I read that a 58 year old woman in Mexico just gave birth to twins.
Nowadays, almost anything is possible, at any age.
Yet I see people who want to start their own coaching businesses, but are holding back because they think they’re “over the hill” (for the record, I’m not saying that 58 is old, but it’s a limiting belief for some).
I’d argue that age and experience makes a person a better coach.
If you’ve got decades of life experience, that’s priceless. You should be sharing it.
I just finished reading my friend Aaron Walker’s book View From the Top. Aaron has a unique life story:
– He built a successful business in his 20’s and was able to retire at 27.
– He got bored of golfing and got back into business.
– He did well and retired (again) at 50.
– He got bored once more, and started looking for a new business to build.
– At the urging of friends, he started a coaching business
– Now, about 7 years later, he’s knocking it out of the park
You can turn age to your advantage. Experience and wisdom is a fine trait for a coach to have.
It goes the other way too, with youth.
Before coaching, I started selling real estate as a fresh-faced 21 year old (who looked about 16 at the time). People used to joke that they thought I was the paperboy when I approached their door!
But I turned my age to an advantage. I reminded potential clients that I was young and hungry, willing to work my butt off to sell their homes. And I reminded them that my older competitors were going away for a month or two every winter to their condos in Florida, while I would be staying back and working hard for them.
I got into coaching in my 30’s (with a few grey hairs), so I didn’t have the same problem at that point. But if I were a young coach starting out today, I would stress the advantages of being an energetic whippersnapper with a fresh outlook.
Whether you’re older or younger, turn age to your advantage.
In the 1984 Presidential election, 73 year old Ronald Reagan was facing a younger opponent, Walter Mondale, who was trying to make Reagan’s age an issue in the campaign.
During one of the debates, age came up and Reagan handled it masterfully:
“I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience”
Everyone broke out into laughter, including Mondale, and Reagan won the election in a landslide.
Regardless of what age you are, my Secret Coach Club ink and paper newsletter is for you. The next issue goes to print Sunday night, and all ages are welcome:
