certified
A digital magazine for current & aspiring life coaches who are ready to → lead, earn & make change
A Note from Susan Hyatt
Master Certified Life Coach, Author, & Founder of the University for Life Coach Training
I never planned on becoming a life coach.
Nope. That was definitely not in the “life plan” I scribbled out in my planner back in the early 2000s.
I was a mom with two small kids—Ryan and Cora—hustling houses as a real estate agent, speeding all over town in my aqua blue minivan, glued to my Blackberry (remember those dinosaurs?).
My life on paper looked “successful.” I was winning awards. Making sales. We had the house with the red brick and the big SUVs.
But on the inside? I was fried. Burnt out. Done.
I was working way too much, checking emails at night, on weekends, even during so-called vacations. I was stress eating my feelings and pretending everything was fine while quietly suffocating under the weight of it all.
And joy? Pleasure? Fun? Couldn’t find ‘em.
I was stuck in a cycle of over giving, over doing, and over achieving…and underneath it all, I was over it.
One afternoon, desperate for a lifeline, I wandered into a bookstore desperate for a book to help me figure out what to do.
And then…
A book literally fell off the shelf and hit me on the head. Not metaphorically. Literally. Bonk.
It was a book written by a life coach—a profession I had never heard of—and it was all about finding your passion, your voice, your purpose.
I took it home, ran a bath, and started reading. Within minutes, the book, and my face, were soaked in tears. That book cracked me open.
I finally let myself admit: I wasn’t happy and I needed help. And I was ready for more.
Soon after, I hired my first coach. I had no idea what to expect, but something in my gut said, “This is it.”
And ohhhhhh, was it ever.
All my energy went to working, parenting, cooking, cleaning, keeping it all together. I didn’t know how to ask for help, set a damn boundary, or make space for myself.
I started to remember who I really was and I realized: I don’t just want to be coached. I want to learn to BE a coach.
I enrolled in a training program, boarded a flight, and never looked back. Six months later, I was a Certified Life Coach with a fresh credential and a fire in my belly.
Flash forward to today? I’ve built a multi-million-dollar coaching practice and have coached thousands of women around the world. I’ve written books, launched courses, spoken on stages, and created a whole damn University.
But I never forget where I started.
Within months, everything started to shift. I felt hopeful again. I was taking better care of my body. My marriage improved. I laughed more. I had energy.
I remember the fear when I hit “enroll.” I remember the raised eyebrows from my husband when I told him I wanted to leave real estate and become a life coach. (“Wait…is that even a real job?”)
I remember how awkward it felt to “come out” as a coach. How people gossiped. How I doubted myself.
I remember landing my first paying client—and then promptly freaking out because OMG IT’S HAPPENING.
And I remember the moment I hit 6 figures. Then 7. And the satisfaction of watching every doubt, every “who does she think she is?” comment, every whisper get drowned out by results.
Listen, I didn’t have a roadmap when I started. I made it up as I went. I messed up. I learned. I grew.
That’s why I created the University for Life Coach Training. So you don’t have to wander around in the dark. So you can get a legit education, top tier tools, and mentorship from someone who’s been there.
If coaching is calling you, listen. You can do this. And we’re here to help you make it happen.
There’s never been a better time to step into your power, get certified, and start changing lives….including your own.