FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.

0809

IS THERE A NICHE MARKET FOR COACHING SPECIFICALLY TARGETING MOTHERS? By FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809

Life Coaching Academy Gold Coast - August 2009

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 CONTENTS Page

Introduction Chapter 1 The Focus Chapter 2 The Method of Enquiry Chapter 3 The Project Chapter 4 Conclusions Bibliography Appendices

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Introduction In todays society many books, teaching programs and websites are devoted to providing information for a woman to prepare for the coming of her first child. Also, a further range of books and presentations are available to assist the new mother to raise the child. It is uncertain however whether these avenues provide support for the mother as she deals with the life changes that occur once she is at home with her new baby. Many articles and websites identify that when women become mothers, they feel lost and uncertain of whom they are. They have lost their identity. They are in a new role for which they have not had any practice in. There are many books which describe what will happen whilst they are pregnant and what will happen during the birth, some even describe that they may feel different after the birth. There are also articles in mother/baby magazines where mothers share their experiences and debrief how they are feeling. Many women also have extended family to share their feelings with. However, some mothers can feel intimidated by other mothers or by family members and may be reluctant to share how they are feeling. Also, as children grow up, mothers experience further transitional times in their lives when their last child starts school; when all their children have left home and these are times when a mother needs to reassess who she is and her role as a mother and get clear on who she is again. It is my opinion that these mothers need assistance to deal with the changes in their life, to identify who they are, beyond the role of the mother, and to be able to set goals and succeed in achieving them. I believe a Life Coach would be able to provide a mother with this assistance. The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Now, there are many Life Coaches practicing today and some of them target a specific market, for example, health, employment, business. I believe that there is also an avenue where coaching could be provided to mothers by mothers who are qualified life coaches. The purpose of this research project is to determine whether there is a niche market for coaching specifically targeting mothers.

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Chapter 1 The Focus Is there a niche market for coaching specifically targeting mothers? The role of a mother is unique. It is a new role that many women choose to take on and spend many months prior to the birth preparing for. Preparations take the form of visits to doctors and midwives; purchasing all the needed clothing and equipment; managing their physical health through diet and exercise; and attending antenatal classes to receive information on the delivery of the baby and how to care for it in the early stages. Although these preparations are very useful and practical, the emotional wellbeing of the women is not necessarily met during this phase. Also, following the birth of the baby, child health nurses, paediatricians and general practitioners spend their time checking the health of the baby and may briefly discuss with the mother how she is going, but her full emotional needs may not be attended to during a brief visit. My planning, as useful as it had been, could not have addressed the emotional changes inside of me. As a new mother, I needed nurturing alm ost as much as did our baby. (Heidi L. Brennan 2008) We discussed our birth plans in my antenatal group, but not how we thought wed cope after birth, emotionally as well as practically, and really, that would have been far more useful. (Kylie Ladd 2009) The range of emotions that can be experienced by new mothers can include of loss of who they were as a person and their identity; a sense of helplessness when things dont go according to plan with the birth itself or with how their baby is; and feeling that they are supposed to feel and be a certain way and meet societies expectations of how a new mum should feel. They are tired, feel isolated and lonely and lack control over their lives. Having had a job or profession prior to having their child the

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 identity associated with that is put on hold and they need to see themselves in their new role or identity. The impact of these emotions can be quite devastating for a woman. They feel like a complete failure, because they didnt give birth the way they were meant to, or maybe theyre not feeling as thrilled with parenthood as they expected the gap between what people are led to expect and what actually happens can be massive. (Kylie Ladd 2009) As life goes on, the mother then may need to adapt her identity somewhat as her children grow up. When all her children are at school the demands on her change and then when they all leave home she enters a new phase in her life. She will still be a mother to her children but she will gain back time to do her own thing. This phase can be difficult for some mothers as they readjust their identity and find out who they are again. When I became a first time mum, 18 years ago, I experienced a real sense of loss of who I was. I had worked full time as a nurse for over ten years and had my identity wrapped up in that role. As much as I had looked forward to being a mother and loved my daughter and being a mum, I felt a sense of loss of who I had been. I returned to work two days a week when my daughter was 6 months old and was happy to be back nursing, however, I then battled the guilt associated with leaving my child to be cared for by someone else. I didnt understand that I could create an identity as a Mum and maintain my identity as a nurse. In recent years I chose to move on from my nursing career to pursue a career where I am still helping people but on a more one on one basis. I have a real passion to help mothers, at whatever stage they are in life, as over the years I have spoken with many who, like me, have felt quite lost. When I came across the profession of life coaching, I could see how it assisted people to focus on looking forward and goal setting. The 6

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 skills learnt would enable me to work with mothers who wanted to make progress in their life or who just wanted to feel supported without judgement, and know that I am on their side, wanting the best for them.

