Adam 1:11

hey everyone. I'm Adam Breckenridge, director of coaching at Your Enneagram Coach. And I am joined by my good friend, Brian Lee, who is the coaching and operations manager at YEC. Brian and I have the privilege of working together to serve our community of certified Enneagram coaches in this summer, if you've been tuning in. You know, that we have had the privilege of standing in for our friends, Beth and Jeff McCord to host your Enneagram coach, the podcast.

Brian 1:37

Thanks, Adam. It is our mission at Your Enneagram Coach to help you see yourselves with astonishing clarity so you can break free from self condemnation, fear, and shame by knowing and experiencing the unconditional love forgiveness, and freedom in Christ. And if you love this content, turn on your automatic downloads or like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Also, share this with someone who would enjoy or benefit from this content.

Adam 2:02

Well, on this episode of the podcast, we are talking about the Enneagram and coaching. Our guest and conversation partner is Jessica Gorman. Jessica is Enneagram type two with a strong one wing. She's been working with Enneagram since. primarily leading workshops and large speaking events at churches, businesses, and universities. She currently serves as the customer experience manager at your Enneagram coach, and she plays a vital role serving our network coaches as the third member of our coaching team. She's also a big Enneagram nerd. Jess, how many Enneagram books do you have currently?

Jessica 2:41

I counted before this and I am currently at 153 neogram books. Um, they're all the books if you're watching on YouTube that you kind of see behind me. I'm kind of proud of it, not gonna lie.

Adam 2:51

You should be. Hey, Jess, welcome to the podcast. So glad you're here.

Jessica 2:55

Yeah, no, thank you so much for that really warm introduction. I'm excited to be here talking about something I'm really passionate about. I know you guys are passionate about it and I think this is gonna be a lot of fun.

Adam 3:05

Yeah, it is fun. It's really fun to be able to record a podcast with the whole coaching team. You know, Brian and I've been doing this, but honestly, Jess, we have felt a little incomplete. And you complete us. So, uh, it's been really, really fun. I have a ton of fun working with both of you and I love the heart that you both have for our coaches and the heart you have for coaching. I know both of you are coaches and that's what we're talking about in today's episode. We're going to dive deeper into what we do as a team and why we think Enneagram coaching is so important and relevant to our listeners.

Brian 3:39

That's right. And before we jump into the why, um, I think it would be great if we set the table and define or clarify some terms. And we start with what is anagram coaching? Because we hear it about, hear about it a lot. We talk about it a lot, but maybe you're listening or you're watching and you're like, I have no idea what that even means. So let's start with you, Jess. What do you think?

Jessica 4:00

Yeah, the best way I have heard it described is having a guide on your journey of self discovery. Um, to help you kind of clear the path to understand how your personality impacts what you do. I think it's Gurjev that talks a lot about how most people are asleep. That we're asleep to ourselves and just kind of sleepwalking

What is Enneagram Coaching?

Jessica 4:19

through life. Um, unconscious to what's just under the surface, the why behind, um, our behavior. And the Enneagram is an incredible tool to provide insight, um, into understanding our behaviors, our motivations, and our fears a bit more. It helps us in a way, wake up to ourselves and choose. a healthier path. Um, I always say this during speaking events, but when I first was introduced to the Enneagram, I read the little type description and I saw all of my strengths and my struggles written in black and white, and I couldn't run away from them anymore. But more importantly, I saw who Christ created me to be, the ways that I wasn't living out of that, but the ways that I could. And that's what's pointing back to this idea of choosing a healthier path and waking up to ourselves. Um, but in that journey, um, it's really easy to get lost in the complexity of the Enneagram. Um, and a coach simply helps you navigate that path. Um, it's someone to sit with you, walk you through your type, um, ask really good questions, and kind of push you to go even deeper on that journey.

