Coaching Services
A New Model for Coaching
(If you want to skip the philosophical bits- jump down to The Benefits of a Punch Card.)
Here’s the thing. I see two ways that coaches offer their services: long-term contracts or pay as you go. And while these models both have their merits, it has been my experience that neither of them are a perfect fit for the women I’ve been working with over the last few years.
The Long Term Model
I started out using the long-term coaching model because it makes sense in lots of ways. If you want to make sustainable, long-term changes in your life, you probably need continued support and checking in on a regular basis. And I still believe that.
The problem with this model is that moms’ lives are pretty chaotic and subject to change. I always felt terribly guilty when I couldn’t make our regularly scheduled session time, or couldn’t squeeze a client in if she had to make a change. We usually managed to make up the session so I know no one ever got shortchanged, but still, it was hard.
And you sure don’t need weekly coaching sessions always and forever! Sometimes you need help getting started on something. Sometimes you need someone to help you get over a hump. And sometimes you just need a light touch of accountability. A long-term coaching model doesn’t handle these possibilities very well.
The Pay-as-You-Go Model
I see lots of other coaches out there using a ‘pay as you go’ system where clients schedule and pay for sessions usually an hour at a time. This strikes me as more of a ‘consulting’ model and is great if you have a very specific issue you want some help with.
The weakness in this model is in the lack of follow through and accountability. You’ve probably had the experience of knowing that someone was going to ask if you’d done the things you’d committed to doing. And just knowing that someone was going to check in with you gave you that extra motivation you needed to actually do it!
This is what is often missing in the ‘one shot’ kind of coaching. Someone can give you the best advice/solutions in the world, but if you don’t take action on them, you’ve wasted your time and money.
This model also doesn’t lend itself to the kind of relationship that I want to have with clients. I enjoy seeing growth and progress over time, celebrating with clients as they tell me how they used a strategy we talked about to solve a problem or improve a relationship that had been an issue for a long time.
And then there’s what I’ll call the ‘hassle factor’ that can make it hard to actually get yourself the support you want and need. When you have to book each session individually, it’s easy to not do it because you don’t have your wallet, your calendar and your phone or computer all in the same place. So you put off booking it. And then you forget… and it just doesn’t happen. When you don’t have a long-term relationship with a coach, you may not be on their radar screen if you disappear- so they don’t think to check in with you to schedule your next session.
The Lightbulb Moment…
As I thought about it, I realized that what I really wanted to offer was a completely different kind of coaching package. One that would give you the flexibility that crazy busy moms need, and at the same time offer the kind of ongoing support that would be most helpful to you.
So I came up with the ‘punch-card’ idea. It’s kind of like the punch card you might buy at a yoga studio or fitness center. Instead of having to bring cash or your checkbook every time you want to take a yoga class or go work out, you buy a 10 punch card and you’re good to go. Once you have the card, you don’t have to think about anything else. All you have to do is grab your gear, go to the studio and enjoy your class.
A punch card model offers the best of both worlds. You can have the flexibility and freedom of a ‘pay as you go’ system as well as the ongoing support and accountability of the long-term coaching model.
The Benefits of a Punch Card:
Focused commitment
You already know how much having someone to hold you accountable makes a huge difference in what you are able to accomplish. Investing in a block of coaching sends a message to yourself that you’re serious about ‘getting it done.’
Having a clearly defined time frame means every session counts. This keeps you focused on your goals and prevents ‘mission creep.’ In our first session, we will identify your conditions of satisfaction, so you will clearly know when you get there.
Ongoing support and accountabilty
Once you decide which package is right for you, I’ll be behind you every step of the way. You are on my radar screen for the duration of our work together. If I haven’t heard from you, you can expect to hear from me! I won’t let you get lost.
Sustained Momentum
Because we’ll have regular contact, we can cut to the chase in every session. We won’t need to spend a lot of time catching up because I’ll know where you are and what you’ve been doing since our last conversation.
Pay only for the coaching you need while eliminating the ‘hassle factor’
No long term contracts or monthly fees! That sounds like a cheesy infomercial, but it’s true. Once you’ve picked the package that’s the right size for you, you’re all set. You won’t have to remember to visit the payment page before setting up a session. Nor will you have to decide every month whether you can justify the expense.
