Misha Saidov is recognized throughout Europe as a successful coaching expert, entrepreneur, and psychotherapist. He founded Think Meta, an international coaching school with students from over 50 countries. Saidov and his team conduct over 4,000 sessions per month, coaching people seeking to improve their life performance, including leaders and teams with more than a million dollars in revenue.
Misha, You're known for your role as a coaching expert. How did you first get into coaching?
Ever since childhood, I've been interested in psychology and philosophy. I grew an intense interest in helping others to elevate their human experience and to live a better life, but at the time I believed that coaching, psychology, and psychotherapy are not high-earning careers. I had a large family to provide for and realized that, if I was to pursue my passions, I would need to become an elite, high-earning member of the coaching field; I needed to become an expert. After accidentally stumbling upon a coaching expert who was earning large sums, I realized that I was already more than capable of working on this level. I put an effort into building my brand, over time becoming one of the most recognizable coaching experts.
What is the first course of action you take when working with a new customer?
The first steps I take as a coach prepare the foundation for further work with deep installations. One of the first main goals is to exclude the customer's unconstructive thoughts and reckless patterns of behavior. These act as "brakes" on their progress, so their elimination enables us to move forward. This is a personal transformation, in which we use certain tools to ensure that a client is ready for growth.
Why did you decide to create your own international coaching platform, Think Meta? What would you say is the company's mission?
My personal mission and the mission of Think Meta are one and the same: to help 1 billion people elevate the quality of their human experience. Think Meta was created to help realize this mission every day over and over again. Our team helps people from all over the world improve their day to day experience and achieve their most cherished goals- whether these are professional or personal.
Of course, the success of our mission's implementation involves the actions and outlooks of our clients. Their participation is crucial, as we work to inspire them towards new achievements. My coaching specialists and I work to transform one's way of thinking in order to reach certain goals. In summary, the process seems simple but is preceded by a deep personal study.
You've taught many international students. Can anyone from anywhere participate in Think Meta, or are there restrictions?
We have managed to build an extensive customer base over the years. As the largest coaching company in Europe, we teach students from more than 50 countries. Our clients speak more than 25 languages! Currently, we are entering new markets, including the US and Canada.
Our classes take place remotely and combine different formats: live lectures, video lessons, and group or individual video conferences scheduled according to the student's preferences. There are no restrictions or obstacles to learning- neither territorial borders or language barriers will be a problem for prospective students.
Is there a certain profession that most of your clients are in? Do you work with only business professionals?
Not at all! In fact, our clients range between CEOs and heads of large corporations with a goal to scale, individuals building their next careers, mothers with young children who want to move on and develop, and teams and companies of all sizes.
What advice would you give for someone looking to hire a coach? How can they ensure that they are working with an expert?
In my opinion, there are only two significant criteria that a coach must meet to be legitimate: they should be recommended to you by another professional, and there should be objective evidence regarding the progress of their students.
A professional coach who is recommended by others has demonstrated that they were able to prove their qualifications in practice more than once. Regarding the second criterion, the specialist should be monitoring the success of his clients and be able to prove that his lessons have made a tangible effect on their lives, whether that be in six months, a year, or five years. Have his/her clients earned an increase in profits or been able to scale their businesses significantly?
What about people hoping to enter the field of coaching? Do you have any advice or any misconceptions that you can clear up?
I'd like to clarify that coaching is not easy money. I used to think so myself, until I came face to face with the realities of the business. After all, from the outside, anything can seem easy. Coaching in particular requires deep knowledge and impressive experience. While many are under the impression that one simply needs to read a few internet articles to become a coach, deep study is needed. One should read multiple books and participate in courses. You can get a certificate- or even two or three- but high-quality work and return will manifest themselves only after years of training and experience. If you're hoping to start a career in coaching, you'll need to start acting and truly developing your abilities in the field.
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