The number of sessions and the frequency you choose depends on your needs and goals. For most people, a session every month is all they need to keep them on course. For others exploring their blocks or creative process, a weekly session is necessary.

When do you offer coaching?

I offer session on weekday afternoons on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. A limited number of weekend sessions are also available.

Can I check in with you between sessions?

Yes of course! I’m available to email, and will usually respond within 24 hours (excluding weekends).