Martha was at the top of her game as a nurse. But she felt it was time to move on. She wanted a new career that would let her impact more lives.
The brief
Before
The Approach
Using Rhonda Britten’s Life Coaching Certification Program
Martha discovered how to use the 8 Coaching Skills (The Coaching Code) to help clients tap into their inner wisdom and solve their own problems.
The Solution
Successful Outcome
Martha retired from nursing and became a full-time Life Coach and has already penned a couple of books! Within two years, her yearly income surpassed what she made as a nurse. Now, she’s able to impact more lives and put more love into the world.
“You have to find something else to do…”
Martha built a very successful nursing practice. She had such a great setup that other nurses often asked her how they could create a business like the one she had.
But then, Martha’s mom got sick.
She took time off to be with her. But her mom’s condition only got worse. She was diagnosed with oral cancer and passed away ten weeks later.
This experience changed Martha. The day before her mother died, Martha "heard" a mysterious voice tell her she would never work the same way she had for the past 30 years as a professional nurse. She needed to find something else to do, but she wasn’t sure what that was.
As she says:
“Towards the end of [my mom’s] life, I realized I was never going to work again the way I had been working. And I didn’t know what that meant. But that was a clear message I was getting from… I will say spirit…whatever guidance you might call it.”
Martha shares how she knew she needed to quit nursing.
“What if this is a big mistake?”
Martha talked to a friend who happened to be a Fearless Living Life Coach. She suggested Martha look into Rhonda’s Fearless Living Life Coaching Program — or LCCP — and see if she was interested in joining.
Martha was drawn to the impact she could have as a Life Coach. She realized that if she could help one person, it would have a ripple effect. Because they would take what they learned and bring it into their relationships with their friends, family, and work.
And Martha was also afraid. She has a Master’s in nursing and spent years building a successful practice. She was worried about what her friends or family would say if she threw it all away to start a new career. And she was afraid of what might happen if she failed.
Despite her fears, Martha felt LCCP was a step in the right direction. So she resolved to join the program and see where it took her.
“I was able to touch many more people as a Life Coach than as a nurse. It seemed like a good next step.”
Martha shares why she decided to become a Life Coach.
“The level of mentoring was something I never experienced…”
As an LCCP student, Martha learned the skills, tools, and strategies to become a great Life Coach.
She was also teamed with a mentor who met her twice a month for an hour-long call. During those calls, Martha’s mentor would help her overcome whatever struggles she had.
For example, one important tool Martha learned about in the program was the Daily Training Manual. Martha was asked to write down what she was committed to in this manual. And she was also asked to track how she spent her day.
This was difficult for Martha. Because it forced her to see that she was not spending her time on the things she was most committed to. For example, she said her family was the most important thing to her. But she was so busy working she barely spent any time with them.
Martha tried to avoid this exercise, but her mentor wouldn’t let her. She pushed her to complete the assignment. And she helped Martha through other struggles that popped up during the program.
“The level of mentoring this program has is something I never experienced… To have someone push up against you who wasn’t going to fall over was such a blessing.”
Martha shares the importance of mentoring.
“Coaching is more relaxing than nursing…”
Through LCCP, Martha got real clients to practice on. She quickly learned that Life Coaching was much less stressful than nursing.
As a Family Nurse Practitioner, Martha’s job was to find a solution to a person’s problem. She had to come up with the diagnosis and the treatment plan herself. And if she made a mistake, it could cost someone their life.
But Life Coaching didn’t have the same consequences. Nobody was going to die if Martha made a mistake.
And it wasn’t Martha’s job to solve people’s problems. Instead, Martha learned how to combine the 8 life coaching skills to help people find their own solutions to their problems. .
“I learned to trust that clients would have the answers they needed if I was skillful enough to listen carefully [and] ask a question that would evoke their wisdom.”
Martha’s website, CircleOfLifeCoach.com.
Martha shares how she stopped trying to solve people’s problems.
“I felt stupid, selfish, and weak…”
One of the most important things Martha learned through LCCP was how to go from The Wheel of Fear to The Wheel of Freedom. And how to help her clients do the same.
