Dear Co-Active Coaches,

Happy Holidays! Finding balance this time of year can be a challenge…the excitement of the holidays, spending time with friends and family, looking back at the accomplishments of the past year and planning for the new year…all wonderful things. My wish for you this season is that you take time for self-care, too. Give yourself the gift of time for you!

We’re thrilled to announce a new Business Development Program in partnership with The Business Catalyst Institute, founded by Leslie Lupinsky and Dorcas Kelley. From short courses that give you tips, resources and information to get started, through mid-length courses that focus on exploration and action, and on to longer

focused intensives that provide a rigorous catalyst for moving forward, this program provides a flexible, modular approach to learning about building your business. Read more about it in CTI News.

In this space last month, I mentioned that CTI had become the first coach training organization to receive college credit recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE). Unfortunately, the article giving more information about the ACE college credit recommendation got deleted from the final version of the Inquiry. Ta Da! We’re including it this month under CTI News and apologize for any confusion we may have caused.

In the Community section, we continue our introductions of CTI staff with a profile of Trudy Kendall, Director of Strategic Initiatives. Imagine “mom” to the office combined with a 12-year-old in overalls, warmth and quirkiness, laughter and straight talk, attention to detail and an infectious giggle…and much, much more. Trudy shepherds new programs through the process of being piloted and moving into full production. It’s a complex job that requires interaction with all parts of the business—course designers, marketing, logistics, finance, etc.—and she does it with grace and a smile for all.

Our articles this month focus on community service: How is community service a part of your coaching business? How do you include pro bono work in your business? What other ways do you incorporate community service in your professional life? CTI faculty members Virginia Kellogg, CPCC, MCC, and Steven Filante, CPCC, MCC, write about the contribution-based business model. Leslie Flocchini, CPCC, shares her experience about coming into community service naturally. Mark McIntosh writes about how a recent snowstorm experience highlighted one answer to the question: How, when, where should we give of ourselves without the thought of financial compensation? Bruce Thron-Weber, CPCC, speaks about how community service has positively affected his coaching business. As always, it’s a delightful and diverse selection of articles. Sit back, relax, give yourself a bit of “me” time and enjoy their voices.

We love hearing the voices of our community and invite you to read the topics for upcoming issues of The Inquiry and think about sharing your insights by writing an article. And join us in celebrating our newest CPCCs!

CTI News

Business Development Program

We’re excited to let you know that CTI’s Business Development Program (BDP) is back and better than ever! CTI is now in partnership with The Business Catalyst Institute, founded by Leslie Lupinsky, CPC, MCC, and Dorcas Kelley, CPCC, CMC, ACC. We are thrilled to be working with these two highly respected professionals in the creation and implementation of the new program. Their Business Catalyst courses in the earlier BDP program were very popular, and students reported many successes. Together, we have developed a whole new program design that we feel will be more in synch with the preferences and needs of coaches who want to build a firm foundation for their coaching business and/or get themselves fired up for expansion and growth.

What is different about the new BDP Program? It is now a modularized and personalized program that allows you to take classes

• in the order you need
• when you need them
• when you’re ready.

We’re committed to making the process accessible and clear, and to bringing ease and enjoyment into your business.

How will this program impact your business?

• You will learn how to be a successful entrepreneur. You will learn how to generate, sustain and communicate clear and precise value to the hiring company or client.
• You will develop a clear sense of your unique self in your business. Your focus will center on the foundation of your own vision, passions, values and strengths.
• You will learn how to move beyond fears and doubts. Whether conscious or unconscious, fears and doubts stand in the way of your success. By exposing and healing them, they will lose the power to hinder you and your business.
• You will learn to embrace essential elements of business with ease and curiosity.
• Topics such as getting clients, transitioning to the entrepreneur life, determining your niche, marketing, finances and budgeting, legal issues and networking are all handled in a clear, accessible and low-mystery manner.

What are the program components?

Quick Start Classes
In these teleclasses, you’ll get key tips, resources and information for a great start in building your business. Each class consists of two one-hour sessions. Enrollment for these classes is open now and classes start in January 2006.

• The Smart, Authentic Approach for Getting Clients I & II
• Life of an Entrepreneur
• Planning Your Transition
• Claiming Your Niche I & II

Exploration & Action Classes
Dive more deeply into action, with focused team and leader support, in these teleclasses. Classes range from three to six sessions long, depending on topic. Enrollment will open in January 2006, with classes starting in March 2006.

• Financial Transformation
• Developing Multiple Income Streams
• Crafting Your Unique Brand
• Your Personalized Marketing Plan
• Awesome Marketing Materials
• Professional Peace of Mind

Business Catalyst Intensives
This series of focused intensives builds upon the previous classes and serves as an inspirational and rigorous catalyst for moving your business forward with speed and efficiency. These classes are eight to 10 sessions long. Enrollment will open in Q1 2006.

Registration for these classes has already begun, with courses starting in January 2006. For further information, you can attend a free BDP information call on December 20 (at 6 p.m. PST). To register for an info call, or to receive further program details, please contact us at (800) 691-6008 x-655, or visit www.thecoaches.com/business, or email bdpinfo@thecoaches.com.

CTI Receives College Credit Recommendations for Training

We are extremely proud to announce that CTI has become the first coach training organization to receive college credit recommendations from the nationally recognized American Council on Education. As the result of a review conducted on July 26, 2005, by ACE’s College Credit Recommendation Service, CTI’s core Co-Active Coaching curriculum, Certification Program and Co-Active Leadership Program have been recommended for college credit. A team of content specialists, selected from college faculty, has reported that CTI’s courses are comparable to college-level courses and may be used as transfer credit at many colleges and universities nationwide.

