Vicki wasn’t happy at her corporate job. She felt the aggressive work environment was turning her into someone she didn’t want to be. And she wanted to find a job that would help her develop her positive qualities and grow as a person.
The brief
Before
The Approach
Using Rhonda Britten’s Life Coaching Certification Program
Vicki learned the 8 Life Coaching Skills called "The Coaching Code" as well as the Wheel of Fear. These helped her grow her positive qualities while giving her the tools and knowledge to coach others.
The Solution
Successful Outcome
A year after completing the program, Vicki left her job to become a full-time Life Coach. She has now been a coach for 12 years and loves how her career allows her to continually grow while helping others do the same.
“I didn’t like who I was becoming…”
Vicki thought about leaving her job every day.
She worked in research for a pharmaceutical company. And while she liked the work, she couldn’t stand the hostile corporate environment.
Vicki had to be aggressive to be successful. But she didn’t want to nurture that side of herself. She wanted a job that would develop her positive qualities. And she wanted to help others do the same. As Vicki says:
“I wasn’t happy with the [work] environment and who I needed to be [in order] to be successful. You have to be aggressive and competitive… but I didn’t want to nurture that side of myself. I wanted to be kinder and softer.”
Vicki shares how she wanted to quit her job.
“I was looking for something but didn’t know what…”
Vicki searched for a new job, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.
Then one day, while watching TV at home, Vicki saw Rhonda Britten’s NBC show Starting Over.
Although she was a “personal development junkie”, she had never heard of life coaching before.
She saw life coaching as a way for her to take the personal development content she was consuming and put it into action. So she hired one of Rhonda Britten’s Certified Life Coaches. This had a profound impact on her life right away.
For example, Vicki used to fight with her boss’s boss every day at work. She blamed him and his attitude for their constant battles.
But after working with her Life Coach, Vicki realized things she was unknowingly doing to create those conflicts. And she learned how to avoid arguments by communicating better.
Soon, the daily fights with her boss’s boss disappeared. And Vicki noticed she had become happier and more confident overall.
Vicki saw such an incredible transformation in her life that she decided to become a Life Coach. That way, she could help others make the same transformation she made.
“[Because of the coaching], I had more peace of mind. I was more confident. I wasn’t frustrated and angry every day…
I learned to communicate better and how to not antagonize [my boss’s boss]…”
Vicki shares how she decided to become a Life Coach
“Can I do this?”
Some of her friends thought she was crazy for wanting to be a Life Coach. After all, Vicki worked hard to get her biology degree. And she spent years working her way up the corporate ladder. It seemed silly to throw all that away and pursue a different career.
But Vicki knew it was the right thing to do.
She researched different life coaching programs. The schools she found all felt “technical and cold” to her.
However, Rhonda Britten’s Life Coaching Certification Program, or LCCP, was different. Vicki loved how this program emphasizes caring about your clients and treating them as individuals.
Vicki also loved how Rhonda’s program focused on “fear.” Because Vicki knew that fear is at the root of most people’s problems. So she thought that if she could help people overcome fear, she could help them through most life challenges.
“Fearless living is about the person… [It’s] learning about other people and helping people grow and develop themselves.”
Vicki shares why she chose Rhonda’s Life Coach Certification Program
“It changes every interaction you have…”
Vicki joined LCCP in 2006. The course gave Vicki the skills for her to help people overcome their fears and live more fulfilling lives.
For example, Vicki learned the 8 core skills of a great Life Coach.
One of the most important skills for Vicki was to “Speak as if they’re innocent.” This is about seeing that others are simply doing the best they can.
This skill helped Vicki develop empathy for her clients. She learned to avoid making assumptions and have more compassion for them. She even learned how to have more compassion for herself and stop beating herself up.
This skill was critical in becoming a great Life Coach. Because it stopped Vicki from letting her own beliefs and judgments get in the way of helping her clients.
“[Seeing people as innocent] changes every interaction you have with every person…
You stop making negative assumptions about people’s motivations and look at them like they’re innocent and doing the best they can.”
Vicki’s website, Vicki-Garcia.com
Vicki shares the importance of seeing people as innocent.
“The missing piece to understanding who you are…”
Another life-changing lesson for Vicki was learning how to use The Wheel of Fear.
The Wheel of Fear helps you uncover ways fear is running your life. Through the program, Vicki got coaching on how to use it to overcome her fears. She then learned how to use it to help others to overcome their fears.
For example, Vicki used to wonder why she struggled to have close relationships. The Wheel of Fear helped her see that this happened because when she got afraid, she would shut down. She learned how to avoid that, and as a result, was able to bring more of herself into her interactions and have more close and intimate relationships.
Vicki then began to use The Wheel of Fear with clients. Using this, she showed them ways their actions were controlled by fear. And she showed them how to overcome that fear and make better choices to improve their lives.