Schedule the session you need when you need it.
I think that this is the truly revolutionary part of this whole crazy idea.
You decide how much time you want each session to be.
If you’re feeling really stuck, not sure where to go or what to do, maybe we need an hour together to dig in and figure some stuff out.
It might be that you just need a quick accountability check on your action items and next steps. If that’s where you are, let’s schedule 30 minutes and get you off doing your thing, not sitting around talking about it.
Maybe you have a really big or especially hairy project to tackle, and you want some support throughout the whole thing. (Clearing the piles of paper on your desk, or writing a resume for instance.) Let’s book two hours and get that puppy done!
You decide how often you want to meet.
Just getting started on a project or big change you want to make? Maybe you need weekly (or twice weekly) check-ins to make sure you’re on the right track and moving forward.
Cranking along, and want to touch base every other week, or even once a month? That works too.
Already had your session for the week, and then disaster strikes? No problem. You can have an ‘extra’ session whenever you need it.
We can book several sessions at once, or book them as we go.
School vacations, sick kids and crazy, unpredictable schedules don’t have to interfere with the continuity of the coaching process.
That’s what I mean by flexibility!
How does a coaching punch card work?
Just so you know… it’s not an actual card! But it is a way for you to schedule the length of session you need, when you need it.
First, decide how much coaching you want in the next period of time. I’ll give you some hints to help with this below.
After you complete your purchase, I’ll be in touch and we set up our first session. If we haven’t worked together before, I’ll suggest an hour for our initial conversation, so we can get the big picture of what you’re hoping to get out of our time together and make a plan for how we’ll work together to get you moving forward on your goals.
Based on our initial conversation, we can decide how often and for how long to meet, knowing that you can make adjustments on the fly.
After each session, I’ll send you an email with some notes from our session and a tally of how many half-hour segments you have on your ‘card.’
Which package is right for me?
The short answer is… it depends. I’ve given some general thoughts about who I think might be the best fit for each package. See what resonates for you. Of course you can always give me a call and I’ll help you figure it out!
3 Hours
This might be right for you if things are going along pretty well and what you want is some focused change in a particular area of your life. You’re ready for the instant impact planting a flat of pansies in a window box can bring.
$450 (Up to 6 sessions)
5 Hours
This might be right for you if you have a single dream or idea you are ready to take from seedling to fruition. It’s like planting a pot of cherry tomatoes on your patio.
$695 (Up to 10 sessions. Save over $50 off the regular hourly rate)
10 Hours
You know that big changes don’t happen overnight. Like an orchard, some things take more time to grow and bear fruit. This package might be right for you if you have big, long-term dreams and are willing to put in the time and effort to plant seeds that will nourish you and your family far into the future.
$1295 (Up to 20 sessions. Save over $200 off the regular hourly rate.)
What happens when my card is all punched out?
Well… that depends.
If you’ve gotten what you need for now, then we celebrate your success and do a lovely closing ritual. You go forth into the world ready to rock and roll, knowing I’m here anytime you need a bit of motivation, accountability or problem-solving.
If we come to the end of your allotted hours and you want more- then it’s just like yoga class… Choose the package that fits and we’ll just keep rolling.
Still not sure which one is right for you?
Send me an email (liz [at] dreamgardencoaching [dot] com) or give me a call (303-652-0380). Let me know what’s on your mind and we can figure it out together!
Fine-printy things…
Punch cards will expire 1 year from date of purchase. This is really just to make sure that you use the support that’s available to you.
Here are the buttons
Note: this will take you to a paypal checkout page, but you don’t need a paypal account. Under the paypal prompt, you’ll see Pay with a Debit or Credit Card. Click there and use the card of your choice.
3 Hour Card- $450
For the instant impact of planting a flat of pansies in a windowbox.
5 Hour Card- $695
For nurturing a dream through its growing season- like planting a pot of patio tomatoes.
10 Hour Card- $1295
For dreams that can’t be rushed, like planting an orchard full of fruit trees.
Questions?
Something not clear? Maybe I didn’t ‘splain myself very well! Give me a call or shoot me an email- let me know what’s on your mind.
I’d love to work with you, so if you’re ready to jump start a project or want to light a fire under some aspect of your life, I look forward to hearing from you!
