Teaching your first class as a new coach
I remember my very first class I taught....
Back before my digital courses, I taught my first class in person at a conference.
There were approx 50 people in the room, all starting at me. The room was quite small, so I felt like they were sitting on top of me (haha!) There was no stage or no podium for me to hide behind
(this picture is not from my first class...but from one of my early ones. I didn't have anyone to take a pic of my first one, I wish I did!)
So since there was no podium for me to hide behind, I was front and center really exposed. And I was so nervous. I was sweating and shaking. I tried my best to stop my voice from shaking because I knew it would make me look like I wasn't confident in myself...and hello! as the confidence coach that wasn't going to work!
the night before, i opened up my computer to realize that all of my powerpoint slides I had prepped for my class were gone. I still don't know what happened, but they were not "saved". So I had to literally re-create from memory and throw some together for the next morning. They weren't complete, they weren't polished like the way I had prepared them.
But I rolled with it anyways....and
during my class, I explained what happened to me. I share my story of panic, and everyone laughed and it was fine.
it actually made me feel more at ease, just sharing with them...being honest and open...
BEING REAL...
And I tied it into part of my class. My class was called "identity crisis" and I talked about why there is a disconnect between where you are and where you want to be, and how to bridge that gap etc. and how fear and courage will be part of that journey.
and I tied in the parts of me being nervous to teach this class as the "Confidence Coach", and the need to the be seen as all knowing and perfect with the powerpoint debacle.....
and I used myself as an example of how even with the insecurities, fears, self doubt, I still got up there that morning, strong coffee in hand, lame powerpoint slides , and DID IT ANYWAYS.
because I owed it to myself to teach my first class--because I wanted to be a course creator and teacher
and because I had something remarkable to share with people and I wanted them to get the info and the transformation.
and guess what happened? The class was so engaging! The people were so nice! They laughed and asked questions, and nodded their heads yes, and clapped at the end. Many of them came up to me after the class and thanked me and said it was a great class! Many of them signed up for 1:1 sessions with me during the convention.
Many of them told the organizer what a great class it was and how they enjoyed me so much.
There is a version of Jana that would have canceled the class, because she was too nervous or things weren't perfectly set up. She would have found an excuse to not do it.
There is also a version of Jana that would have got up there and just talked to the people. Just shared what was real, what she knew, what she had experienced herself in an authentic way.
The latter version won that day :)
Update* Since that first class I have taught hundreds of in-person classes, digital courses, livestream trainings, on-site workshops to thousands of women all over the world.
Everyone has to start somewhere—the point is that you start!
Love, Jana