Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, And Other Celebrities Recommend Coaching As A Necessity For Success

The so-called “can do” spirit is something that most motivational speakers want to instill in their audience; this mentality assures their listeners that they can do anything they put their minds to. However, in reality, most people will require some form of training or coaching to succeed in many industries, especially the creative and athletic fields.

It’s easy to look at successful athletes, Hollywood stars, and other professionals and assume they are lucky to be so talented. While this is true to an extent, most have also had to train under coaches and tutors for a long time to refine their craft.

Oprah Winfrey on coaching and belief

Oprah Winfrey is by far the most recognizable Black female in media. Ms Winfrey has scaled the heights of achievements, going from a news Anchor to a talk show host and then a Hollywood actress; she has undoubtedly become one of the most relevant names in American society. However, while she did have a lot of natural talent, Oprah has admitted that she owes her success to her life coach Martha Beck. According to Ms Winfrey, “Coaching helps you stop the crazy mind chatter in your head that tells you all the time that you’re not good enough.”

David Scheuer, a well-known e-commerce coach who made his name as a seller on Amazon
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and later a coach in the space, related with Ms Winfrey’s point, recalling a specific time he had to coach a dentist, “No one believed that she could succeed in the e-commerce space while working full time as a dentist, much less herself. However, she was clearly humble and diligent enough to learn.”

“The greatest thing I noticed was how she went from unbelief to having this infectious belief in her abilities.”

Growing up in Peru and moving to America when he was 11, David Scheuer had to work several odd jobs in the hospitality industry, even working in a bar in Miami. E-commerce was his way of starting a side hustle and hoping to escape from the hustle and bustle of his regular job. Scheuer’s story, he said , has been his greatest tool in inspiring his students to reach for the skies.

Hugh Jackman on coaching and perspective change

Some things are never how they seem at first. The perspective of a thing from the outside is never the same as when you get in. Hugh Jackman was recently recognized and honored with the Guinness world record for “longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero.” After starting in theatre and television, the Australian actor and singer finally landed his breakout role as Wolverine in the X-men film. Along the line, Jackman admits that he had to rely heavily on his coaches to get him through many challenging roles and life circumstances.

In Jackman’s words, “A coach just has a different perspective. Still to this day, the best have coaches because the coach can see what you can’t see because you’re in the forest, they’re outside of it.”

Scheuer explains, “Coaches can spot mistakes before you even make them because they have probably made those mistakes before themselves or at least seen them made.”

“The job of a coach is to give a different perspective from what the client came in with; it’s to show them the reality of what is obtainable and what hurdles will need to be crossed.”

Andre Agassi on coaching and growth

Andre Agassi was a relatively unknown name until the American tennis star won the 1996 Olympic gold medal. Then he became a household name, becoming one of the most prominent athletes in American history. The former American No. 1 tennis player is an eight-time major champion, a runner-up in seven Grand Slam tournaments, and the first man to win four Open singles titles in the Open era.

Agassi’s coach Brad Gilbert was known to work very closely with him, and Andre openly admitted his significant impact on his career. According to Agassi, “A great coach can lead you to a place where you don’t need him anymore.”

Scheuer opined, “A coach can give you the essentials, hold your hand until you get the hang of it, but after that; it’s really up to you, your determination to succeed, your passion, and your discipline to consistently put in the work,”

“There isn’t much use for a coach to keep the client tethered to himself, the idea is always to help the client grow so much that they no longer require coaching. At this time, the coach turns from a coach to a consultant and offers their expertise only when needed.”

Scheuer believes coaching should be personal and professional; focusing on still offering one-on-one coaching in a world where most people leverage technology and just pool 50 people on a zoom call. He stated, “Our personal touch and hands-on approach really resonates with people, plus we are in an era after the pandemic where many people want to strike out on their own and need a lot of help taking these steps.”

Coaching might seem like an unnecessary expense at first, but even the greats agree that it is necessary for those who intend to get very far. Most celebrities have coaches for every aspect of their lives, from speech coaches to acting coaches and fitness coaches. There is undoubtedly a lot we can do on our own, but if the aim is extreme success, it does seem that coaching of some sort is necessary.