The insight we have gained has shown us that new mothers, faced with significant physical, emotional, and social changes, are especially in need of assistance while they make the transition into motherhood (Editors 2008) As a result of my personal history, reading that I have done, and conversations with many mothers I chose to focus my research in this area to understand whether life coaching would benefit mothers and if there is a niche market for Life Coaching for Mothers. Once I got clear on my target for my research I searched the internet to see whether there was any life coaching businesses specifically targeting mothers. This search proved fruitful and I will highlight three of the sites that I found which support my instinct that there is a niche market to be found in coaching mothers.

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Chapter 2 The Method of Enquiry In order to gather data to determine if there is a niche market for coaching specifically targeting mothers I chose three different data collecting methods. My first method entailed surveying a group of mothers. These mothers ranged in age and in the number of children they had. 26 hard copy surveys were distributed with 25 of these surveys being returned to me completed. My aim here was to obtain the thoughts of these mothers on whether they felt coaching would have assisted them in their early stages of motherhood or even now at their present stage of life. Most of the surveys contained comments disclosing personal insights as a result of having thought about each question. My second source of research data came from three mothers who I have coached. One of these mothers is a first time mother who was dealing with her new role and also working through her expectations/disillusionment with the birth of her daughter. The other two mothers that I coached were experiencing a loss of knowing who they were and where they were going as their children were growing up and heading out of secondary school. The data collected is in the form of a testimony from each of the mothers expressing the impact that the coaching had on each of them. My third source of data collection in my research came through an internet search. I explored the internet to determine if there were any websites for coaching businesses that were specifically targeting mothers. I discovered three businesses in the United States that addressed my criteria. The information I gained from their websites highlighted the unique market that they target. An assumption that is made is that these businesses are successful in their marketing and that their businesses do predominantly coach mothers.

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Chapter 3 The Project Data Collection 1 The first part of the data collection for my research project involved distributing a survey to 25 mothers. The survey took the form of a questionnaire with four questions and included an area for comments at the end. The cover sheet included a definition of what Life Coaching is and further detailed my reason for the research and my specific research topic: Is there is a niche market for life coaching specifically targeting mothers. Following is a breakdown of each of the questions asked in the survey and the responses received. Question 1: Have you had any experiences with life coaching either in a personal or professional role? Two of the participants had received coaching, one of them having life coaching whilst the other had received workplace coaching. A further four mothers were aware of life coaching. Question 2: How many children do you have and what ages are they? Of the 25 mothers surveyed one had only one child; 8 had two children; and 16 had 3 or more children. The age of the children ranged from two to 21 years.

