STANDOUT: Professional Coach, Jonathan Beal, Guides You Through Your Problems & Changes Lives

By Vic Gerami

What do you get when you combine Tony Robbins, Marianne Williamson, Eckhart Tolle and a lot of charisma? An Englishman living in Spain, helping top professionals all over the world, named Jonathan Beal.

So why are industry giants, business leaders and type-A individuals choosing Jonathan Beal over reading a self-help book or watching a coach on YouTube? According to his clients, he changes lives, leads people to success and does it by addressing the root cause of people’s obstacles, challenges and repetitive bad habits.

I wanted to interview Jonathan because I am always looking to improve myself, dig deep and follow the guidance of someone impartial who wants me to succeed. Plus, who doesn’t need some extra help with various aspects of their life?

‘The life coaching that I offer is actually a deep journey of self-discovery and vulnerability that will help you discover how to love yourself. It will help you to have confidence in who you are deep down, build a support network that enhances your life, and lift you to heights you previously couldn’t have imagined’

VG: Tell me a bit about your background, both personal and professional.

JB: Where to begin, I’ve always been passionate about people, honesty, fairness and living with integrity, and I think this has shaped most of my adult life both personally and professionally.

VG: How has your background influenced and shaped you to get into coaching and help people?

JB: From a young age I suffered with depression and anxiety, fueled by a tumultuous and loss laden first 24 years of my life, something awoke in me that drove all my career choices going forwards.

But deep down I think I always knew I was destined to teach, guide and support other humans in drawing out the absolute best in them.

Also knowing how it feels to be heavily influenced by false beliefs given to me by family, friends and circumstance, and knowing that it was those exact beliefs that held me back from living a life that was available to me, this ultimately drove me to find a way to help others do the same.

VG: Modesty aside, how would you describe yourself?

JB: Caring to a fault, brutally honest and direct but always with love, 100% confident I can help anyone truly and fully understand themselves.

From a young age, Jonathan was exposed to turbulence, uncertainty, change, and yet one thing remained, he had big dreams, and knew that guiding, teaching and unleashing other people’s potential was what he was born to do.

He grew up in a safe, loving and caring environment, which he lost when his eight months old sister died when Jonathan was three years old. This tragedy exasperated his mother’s mental health issues. He spent the next twenty years moving around, while witnessing his mother suffer from depression and major anxiety, with an absentee father, not realizing the lasting impact of the struggle. He has since found peace with his estranged dad, forgiven him and moved on.

‘I believe that you can live a purpose driven life, a life in complete alignment with yourself, my mission is to help high achievers like YOU find your purpose, take control of your life, and help YOU be seen for who you really are…’

VG: What made you decide to become a professional coach?

JB: Knowing that anyone can have the life of their dreams if they can get out of their own way and step genuinely into being truly themselves, that and knowing that I had a natural talent for it.

VG: Tell me briefly the ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of the program.

JB: It’s a program designed to bring you back into alignment with yourself, by giving you the tools to truly understand how you operate, and the skills to always be able to course correct when you’re straying from authenticity, it also as a byproduct deepens and strengthens all relationships in your life.

VG: How did you develop the steps/process of the program?

JB: Initially from my own experiences and my training, but as time went on working with people helped really start to shape and refine the process to the one it is today, which is for the most part applicable to anyone at a crossroads in life or who knows that something is missing.

Following his mother’s dead in 2010, he began a journey of self-discovery. Through understanding his own pain, suffering and shortcomings, he discovered that his gift for helping others. He realized that he could unleash people’s potential, change someone’s mood in an instant and to guide them to be their best self.

‘I knew that if I did not take this change seriously, I would be stuck hiding, not being seen, and live to the end of my days miserable’

VG: Would you share a personal experience as an example of your own growth and change?

JB: Of course, one major event that stands out to me was the realization that I had spent most of my adult life in victimhood, blame & narcissism and how that had shaped exactly how my life was at that time.

It was empty, mediocre and honestly missing any hint of color or excitement, my relationships were in tatters, and I was slowly and unknowingly, purposefully dismantling my life.

