“Building coaching skills doesn’t just help you create better results with clients, it helps you create stronger relationships with everyone in your life.”

I’m in Bali for 3 weeks working and vacationing. This is a screenshot from a video that I shot right after a snorkeling trip with a 150-year-old sea turtle. It was super tough to get a normal shot because apparently I don’t make ANY normal faces when I talk. ? One of the main ways I create clients is through connecting with videos. My focus this year has been on getting more creative with my videos (hence why I’m on the beach in a snorkeling mask!) and using my vision (working from anywhere) as inspiration for my work and using those experiences to directly create clients. Instead of doing a ton of work to someday get to my vision, I’m challenging myself to live my vision NOW and use THAT to further build my business. I’ve never been very patient ? #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

I thought this man was super inspiring. We pulled off of the road on the way home from a motorbiking trip and thought this family was amazing. My clients tell me all the time that being a mom makes it tougher to work out. I don’t doubt for a second that that’s true, but I love what this man is doing. When I talked to him, he shared with me that they do this all the time. At one point his son got bored and tried to get up, but dad sat him right back down! I love that dad is doing his thing, and his son is just chilling doing his. The perfect image of love and balance. That’s what it’s all about. #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

So many coaches dream of being able to work from anywhere and the last few years I’ve really been able to bring this vision to life. What is so incredible is that it was possible way sooner than I actually made it happen. Like most things in life, the only thing standing in my way was my belief system. Working through TCM at HCI helped me see where I was holding myself back. I’m planning to taking this vision even higher this year as I begin traveling to San Diego and Amsterdam to create public talks. In this picture I’m coaching a group of clients that i’ve been working with for about 6 months and absolutely love. #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

I always try my best to workout when I’m away, but I never do it as much as I tell myself I will. At home, I’m a barre instructor as well as a coach, so I work out a ton. It turned out to actually be better to back off for a few weeks to let my injured knee rest. My clients struggle with this as well and experiencing the challenge myself reminded me of what they’re going through when they’re starting on the path to a healthier lifestyle. I have a feeling if there were more ‘gyms’ like this in Indonesia and home, we would all struggle a little less with it ? #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

If there was one thing besides having awesome mentors and training that I can attribute my success to, it’s this man. This photo was taken after a night hike up to the top of Mt. Batur, an active volcano in Bali. Aside from a beautiful experience and awesome workout, it represents a lot more. We’ve climbed a metaphorical volcano in the dark over the last few years. Building a business is a climb and the fear of an ‘eruption’ is present at every moment. The journey challenges you and your relationships in so many ways and building coaching skills doesn’t just help you create better results with clients, it helps you create stronger relationships with everyone in your life. Sibe (my husband) has been my greatest support and cheerleader through the entire thing. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our moments, but this climb really felt like a celebration of everything we’ve accomplished in the past few years. #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

I believe travel is SO important. Stepping outside of your physical environment gives you such powerful perspective. Not only are you out of your daily routine, you also get to step out of how you react to your physical environment. Inevitably on every trip we say “I wish life could be like this all the time.” I believe life and business can be exactly what we want it to be. It’s all how we create it. I also believe that there are no rules: for life or business. So why can’t life and business always feel this good? So I have a tradition that every time I take a trip, I reflect on what I can “take” home from my trip to make life feel more like a vacation. This time, it was yoga and this long list right here. When I get home, I dive right into making the change to make the transition back into “normal” life a lot more fun. The photo on the right is of a studio where I took the restorative yoga class that inspired me to take yoga more often at home. #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

I’m sharing this photo for a few reasons. One is because as a coach and fitness trainer, I feel a lot of pressure to have a perfect body and a 6 pack so I’ve spent a lot of years hiding under loose shirts and never posting pictures or feeling totally confident in a bikini. I realized that by continuing to feel this way ‘behind the scenes’ I’m energetically sending the wrong message to my clients. I’ve made the decision this year that is the last year I will ever feel this way. The power that actually making a decision has is life-changing. It’s already almost evaporated as a problem. Do I know what I need to do for a 6 pack for MY body? Yeah, I do. But I’m not willing to restrict myself that much. And all in all – not having a 6 pack has never ACTUALLY been in my way of enjoying life. The other reason I’m sharing this photo is because this year has been filled with so much more mental space. When you’re starting your coaching business, it’s all you do and can think about. For a few years, I had no hobbies, or fun. This year, I’ve learned to speak Dutch, I’m learning Poi (what you see here) and I just made a bet with my brother-in-law that in a year, we’ll go face-to-face in a guitar competition on a beach for a $500 prize. (We have a year to learn) All of this inspires my work with clients. Creating space for fun and creativity is both my passion and mission with clients: Freedom and fun IN the process. #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

This is one of my favorite photos. To me it represents the evolution of my business and life. I’ve transitioned from a weight loss coach to a freedom coach. For me, life is about freedom and fun. Whether it’s freedom from feeling trapped in your body, freedom from your limiting beliefs, or freedom from your goals themselves, life is better when you’re free. Just recently, I worked with my coach to see how my quest for my desires was actually trapping me in a stressed-out, money-hungry mindset. When I let go of my dreams and just focused on serving both my weight loss clients and business coaching clients, life opened up again. I challenge myself and my clients to unchain themselves from everything to live more freely, passionately and with more fun regardless of what their goals are. #sparkthechange #DayInTheHCILife @sweatandbutter

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!
Wanna live the freedom life of a Health Coach like Vanessa? Call a Health Coach at (877) 914-2242!

By:

Health Coach Institute provides aspiring Health and Life Coaches with the tools, training, and support to make a great living transforming lives.