Over the course of May 3 - 7 we will be offering multiple choices for sessions by highly successful coaches. Gay coaches bring a particular and powerful perspective to coaching. This is an opportunity to share IN PERSON with your comrades and peers.

Pre-Conference Day, (Thursday, May 3,evening until Friday, May 4, afternoon):
Building A Successful Business/Boot Camp

This session will be very focused on practical work that will assist you in building and maintaining the business you deserve.

Working Smart with Time To Spare
led by Craig Budoh

 
Session Description:
 
time management really doesn't exist.  So if you want to make the most of your time and efforts come to this workshop.  Interactive, applicable and customized for your needs.

What is unique about coaching gay men?
led by Tim Kincaid

Panel/Fish Bowl Discussion with GCA founders and GCA conference attendees moderated by Tim Kincaid
 
Session Description:
 
Gay Coaches Alliance posits that gay men have unique concerns and needs that may be more effectively met by working with a coach who is also gay.  Many of us in GCA intuitively feel this is so, yet some may feel uneasy about the exclusivity of GCA’s mission.  Maybe we struggle to explain when asked “so why not include the L, B, & T coaches and clients?”  This lively interactive, provocative and thoughtful conversation with GCA founders and members is intended to open-heartedly explore the differences and similarities of coaching gay men and those who are not gay men.  Examples of “powerful questions” that we coaches love to ask may include: What is specifically is unique about gay men as clients and also as coaches?  How are there concerns or needs different from those of lesbians, bisexuals or transgender people?  How do we define who a “gay man” is – must one be born male to be a gay man?  What about bisexual men?  What is GCA missing out on by focusing only on gay men who coach gay men?  How can GCA support business coaches who are gay men but whose clients are mostly non-gay?

What’s Your Sign, Baby?”  or Assessments – How They Can Help You, Your Practice, and Your Clients

Presentation and discussion led by Terry Hildebrandt
 
Session Description:
 
There is a dizzying assortment of assessments being offered to coaches today, measuring a variety of client characteristics --  leadership, personality, conflict types, values, character.  Many life coaches may use “wheel of life” or Strength Finder assessments. Business coaches may use Myers-Briggs, Birkman, or DiSC, or one of several 360/Multi-rater assessments, to name a few.  Do you need one or more to build you coaching practice?  Which assessment(s) are right for you?  What are the differences and costs involved?  And what are the philosophical differences in why and how of assessments?  Some coaches mark-up the cost for their clients to take an assessment and earn considerable incremental revenue; others provide assessments at cost as part of their overall client service.  Terry Hildebrandt has many years of executive coaching experience and is certified in more than 30 different assessments that he uses in his practice.  Terry will share an overview of the kinds of assessments, strengths and weaknesses, costs and the logic of using assessments (or not!) in your coaching.  He will share sample assessment reports and allow you to try one yourself.

Now, That’s a Great Idea!  A Forum on Ways to Promote and Market Your Business.

Short presentation(s) and group forum led by Tim Kincaid and Terry Hildebrandt, with other GCA members .
 
Many of us get into change work – coaching, counseling, mentoring – because we have talents and passions for helping others to be more effective, happy and lead more fulfilling lives.  But most coach training programs do not prepare us to be small business owners nor help us to, and thus many very gifted coaches struggle to survive and thrive.  This interactive session will explore strategies and tactics to raise awareness and demand for your services through PR, social media, networking and conferences.  We’ll draw on expertise of GCA members with deep knowledge of PR and marketing, plus, draw on the wisdom of the group to exchange ideas.  Have good ideas for promoting and marketing a coaching business?  Bring them!  Have questions about ways to increase visibility and income?  Bring those, too.  You’ll leave this session with clarity on the “who, what, when, where, why & how” of PR and marketing for your practice. Included will be a brief assessment based on the 7 promotion strategies from Michael Port’s “Book Yourself Solid Coach” program.

7 1⁄2 Essential Questions Your Website Must Answer (...if you want clients!)

Mark Reinert

• Is your website drawing in enough of the sort of prospects who want to pay you and with whom you’d love to work?
• Are you stuck with how to make the copy on your website more appealing?
• Are you new in your self-employment journey and still clarifying your ideal client?

Join Mark Reinert for a creative exploration that will help you bring fresh life and a depth of compassion to your website in a way that will draw in your ideal client. During this workshop Mark will briefly review the 7 1⁄2 essential questions your website needs to address. Most of the time will be spent in creative exercises that will help you explore how these questions relate to your unique coaching business. 

Regardless of how new or established your coaching business is, you will get some fresh ideas on how to use your website to connect with ideal prospects.

Post-Conference Day, (Sunday, May 6 until Monday, May 7 at lunch):
The Body As A Path To Deeper Coaching

This session will incorporate various modalities covering a range from traditional coaching to hands-on body centered coaching.

***Conference Bonus****

Allen Siewert will work with anyone at the conference who wants to make a video. Come with a script or develop one while at the conference, and Allen will help you edit it, shoot the video, and help you get it ready to publish. You can use this video on thegaycoaches.com and/or any site you want.