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Question 3: Life coaching focuses on setting goals and taking steps forward. Do you think coaching could be useful to you now at this stage of your life and at this stage of motherhood? This question received complete response with most mothers providing supporting comments to their answers. Of the 25 mothers surveyed 19 responded with Yes; four said No; whilst two were unsure. Of the 19 mothers who responded positively to the concept of having life coaching at this stage in their motherhood, eighteen provided additional comments which are listed below: Yes. Have felt quite aimless for a while now when I consider my future. It will be 18 months when my youngest child is in part time education and I dont know what to do. I believe a life coach could assist me in this process. Yes. When your children reach a more independent stage, and start school, I think you begin to think what do I want to do?, realising also that I still have 30+ years to be in the workforce. Yes. I am very aware myself and in my current interactions with other mothers of the need to develop strong boundaries and positive attitudes that will meet the continually changing demands of motherhood. Yes, as you do seem to lose your personal identity amongst the day to day pleasing of others.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Yes definitely. I am entering a period in motherhood where I have some time for myself and for my relationship with husband. There are less physical demands as a Mum. Life coaching would benefit because it would help with finding new challenges which continue to assist with personal growth whilst not taking away ability to continue being a Mum. Yes. Always. Ongoing. I guess I self coach using a variety of tools. Absolutely. I think coaching provides perspective which is incredibly valuable for any stage of motherhood. Raising children is challenging and any wisdom is welcome. Yes preparing for, and then experiencing, our youngest child going to school was completely uncharted and unplanned territory! It was not a milestone that I ever really considered. (Not that its not great ) Definitely. As a Mum, I think the goal posts are always moving. You have different goals and plans dependant at times upon the age of children, responsibilities etc. Yes, even though at this present time things are very positive, the pre-adolescent age is a difficult time to parent. Yes setting goals would help to keep your focus on what you want to achieve as a mother for your children and having a coach would help you to be motivated to achieve these goals. Yes. I would find it helpful to verbalize my thoughts and discuss issues and challenges to enable positive ways of relating, parenting and personal growth.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 I think life coaching is useful at all stages of life as we often set goals for ourselves everyday without actually calling them goals or formalising the process. Mothers these days often place themselves in situations, or are put in life situations, whereby they are trying to juggle many balls in the air at once. Life coaching would be of help to put all those different demands into perspective. For myself I have been juggling part-time study with the daily demands of being a Mum for the past three years. Now that my formal studies are nearly completed life coaching may be a useful tool to help gain clarity of future direction. However, whatever goals I set would need to be congruent with Gods calling and purpose for my life. I think that this period of motherhood where your children are more independent can be a time where you start looking for the what next? It would be interesting to talk to someone and discuss ideas. Absolutely I am at a place where my children are all at school and I am redefining who I am and what I want from life. It would be a tremendous help as I navigate through this transition stage. Yes but I would only go to a life coach who had similar ethical and spiritual values, as I feel setting life goals should be strongly driven by a persons beliefs and values. Definitely. I am still trying to negotiate my way back into work. It is useful to be able to talk to somebody about the progress being made. General support to make sense of all the things life throws at me, trying to manage a household with a husband and two young children. Coping with often being very tired, how to look after myself and maintaining composure can sometimes be a challenge. Yes especially if/when I have more children!

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 The six mothers who stated that they would not or were unsure whether they would have life coaching made the following comments: My 1st answer is no but I would certainly go to workshops if they interested me. I guess I am unsure about next year when all kids are gone to school so it could assist with direction there, with steps to get back out there after being a stay at home Mum. No, I am happily teaming part-time work in my chosen profession with being a Mum and being involved in as many aspects of my childrens lives as possible. Not necessarily Whenever I stop, think and set goals it is valuable so life coaching could be useful but probably wouldnt be something I would seek out. Im unsure. I find it hard to make plans as often as a mother they have to be put on hold and its frustrating to not be able to achieve them. It seems easier at this stage to not make plans. I dont really feel I have the liberty to dream about goals either as I seem to have too much responsibility and where would I find the time to do anything other than raise my kids?

