How to Become a Successful Certified Innovation Coach

How do you become a certified innovation coach? 

If so, you’re in the right place.

Today, you’ll learn exactly how to become a successful innovation coach, including the best innovation coach certifications. So that you can make an impact – and have more freedom and income to pursue other interests.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Quick overview:

• 👉 You could scale to 6+ figures as a coach by starting your own business 
• 👉 Certifications and degrees are optional 
• 👉 Skills like leadership and creativity will help you succeed

What is an innovation coach?

First off, innovation is all about learning and adapting to maximize growth and success. This is something that’s important for both individuals and businesses.

For example, in business, being able to continually innovate is key to staying relevant and meeting market demand. And while 80% of executives say that innovation is among their top three priorities, only 10% are satisfied with their organizations’ innovation performance. 

That’s where innovation coaches come in. Their job is to support and motivate clients to become more innovative.

For example, Alexandru is an innovation coach who specializes in helping entrepreneurs:

Now, you can provide innovation support through either coaching or workshops. Let’s take a closer look at these two options…

What is the difference between innovation coaching and innovation workshops? 

You’re probably wondering, what’s the difference between innovation coaching and innovation workshops?

For one thing, innovation workshops are much shorter. So, for example, a workshop typically lasts a few hours, and that’s it – it’s a one-time event.

On the other hand, coaching is usually carried out over several weeks or months, which gives people the opportunity to assess their growth and make lasting changes. 

The bottom line here: 

Both coaching and workshops can be valuable. But as a coach, you could offer more in-depth support over a longer period. 

So, what exactly does innovation coaching involve?

What does an innovation coach do?

As an innovation coach, your work depends on who your clients are.

For example, if you work for a company, your responsibilities could include:

• Inspiring and motivating teams to adopt innovative ideas in the workplace
• Supplying tools and frameworks to facilitate change
• Fostering collaboration within the organization
• Giving feedback on current practices and offering specific ways to improve
• Measuring and evaluating results

…And more!

Coaching has been shown to have a positive impact on organizations and individuals. For example, 51% of companies with a strong coaching culture have higher revenue than their industry peer group. 

But keep in mind: As an innovative coach, you could work for a variety of different clients, from individuals who need help making changes in their lives to teams that lack vision. (This depends on your niche – keep reading because we’ll look more at niches below.)

That’s what Phil Mckinney does. 

As an industry expert who’s been named “most innovative” three times by Fast Company, he uses his expertise to help people get ahead in their careers and personal lives.

So, to sum up:

Because there’s a need for innovation in work and life, you have the freedom to choose clients that align with your interests – meaning you can build a career that works for you. 

What makes a good innovation coach? 

Now you know what the job involves, let’s look at some valuable skills you should have as an innovation coach: 

• 👉Good communication skills: Because innovation coaching involves working closely with others and influencing their behavior, effective communication is key to being a great coach
• 👉Thorough knowledge of innovation methodologies: For example, you should be agile and well-versed in ideas like design thinking
• 👉Creativity: To help your clients think outside the box and adapt new ways of doing things, it helps to be creative yourself
• 👉Excellent coaching and leadership skills: Learn how to get people excited about new ideas and gain their trust 

Even if you don’t have these skills right now, they are learnable as you learn how to become a great coach. But how do you get started? 

Here’s how to become a certified innovation coach.

How do you become a certified innovation coach? 

Quick stat: 99% of people who hire a coach report being “satisfied” or “very satisfied.” 

With that in mind, here’s how you can become an innovation coach yourself and make a difference…

1. Define a niche 

Worried you’ll limit your pool of potential clients if you pick a niche?

Actually, the opposite is true. 

If you pick a niche, you’ll attract people who have the exact problems that you’re good at solving. 

Just put yourself in your client’s shoes… 

Wouldn’t you prefer to work with a coach who knows how to solve specific problems – rather than a generalist? 

Because keep in mind: You don’t need to know everything to be a great coach. You just have to know how to address your client’s pain points effectively.

And picking your niche comes down to two questions: 

• What are people willing and able to pay for? 
• What are your unique gifts and skills? 

I go into more detail about picking a niche here:

2. Create an innovation coaching brand

Another important step is creating a brand.

This will help you differentiate yourself from other coaches. 

But it means much more than having a theme color or a fancy logo – it’s about showing people why they should choose YOU rather than anyone else. 

Not sure how to stand out? Ask yourself: 

• What are my strengths?
• What specific problems do I have experience solving?
• What do people ask me to help them with?

You can use the answers to these questions to create a brand that makes people think, “This person gets me. I want to work with them.”

Take a look at my short video here on how to create your own brand: 

Next up: Getting certified.

3. Get certified  

Here’s the deal with certifications…

You typically don’t need one to be a successful innovation coach (although some B2B clients might require one). 

Remember:

People want results. 

If you can show your clients that you can take them from point A to point B, that’s the most important thing. 

I know this firsthand because when I started coaching, I didn’t have any fancy certifications. (And I still don’t!)

In fact, I didn’t even have a website.

So why did people pay me to help them?

Because I had valuable experience. 

At the time, I was doing digital advertising consulting in my day job, so I just applied those skills to helping people I connected with in online groups. 

My first client got so much value out of my initial free help that she was willing to pay me $5k to keep coaching her:

So, ultimately: 

If you have the right experience, you can start coaching straight away – no certification required. 

With that said, I’ll cover some innovation coach certification options in a bit if you’re interested. 

Just make sure the certification you choose comes from a respected accreditation body, like the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

4. Create and price an innovation coaching package   

Your next step is to create a coaching package.

For pricing, you have three options:

• ✅Hourly
• ✅Retainer
• ✅Package 

Want an overview of each? Check out this article.