The Wheel of Fear is a cycle we all get trapped in. It keeps us afraid and playing small. Martha learned how to escape that and get onto the Wheel of Freedom — which allows us to relax into our essential nature and act in spite of fear.
This was incredibly important for Martha when she was caring for her sister who was very ill. At first, Martha beat herself up over this. She felt she should take care of everything and have all the answers because she was a nurse.
Martha realized she was trapped on the Wheel of Fear. And she used what she had learned to get back on the Wheel of Freedom. Because of this, she was able to advocate for her sister and be present with her in the final days before she passed away.
“I was triggered by everything. I felt stupid, selfish, weak, incompetent…
The Wheel of fear let me see I was doing that to myself… While I was doing that I was missing out on beauty available at the moment…”
Martha shares how critical the Wheel of Fear is for her and her clients.
“Coaching is one of the most intimate experiences you can have…”
The skills and experience Martha got through LCCP helped her become a great Life Coach. Soon, she began to see major transformations in the people she worked with.
For example, one client came to Martha because he didn’t know what career to follow. He was torn between continuing as a nurse or getting into finance. Rather than tell him what to do, Martha used what she learned in LCCP to guide him to tap into his inner wisdom and find the answer himself.
He realized he didn’t want to get into finance. In his heart, he wanted to be a nurse.
After this discovery, Martha used the other skills and strategies she learned to help him get the courage to pursue nursing. Years later, he is happy with his career choice.
“Rather than me answering the question, we explored why he was asking that in the first place… What was important to him? What did it look like? What did he want for his life?
He decided to get a Master’s in nursing, and now he’s doing well. He’s happy, he’s expressing himself, and he’s traveling the world meeting cool people.”
Martha shares the incredible results she got for clients.
“I earned more than I did as a nurse…”
After graduating from the Life Coaching Certification Program, Martha continued to work as a nurse and did life coaching on the side.
Martha also scheduled “intro talks” in her town and anywhere she traveled. These were small, informal gatherings where she shared lessons she learned from LCCP.
Martha hosted these events in coffee shops, libraries, living rooms, and churches. She kept the crowds small. And after the talk, people often asked to hire her or referred her to people they knew.
Within a year, Martha had many clients and was ready to retire from nursing. The following year, Martha’s income surpassed what she had made as a nurse.
“I paid myself back for my certification within a year… after two years as a full-time coach, I earned more than I did as a nurse.”
Martha shares how she transitioned from nurse to full-time Life Coach.
“Wow, this is pretty cool…”
Martha’s career change led to a dramatic lifestyle change.
She no longer felt as stressed as she did as a nurse.
And she was able to book her clients around her schedule. Instead, she was free to spend her time how she wanted.
Martha also got the opportunity to travel. She joined the International Association of Coaching and, through them, has given talks internationally.
“I went to Sri Lanka and presented at a conference there… I went to Spain and presented there… and I’m going to Mexico City in the future…”
Martha speaking at a conference in Barcelona
“I became a more fun person to be with…”
Martha’s journey didn’t just transform her outer life — it also changed her on the inside.
Through LCCP, Martha learned how to trust herself more. She became more relaxed and stopped beating herself up. And she became a happier, more fun person to be around.
Martha is also living more in-line with her values. She’s no longer “too busy” to be with her family and can spend a lot more time with them.
“One of my kids was having trouble with their significant other. [She said] “Mom, we’re in a terrible place. We don’t know what to do…
I could go over and hang with the kids and say, ‘Don’t blow your life up right now. Let’s calm down and see what you need.’
I had time for that. That’s precious to me. I never want to have to say to my kids ‘I was too busy for you.” And in my previous work, I was too busy.”
Martha shares the best thing about her journey with LCCP.
“Don’t compare yourself to anyone…”
Martha doubted she could be a successful Life Coach. But she felt LCCP was a step in the right direction and trusted that feeling.
She continued to have doubt and fear along the way. She didn’t think she could be as good as her mentor or the other coaches she saw. But she overcame that by focusing on why she wanted to become a Life Coach.
If you’re thinking about joining LCCP, she suggests you do the same.
“Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Take the time to ask yourself why you want to do this… that will be the basis for your commitment and that commitment will carry you through…”
Martha’s advice if you’re thinking of joining LCCP.
