Choose Someone Who Sees YOU.

There are so many people calling themselves coaches, pageant coaches, mentors and experts these days. And while being passionate about pageantry, or even being a huge pageant fan, is wonderful, that alone doesn’t make someone a coach.

When you’re choosing a mentor, I believe it’s important to choose someone who takes the time to understand you.

Someone who listens to your needs, your goals, your personality and your abilities. Someone who doesn’t simply give you a formula and expect you to fit into it.

Because what works beautifully for one woman may not work at all for another.

A good coach understands that every woman is different. Your walk, your presence, your confidence, your experience and even the way you learn are unique to you. Coaching should be about finding what brings out your strengths, not trying to turn you into someone else.

For me, coaching is not about telling you, “This is how it has to be done.”

It’s about educating you, giving you the tools to understand why something works, helping you make adjustments, and then allowing you to develop your own confidence and presence.

And sometimes, the biggest part of coaching is simply listening.

You should feel comfortable asking questions. You should feel supported when something doesn’t feel natural. And you should leave a coaching session understanding yourself a little better, not feeling like you have to become someone completely different.

So ladies, when you’re choosing someone to guide you, don’t just look at the title of “coach.”

Look at their approach.

by Thelma Rodriguez