I recommend choosing a package rate (rather than hourly pricing or a retainer) because it’s a win-win.

Let me explain…

As long as your clients get the results they paid for, they don’t care whether you spend 10 hours or 100 hours helping them.

That means that by improving your efficiency, you can work less, have a better work-life balance, and still help your clients reach their goals. 

👋 High five to that! 👋

5. Find your first client 

Once you’ve set up your package, it’s time to start getting clients.

Now, this doesn’t have to be complicated.

For example, one strategy I used to get my first clients as a new coach was joining relevant online groups. 

Here’s the process:

• ✅Step 1: Join communities in your niche
• ✅Step 2: Engage in these communities: Answer people’s questions, and position yourself as an expert

That’s exactly what I did.

And here’s the thing… 

At the time, I didn’t have an offer I was trying to sell, so I didn’t come off as salesy.  

💡 Tip: When you’re trying to get clients, don’t push anyone to buy. Instead? Show them how much value they’d get from working with you. Testimonials are a great way to show your coaching works. 

If you do that, people will WANT to give you money to help them.

Check out this video for more on getting clients:

6. Work with your clients 

Now you’ve got your first clients, it’s time to help them reach their goals. 

Here’s how:

• ✅Step 1: Define the ultimate goal. What do your clients need your help attaining?
• ✅Step 2: Set milestones that lead to their ultimate goal.
• ✅Step 3: Break down the milestones into subgoals.

Essentially, you’ll use coaching sessions to create a vision for your client and then show them how to reach that transformation.

One-on-one sessions are great for achieving this. That’s because you can give your clients more personalized attention and strategies.

Not sure how to script your coaching calls? I cover the details in this video:

So there you go! Those were the six steps to becoming an innovation coach. 

Keep reading for more on choosing a certification.

How to choose a certification

I’m guessing you don’t want to waste your time or money on an innovation coach certification that won’t help you be a better coach or attract clients. 

So, with that in mind… 

Here are a few things to look at in a program before committing:

• 👉Accreditation: Is the program accredited by a well-respected accreditation body, like ICF? 
• 👉Course instructors: Who’s teaching the program? Do the instructors have the right experience to teach?
• 👉Program duration: Do you have enough time to devote to studying?
• 👉Cost: Many programs cost several thousand dollars or more, so are you willing to make that kind of investment?  

Now you know what to look for in a certification, let’s look at a few great programs. 

The 3 best innovation coaching certifications

Here are the top three certifications to check out.

1. Innovation Coaching Certification

The Painted Sky 

If you’re looking for an innovation coach certification that’s ICF-accredited, look no further. 

The Painted Sky offers the first-ever innovation program of its kind, with an emphasis on improving your mindset and giving you the tools you need to be a better innovation coach. 

This 16-week program even includes 10 hours of group coaching practice to help you sharpen your coaching skills.

Price: Available upon request

Accreditation: ICF

Delivery: Virtual classes via Zoom

2. Leadership and Performance Coaching Certification 

Brown University 

Brown University offers an eight-month certification program to help you improve your leadership skills and increase your performance. 

So, even though this program isn’t focused exclusively on innovation, you do learn things that can help you be a better innovation coach, like… 

• ✅Effective communication
• ✅Team-building
• ✅Decision-making

…And more!

If you want a certification from an Ivy League University, this is a good option.

Price: Online: $10,495; In-person or hybrid: $11,495

Accreditation: ICF

Delivery: Online, in-person, or hybrid

3. The Coach for Innovators Certified Program™ 

IMAGINENATION™

IMAGINENATION™ offers an eight-week certification group program offered by global thought leader, Janet Sernack. 

Here, you’ll learn about innovation through a mix of group learning and one-on-one sessions to help you get the most out of the program. 

Price: Available upon request

Accreditation: ICF

Delivery: Online

Now that we’ve covered some good certifications to check out, let’s answer a key question… How much do innovation coaches make?

How much can an innovation coach make? 

According to Glassdoor, the average innovation coach salary in the U.S. is $119,329 per year.

But ultimately, income depends on factors like what results you offer, how much you charge, and where you live.

And keep in mind… If you start your own business as an innovation coach, you could earn a lot more than that by setting your own rates and diversifying your income streams. 

For example, offering courses means you can help more people – without increasing your workload.

That’s what I do myself:

So, in short: An innovation coach can make a great salary as an employee. But if you want to maximize your revenue and flexibility, starting a business is your best option.

Frequently asked questions about innovation coaching

Are you qualified to become an innovation coach? 

If you have the skills to help your clients reach their goals, you’re qualified to become an innovation coach. 

So, for example, if you have demonstrable experience being innovative in your day job, that’s great preparation to become an innovation coach. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need a certification to be a qualified coach. 

How much does it cost to become an innovation coach? 

Becoming an innovation coach can cost $10k or more if you choose to get a certification from a well-respected accreditation body first. 

But again, certifications are optional. And since coaching is a service rather than a product, overhead costs are low – meaning you can start coaching clients without any upfront investment.

Next steps 

And that’s it!

Now you know how to become a successful innovation coach so you can have a bigger impact and get more out of life – all while making more money. 

Ready to hit the ground running? 

Yay, you! 🥳

Fun fact: I used to be an engineer for the Space Station. 🚀

And since becoming a successful entrepreneur, I’ve used my engineering background to create a really methodical course that’ll help you get your business up and running faster. 

Learn more about Employee to Entrepreneur in my FREE PDF.

Read more:

How to Become a Transformational Coach

How to Become a Creativity Coach

AI for Coaches: Tools You Need to Learn Now 

How to Become a Change Management Coach