Diabetes Prevention, Lifestyle Coaching

10 Tips for Networking with Other Lifestyle Coaches and Expanding Your DPP

Realizing DPP
August 17, 2022

Are you looking for networking tips to amplify your impact and expand your lifestyle coaching career?

Not everyone knows the best ways to network at events or find the best virtual networking platforms. Building alliances comes naturally to some people, but building a network of support is challenging for others.

As a lifestyle coach, you're changing people's lives for the better by supporting them on their path to a healthier life. But you can only reach so many people on your own. To reach your full potential as a lifestyle coach, you want to build a solid network to support you.

Surrounding yourself with a community of lifestyle coaches can help lighten your load, give you a space to vent or ask questions, create standards of care and best practices, and serve as a source of inspiration. When we’re working with others, we’re more empowered, more well-resourced, and more capable of being the support our clients need.

Plus, networking with other lifestyle coaches can help you reach new markets. Partnering with people in other areas of interest — such as massage therapists or personal trainers — often means becoming the go-to resource for their clients seeking to prevent or treat diabetes.

But before you dive into the networking game, it’s essential to have the right strategy in place. This can help you make the most of your time, achieve the best results, and hopefully, have fun in the process. 

Read on for ten tips for networking and expanding your outreach

#1: Join the Realizing DPP Community   

Download the Realizing DPP Community app and connect to community, information, and training that will support you throughout your journey as a  lifestyle coach. With the RDPP app, you can plug into important discussions, get updates about news related to the DPP mission, ask questions, and much more. 

The Realizing DPP Community also offers rich opportunities for you to network with other coaches. Joining gives you access to a platform filled with peer discussions and forums to keep you up to date with the latest information. As you connect about everything from coaching techniques to certification to being financially successful as a Lifestyle Coach, you can build your network and start expanding your reach.

In addition to networking opportunities, the community connects you to free CDC DPP training and shows you how to handle the logistics side of being a coach, such as booking assignments and getting paid. 

#2: Connect to Other Coaches in Class at Emory University 

The Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center (DTTAC) at Emory University is dedicated to diabetes prevention and control, and they offer training for lifestyle coaches at multiple levels, in both English and Spanish. Whether you’re becoming a certified coach, gaining advanced training, or becoming a master trainer, you have ample opportunities to consistently build on your knowledge and skills.

These courses don’t just offer great training —they’re one of the best opportunities you’ll have to network and increase your reach. Bonding with other coaches, giving and getting support, and receiving guidance from mentors are all excellent ways to forge alliances that you may carry with you for a long time. 

You can use these excellent classes as a springboard for connections that you nurture over time. Make the most of every training you have, and give as much support as you get so that you can establish yourself as helpful, positive, and proactive. You never know where the alliances you make with your peers and mentors will lead you. 

#3: Join or Create Practice Sessions

Did you know that you can organize group practice sessions with other coaches in your state? 

What better way to network than to learn with others, commiserate in each other’s victories and failures, help each other identify strengths and weaknesses, and make memories with other passionate coaches who have common values with you?

Whether you want to customize your own event or find one that’s already running, DTTAC can link you with other community members to hold practice sessions. These sessions offer dynamic learning opportunities and can include panels, guest speakers, and supporting lectures. There really is no better way to create a great connection with other coaches than practicing with your peers.

To schedule a session, contact DTTAC at dttac@emory.edu.

#4: Spruce Up Your Social Media Presence

Of course, no discussion about networking would be complete without addressing social media. And since you may be meeting a lot of other coaches online, you want to make a great first impression through your online presence. 

That means it’s time to spruce up your social media accounts, including using a professional-looking profile picture and switching your privacy settings to adjust who can see different types of posts. You may even want to create a separate professional coaching account, which will make knowing what to post or not post more simple. 

Either way, make sure your personal account doesn’t include any potentially offensive or unprofessional material, or switch the settings on who can see your posts, so only friends can see certain ones. 

#5: Go In With an Attitude of Giving

In a world where everyone has an agenda, it’s refreshing to come across someone who has a spirit of giving.  Reframe your attitude to networking with one of giving at least as much as you are taking, and you will stand out from everyone else. Once you’ve established yourself in this way,  your asks and requests will feel much better for everyone involved. 

Let people get to know you as someone who is helpful, kind, and proactive. You don’t have to solve everyone’s problems, but a little tip, comment, or even show of support can make a big impact.

