Last updated on July 6, 2022
Catherine McCourt is the founder of Fearless Future Inc. in Vancouver. We hope you enjoy this interview!
Coaching Focus: My practice empowers professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses to think differently and lead with purpose to prosper. Purpose is the foundation of long-term success. I focus on three main areas: awakening life purpose, clarity in aligning purpose in a career or creating your own business, and growing the business opportunity through purpose-driven sales.
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Connect: You can find Catherine online at her website. You can also follow her and Fearless Future on Instagram. Her podcast is found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.
Tell us about your journey as a coach.
I have always been in the pursuit of purpose. I felt more driven to pursue my career than to live the status quo. I wanted to explore and engage with the world and evolve to the best of my ability. I’ve always been an intuitive person and realized there was more I was seeking. So, I left my comfort zone and headed off to create something new for myself.
In the last 17 years, I have learned so much about myself. In my 20-year career in sales and business development, I figured out early on that if I wasn’t selling something or working with a company I could get behind and find the connection with, then why was I bothering. This led to my own freelance gig for about two years, followed by finding a company that ticked the box.
Over the years I was able to connect the dots in what I think I knew all along. Coaching seemed like the natural choice to express this purpose, to empower others to think differently and lead with purpose to prosper.
Though I feel I’ve been coaching for years, I officially became a certified coach in 2020 and now my business focuses on three main areas:
- Awakening purpose – for individuals
- Purpose to Prosper – for entrepreneurs & professionals (finding and developing the right career and/or starting their own business)
- Selling with Soul – for coaches, sales leaders & teams, and entrepreneurs to build a holistic roadmap to sustainable revenue (in both product- and service-based businesses)
My clients come from my professional network, connecting with my community, and personal connections.
Can you share your advice on making a coaching business profitable?
Charge what you know you are worth. You likely already have many skills that contribute to being a coach, so don’t forget the ones you have used for years in your life and career. If it feels good when you quote it, then it’s likely right for you.
What courses, programs, or certifications have you done? Would you recommend them, and for whom?
I am certified through Seattle Life Coach Training and am certified in “clear leadership” through my previous employer. I also rely heavily on my experience from a 20-year career as a sales and business development leader.
If you want to become a certified life coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Core Competencies, the Seattle Life Coach Training program is a great fit. It was a fantastic program and is good for your personal development as well.
Consider how your own career has developed and what skills you can use in your practice to support and guide others.
What advice or perspective might you give to a new coach trying to get her first clients? Any advice they should ignore?
Start with the people you know. Be clear with what you are offering so it’s easy for them to help spread the word.
Offer a pro bono coaching session to a few people to start generating some testimonials. Make sure they share the result, not just that it was nice working with you.
Do what feels comfortable and natural to you. If it doesn’t make you feel good in the approach, it likely won’t work. Stay true to who you are in the process.
What are your thoughts on “choosing a niche” as a coach?
I think starting with a niche is a great way to create consistency with your message and mission. Once you have traction and are known for this specific thing, it is easier to build from that and possibly attract a new audience.
Think of your ideal client and the result you will help them create. That is a great starting point.
What books have significantly influenced your life? What are your key takeaways from these books?
- The Woman I Wanted To Be by Diane Von Furstenberg – This book really resonated with me.
- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown – Vulnerability was never in my vocabulary. It’s taken time but I am no longer uncomfortable with it.
What are some of your favorite affirmations, mantras, thoughts, and/or journal prompts currently? Why?
- “Energy breeds energy” – The energy you bring to any situation is likely the energy you will get in return.
- “Your body holds all the answers” – The body doesn’t lie. We are born with intuition; learning how to work with it will tell you a lot.
- “Don’t revolve, evolve” – The way to stop stewing over any situation is to evolve it, evolve your thinking, and maybe your action
- “I can do it all, just not all at once” – This is such a great one to reset an overwhelming day and put into perspective. You just need to work a little smarter to get it all done.
When you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or have lost your focus or motivation, what do you do?
I take a break from the work and creative content. You can’t create and feel motivated 100% of the time. Allowing yourself to focus on other things like joy, wellness, and physical activity will rejuvenate your energy and give your thoughts on this topic a rest.
If I get ideas while doing these things I take voice notes on the fly or put them in my phone notes.
When feeling I’ve lost my focus, I also make sure I meditate in the morning before the day begins, which always clears my mind so I feel more in control of what to focus on.
Do you have any examples of how a “failure” set you up for later success?
Very early on in my sales career, I was told by a senior sales rep I was a terrible salesperson because I wasn’t playing the high-pressure, closing game. This was my first real business-to-business gig, and I had zero training. I ignored his derogatory comments and have had a successful 20-year career doing it my way.
Be authentically who you are, and you will succeed in what feels right. Don’t let others’ opinions hold you back from becoming a success in your own right.
If you could put a message on a huge billboard—getting a message out to millions—what would it say and why?
My own motto…
LIFE: “Live In Fearless Evolution”
I’ve seen it strike a chord in others and put a smile on their face.
OR
“Take the Time”
*to really know who you are
*to understand what truly drives you
*to express your gifts to the world
Life won’t wait. Why should you?
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