Frequently Asked Questions

What is coaching?

Coaching is a new technology of personal and professional development based on concepts from sports, business, spirituality, psychology and organizational development. It's for passionate people who want more from their personal and business lives. A coach helps individuals set larger, more rewarding goals, develop a strategy to achieve them and provide support throughout the process. It's not unlike having a personal trainer or an athletic coach... transformational, but in a business and personal sense. The achievement of goals is something that comes more quickly as a result of the coaching partnership.
As human beings go through life, we tend to interpret the world in ways that create barriers that artificially limit us. You have probably had the insight that you would be ten times happier or more successful in life if you would “only” get out of your own way. That is what the coaching process is designed to do. It’s not about changing who you are, but rather about removing the habits or thought processes that do not support you in being who you truly are. Your coach relates to you as who you can be and who you aspire to be, regardless of any constraints and limitations that you, and perhaps everyone else in your life, have accepted.

What is the structure for individual coaching?

The base coaching structure is four one-hour coaching sessions per month. This is supplemented by email coaching and five-minute “back in action” calls, as needed. Each coaching structure is personalized to your needs, and the content of the calls will vary accordingly.
You may register for single coaching sessions on an as-needed basis. However, we recommend a minimum of one coaching session per month in order for your coach to provide you with the most effective ongoing support.
Most concrete results occur between calls, when you are in action based on what you have seen for yourself during the coaching sessions. You will work with your coach to structure your own weekly assignments in the areas you have identified for growth. Your coach may invite you to take a particular action or adopt a practice, but ultimately, the weekly plans will be determined by what you want and what you are committed to in your life.
The Redefining Leadership and Joy & Dream Fulfillment curricula include a rigorous predefined schedule of weekly assignments. If you select one of these programs, your coach may adapt the assignments as appropriate to meet your needs and commitments.

How is coaching different from consulting?

Coaching is not consulting – As coaches, we do not get all the facts, analyze the situation and tell you what to do. You will always know more about your life and what is right for you than your coach does. However, because the coach is trained as an objective listener, he/she is able to see things that you cannot and guide you to look at situations from new perspectives.

How is coaching different from therapy?

Coaching is not psychiatry, psychology, or therapy – These disciplines come from the perspective of either diagnosing and treating a condition or helping people get through a particularly rough period. Coaching is for people who are well, but who are looking for greater success or enjoyment in some area of life. Coaches also provide a structure of accountability. For most of us, promises we make to ourselves may get displaced by other priorities and commitments. A coach is the person who holds you accountable for the promises you make to yourself.

I have heard there are different styles of coaching, what kind does Excelleration, LLC offer?

Excelleration, LLC provides ontological coaching, which focuses on who you are BEING in a situation. The premise of ontological coaching is that your circumstances do not determine your quality of life. Have you noticed that you can be quite miserable on vacation in Tahiti, while you can feel joyful, loving and powerful even in the face of very difficult circumstances? It is who you are BEING in response to circumstances that gives you your quality of life and also determines the degree to which you succeed in accomplishing your goals.
Once you have chosen a way of being that is empowering in a particular situation, the actions will flow naturally, and with ease. If you enter a conversation angry, resentful and resigned, you will likely end up with an unsatisfactory result. On the other hand, you will have a far more satisfying and productive conversation if you first cultivate BEING loving, accepting, and committed. If you are skeptical reading this, get a coach and try it. You will be amazed.

Who are your clients?

Excelleration, LLC is committed to expanding Passion, Freedom and Integrity in the Washington, D.C. legal community. We also provide coaching to anyone with a genuine commitment to getting to the next level in his or her life. Excelleration, LLC has coached people from myriad backgrounds, including lawyers, ministers, real estate agents, members of the armed forces, college students, computer programmers, and small business owners, among others.

If I want to try coaching, what are the next steps?

We provide FREE sample one-hour coaching sessions. Please register here to access our online appointment booking system.