milukra

Oooh good question! Obviously I have not spoken to everyone in all jobs BUT I see a lot of people who work for non-profits and a lot of teachers.
The teachers tend to be surprised by the politics of dealing with parents.
The non-profit folks... it's a little more complicated, but often it boils down to a lot of them feeling taken advantage of. Like, if you really believe in the mission you wouldn't ask for time off/more money/life balance. Like their beliefs have been weaponized against them.

That said, I know many teachers and people who work for non-profits who are very happy and fulfilled. The job isn't bad, just the fit.

Yes! I work with a coach regularly - objectivity is a beautiful thing.

My mind swirls and gets swamped in emotion just like everyone else. Having a trusted person who holds a space for me and asks me nosy questions is usually exactly what I need to sort out my priorities.

I see regularly working with a coach as part of having a happy, healthy practice that serves my clients well.

Lol, you don't have to. I didn't. I stumbled upon a career I love.

Not everyone sees their life's worth through their career. Many people have great love stories, or make beautiful families, or have huge passionate side-hustles - their job just pays the bills.

I'd ask your friend how they feel about not having a preferred career. If it bothers them, it's fixable. If it doesn't, there's nothing wrong with that.

Usually someone like this, if they're working with me - they know something is wrong and that they might need to make a major change. I don't steer them anywhere though, I just help them figure out what they're thinking.

But sometimes I do have clients who are making really weird decisions for themselves and the ethical line is unclear. Is it my job to say, hey you're running your life off a cliff? If I say it and they say "no, it's cool I like cliffs" what am I supposed to do then? Or is it my job to be the one person in their life who always believes in them? Ethically it's murky and I try to do my best on a situational basis. Usually I straight up ask - what do you want from me - challenge or support? And let my client guide me.

I charge on a sliding scale, a lot like a therapist. I don't do packages, though I know many coaches do.

I charge between $85-125 per client and ask them to evaluate what they can afford and what feels like a substantial investment but not a deterrent. I charged a lot less when I got started and noticed that the clients who got deals didn't take the work as seriously or get as much out of it.

As to what I earn, honestly I'm not the best business person and coaching takes A LOT of energy. Between prep, notes, and the time I spend with my clients, and emotional recovery time I can only see 3-4 each day. I also need a day a week to do my admin and my marketing.

AND I'm the only person who works in my practice, so when I do something that takes my energy away from marketing, business gets SLOW. For reference, my first year in practice I think I made about $20k.

Many people who work with executives or create a lot of online programs do better than this, but the work I love is working with people just starting their careers, one-on-one.