An Interview with a Life Coach

I am passionate about the power and potential of coaching to uncover what makes individuals extraordinary in their personal and professional life. As a self-development coach, I help people catapult to the next level of success, whether it is in their personal or professional life. I help clients through their life transitions by asking questions to turn your thoughts in a new direction. People ask me questions all the time about what a life coach is, so when Scott asked me to be on his podcast, I felt it was a good opportunity to answer the ones he thought as important questions.

Good afternoon, everyone, my name is Scott Maddison. Welcome to my Podcast Behind the Job Title: Honest Conversations about Careers. Life Coach, Roblynn Hunnisett joins me today.

Scott: Welcome Roblynn. When I was asking around Toronto, your name came up quite a bit, yet you are in Guelph. Is this correct?

Roblynn: Yes, I have a physical office located in Guelph, but I have clients throughout Canada and the United States. I often go to Toronto to see my clients in their own working space. I will make an entire day of it.

Scott: It seems to me that there are a lot of “life coaches” out there. People seem to want to hang up their shingles, like a lawyer. Tell me when did you start coaching?

Roblynn: Yes, it does seem to be that way since there is not a regulatory body for life coaches. I have been a life coach since 2006. I was running a conference management company and somehow within the first year of my business, a young man asked me if he could get some business coaching for an event. He spent the entire day with me as I had two conferences and a gala event which I was in the middle of preparing. He told me he learned more in 1 day with me than 4 years of university in marketing and he walked away with a plan. He is still in business, just in a different capacity of that same industry. This was the first day that I became a life coach!

Scott: Wow! It was a happy accident! If that was your first day, why did you decide to remain a life coach?

Roblynn: My personal mission statement is “Encourage and Inspire others to reach and be their personal best.” Every day I try to make that authentic choice and being a Life Coach helps me accomplish this goal.

Scott: What do you love most about life coaching?

Roblynn: The thing that excites me the most is when I see the joy of a client accomplishing a goal on their own terms. It is a partnership. Part of my coaching is identifying who you are and accepting and acknowledging you. Once we do this, any goal can be accomplished both personally and professionally.

Scott: What is the hardest part of your job?

Roblynn: Hmm. I would have to say getting clients to realize they must work; I do not have a magic wand. Time spent getting people to see the value of coaching can be exhausting at times. I have a rule, the homework needs to be done before I can see the client again. Each session is built upon the previous steps.

Scott: What type of life coaching do you do? What are your three primary areas of expertise?

Roblynn: I would sum up what I do as “personal development coach.” My three areas of coaching are in life transitions, leadership, and communication. I spend a lot of time on self-esteem and self-confidence and how they relate to my three areas of coaching.

Scott: If I were active, looking for a life coach, what would I be looking for in a life coach? How would I choose?

Roblynn: 1. Decide what you want to work on and then look and filter for that area of experience and expertise. 2. What type of education and certifications does the person have?3. Have they collaborated with people like you (situation, background, or culture).

Scott: If I come to you for work-life balance, can I ask what does that look like for you on a personal level?

Roblynn: I will be honest, like most of us, my work-life balance can go amuck at times. I believe in self-care and self-compassion, and I follow what I teach. I go dancing twice a week and to a small local gym for an hour twice a week. I love cooking. I write for 1 hour per day. I am always up for something new and challenging, so I can be considered ” a little much” at times. I enjoy my work, but I enjoy life even more.

Scott: You are full of energy! Has coaching and your style changed over the past 18 years you have been coaching?

Roblynn: Scott, this is an interesting question. My style(method) is the same but have grown in knowledge since I finished my degrees, a BA in Applied Psychology, and my MBA in leadership over the past 5 years. My questions may be more pointed, and more questions can be asked and filtered. I think what has really changed is my clientele, although it may ebb and flow. When I started coaching, most of my clients were 24-34 years old and looking at life transitions and starting businesses. Midway around 10-year mark, my clientele (aged 30-45) moved more to communication and mid managers looking to grow in better positions and older parents concerning legacy. Since Covid, I have gone back to young businesses starting out, fiscal management, retirement, and leadership. I continue to get all aspects of life transitions, whether personal or professional. My youngest client is sixteen and my oldest is seventy-two.

Scott: Because I am a journalist and have a curious mind, I would like to ask one more question. What is your favorite book and why? Also, what are you reading now?

Roblynn: My favorite book of all time, and my copy is very worn out, Loving Each Other: The Challenge of Human Relationships by Dr. Leo Buscaglia. I got this book when I was 18 years old. I learned that even if we fail in one relationship it did not mean we could not succeed in others. He also taught me about the power of hugs. I love all his books, and they have influenced me a lot in my approach to all human relationships.

What I am reading now- the answer is it depends on the room I am in. I normally have three books on the go. 1. The Power of Discipline by Daniel Walter 2. Girls that Invest: Your guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks by Simran Kaur and 3. Homecoming by Kate Morton.

Scott: What an interesting collection! Roblynn, I want to thank you for taking time to speak with me about your remarkably interesting career. This was Scott Maddison and thank you for joining me on my podcast.

Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.”

Life Coaching is very much about finding the opportunity within you and making it work for you Lets set goals and design a vision for yourself or for your company. I invite you to experience the joy of acknowledgement by designing your life the way you want it to look. If you wish to engage with me and the services I offer, please reach out to me at Roblynn Hunnisett – MyLife Counselling Guelph .