Why go through life alone when you could have someone coach you through it? Though the word “coach” once conjured up images of high school gym class and a tracksuit-clad Sue Sylvester, the word now carries an entirely different meaning, and the clientele of modern-day coaches consist of everyday people looking to better themselves in a wide range of ways.
See, not everyone in pursuit of self-improvement goes about it the same way: A recent Google Trends report points to terms like “backflip coach” and “energy coach” as breakout searches, with “birth coach” and “grief coach” also reaching all-time highs. The most coveted specialties vary, but it’s clear that people want to grow, regardless – and they’re willing to pay for individualized support. But as the profession grows more hyperspecific, even at the risk of becoming a gimmick, is coaching really the answer?
To find out more, we spoke with four different coaches about what they do and how they do it. Read on to learn why so many want to work with a coach, and what kind of results they actually deliver.
Clients of Alexis Smith’s feminine energy coaching on a group retreat.Courtesy of Alexis Smith
The Coaches
Allie Stark‘s life and leadership coaching began in earnest after she contracted an illness on a yearlong trip to Asia. “I started by working with people who had chronic autoimmune illnesses, similar to mine,” she tells Popsugar. “I partnered with naturopaths and integrative practitioners, helping clients implement protocols and create real behavior change.” From there, Stark expanded into the realm of executive leadership, challenging her clients to unpack outdated narratives and discover their own unique leadership styles. “I deeply believe that when we align someone with the energetics of their life, money flows,” she says.
Movement coach Henrique Quôs, meanwhile, helps artists make every move look flawless. That might mean teaching someone how to hold a microphone, or how to walk across a stage with confidence. “Every artist who comes to me is trying to improve something specific,” Quôs says. Over the past three years he’s worked with over 300 artists, all at different stages in their careers. Although Quôs does consider himself a choreographer as well, he explains that a movement coach is more focused on what happens on stage or on camera, as opposed to dance moves.
“One day, one of my followers asked if I could coach her.”
If you can’t connect with a coach in person, odds are you can find one online. Just ask feminine energy and inner work coach Alexis Smith. “I began teaching on TikTok and YouTube about all the inner work I did to restore my playful, confident, and powerful feminine side,” she says. “One day, one of my followers asked if I could coach her.”
Smith admits she was hesitant at first, but since launching her coaching program, she’s been fully booked. “A common misconception with feminine energy is that it’s about ‘looking beautiful’ or ‘being sexy,'” Smith says. “My work is to help women embody this inner beauty and sexiness, by waking up that raw, authentic life force energy inside them.”
The coaching culture is quickly expanding, but there are of course still coaches with more traditional backgrounds and trainings. Grief and resilience coach Breanne Cook is one example: On a professional level, Cook has experience in social work and hospice care, in addition to mental health education and grief tending training. But her work is also informed by her own grief journey following the loss of her parents. “A grief and resilience coach supports people to live alongside loss in a way that feels more manageable,” Cook explains. “It’s not about fixing grief, it’s about witnessing grief and being able to hold space for honoring it.”
Allie Stark working with her life and leadership clients, and Henrique Quôs in a movement coaching setting.Courtesy of Henrique Quôs / Allie Stark
The Process
Every coach operates differently depending on what works best for them and their clients. Stark often refers to a three-part framework that involves unlearning old narratives, “awakening” any areas that could be improved, and making strategic moves. “If the business is developed, we examine systems and infrastructure. If I’m working with business partners, we unpack what hasn’t been said,” she says. “When clients walk away, their businesses are more sound. Their leadership has a strong moral compass that’s uniquely theirs.”
Smith’s feminine energy coaching framework shares some similarities – namely unlearning old beliefs. “[We work on] feeling safe to release that masculine energy we often switch to as a result of survival mode, past trauma, and beliefs taught to us,” Smith says. She encourages her clients to embody this mindset via her “release, reshape, reprogram” approach to coaching. “My job is not to tell my clients what to do, but to get my clients to hear and honor what their heart and intuition are already telling them,” she says.
“You’re allowed to make every mistake you need to, without judgment.”
When it comes to movement, Quôs tries not to overthink it. “My philosophy is simple: You learn by trying, failing, laughing at yourself, and trying again until something finally clicks,” he says. “With me, you’re allowed to make every mistake you need to, without judgment.” It’s not an overly complicated framework, but it does feel pretty radical in an industry where mistakes are rarely tolerated. “I want artists to feel that if they work hard enough, they can become superstars,” Quôs says.
For Cook, navigating grief has a lot to do with understanding the full impact of the loss (not just the obvious parts). From there, she creates space for clients to process their emotions without becoming overwhelmed. She also helps them come up with day-to-day care plans for themselves, so that they can start to think about what life might look like moving forward.
The Results
Results vary depending on the kind of coach you choose and the specific intentions you set going in. As a result of her feminine energy coaching, Smith says her clients have gotten into their dream relationships, started their own businesses, strengthened their boundaries, become financially free, and improved relationships with their minds and bodies. Others have found the courage to end relationships, move to new countries, and move through the world as their unapologetic self.
Since Quôs works with such a wide variety of artists, his results have more to do with a heightened sense of confidence. But movement is ever-evolving, and he wants to set his clients up for success, no matter what project they take on. “Training can be expensive, and not every artist can afford to have a movement coach for every project,” Quôs says. “[I try to] give artists the tools and direction they need so they can continue developing on their own.”
Following her life and leadership coaching, Stark has seen clients transform in both personal and professional spheres. On a personal level, they’ve entered and exited relationships, changed jobs, moved cities, saved money, negotiated raises, bought homes, and learned how to advocate for themselves. On a leadership level, they’ve built internal culture frameworks, gained visibility, and grown from six to seven figures, she says.
“They often start looking to the future again.”
Cook knows her coaching is working when clients start to feel more like themselves again. In the short term, people may feel comforted and less alone in their grief. Long term, they may be able to work through difficult emotions like guilt and regret. “They stop being withdrawn and begin to return to everyday activities, reconnect with other people, and take part in activities they might have pulled away from,” Cook says. “They often start looking to the future again.”
The Takeaways
There’s a lot of people trying to jump on the coaching bandwagon. But not all coaches deliver the same kind of results. “Coaching is a saturated market. There are many cookie-cutter frameworks and quick certifications,” Stark says. “If someone is looking for a coach, I always encourage discernment. Ask questions. Do your research. Make sure the person has done significant personal development work and can hold space in a trauma-informed, thoughtful way.”
Coaching isn’t a quick fix, nor is it an easy profession to be in. However, it is a form of support that can be rewarding for both coach and client, especially in a society that isn’t always designed to support personal and professional development. “If I am honest, I wish my job did not need to exist. I wish communities and families felt more able to support each other through grief,” Cook says. “Until that time, this work is so important, and so sacred, and it’s a privilege to hold space for people in grief.”
While you don’t necessarily need a coach to achieve your goals, it can certainly set you on the path for success. The important thing is to be clear about your intentions and find someone with the right experience, character, and expertise. “It’s a powerful profession, but it’s also a bit of a Wild West,” Stark says. “The right fit matters.”
Chandler Plante (she/her) is a social producer and staff writer for the Health & Fitness team at Popsugar. She has over five years of industry experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine, a social media manager for Millie magazine, and a contributor for Bustle Digital Group. She has a degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and is based in Los Angeles.
