What to Bring to Coaching (and How to Find Your Focus)

It’s not unusual for people to be curious about coaching but unsure about where to start. Some wonder: “What would I even bring to a session?” Others want to know how they can measure the value of their investment. These are good questions to ask before starting with any coach.

The truth is, coaching works best when you have a focus—something you want to explore, shift, or understand better. It doesn’t have to be crystal clear or perfectly formed, but having a starting point allows the coaching process to be collaborative and intentional. Without it, the work can feel unanchored and less effective.

If you’re not sure where to start in coaching, these four resources can help you explore who you are, what matters most to you, and where you might want to focus your energy. Each one offers a different lens — and together, they can give you a clearer starting point for your coaching journey.

1. CliftonStrengths
   This well-known assessment identifies your top natural talents — the ways you think, feel, and behave when you’re at your best. Seeing your top strengths in writing can boost confidence, uncover untapped potential, and point toward environments where you’ll thrive. Start with the free version for a snapshot, or invest in the full report for deeper insight.

2. The Enneagram
   The Enneagram is a personality framework that goes beyond behavior to reveal your core motivations, fears, and growth paths. Unlike many assessments, it helps you understand why you do what you do. Even a basic free test can spark powerful self-awareness, which can then shape your coaching focus.

3. No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
   This book introduces the Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach — a gentle, powerful way to understand the “parts” within you: the protective voices, the vulnerable places, and the deeper Self that can lead with clarity and compassion. You don’t need to be in therapy or coaching to benefit; even reading a chapter can shift how you relate to your own inner world.

4. Creative Path Coaching GPT
   This is my custom-built AI tool based on my coaching methodology. It’s interactive, self-paced, and designed for people who aren’t ready (or able) to jump straight into 1:1 coaching. You can explore prompts, reflect on your answers, and revisit the tool as often as you like. It’s a great way to “test-drive” my approach while gaining clarity about what matters to you.

Bringing It Into Coaching

Once you’ve explored one or more of these tools, bring your insights — and your willingness and curiosity — into the coaching space. You don’t need to have all the answers. You simply need enough of a starting point to explore together.

Your focus will give us something to work with. From there, we can uncover what’s underneath, find your next steps, and help you move toward the life, work, or way of being you want to create.

If you’re ready to start exploring, these resources are yours to use — whether or not we ever work together. They’re simply here to help you get clear on what matters most to you.

Finding the Right Fit

Coaching is a personal and collaborative process, and finding the right fit with your coach is just as important as knowing what you want to explore. The coaching relationship works best when there’s mutual trust, comfort, and a shared sense of how you’ll work together.

I encourage you to speak with several coaches as you explore your options — notice how you feel in each conversation, and trust your instincts about who feels like the best match for your needs and style. That’s exactly what an exploratory session is for, and many coaches offer one as a free consultation.