Adam 5:29

I love that Jess. Yeah, I love that, that, that bit about waking up, you know, Enneagram coaches are, are essentially trained professionals who are using their understanding of this tool, the Enneagram, to support clients in various aspects of their lives, including relationships, career, personal development, emotional wellbeing, all of which, like you said, Jess, has to do with self awareness. Uh, and waking up to what's going on inside of you. And, uh, if you're, if you're unfamiliar with Enneagram coaching, the process typically involves a series of one on one sessions or group workshops, uh, during which the coach and the client, you know, collaborate to discover and explore the client's Enneagram type, core motivations and areas of growth. And Enneagram coaches are just creating a safe and supportive space for that kind of discovery and exploration to occur.

Brian 6:20

Yeah, I love both of those things. And the last thing I think before we move on is to differentiate, I think, between coaching and counseling.

Adam 6:28

Ah, yes.

Brian 6:29

train our coaches really well to, to do that with their clients in that counseling looks at your past and it gives you tools to process and move forward from. That looking back of our history of our childhood of our all those things, right? Families of origin. Whereas coaching is really designed to look at right now and provide you tools to move forward into your future. So when I do coaching and I same thing, Jess, I love your. Language around being a guide. Um, and it's very much that way. It's a guide that helps our clients to become the heroes, to overcome whatever hurdles, obstacles, patterns, behaviors, kind of continuously trip them up. Most of us know what's holding us back. Most of us know things that we want to do, or we have ideas of things that we want to do. We just don't know how to do it, or we don't know why we keep doing that thing over and over again. I use Roman seven over and over again in my coaching where Paul is just like venting, right? He's like, I don't, I don't know why I do what I'm doing. I like, I don't want to do that thing, but I do it and I want to do this thing, but I can't do it anyway. I'm just a miserable person. Right. And so for me, coaching is helping people to uncover the motivations that lie underneath those behaviors, to help them find a way out of those habits and patterns in order to move forward and accomplish the goals they have set in front of them.

Adam 7:51

Very well said. Okay. So now we've talked about what coaching is. Let's jump into why we think Enneagram coaching is so important. Why does coaching matter and what benefits does it offer? Jess?

Jessica 8:05

That's so good. I, I kind of mentioned this in my other answer, but I think the biggest benefit is the fact that you're not doing it alone. You know, you can take an Enneagram assessment and it'll give you a number. You can pick up a book and read on it. Believe me, I love the Enneagram books, but books only take you so far. I think beautiful and powerful things happen when you sit in a room with someone and, and. Have them assist you in this journey and asking good questions and creating a space that feels safe that you can

Why Enneagram Coaching is Important

Jessica 8:35

dive deeper. Um,

Adam 8:38

Love it.

Brian 8:39

Yeah, I think

Adam 8:40

are your, what are your thoughts, Brian?

Brian 8:42

Yeah, I love the idea that you can't do it alone. And I think what we miss sometimes, even as coaches, is that coaches need coaching too. we hear that from our coaching community all the time because it's one thing to be in the middle of your life, And to be able to receive or accept or offer advice to someone else, it's another thing entirely when you're on the other side of it's like, again, I have all these ideas of things that I want to do. I'm just, I'm not sure what the right next step is for me to do. And that's where a coach comes in. Um, I need coaching all the time. I meet with coaches who want coaching all the time. I work with clients and individuals who are just like. I, there's this thing that I just keep doing and I don't know how to get out of it. And so that coaching helps people to, to break out of those loops. It's so important, I think for me. In the people that I work with, because it's those self repeating, self inflicted loops that we find ourselves caught in and just don't know how to get out of because you need an exterior voice sometimes just to reflect back to you. And most of the time we all have those answers. We know what they are already. We just kind of need someone else to help bring them out. Right? So coaching is having that guide on the journey with you to say, Hey, Here are two pads in front of you. Which one do you think is the right one to do and not to necessarily tell you what to do, but to offer you the tools to make that decision yourself and to take the steps to get there. Um, it's like a coach in sports ball, right? They're there on the sidelines. They're not actively controlling their players. or their athletes, they're there during rehearsals and practices to say, Hey, let's run this drill. Hey, here's a possible plays that we're going to run. And then when it comes to game time, the players are out there on the field, doing their thing on their own, and they have to make their own decisions. And so a coach is there to cheer you on a coach is there to help provide resources and tools to say, Hey, here's how to get from A to B. Here's how to score that point. Here's how to do whatever it is. And and then go you and then we're going to cheer for you on the sidelines. We'll be there if you need to huddle up or if you have questions along the way. Um, but it's just the why of it for me is so important because it's so easy for us to get and feel stuck and not know what to do next. And I've heard from so many of my own clients and so many of our coaches, clients in their testimonials, just like, man, if I had just had this tool. Six months, six years, 20 years ago, I would have made so many different decisions or I would have done this, this and this and this and this and how helpful it is because again, most coaching has to do with behaviors and what we're doing and it's behavior modification, which is really okay, but it's very temporary and the Enneagram is so deep because it gets underneath all those behaviors to the things that motivate us and drive us and when you can approach it from that kind of view, you get a totally different experience.