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Question 4: Do you think coaching could have been useful to you in your early stages as a mother? The responses to this questions provided very strong support for the coaching of mothers in their early stage as a mother. Nineteen of the mothers answered in the positive, with 5 answering No and one mother unsure. The comments provided from the mothers who said that they thought coaching could have been useful to them in their early stage of motherhood opened up a range of insights: Definitely. All new mothers would benefit greatly with someone alongside them with experience. Yes. I may have felt more prepared as a mother and less beige and goal-less. Could have already put in place a plan for my future without children at home during the day. May have felt more fulfilled in my achievements. Most definitely! When my children were younger, I struggled transitioning from a management career into motherhood and would have benefitted greatly from the support and clarity that coaching can bring. It would have been useful although not sure you realise you need it until you start not to cope and that can be hard to recognise. Also there is a lot to be said for real life experience and the natural progression. Yes. Its about having a network. Nursing Mothers, extended family, playgroup. Church and playgroup were my coaches at the early stage of motherhood.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Yes. I recognise now that coaching would have helped both prior and post first baby. Focus is not given to how the advent of motherhood will impact on your identity as a person. The change from being an intelligent skilled worker to a Mum. You want to be a Mum, but you go to being a person who feels unskilled in early motherhood. Coaching would then help post baby, as well to assist with this transition of identity. Coaching prior and post baby will at least help a new Mum in that feeling guilty, or not being a perfect Mum is a normal feeling amongst new Mums. Absolutely!! I was in a situation where we had moved interstate and I had no support (no family or friends). I think I cried every day for the first six months because I felt very isolated. Absolutely! That change of role from full-time worker to stay at home Mum was unexpectedly hard. I never realised how much of my identity was determined by my job. YES! As a young Mum suddenly stopping work and staying home, I remember feeling quite isolated and directionless outside of being a Mum even though I loved becoming a Mum. Yes when my children were in their preschool years. Yes especially the newborn stages where the experience and guidance would help take away feelings of helplessness and help you to be successful as a mother. Yes. It seems there is much practical help available (e.g. What to do at what stage, breastfeeding, teething, solids etc.) but emotional well being and general cope ability as a Mum was challenging for me. E.g. Encouragement in getting better perspective on things; that I didnt have to have to be a perfect homemaker while juggling all the other responsibilities.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Coaching could have been useful in a number of ways not only as a way of helping me to realize that the goals of making sure that the washing is done, or the family meal is cooked etc. are important, but that completion of those goals also brings a feeling of accomplishment and that my contribution as a mother is of value. Probably. Not sure that I had time to think about where I was going. Just enjoyed what I was doing. I made the choice not to go back to work and was contented with that choice. I think it would have been a helpful way to maintain a bigger perspective on my life while I was feeling that my plans were on hold for a while. I enjoyed having young babies, but sometimes got too caught up in the moment and felt life was never going to be about me again. Definitely, particularly with our first child. Given my lack of experience with children prior to having my own I could have done with some coaching to help me through. Yes mainly after my second child was born. I wasnt prepared for how busy I would be with a demanding toddler and a newborn! Yes as it would have helped me to prioritize time, resources and other aspects of motherhood. Also to help maintain me as a person, not just a mother and wife.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Those mothers who did not feel that coaching would have been helpful to them in the early stages of motherhood had the following to say: Personally, I dont think so. I dont think I really thought about what I wanted to do or get out of life during the time the children were smaller and more reliant on me. Not really, but I was a childcare teacher so had some skills already plus I was able to just focus on the home being a stay at home Mum. I dont think so. I had support from friends and family while my children were very young and also attended my local playgroup regularly. That was sufficient for me at the time. No. I probably gained that sort of support from mentoring and support groups, particularly the Nursing Mothers Association (now Australian Breastfeeding Association). Also from widespread reading on mothering babies and young children and friendship with others in similar stages groups like playgroup; neighbours with young children. Not sure. Maybe as a sounding board. Perhaps, however, probably couldnt have afforded it (time or money). I have been very blessed to be surrounded by a great network of family and friends (perhaps unofficial life coaches to me).

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 The final stage of the research survey asked for any further comments that the mother may have had. One mother commented on Life Coaching in a general sense by stating: I think that life coaching can be a great tool in helping to strategically attain goals in a way that brings clarity, encouragement and builds self esteem. The remaining comments made discussed how the mothers could see areas of need in a mothers life and the usefulness of coaching to address these areas. Their comments are as follows: I see a huge gap at both upper school and in the community for life-skills, dealing with stress/boundaries/superMum image. A program that gets a group together to teach/guide and encourage would be fantastic. All thoughts prior to motherhood focus on the baby. The woman physically changes but there is generally no thought about what the actual changes to your life as an individual. Feelings of claustrophobia/feeling overwhelmed but having someone so totally dependent on you. No matter how helpful and supportive a partner/husband is, they cannot help you with the changes to you as a person. The niche market may be associated with this paid Parental Leave. Through companies providing a coach for their employees. I do believe that women are very confused with their roles and are trying to have it all. Some can do it and others would benefit from help like life coaching to understand their own capabilities and expectations. Coaching would be a good tool to help you keep your focus on the bigger picture of raising your children to be successful. Having goals would help you achieve this as this can get lost in the busyness of life.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Life coaching for mothers would especially be of value as their children grow older and start to live their own independent lives. Perhaps life coaching would help reduce the effects of empty nest syndrome whereby the parents are suddenly left home alone and realize that they have now been given more freedom themselves to pursue hobbies or goals that have remained on the back burner for some time, or have been pushed down in their minds because they thought they would never be given the opportunity to pursue those goals and dreams. The concept of lost identity is an interesting focus for new mums. Definitely could see a need in this area. I think as mums we are so vulnerable to the judgements of others. I can definitely see the value in life coaching at all stages of motherhood. Good luck! I love the idea of a coach coming alongside everyday Mums, helping them to discover their new identity and cheering them on. I think its a very valuable exercise to stop and take stock of your life at times set goals, re-evaluate values etc. A good life coach could be helpful at these times. However I would be cautious of becoming too self focussed by doing this to excess. From experience with my brother I believe life coaching can direct you down paths of self-centeredness. Sorry for being so blunt but as I said before Im sure different people could bring different perspectives to the role.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Having two children: has changed the dynamics of my relationship with my husband, has put new types of stresses on our relationship despite years of being together. Coping with different parenting styles Coping with the change of role as stay at home mum. Feeling under valued. Aware of the financial dependence for the first time since being 18 years old. Has made me feel isolated, with a lack of adult conversation and company.

