I love my coaching clients. I don’t love the coaching industry.

More than 16 years as a coach, I see so much in my industry that is problematic, unethical, or just plain false … all of which makes it incredibly hard for a prospective client to discern who the heck can actually help them.

This is deeply concerning to me.

But this article isn’t about that.

One common standard for success and measure of results-orientened coaching is dollars.

One problem with this is that true wealth is NOT measured in dollars. You don’t have to look far to find unhappy, stressed-out people with money. And more money is not their solution.

I coach my clients to create a no-vacation-needed life.

In doing this, I hold firm to the big picture dreams for their life. I remind us both periodically that a goal without a dream is a recipe for dissatisfaction, and that money alone does not a dream make.

This said, when money comes through aligned action – yeh!

Earning money doing work you love is cause for celebration – woot!

Successfully working smarter not harder is reason for a happy dance hoedown.

One client hired me to help her turn something she loves and “would do for free” into a business.

Yesterday was our kick-off session.

Step one in this realm requires understanding that the fact that you love doing something doesn’t in any way minimize the value it provides for others. By the end of our call, she had prices for her services and a plan to tell people about it.

Less than 24 hours later, she has two paying clients. Woot!

She said saying her price out loud was hard.  It’ll get easier…

Another client of mine and I have been strategizing about how she can work smarter not harder in her business. The goal around building her business is to intentionally allow her more time-freedom. Yesterday we celebrated that AFTER paying a new team member, her business made $2240 off of that team member’s effort, with little to no time required from my client. Go girl!

We’re now putting wheels in motion for her to bring on yet another contractor and do it again, x2. Repeat, repeat, repeat, scaling her business by building her team so that my client can focus on bringing in new contracts and customer care, while her team does the bulk of the work.

Last week, another client wrote to me with this realization: “My business HAS provided me with the time and money freedom to pour into my family and to be the mother I want to be for my daughter. This makes me very, very happy, proud, and grateful.”

Now, to be very clear, my clients created these results.

I merely coached them.

Their results are THEIRS.

Too often, I see coaches claim responsibility for their clients results. This is not only an act of hubris, it’s wrong. Especially when those very same coaches are first to say that they are not responsible for the lack of results that other clients of theirs received.

Anyway, I am really friggin’ proud of my clients and so honored to be able to contribute and serve and play a supporting role in their progress and success — as defined by them.