Why Coach Has Become a Bad Word

I offer services that help business owners and other self-employed creatives in various ways. I've never liked using the word "coaching" for those services, but I'm especially moving away from it now after seeing what's been going on in that space lately. What should I call myself? DM me @aardvarkgirl on any social platform and let me know! Shout out to Arzo Yusuf of the Sexy Boss Babe podcast for inspiring this episode. Check out Episode 22 for her take on Predatory Coaching Programs. Join us Tuesday nights at 6pm Pacific time on Clubhouse for discussions based on her weekly podcast episodes! -- I have had issues with the word "coach" for years when it comes to that line of my business helping services. I've never really figured out what to call myself in that capacity. Consultant sounds too stuffy and corporate. Advisor sounds too hands-on. Mentor sounds too egotistical. Coach is the most commonly accepted, but it has a lot of negative connotations, especially lately. I have gone back and forth with what to call myself for years and have never settled on anything I love. In March of 2020 when I updated my website, I finally caved and decided to use Coach, because that’s the word people search for when looking for those services. I still didn’t love it, but I was willing to concede that it was the best choice. But then, during the pandemic, it seems that everybody became a coach. A lot of people were looking for new ways to make money from home, and that seemed to be an easy transition. And with that surge of new coaches in the market came a slew of horrible practices - bad advice, sleazy marketing, and false promises. I've been hearing way too many horror stories about these predatory coaches and coaching groups taking advantage. They are targeting vulnerable women and pressuring them into spending money they don't have in order to "achieve their dreams." That’s not what coaching is about. The more I saw that, the more I was reminded of my issues with that word. I left it on my website, but I changed it back to Consultant on my social profiles because I did not want to be lumped in with those people. I’m going to stop here and offer my typical disclaimer. My comments here are generalizing. Not all coaches are bad. There are plenty of great, ethical, honest ones out there who genuinely want to help others. I don’t take issue with people charging for their services or building a business by using their expertise to assist others. None of that is the problem. What I’m talking about is going beyond acceptable sales and marketing techniques and tactics. It’s one thing to identify a need and offer a solution. It’s another to find someone’s triggering pain point and use it to manipulate them into working with you. It’s one thing to explain to someone how your background and knowledge qualifies you to help them with their specific goals. It’s another to lure them into a commitment by promising to help them earn 5 figures a month or 6 figures a year. No one can guarantee success, and any coaching program that makes such a claim is trying to trick you. Is it possible? Sure. Guaranteed? Unless they’re going to pay you themselves, not so much. I’m sure many of you are familiar with some of these tactics. You join a group on Facebook and someone posts a question that’s something along the lines of, “What are you struggling with?” or “What’s holding you back?” or “What if you could let go of the fear that’s keeping you stuck?” I automatically cringe at these posts because I strongly dislike the assumption that all women in business are struggling, being held back, or afraid. Many of us are doing just fine, thank you. We are in those groups to share value and connect with others in a safe space. But someone poses the question and maybe you answer because you want to engage. It’s why you’re there. Then the original poster offers you a freebie of some sort, either a document they created or a 5-day challenge they’re holding, or s