Adam 11:49

Yes. Yes. As I listen to both of you, I just, what I want to add to that is what I want, what, what it stirs up for me is I think the reason why any Graham coaching is, is so beneficial and so powerful is that it's, it's getting at desires and barriers, you know, like we're, we're, what a coach does is, is helps you. Helps a client identify a name. What is it that I want? What's the, what's the, what's, what's the life that I want? When I look at my relationships, when I look at vocation, when I look at, you know, whatever, what's the, what's the best version of myself that I see and envision? What is the life that I want? And then we talk about what are the barriers that are standing in the way of that? Um, you know, it comes back to that. There's that Joseph Campbell line that We throw around all the time as a team, but the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. So I feel like, you know, as an Enneagram coach, we're helping. People kind of identify what is the treasure that I'm after? Like, what's the life that I want? Who is it that I'm made to be? You know, we're talking about passion and purpose and quality and relationships, just the life that you want, but then what's, what's the, what's, what's the fear or the, the, the shame or the barrier. And usually it's that stuff that's going on inside of us. That's kind of getting in the way of the life that we want. And so that's, again, where I think it comes back to Jess, where you started this whole conversation. Self awareness. That's, that's why Enneagram coaching is so relevant and why it matters. Because self awareness is the most important tool we have for life and relationships, for quality life and relationships. And here's the thing about blind spots. You, you can't, you can't see what you can't see. Right. So Brian, this gets at kind of that built in interdependence you were talking about, if I need you and you need me, and I need a coach coaches need coaches, because just cause I'm a coach doesn't mean I have my stuff figured out, like I still can't see what I can't see and. The second part of that, that's true, is you can't change what you can't see. you know, if repentance means to change your mind, and it does, that's what the word, etymology of the word means, you can't change your mind about what you don't know about. Like, you know, what you're not aware of, you literally can't change. And so therefore, why is Enneagram Coaching so relevant? Well, we all just need a guide for that journey. You know, and this is, this is where I think an Enneagram coach brings significant value to your life and your relationships. So this is all amazing. It's a, it's a big reason why I just love working with you both. And, um, I think now that we probably have everyone wanting a coach, at least I hope we do.

Brian 14:32

Silence. Silence.

Adam 14:33

I think the next question that we kind of have to ask is what's the best way to find a coach. How do you find an Enneagram coach?

Jessica 14:41

Yeah. Um, I would say the best thing is to do your research. Um, look for coaches who are certified and have experience in Enneagram coaching. Um, you can find online directories, um, read reviews. You can ask, um, for recommendations from friends and online communities. Um, y c has even done some of that work for you. We have a, um, directory of some coaches that have gone through best training. Um, if you go to my enneagram coach.com, you can see just. So many amazing coaches that have gone through this training and

How to Find an Enneagram Coach

Jessica 15:12

you can also look for specialties. Maybe you want to work with a female. Maybe you want to work with someone who is experienced in, um, like family and, um, relationships. Maybe you want to work with someone who is trauma informed. Um, you, you really can find, um, a coach out there that meets your specific needs. Um, and we help you do that in the directory.

