Young, Frum Life Coach?

I’ve been considering training as a life coach since I turned 25, but I haven’t been receiving much support from anyone I shared my plans with. The general approach in the frum world seems to be that a life coach needs to be older. I wonder if that’s true though; a professional in the field once explained to me that life coach isn’t about giving advice, but rather about helping clients access their own inner wisdom and organize their feelings.

Still, I’m hesitant to go into the field. Fact is, the mentality in the frum world is that coaches need to be older, and while social media would give me access to clients who might be open to a younger coach, I’m not looking to promote myself like that for both personal and religious considerations.

It’s been several years since I dropped this idea and made peace with being a stay-at-home mother, but with new financial considerations arising, I’m revisiting this idea. It seems like a career that would feel meaningful and use my strengths. What do you say? Are there practical ways to make it as a life coach in the frum world even when you’re younger, without social media?

Hmm… so you’ve gotten a clear message from the frum community that you need to be a certain age to be able to dispense wisdom, let alone get paid to do so.

You’re also aware that in other communities, you wouldn’t be facing this reticence about your age.

I believe that within your question lies your solution: The values of the frum community are different from those of the communities you’re comparing to. We do not value and make decisions based on what we see on social media as much as others, and we do value age and the experience that older people possess. I believe that the younger generation still embraces those values, and while they are more likely to be on social media, it’s certainly not the only place they get information or rely on for decisions. At the same time, I believe that valuing age doesn’t need to mean that we devalue youth.

Which brings us to a question that only you can answer: Do you believe that a coach needs to be older? Would you hire a younger coach? Can you believe that someone your age may have guidance that could be impactful for your life? Personally, I’m a millennial — does that make me too young to be advising you in this article?