Also, if you feel like you’ve got way more to ask than you have to offer, don’t stress. Remind yourself of the qualities you do have, the experience that’s unique to you, and go in with that awareness. For example, maybe you have a mental health background and can speak to how diabetes prevention ties into stress and anxiety. Or perhaps you come from a marginalized group and have more intimate knowledge of cultural factors that impact lifestyles and health.

Whatever your lifestyle coaching superpower may be, don’t hide it from the world. Be sure to share it with your network, so it lifts everybody up! 

#6: Listen More Than You Talk

Along the same lines, show that you’re not just thinking of yourself by perfecting the art of listening. 

Sometimes instead of listening, we’re simply waiting for the opportunity to cut in and share our point of view. Unfortunately, this leads to missed opportunities to learn from other people and their experiences. Good listening skills aren’t always something we develop naturally, but you can get better at it by practicing active listening.

Active listening means being willing to respond or speak spontaneously instead of trying to constantly formulate your words ahead of time. It means asking questions, repeating people’s words back to them, and using body language like nodding and eye contact to convey that you understand them. 

But don’t expect to master active listening all at once. It demands focus and concentration, which requires practice and patience.

#7: When Feeling Insecure, Try Reframing The Situation

Not everyone is comfortable with networking, and even the most confident or extroverted people can sometimes still experience insecurity while they’re building their professional circles. If you find yourself getting nervous at a networking event, we have a couple of great techniques for you. 

First, refer back to the tip about listening rather than talking. The great thing about this is that you’re focused on the other person, not yourself. 

When your attention turns inwards, that can lead to insecurity and second-guessing yourself. However, when your attention is outwards, you’re focused on the other person — in hearing what they have to say, making them feel seen, and potentially offering your support. As a result, your nervousness and insecurities will fade away because you’re not focused on them.

Another great technique is reconnecting with your desire to serve. Remember why you’re doing what you’re doing — it’s to help people live healthier lives. This also takes the focus off of yourself, and focusing on why you’re doing what you’re doing can help take you out of insecurity and into action. 

#8: Be Polished and Professional

It goes without saying that you should always maintain a polished and professional image when networking. Whether it’s online or in-person, you should be well-dressed and groomed, gracious and polite, and steer clear of conversations and topics that you wouldn’t use in a professional setting.

In recent years, the world has certainly shifted towards being more casual and practical, and that can be a really great thing. There’s no need to be stuffy and uptight, wear a suit, or contort your personality until you can barely recognize yourself. But there’s a balance. As a lifestyle coach, you want to project confidence and competence, whether you’re meeting other coaches or potential clients.

Being a lifestyle coach is a noble and vitally needed profession — so be sure to put your best foot forward!

#9: Follow Up

Life gets busy for everyone. We’ve all got a million things on our plates, and sometimes we just forget to get in touch or follow up. 

But that can lead to lost connections. If you met someone awesome, follow up within a week with a quick text or email letting them know you enjoyed meeting them. Remind them of what you talked about by pointing out some of the highlights from the conversation, as in “It was so great to meet another coach who understands the mind-body connection.” 

Being shy won’t get you far in networking, so don’t hesitate to follow up with new connections and really seal the deal on that connection. 

#10: Network With Other Healthcare Professionals

Don’t limit your networking efforts to only meeting other DDP lifestyle coaches. 

Seek out conferences, groups, and events that bring together healers and coaches from all industries, such as physical therapists, social workers, bodyworkers, and yoga teachers. Not only do potential clients also attend events like these (in which case you should be ready to speak about what you do in a professional and confident way), but you’ll also meet potential new allies.

Spread the word about DDP and about how you’re uniquely positioned to help clients seeking to prevent or combat diabetes. You may make new contacts with healers in different fields who can refer their clients to you. 

And you never know — you could become the go-to resource for the yoga teacher and physical therapists you meet.

Learn More About Networking With Realizing DPP

Learning how to become a certified Lifestyle Coach is just the beginning of diabetes prevention. Your career never needs to stay static when you plug into the community on a regular basis, actively work to expand your network, reach new markets, and partner with other leaders who are passionate about well-being.  

When it comes down to it, we believe that networking is essential to becoming an effective lifestyle coach — that’s why we’ve created the Realizing DPP community.

Our community is a robust network of current and past lifestyle coaches dedicated to protecting the value and quality of human life through lifestyle care programs. We offer exclusive access to lifestyle coaching questions you can’t find on Google, opportunities for you to grow as a coach, and the tools you need to earn money in coaching.

When you can rely on other coaches, your clients can rely more on you. Don’t hesitate to join the Realizing DPP community and start networking today!