Brian 15:35

Yeah, I think it's really important when you say it's crucial to do your research because There's a lot of people out there. There's a lot of Enneagram informed people out there, but they may not necessarily have a deep understanding of how it works and how it applies to us practically. And I think what I still appreciate about your Enneagram coach and having this directory set up online at MyEnneagramCoach. com is that each of those coaches listed on that directory have been certified through your Enneagram coach. And their coaching program to have a deep and intimate understanding of how the Enneagram works. How it applies to us in practical ways, whether you are coming at it from a faith based or a faith neutral or a no faith at all kind of a background. Um, they have the tools to walk you through each of those things. And I think it's important to know that and remember that just because someone is a coach. doesn't mean you have to work with them because there also has to be a lot of chemistry, right? So you most likely want to meet this person, meet this potential coach before you decide to sign up for anything with them. So, uh, most, if not all of our coaches, including the three of us, would offer some kind of free consultation. 10 15 call tops. Um, but just to say Let's get to know each other. Do we think we would be a good fit to work with each other? Because if not, that's okay. It's like going to counseling or therapy. It's like you want to make sure you have a good rapport and a good relationship with your counselor or therapist or your doctor or anyone else you ever meet. Because if something isn't right there, It's just not going to go well, and if you're going to make this investment into your life, if you want the right coach who's going to help you move forward and accomplish those goals that you have in mind, you want to know that you're going to work well together, right? So it's really nice that on that directory that we offer. Contact information, you can reach out, you can set up those free consultations to say, Hey, you can reach out to three, four, five, depending on how many people you're interested in. Just say, tell me about how you do it. Tell me about how you do it. You know, get all your questions answered before you commit to someone, which will sound. Especially reassuring to some of our types who are a little more anxious or need more information, right? Um,

Adam 17:54

you're not talking about, you're not talking about sixes, are

Brian 17:56

no, not at all. I'm talking about lots of people. Um, and I think that's it. It's just doing that research to make sure that you know and you feel comfortable with whoever you're going to spend these next couple of weeks, months or even years with.

Adam 18:09

Yeah, well

Brian 18:10

Um, yeah, and you know, the quality of our coaches is just incredible in that directory. So, um, we've talked about what coaching is. We've talked about why we think it's important. We've talked about the quality of coaches in our network and where to find those coaches. And so our final question for today might be for those who have been listening and you're like, man, this just sounds like good work. Or maybe you've even experienced coaching and you're like, that was just amazing and life changing for me. I know what the Enneagram has done for me and I want to offer it to other people. And maybe you want to do this kind of work with other people, right? So the question you're asking is. Well, how do I become a coach? How do I get on that directory? Maybe you love the Enneagram and you've experienced transformation for yourself and you want to pay it forward. Maybe you're already the person in your friend group or your family who gets all the Enneagram questions and you are trying to catch up to Jessica's book list and get 154

How Do I Become an Enneagram Coach?

Brian 19:05

books, at which point she will probably have 207. And you love teaching and serving others with the tool and all these things. Well, a great next step for you would be to become a certified Enneagram coach. So, Adam, would you tell us a little bit about what that looks like?

Adam 19:19

Yes. Yeah. Well, if that's you, if you're thinking about becoming an Enneagram coach, um, I would start by immersing yourself in Enneagram literature, you know, uh, there's a lot of great podcasts out there. I mean, you're Enneagram coach, the podcast, uh, go back and you can, you can, you know, listen to all the previous episodes. You might attend a workshop, uh, maybe even undergo your own coaching experience. Once you feel confident in your Enneagram knowledge, you need to consider enrolling in a reputable coaching certification program. Um, and you really do need to go through a certification program. Um, I remember one time I kind of had started teaching the Enneagram before. I got certified and I didn't intend to. It's just that I started getting asked, Hey, come teach us about the Enneagram. And I remember I had a gig lined up to come and teach at this large church in Memphis and about three weeks before the event, my contact guy that I've been setting everything up with called me and said, Hey, um, You know, uh, question came up in one of our team meetings today about where, where'd you get your certification to teach and train in any grant? And I replied, well, I don't, I don't have a certificate. I've been using the tool for a few years, but I don't have a certification. And so he went back to his team, they discussed, they came back to me and they said, we're so sorry, but, um, we need, we need. We need someone who's certified, someone that we can trust. So if you want to become a coach, you're going to need to go through some kind of reputable certification program. And this is going to equip you with the necessary Enneagram knowledge and the coaching techniques, all the ethical side of coaching. So that you can guide others effectively on their Enneagram journeys. And wouldn't you know that we have created that program for you with

Brian 21:07

hmm.