These are a few examples of the impact of having children. There are lots more. Having someone impartial to talk to about some of these challenges would have been very helpful. I personally do not need life coaching as I see myself as a very proactive person, however, I definitely think there is a need for mothers to have someone come alongside them and help them see the light at the end of the tunnel. First time mothering is such a huge life change. Different people find value in different things and Im sure some would benefit from life coaching during this transition.

The only comment which was received but was not transcribed on this paper was a personal insight from a friend whose mother is dying and did not relate to the specific question of this research paper.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Data Collection 2 This phase of research was conducted over the period of the past year. It entailed gathering a testimony from three mothers that I had coached over the year. Each mother was at a different stage of motherhood with different events happening in their life. I approached each of the mothers about gaining some experience with my coaching technique; however, at the initial meeting with each of these women, I stated that feedback from them at a later stage in the form of a testimony would assist me with my research project. They were made aware that a general statement about the content of the sessions would be included in the research project, but that no personal information would be disclosed. An overview of my interaction with each mother is detailed along with a testimony from her. Suzanne Suzannes daughter and my daughter have been in school together since primary school, and were friends during these early years, and as a result Suzanne and I have known each other for about 11 years. We are not especially close but have friendly connections when we see each other. Both girls are now in senior at the same secondary college, and although the girls are not close, Suzanne and I occasionally cross paths at school events. It was at once such event that Suzanne and I recently met again. During our discussion this particular evening, Suzanne disclosed that she was a bit lost with where her life was heading and unsure of what she wanted to do. I shared with her that I understood where she was coming from and had felt in a similar place a few years back and that I was now studying a Life coaching course. Seeing an opportunity to practice my skills, I offered to coach her. I explained to her that the coaching would be a tool to assist her to uncover all of her thoughts and feelings and

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 a guided process to help her take some steps forward to resolving the confusion she was currently battling. She happily accepted my offer. After one session working through the GROW model, Suzanne went away with an action plan, and at our following meeting, she was very excited to state that she was clear now on what she wanted to do and was grateful for the process we had been through to help her get there. TESTIMONIAL FROM SUZANNE A couple of months ago I had a chance encounter with Fiona MacArthur, a long time acquaintance of mine and the topic fell to what was keeping me busy. I found myself bemoaning the fact that I was feeling bored and couldnt decide what I should do with my time, now that my two children were nearing the end of their schooling and their demands on me were less and less. Fiona seemed unusually interested in my dilemma and a day or so later she called to say that her passion was to help mothers through these changing seasons of life and to suggest we get together to work through the issues which were troubling me. We proceeded to have a number of sessions over a few weeks during which time it became startlingly obvious that my teaching career was and always would be my first love and that I just needed a way to have flexibility and control over it. Fiona and I decided together on a few simple homework tasks which essentially helped me to take the first of some small steps towards going back to teaching. These tasks were manageable and so not too daunting and I felt a great sense of achievement and excitement at completing them and moving towards my goal. I very quickly determined that I wanted to return to teaching but on my terms and no one elses and am now thrilled to be back in a career I have always loved. Fiona played a vital role in all of this. Her gentle, but probing questions and friendly nature immediately put me at ease and I found I was able to consider and discuss 22

FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 some very personal issues and identify the issues I was struggling with and the reasons why. Her questions were thought provoking and when we met I felt as if I were not alone in making a decision which seemed to have grown massive in my mind, but that we were a team and together we would discover the answer. She was always careful not to give her opinions or advice, but to encourage me to search deep within for the answers which were there all along. The experience was a tremendously positive one for me. It was my first experience in a coaching setting and I highly recommend the process. Sometimes all we need is for someone to listen deeply to our concerns, ask the right questions and help us locate the truths which lie within us. Only a mother can truly understand what another mother is feeling and Fiona is both a mother and a coach! Beck My youngest daughter had Beck as her grade 1 teacher, and as a result Beck and I got to know each other during that year. At the time (3 years ago), I had been looking into the idea of coaching and at some stage had discussed the idea with Beck. I had told her that I was interested in coaching women who were leaving their work to have their first child and then to further coach them when they were at home with the baby. Last year, when I saw that she was pregnant, I approached her about coaching, and she happily agreed. We met twice before she had her daughter and have met regularly since. I used the GROW model and that helped her to work through issues leading up to the birth and then some related to the actual birth. She stated that these sessions have been very useful.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 TESTIMONIAL FROM BECK I found working with Fiona chatting about the birth of our little girl and the journey afterwards so helpful! She listened attentively and helped me come to conclusions and find my own answers by asking me great questions. I was disappointed about needing to give birth to our daughter via c-section, and therefore missing out on experiencing a natural labour, but the process Fiona took me through helped me to realize that the thoughts and experiences I went through were normal and legitimate. Thank you so much Fiona for all the time, help and support you provided me. You were a godsend thanks again! Sue Similar to my re-acquaintance with Suzanne, I met up again with Sue earlier this year at a school function. My daughter and her son have been in school since their primary years and thus Sue and I have had a friendly relationship for many years. On meeting again with Sue we caught up on all that was happening for us and our families. Sue was keen to hear about my studies in life coaching as she knew that I had moved away from my nursing career and office administration for our business. She shared with me that she was currently very confused about where her life/work was heading. She had nursed for many years in different areas but was feeling a bit unsatisfied in her current role. She agreed to meeting with me so I could hone my coaching skills and was keen to explore with me what was happening for her. Over 4 sessions Sue was able get some clarity on what her main issue was and to look into some different options, things she hadnt explored previously.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 TESTIMONY FROM SUE Fionas coaching skills were evident from the first session. The benefits to me were many. It helped me to gain an external perspective regarding my interests and how the strength of my interests and passions can impact on my ongoing career choices. I found I gained greater insight into my own mind. In a way it gave me permission to be the person that I am and to pursue my old dreams. Since my sessions with Fiona I have enrolled in a TESOL course as I realized I want to gain skills in assisting migrants to Australia to settle and integrate. I also hope to use it in an overseas context in the future to assist growing capacity in developing nations. It is also my intention to study further in natural therapies, a few years from now. This is an incredibly useful style of counselling and Fionas warm and empowering manner was the biggest blessing of all.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Data Collection 3 In my endeavours to understand if there is a niche market for coaching specifically targeted to mothers, I researched the internet to see if currently there were any businesses offering this specialised service. I found three website based in the United States which by their title and by-line demonstrated a specific target market. I will briefly detail below the names of these companies, their opening statements and information about their founding director. FAST TRACT MOMS Fast Track Moms offers coaching for mothers that will assist you in designing a life which you will feel proud of. Choices you make today have the power to recreate the images of your life tomorrow. Give yourself, your partner and your children the best gift possible: a happy, contented, fulfilled YOU.

Ley-Ann Clarke is the founder of Fast Track Moms and is a Certified Life Coach and a mother.