In receiving ACE’s credit recommendation, The Coaches Training Institute joins a select number of organizations—including the American Management Association, AT&T, Dale Carnegie & Associates, Citigroup, Delta Air Lines, Learning Tree International, McDonalds Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad and UAW-GM—that offer ACE college credit-recommended courses.

ACE credit-recommended courses motivate learners to begin, continue or complete a college degree program. According to a recent U.S. Department of Education Study, more than 40 percent of American adults take part in some type of adult learning activity each year—the vast majority for work-related reasons or because they want to earn an academic credential. In addition to the potential for college credit, many employers use ACE’s credit recommendations in determining which training programs qualify for employee tuition reimbursement.

For more information on the ACE college credit recommendation, check out the FAQs on our website.

Community

Introducing CTI Staff Member Trudy Kendall
Trudy Kendall, CPCC, PCC, was born in Richland, WA, on April 7,1949. She is a unique and irreplaceable voice in the office at CTI. She seems soft and cuddly, but look out! Trudy will tell it like it is with no holds barred, and this is actually a very good thing, as her impact is for the benefit of all. There is only one Trudy Kendall in this world! Rather than speak for her (I would not recommend trying to do this), I thought it would be best if we heard from Miss Trudy in her own words. To read about Trudy’s varied experiences from being an Avon lady, to her first position at CTI as a volunteer, to her current role as the Director of Strategic Initiatives, click here. You’re sure to enjoy her fresh voice.

Co-Active Network
The Co-Active Network continues to grow with more than 5,800 members in the main community and more than 40 niche and geographic communities. The conversations continue to be vibrant, alive and informative.

The purpose of the Co-Active 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. There are an amazing array of exciting events. Also, many of the events held on the main community have been recorded on audio podium. The list of recorded sessions is available under the “Resources” section of the main community. Look for the topic “Audio Podiums from Network Main Event Sessions” for a full list.

Would you like to share your insight with fellow coaches?
We love to learn from our community, and sharing your thoughts with your fellow coaches is a great way to let us know what’s happening in your world. The Inquiry focuses on a specific topic each month. Topics for the next few months are:

January—Assessments: What assessment tools do you use in your coaching business? How do you use them? When do you use them?

February—Coaching Relationships: What types of relationships do you coach? What have the challenges been for you in doing relationship coaching? What have you learned—about yourself, about coaching relationships?

March—Passive Income for Coaches: How have you created passive income streams? What worked; what didn’t? What suggestions do you have for coaches who want to develop passive income.

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 to newsletter@thecoaches.com. Read the detailed submission guidelines.

Articles

Everyone Wins: Contribution and Your Successful Coaching Business
“Futurists tell us that networks, collaboration and wildly sharing information and ideas will be the hallmark of successful businesses of the next century. Successful businesses will be holding a “double bottom line”—a broad definition of profit that includes reducing human suffering, realizing political and economic justice, and fostering human satisfaction.” Join Virginia Kellogg, CPCC, MCC, and Steven Filante CPCC, MCC, both on faculty at CTI, as they come together to write this article about the contribution-based business model. To read the article, click here.

A Sense of Service; Self, Community, and World
Leslie Flocchini, CPCC, owns Holistic Coaching Center, LLC, a company that provides personal coaching, leadership development, and teambuilding for corporations. In this article, she shares her experience of coming into community service naturally:
“For me, building the foundations of service started at a young age. Those foundations came through in childhood friendships and have found a life of their own through me. Service environments give me a huge playground for skill building and the mechanics of how to lead others in development—personally and as a community. There are three areas to be created from: A Sense of Service: Self, Community and World ” Read more…

Education From the Storm
“It’s a good reminder for us all as we try to balance our coaching businesses with the business of community service. How, when, where should we give of ourselves without the thought of financial compensation? When should we follow the immortal words of the great Ralph Waldo Emerson, who once said: ‘It’s one of the most beautiful compensations of life: No man or woman can sincerely try to help another, without helping themselves; serve and thou shall be served.’ A recent Colorado snowstorm reminded me of one possible answer to what can be a challenging question as we try and balance life.” So writes Mark McIntosh, founder and president of Victory Productions, a company that encourages others to remember they’re limited only by imagination, and not fear, in creating productive choices to life’s personal and professional challenges. Read more about his snowstorm experience here.

Community Service: Source of Abundance and Fulfillment
Bruce Thron-Weber, CPCC, helps addicted and spiritual persons find passions and create lives that they love, and perfectionists to relax and appreciate themselves. He also works with religious or spiritually based non-profit organizations. In this article, he speaks about how community service has positively affected his coaching business: “Through community service, I have created a sufficient flow of financial resources that I can work with clients on a pro bono basis or at whatever rate that I decide I want to offer them. Recently, I have spent more time in community service than I have working with paying clients. The pro bono coaching I have done has been with executive directors of non-profit organizations and with criminal offenders. This was to gain experience, receive referrals and because I couldn’t not do it.”

Celebration

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

CPCCs through November 15
Drew Batshaw, Karynne Boese, Eva Bonnevier, Ken Buback, Everton Cox, Helen Crothers, Anne Fifield, J Gregg, Revital Kogot, Fran Lang, Jennifer Morgan, Roger Overstreet, Pamela Schultz, Peggy Titus-Hall.