Adam 21:08

become an Enneagram coach or BEC as we like to abbreviate it. Uh, BEC is a fully virtual robust course that gives you everything you need to turn your passion into a coaching practice. And when you sign up for our coaching program, you get all the information you need, not just. on the ins and outs of the Enneagram, but you get a practical and step by step teaching on how to lead someone else through the process of discovering their type and how to apply that wisdom to their life in a transformative way.

Brian 21:41

Yeah, um, and the BEC course is broken down into three main sections. Here's a little preview, right? So section one is all the Enneagram content, core motivations, levels of alignment. What you hear a lot is levels of health or unhealth, wings. Triads, all the triads, right? Centers of intelligence, stances, conflict, coping, harmony, relational, all the things we talk about. Try types. We talk about, um, subtypes. Thank you. All the things mistypes. Um, and then section two is the practical how to coach somebody. And so you get to hear and watch Beth McCord lay out kind The three step coaching process that we offer and they teach you even exactly what topics to cover in each of those sessions and then section three, which most people find super value valuable is how to actually create launch and build your business because Adam, I don't know about you, but In 2020, when I signed up for the course, I had no intentions of starting my own business and had no idea what to do. Um, and this just held my hand every step of the way. And as long as I followed the directions, I mean, here I am three years later running my own business and who would have ever thought. Um, so it may sound impossible to you. It may sound crazy to you, but it is so doable. And we have certified hundreds of coaches from all around the world, um, who are running their own businesses. And maybe it's not a business. Maybe it's a side gig and that's totally fine too. It'll give you the tools that you need to do any of those things and to feel confident to start doing all that stuff.

Adam 23:23

Yeah, section three is such a game changer. Uh, I mean, teaching you everything from, you know, how to, how to start your business, um, how to, you know, get an employee. Uh, tax identification number, how to, you know, invoicing platforms and email marketing. And like, it just kind of brings you into, uh, the weeds of all of that, all of that relevant stuff. So it's

Brian 23:44

All the details you never knew about.

Adam 23:46

That's right. That's right.

Jessica 23:49

is so needed. Um, I know so many other, whether it's Instagram or not, um, like training courses that just say like, oh, here's all the information. And then you're left with just this pile of information. You're like, okay, what do I do with it now? And so Beth's three step coaching process, like you don't have to worry about, um, coming up with your own curriculum right away in order to get started. You can get started. Brian, how many days was it after you did BEC? What, three days and you were already coaching people?

Brian 24:15

I finished it in three days and started coaching on day one.

Jessica 24:17

Yeah, because you had all of the information given to you by Beth that you can immediately jump in and start actually doing. And, and we kind of hold your hand through and give you all the information that you may possibly need ever.

Adam 24:32

Yeah. So the Becoming Enneagram Coach program is globally recognized. It's something that has, you know, we've certified, you know, we've had over 3000 coaches who's taken the training and it's going to guide you in how to leverage the Enneagram in your day job as a side hustle, like Brian said, or just as a passion project. So whether you're a, you know, seasons on entrepreneur or a new professional or stay at home parent or you're trying to switch careers into something that's more flexible and enjoyable like this course is going to provide you with the knowledge and the support that you need to increase your income as you increase your impact with others. Using the tool of the Enneagram, not to mention the fact team that there is community and a whole staff support baked into the program. Like we didn't even mention that, but our community of Enneagram coaches, uh, we stick together and stay together. And so there's a whole online community of coaches that look out for each other, encourage one another. You know, push and challenge one another, share resources together, sometimes collaborate on workshops and projects together. And, um, so I know we've had some of our coaches have published books and started podcasts and have social media accounts that have exploded. And so it's, it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun.

