We recently connected with Omar Cumberbatch and have shared our conversation below.

Omar, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the best advice you ever gave to a client? How did they benefit / what was the result? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

The best advice that I have given a majority of my clients, whether it has been to lose 60 pounds or to launch a podcast, is to embark on any journey one step at a time. For most of us, our dreams and goals are such radical transformations from where we currently are that it is easy to think of it as impossible and never chasing them. So how do we eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

For instance, one client who I was working with was particular adamant about losing 60 pounds in the shortest amount of time because she had a wedding that she was a part of. She was looking for that magic pill that has yet to be discovered.

She asked, “How quickly do you think I can lose this weight?” I asked her “How long did it take you to get to your current weight?” She went into a story about how, over many decades and life situations, she gained her unwanted weight. I replied, “We should be able to do better than that.”

So after the expectations were set, we went after eating that elephant (perhaps a bad analogy in a weight loss example). She became aware that just like everything in life, our circumstances didn’t happen overnight and we can’t expect to get the opposite results in a fraction of the time that it took to create it. This reframe helped her understand that she would need to be realistic about her goals and prepare a plan that will be sustainable and effective. This enabled her to confidently start her weight loss journey, step by step. She didn’t lose the weight before the event, even though she lost a good amount of weight and felt great and confident, she eventually did lose 60 pounds and has kept it off ever since.

This scenario comes about when I help clients launch podcasts as well. The overwhelm around the tech, the equipment, the microphones, and how to actually get started end up paralyzing them and, if not for coaching, would end up not even getting a podcast off the ground, The same advice applies, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I became a weight loss coach and podcaster simultaneously. I had a long struggle losing weight despite relentlessly dieting and working out. I thought that I could outrun my mouth and all it took was just a little more effort. Maybe an additional hour at the gym, or maybe a more restrictive diet would do the trick. None of this worked. I happened to stumble upon a YouTube video discussing the detriments of sugar and realized that I was over consuming sugar big time. Since I have tried basically everything else, I gave cutting back on sugar a try. Literally, the weight fell off to such a degree, people would come up to me concerned if I had a bigger health issue going on. I became fascinated with the idea that if I could make one change, although a difficult one, and get such drastic results, what other things could I do for my health that I wasn’t aware of? This led me to become certified as a health coach.

At this time, I also fell in love with the idea of podcasting. I personally loved audiobooks and listening to content on my commute and while working out, so I felt that it was a perfect way to reach people and help them with their health issues at a larger scale than one on one coaching. So I took advantage of the platform and after a few years established two successful podcasts. This Podcast Burns Fat!, which is a weight loss podcast and The Health Coach Academy, which is aimed at helping new health coaches start on their entrepreneurial journey.

I am most proud of how I have been able to help clients solve how to kick the sugar habit and provide an understanding of how sugar has derailed many of our weight loss goals unknowingly. I also truly enjoy sharing tips on how to accomplish this through podcasting.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Nothing beats experience. I believe that all the training in the world does not prepare you for the actual doing part. Not that training and knowledge shouldn’t be sought, but actually doing the job is the key.

I’m very passionate about this point because I find that coaches tend to seek more training and certifications in order to feel ready or good enough to start their practice. But for many, this just creates an excuse not to get started. The truth is that you can start helping people at the very stage and knowledge base that you are currently.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first started podcasting, I was all over the place. My first podcast was intended on being a health and wellness podcast and my subject matter ended up being too broad. It was typical for my show to one week talk about diet and exercise and the next week talk about dating. At the time, I truly believed that all these topics fell under the umbrella of wellness. Partially, I still do. But the way to launch a successful podcast that establishes you as an authority and allows you the opportunity to get business from it, you need to be more specific in your message.

I was very reluctant to rebrand and start over, but after seeking out a coach who explained the concept of niching down and perfecting my message, I ended up pivoting and creating the current ideations of my podcasts. This has been the game changer and has helped me create an identifiable brand in my market.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.omarcumberbatch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachomar.hca/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthcoachacademy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-cumberbatch-a6199934/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hcoachacademy

Image Credits
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