EMPOWERED MOTHERHOOD EMPOWERED MOTHERHOOD: Helping women embrace motherhood without giving up who they really are - Life Coaching Helps Mothers Reach Their Goals

Founder and Coach Amy Kovarick, from California, developed Empowered Motherhood in 2003 on the belief that women deserve as much attention as their babies.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 MOTHERHOOD TRANSITIONS Coaching moms through lifes transitions From the moment we become moms or even just conceive of the idea, we experience deeply moving thoughts, feelings, and emotions that offer opportunities for profound personal growth and transformation. Gretchen Reid, the founder of Motherhood Transitions, from Colorado, describes how it all came about: Motherhood Transitions Coaching was born out of a woman going through her own life transitions from single, career focused corporate consultant, coach, and trainer to married a child nine months later and a second child 3 years later. Much of the transitions that I myself went through and continue to experience I know many other women are facing in their lives. The techniques I use in my coaching are the same that I employ for myself. When I was asked to speak to a Moms group in the fall of 2006 I began my journey of redefining the work I do to align more closely with my personal purpose and life mission. Thus Motherhood Transitions was born.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Chapter 4 Conclusions To provide an answer to my question Is there a niche market for coaching specifically targeting mothers? I felt that a range of data sources was required. To spread my research across three different areas enabled me to get a broad perspective of the thoughts of mothers on this topic. As a result of my research I feel that there is a niche market to be found in providing coaching for mothers. To support my result I will detail my findings in each of the areas of data collection. The survey to 25 mothers provided a very positive response with most of the mothers supporting the concept of coaching provided to mothers at any stage along their journey of motherhood. The many comments and feedback supported the view that life can be very bewildering as a new mother. The follow two comments, discussing the coaching of new mothers, acknowledge how useful it could be: Yes. I recognise now that coaching would have helped both prior and post first baby. Focus is not given to how the advent of motherhood will impact on your identity as a person. The change from being an intelligent skilled worker to a Mum. You want to be a Mum, but you go to being a person who feels unskilled in early motherhood. Coaching would then help post baby, as well to assist with this transition of identity. Coaching prior and post baby will at least help a new Mum in that feeling guilty, or not being a perfect Mum is a normal feeling amongst new Mums.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 I think it would have been a helpful way to maintain a bigger perspective on my life while I was feeling that my plans were on hold for a while. I enjoyed having young babies, but sometimes got too caught up in the moment and felt life was never going to be about me again. This further comment signified the value that coaching could add to a mother at any stage in her life: Life coaching for mothers would especially be of value as their children grow older and start to live their own independent lives. Perhaps life coaching would help reduce the effects of empty nest syndrome whereby the parents are suddenly left home alone and realize that they have now been given more freedom themselves to pursue hobbies or goals that have remained on the back burner for some time, or have been pushed down in their minds because they thought they would never be given the opportunity to pursue those goals and dreams. The testimonies given by the three mothers that I have life coached provided further evidence supporting the niche market the can be found in coaching for mothers. Sues comments identified what can be gained whilst experiencing the coaching process by saying: ...I found I gained greater insight into my own mind. In a way it gave me permission to be the person that I am and to pursue my old dreams...

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 Further Suzanne described the benefits of having coaching provided by another mother who is a coach: ...It was my first experience in a coaching setting and I highly recommend the process. Sometimes all we need is for someone to listen deeply to our concerns, ask the right questions and help us locate the truths which lie within us. Only a mother can truly understand what another mother is feeling and Fiona is both a mother and a coach! The final phase of my data collection again supported my theory that there is a niche market to be found in coaching for mothers. The three individual businesses that I found in the United States were specifically targeted at mothers. They acknowledged the specific needs of mothers and promoted life coaching as an avenue to help mothers to maintain their own self whilst being a mother. Each of the founders/coaches in these businesses is a mother themselves and the development of their businesses came out of their own personal experiences as mothers. In conclusion, the research provided in this paper and the outcomes of that research has endorsed my belief that mothers need support in their role, not only physically but emotionally. The comments from the mothers acknowledged that a proper process, that being life coaching, provided by another mother, would enable them to move forward in their life whilst fulfilling their role as a mother.

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FIONA MACARTHUR MACA.0809 BIBLIOGRAPHY Heidi L Brennan. 2008. Transitions, Excerpts from Discovering Motherhood. Online. www.familyandhome.org. 29/10/2008 Kylie Ladd. 2009. Pp 10 12. Preparing for Parenthood. Brisbane Child Magazine. June 2009 The Editors. 2008. Excerpts from Discovering Motherhood. Online. www.familyandhome.org. 29/10/2008 Ley-Ann Clarke. www.fasttractmoms.com. 2011 Amy Kovorick. www.empoweredmotherhood.com. 2011 Gretchen Reid. www.motherhoodtransitions.com. 2011

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