Brian 25:44

Yeah. And to be completely transparent, it's why the three of us have jobs, right? The three of us make up the coaching team at your Enneagram coach. And it's, it's, we love what we get to do every day, which is to work with our coaches and to resource them and to do all kinds of stuff. And like you're saying, to build that community. So just to kind of recap what we talked about. You can choose to become a coach if that's what you're interested in, if you're kind of feeling a draw or this, this pull towards, like Adam said, whether it's the flexibility or career change, any of those things, or you want to pay forward what you've learned about the Enneagram, but you're not sure about the confidence level or the competence level. That might be the perfect thing for you. If you're listening and you've been listening all summer or for years to Beth and Jeff and the team here at your Enneagram coach about what the Enneagram is and why it can be so transformative, you might be looking for a coach. Go to my enneagram coach.com and, and look for a coach and it, it wouldn't take long to just search through the directory. Look for three or four friendly faces, read through their bio and say, You look interesting. I think I will book a 15 minute call, which will cost me nothing more than that. 15 minutes of my time and discover that there may be this whole new potential path forward for you wake up to things that you have been unaware of or asleep to, to get someone to guide you and walk with you on a journey forward into your future and whatever that looks like. Um, so if coaching and receiving coaching is the next path for you. Thank you. That's an option for you. And like we said, what coaching is is just having that person to do it with you. So you're not doing it alone to talk with you to process with you to provide tools and resources for you. Um, and so, you know, we wouldn't be here if we didn't believe in coaching and specifically in any gram coaching. Um, we've spent the whole summer talking about how the enneagram benefits you and your relationships, how it affects you and your spiritual life. How it affects you in your work, it affects you and your leadership, all these different things that we've been talking about, and now is the kind of the point where the rubber meets the road where instead of, or in addition to all the reading or absorbing or listening or watching that you may have been doing about the Enneagram, it's like, okay, how do I make this practical and useful to my life today? So we want you to take one of those next steps. Jess, would you tell us where we can do that?

Jessica 28:10

Yes. So I think we've, we've said both the links already, but I'm going to say them again. Um, if you want to sign up to become an Enneagram coach and help someone on that journey, then you can go to yourenneagramcoach. com. Um, and if you are ready to start that journey and find yourself a coach, then you can go to my Enneagram coach. com. And if you have any questions about either of those two things, uh, you can always email me at info, your Enneagram coach. Um, and I also, as we kind of wrap up this podcast, I just want to say thank you to Adam and Brian for inviting me on to talk about something that has profoundly impacted my own life. And, um, I'm excited. To see what our listeners do as they kind of start this journey, whether it's getting coaching or becoming a coach and touching the lives of so many others.

Brian 28:57

That's right. Well, we're so glad to have you, Jess. Uh, like Adam said, the team doesn't feel complete when we don't have you with us. We love working with you with all the other community things that we do within the coaching community and other places. Um, we're so glad you were able to join us.

Jessica 29:11

Yeah. Thank you.

Adam 29:12

Thanks for being here, Jess.

Brian 29:14

Absolutely. Um, and if you are watching or listening, we would love to hear from you. So whether you send us an email to info at your Enneagram coach. com, whether you drop us a message or a comment on our Instagram page at your Enneagram coach or on our website, your Enneagram coach. com, we'd love to hear from you. What step are you at? What are you considering? What have you learned about yourself or about the Enneagram? Um, we want to hear from you. So Adam, why don't you tell everyone what's coming next week?

Adam 29:43

Absolutely. Next episode. Friends. The one and only Beth. McCord will be back.

Brian 29:51

Woo. Woo. Woo.

Adam 29:52

She is back in the studio, recording podcast episodes once again. Uh, so we've been talking about the benefits of coaching in this episode. And next week you are going to get to see and hear the master in action. Beth is going to do some live coaching, um, in these future episodes. Next week, she's going to be working with Jen couch from sober sis community. And so it's amazing because you're going to get to kind of watch over the shoulder. an apprentice and kind of watch over the shoulder of a master and watch Beth do what she does best or listen to Beth do what she does best. And so you definitely want to tune in for that episode. And remember, the Enneagram reveals your need for Jesus, not your need to work harder. It is the gospel that transforms us. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you in the next episode.