Dear Co-Active Coaches,

Here in the United States, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. One of the things I'm most thankful for is our wonderful community. We just returned from the ICF conference in Quebec City and it was such a gift to see so many of you from our community. Catching up with old friends and making new ones was a huge treat. We missed those of you who weren't able to attend and hope to see you in San Jose next year. Read more in Community.

If you're considering the Certification Program, read about an upcoming price increase in CTI News. Also in CTI News is an announcement of a name change for Relationship Systems Coaching.

Our topic this month is coaching as a business: What are the key things to know in treating your coaching practice as a business? Meade Dickerson and C.J. Hayden, both CPCCs, share their insights on creating a thriving business. As you begin business planning for the new year, take a few moments for an interesting read.

Also in this issue, join us in celebrating our newest CPCCs. Check out the topics for future issues and think about sharing your insight with your fellow coaches by submitting an article.

Enjoy!

Warmly,
Kathy Curry Wilson, CPCC
Director of Marketing

Price Increase Coming for CTI's Certification Program
Increasing the prices of our programs is always something we do reluctantly. However, after careful consideration, we have determined that we need to increase the price of our Certification Program to keep pace with increasing costs.

For students entering Certification after April 1, 2005, the price for the six-month Certification Program will be $3,900. This is an increase of $300 over our current price of $3,600. The price of the Certification Exam will increase from $350 to $450.

The good news is that we have given you enough notice so that you can register now for Certification Programs starting in January, February or March 2005, at the current price of $3,600!

Prerequisites: You must have completed Process before beginning Certification. We recommend that you complete In The Bones during the first three months of your Certification Program and require that you complete it before taking your Certification Exam.

For more information on the Certification Program, speak to an Admissions Advisor at 1-800-691-6008 or check our website.

New Name for CTI's Relationship Systems Coaching Program
Effective November 1, CTI's Relationship Systems Coaching Program is now known as "Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching Program." Why a new name? Bottom line: the new name more accurately reflects the broad range of applications that this program truly offers. In addition to a new name for the program, each of the individual courses has been renamed, as well.

Names are an important way we form our first impressions. We hear or read a name and quickly decide whether we want to learn more. We've learned over the past year that the name "Relationship Systems Coaching" has often been misunderstood to refer only to personal, romantic or family relationships. While this program certainly teaches skills for working with personal relationships, it also provides theory and skills for working with so much more. The Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching Series is a groundbreaking model for coaching relationship systems in organizations and groups, and with teams, partnerships and couples. Whether or not you specialize in corporate work, partnerships or personal relationships, the principles and skills of relationship systems coaching are foundational.

The new names for the four courses in the Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching Program are:

Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching Fundamentals
Relationship Intelligence: Process and Flow (formerly Relationship River)
Systems Geography: Roles and Structures (formerly Relationship Geography)
Relationship Path: Vision and Potentiality (formerly Way of Relationship)

While the names have changed, the content of these courses has not. For more information on the Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching Program, click here.

ICF Conference, Quebec City
Imagine all the passion and energy of 1,000+ coaches in one place. Add in the warm welcome of our Canadian hosts, the charm of Quebec City, great presentations, wonderful speakers, and lots of hugs, laughter and learning, and you have the recipe for a delightful conference.

Opening keynote speaker Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, shared her personal experience of pursuing her dream and building a successful business dedicated to "the pursuit of social and environmental change." Ben Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and closing keynote speaker, engaged us all with his transformational speech challenging us to see new distinctions.

CTI's President and CEO, Shirzad Chamine, and CTI co-founder Karen Kimsey-House were among the breakout session presenters. Also presenting were CTI leaders Marita Fridjhon and Faith Fuller and CTI leader Elaine Jaynes, along with Cheri Beck. Several other CTI grads also presented breakout sessions or led balance sessions during the conference. CTI's Dessert Extravaganza Friday night was an opportunity for the community to come together for fun, relaxation, socializing and yummy desserts. A special treat for the CTI community was the recognition of Steve Mitten, CPCC, as the incoming President of the ICF. Steve's passion for the coaching industry was evident in his inaugural speech Saturday night.

If you weren't able to attend (or if you just want a little reminder), check out some photos from the conference.

Co-Active Network
The Co-Active Network continues to grow with more than 2,900 members, the Main Community and more than 30 niche and geographic communities. The purpose of the network is to support every member in achieving his/her greatest vision for Co-Active Coaching and leadership in the world. Each community has resources, discussions and community events. Check the full calendar on the Co-Active Network.

How to Build a Thriving Coaching Business: Create Alliances
Meade Dickerson, PCC, CPCC, has been an entrepreneur for most of his life. He uses this natural ability to help other coaches create thriving businesses for themselves. This article offers many helpful pointers that may not initially be considered by novice coaches in the fledgling stages of creating their own coaching business. While asking for help is not something that comes naturally to most upstart, do-it-yourself types, it is something that becomes necessary and vitally important in creating a successful business. Read the article.

Are You Running a Business or Are You Just Self-Employed?
C. J. Hayden, MCC, CPCC, and author of Get Clients Now!, makes some crucial points in this important article about running your own coaching business. If you are earning your income by working with clients by the hour, it's likely that you are not yet a business owner, but simply a self-employed person. With no way for your enterprise to bring in money except for you to be paid for each hour you work with a client, your business has no assets that earn a financial return on their own. If this is true for you, then you don't own a business—you own a job!

The only businesses that are ultimately sustainable are those in which a good part of the work can potentially be done by someone who isn't the owner. That's the only way an entrepreneur can have enough time and energy available to work on his or her business instead of just working in it. For further insights, read the article.

Would you like to share your insight with fellow coaches?
The Inquiry focuses on a specific topic each month. Topics for the next few months are:

December—Community: How do you define community? How do you create it? What is the power of community? What is the impact of coaching and/or Co-Activity on community?

January—Power and impact of Co-Activity: What do you see as the power of Co-Activity? What is the impact of Co-Activity in the world and/or in your life? What's possible from the place of Co-Activity?

February—Synchronicity and your coaching business: What synchronistic events have happened that resulted in a turning point in your business? When have "coincidences" pointed your business in a new direction?

We invite you to submit articles and share your insight in The Inquiry. It is a fantastic way to increase your visibility in the coaching profession. Please send articles and business tips to newsletter@thecoaches.com. Read the detailed submission guidelines.

Please join the CTI team in congratulating all of the Certified Professional Co-Active Coaches that have finished the rigorous certification program and passed their exams!

October
Moira Mallison, Ellen Catalano, Lynda Wise, Gail Barker, Pam Coffey, Dennis Owens, Julie Schwartz, Jeffrey Kaplan, Linda Platt, Sue McKee, Kim Redmon, Jennifer Lee, Cathy Newton, Jennifer Irwin, Gisele Fernandez, Susan Blair, Shirleen Johnson, Lara Morris, Traci Maddox, Dee Brafford, Susan Hadinger, Kate Ebersole.