“When I use the Wheel of Fear with clients, some of them go, ‘Oh my gosh, this brings everything together!’
[The Wheel of Fear] is the missing piece of understanding who you are and being able to forgive yourself for past behavior and things you’re not proud of.”
Vicki shares how the Wheel of Fear helped her and her clients.
“I was worried I’d screw up my client…”
Through LCCP, Vicki was given clients to coach. This way she could practice her skills in a real situation.
Once she started coaching, Vicki was terrified. She was scared she would say something that would make her client’s life worse.
But Rhonda’s LIfe Coaching Certification Program also comes with a mentor for each member.
Vicki and her mentor would meet on a one-on-one call for an hour twice a month. There they would listen to one of Vicki’s coaching calls so she could get feedback. Vicki would also get coaching on whatever challenge she faced either in the program or in her life.
These mentor calls were extremely valuable for Vicki. For example, on one call, she brought up how she was afraid she would say something that would ruin the client’s life.
Her mentor instantly helped her overcome that problem. Vicki realized she simply didn’t have the power to damage her client. (Watch the video clip below to see how Vicki’s mentor helped her overcome her fear of messing up her client.)
“When I was struggling with a client… when I had a lot of self-doubt… my mentor would point some simple thing out to me that would blow my mind.”
Vicki talks about working with her LCCP mentor.
“My clients do things they didn’t know they could do…”
Using the 8 Life Coaching Skills along with The Wheel of Fear, Vicki started to get great results for her clients.
For example, one of her first-ever clients came to Vicki because she felt stuck in life.
Vicki helped this woman see that her job was making her unhappy. Then she helped her find the courage to change careers.
Within three months, Vicki’s client had a new job she loved. The happiness she felt from her new career bled into her relationships as well. And Vicki’s client soon married a man she loved and is still with today.
“I learned I was a good coach by asking my clients, “What did you get out of this session?”
Every time they tell me this thing they are taking away. Then I watch them do things they didn’t know they could do.”
Testimonial from one of Vicki’s happy clients.
Vicki shares how she helped an early client.
“I have a meaningful relationship with my clients…”
After graduating from LCCP, Vicki continued to work her corporate job.
After a few months, however, Vicki was laid off. Fortunately, she already had the skills to be a great life coach. So she started to go to networking events to get clients.
Fortunately, Vicki didn’t need a ton of clients because she had developed the skills to be a great life coach. So people who hired her stayed with her for an average of two years. And many of them referred their friends and family to her.
“My clients and I develop deep trust…They stick with me because we have a deep, meaningful relationship. It’s not just a business transaction.”
Vicki shares how she develops meaningful relationships with her clients.
“I do what I want when I want…”
Vicki became a Life Coach so she could develop herself and others. But there’s another benefit of this job that was huge for her — and that is having the freedom and flexibility to spend her days how she wants.
As a Life Coach, Vicki decides how much she works. And she has complete control over when she sees clients. So if she wants to take the afternoon off to be with her daughter, she can.
No boss tells her what to do. Nobody tells her how to do her job. And nobody tells her how much to charge. Right now, she charges $200/hour, and her clients are happy to pay it.
“Every day, I’m super grateful for Fearless Living and the LCCP training… I can’t believe I get to get up and do this and decide for myself what my day looks like.”
Income from a client who bought 12 coaching sessions with Vicki.
Vicki shares how she loves the flexibility that comes with being a Life Coach.
“You can use these skills anywhere…”
Vicki found the life coaching skills she developed helped her in every area of life.
For example, she’s now able to work through problems with friends and family without an argument breaking out.
Vicki’s teenage daughter is willing to talk and open up to her because Vicki learned to listen without judgment. And she knows how to guide her daughter to make good decisions — so she doesn’t have to nag her.
And her training has helped Vicki overcome her fears. She isn’t afraid to express herself or put herself out there like she was before. And she developed the kindness and softness she had wanted.
“Even if you don’t want to build coaching practice… you can use these skills everywhere — Your family, your job…
You get really immersed in the Fearless Living work, and next thing you know, it permeates every part of your life — in a good way.”
Vicki and her husband.
Vicki shares how valuable life coaching skills are in every day life.
“I’m becoming who I was meant to be…”
Vicki has now been a life coach for twelve years.
She’s looking forward to stepping into the spotlight and doing more speaking engagements. She also plans to run live workshops and stay active in online communities — including the Fearless Living Coaching Community.
Vicki has no plans to stop coaching. Because along with the fulfillment and flexibility she gets, this career also pushes her to continually grow and develop as a person.
“I’m helping people every day become more of who they are meant to be. And I’m becoming more of who I was meant to be because of them.”
Vicki shares how coaching helps her grow as a person.