Shifting the focus to radical responsibility was essentially what transformed my life completely and started my journey towards becoming a coach.

This one act of facing my life head on and accepting all responsibility was what ultimately allowed me to create the life I have today, which I would not trade for anything.

VG: Who can benefit from your services?

JB: Anyone at a crossroads in life, who knows that they’ve created a life for themselves but that something is missing, and/or those who struggle with constantly feeling taken advantage of.

But plainly anyone who knows there’s something more out there for them but is either trapped behind fear or simply not knowing what to do next.

VG: What are some misconceptions about career coaching, or coaching in general?

JB: Great question, I would say from experience the things that come up most is that coaching is a luxury, that it has to be the right time, or that coaching is woo woo, but the truth is there’s never a right time, and coaching can transform your life in months vs doing it yourself which can take years, with zero hint of woo woo.

Another is that it’s the coach’s job to give you the answers however, that’s a mentor or consultant, coaches are mostly facilitators who will make observations, but are predominantly there to draw the answers from you.

‘Throwing myself in the deep end I started to find ways to solve these problems for others, and created a method of taking you from people pleaser, a wearer of many masks, to living unapologetically as you, giving you freedom and choices in living the life you desire’

VG: What are some of the most common challenges/blocks that people face that hold them from professional and personal growth?

JB: Most often it’s martyrdom, an inability to seek help, and what normally comes alongside that is an unwillingness to face reality, because you can only grow if you’re willing to face the truth of your situation.

VG: Can people get coached by you remotely?

JB: Absolutely, in fact most if not all of my client base is remote, though I do offer full day experiences for those willing to travel to Spain. In 2020 I will also be launching retreats in locations across Spain.

VG: What should people know about personal coaches and you specifically if they have thought about getting help?

JB: That having a conversation with a coach even without signing up for services will bring you clarity if the coach is doing their job correctly. So you’ve really nothing to lose by speaking to a coach.

In terms of me specifically I would say that I that one of my superpowers is distilling a common theme or issue down to a word to help you better grasp what’s getting in your way and thus giving you true clarity.

VG: What qualities make you unique and different from other coaches?

JB: My extensive history and enormous amount of life lived in a short space of time, whether it’s massive loss, experience of living in multiple countries and in multiple cultures, or simply the fact that I’ve worked in public sector and separately run successfully, multiple businesses.

Also being bisexual and having dealt with identity issues for a large portion of my life has given me a unique perspective on what it means to truly be yourself in a world that is trying to tell you that you don’t exist.

VG: What are three things that you would promise to those who are considering your services?

JB: That working with me is your choice and not mine, and I will not force you into something you do not want to do.

I am not here to be your friend I am here to give you reality so I will tell you the truth as I see it.

If you’re considering having a conversation with me you will get a safe & judgment free space and massive value from it regardless of your choice to continue or not.

VG: What if cost is an issue?

JB: Investing in yourself is a process, and one I know intimately as in the last 2 years alone I’ve invested almost $50k in my own personal and professional development.

So I would say this, if you’re serious about overcoming blocks in your life, and stepping into the life that is available to you, you will find a way, and understand that making the investment is also a part of the process of creating change for yourself.

It is your opportunity to state unambiguously that you believe in yourself. But if cost is really an issue, there are lower cost options available such as full day coaching experiences or one-off calls following the initial conversation.

VG: What excuses typically hold back someone from finally seeking help and connecting with you?

JB: It’s normally always fear, it’s a big thing to get on a call with someone you’ve never spoken to and discuss your dreams or the things holding you back. Sometimes it’s even hard to admit to yourself that you need support.

Sometimes though it’s the excuse that they can do it themselves, even though they’ve been repeating the same patterns for years and making little to no progress. A single conversation with a coach can help you crystallize a decision that you’ve been trying to make for years… Get out of your own way!

VG: Do you have any additional thoughts to share?

JB: Yes, the problem with excuses is that they are ALL valid.

VG: How can people get in touch with you?

JB: You can get me directly on FB Messenger or if you don’t use messenger, you can connect with me on LinkedIn

For more information, please visit JonathanBeal.com