As someone who has spent 15+ years coaching youth athletes, one might assume that I’ve mastered everything I need to succeed in both coaching and business. But the truth is, I firmly believe in the value of having coaches or mentors for myself. In fact over the years I’ve had many mentors for different goals: improving my coaching, growing my business, even for my own physical fitness. In reality, they are a key factor in my growth and success!
For example, I currently work with three: a business mentor through Two Brain Business, a calisthenics specific coach, as well as working with our in house nutrition coach, Ben Parkes, to help keep me on track for my own goals.
Here’s why I make these investments in myself and what I’ve learned from the process.
1. Accountability Drives Progress
No matter how motivated or disciplined you are, there’s something powerful about having someone else hold you accountable. Knowing you will have to look them in the eyes and say “Yer I didn’t complete that task.” We often talk a lot about peer pressure in a negative context when it comes to teenagers feeling pressured to smoke or drink, but for me this is leveraging positive peer pressure to propel me towards my goals.
Coaches ensure I stick to my commitments and push me beyond my comfort zone. Whether it’s hitting my business growth targets, nailing a challenging calisthenics move, or optimizing my nutrition, their guidance helps me stay consistent and gives clarity on the best steps forward.
2. Expertise is Worth Paying For
Rather than spending my own valuable time, money and energy making my own mistakes to learn from, I learn directly from them. As the saying goes, “Experience is learning from your mistakes. Wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others.”
Being a “self made man” is the longest, slowest route, most painful to success. I can leverage their experience and specialized knowledge to progress faster than I could on my own. My business mentor helps me navigate entrepreneurial challenges, my callisthenics coach helps fine-tunes my movement and skills, and Ben ensures my diet aligns with my goals and lifestyle. Each of them brings a level of expertise that would take far too long to replicate on my own.
3. Fresh Perspectives Prevent Blind Spots
It’s easy to get stuck in your own way of thinking. Coaches challenge me to see things differently. My business coach introduces strategies I wouldn’t have considered, while my calisthenics coach identifies inefficiencies in my movement patterns that I’d never notice alone. These insights not only improve my results but also broaden my understanding of what’s possible.
4. Practicing What I Preach
As someone who encourages parents to invest in their children’s athletic development, I know I must walk the talk. Paying for coaching demonstrates my commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement, making me a better leader, manager and coach. It also reminds me how it feels to be on the receiving end of coaching, which strengthens my empathy and effectiveness as a coach.
5. Time and Energy Optimization
Working with experts saves wasted time, effort and energy. Coaches provide me with a shortcut to success. In the current world of biohacking, productivity tools and shortcuts, simple coaching often gets overlooked. I don’t need to second-guess my approach or get bogged down in trial and error. My coaches create efficient plans tailored to my goals, allowing me to focus on execution. This is invaluable, especially as I balance running The Athlete Academy, mentoring coaches through Collaborate Sports, and completing my own training and having a personal life.
6. Setting the Standard for My Clients
Lastly, I believe my willingness to invest in coaching sets a standard for my clients. I often tell parents that great athletes are coachable. The same applies to great professionals, entrepreneurs, and human beings. By demonstrating the value of lifelong learning, I hope to inspire others to seek guidance and growth. You’re either progressing or you’re regressing. There is no “standing still”. Because while you’re standing still others are progressing, leaving you behind. So standing still is not an outcome!
Final Thoughts
Coaching is an investment in your potential. It’s a way of saying, “I’m willing to do the work, but I value the wisdom and structure that a great coach provides.” For me, these investments pay dividends not only in my professional success but also in my physical health, mental resilience, and overall quality of life.
If you’re hesitating to seek out coaching for your child, I encourage you to consider this: What would it be worth to achieve their goals faster, with greater clarity and confidence? For me, the answer has always been clear: it’s priceless.
