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What exactly is a life coach? With research firm IBIS World reporting that the life coaching market has grown to $1.4 billion, more and more people are becoming curious about hiring a life coach. A life coach exists somewhere at the intersection of a mentor, career coach, and friend. That said, it’s important to understand that life coaches are not therapists. While some life coaches do happen to be licensed therapists, the two professions are not one and the same.
Different life coaches specialize in different areas – some in career, some in romance, some in trauma healing and some in a bit of everything. Life coaches, as a whole, help clients work on their thoughts, behaviors and processes. More specifically, they help one adjust thoughts, behaviors and processes to be more in line with one’s goals. A Black life coach can understand the unique challenges faced by and perspectives held by Black clients. That is why more Black women are seeking Black life coaches to help them heal and thrive, while tackling the generational, systemic and ongoing struggles that came with being Black. If you’re looking for some direction, some inspiration or some encouragement, here are Black women life coaches to follow today.
Iyanla Vanzant
You might recognize Vanzant from her work on the show Fix My Life on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Vanzant is a producer on the show, and has become famous for her eloquence in helping people confront hard truths. As a woman of faith, she posts daily snippets of wisdom to her IG that often center around God and prayer, but that certainly offer nutrition and insight to the non-denominational follower. If you like Vanzant’s posts, you might want to try her Spiritual Warrior online course or her Awakenings app, which offers daily spiritual coaching.
Yolanda D. Mercer
Mercer is a speaker, coach and author. Her program Scribe Suite helps people find their inner writer, identify the core story in their life and get published. On her coaching page, you’ll see personal posts about her own journey and experiences with her family, as well as clips from her live speaking engagements. It’s hard not to love her fashion style – which is very much emblematic of her boutique, Sleek Edition Boutique.
Lisa Nichols
Nichols is a best-selling author, speaker and coach who helps clients with personal and business development goals. Her IG is a dynamic and inspiring combination of quotes as well as speaking clips, along with photos from her home life. As someone who married for the first time at age 50, Nichols certainly didn’t follow the traditional path and is an icon for other women forging their own way.
Dawn Javi Vason
Vason is a self-discovery coach, activist and yoga teacher who takes a holistic approach to achieving your goals that involve mind-body healing. Vason is also a role model and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ and polyamory community, as she identifies as part of it herself. She posts videos for guided meditations and yoga poses targeting specific physical and emotional hurdles, and her quirky, raw and real personality is hard to resist.
Valorie Burton
Burton is a speaker, author and coach, as well as the founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute, an ICF accredited organization. Her institute provides evidence-backed personal and executive training. Meanwhile, her IG is filled with loving and powerful quotes, thought exercises and prayers (written by Burton) that help people find peace and balance in their lives.
Yasmine Cheyenne
If you’re looking for a healing-based, softer approach to life coaching, Yasmine is your girl. She’s the author of The Sugar Jar and founder of The Sugar Jar podcast and app, both of which foster a sense of self-love and encourage readers and followers to recognize unhealthy patterns that it’s time to break. On her IG, Cheyenne regularly posts photo slides with engaging questions and food for thought. She’s one of the best Black women life coaches to follow if you’re looking for nurturing support.
Myleik Teele
Speaker and coach Teele is not just a life coach but also a huge inspiration for Black female entrepreneurs because she is the founder of CurlBOX, a highly popular monthly hair product subscription company. Teele is also the founder of MTY Retreat, a luxury and cultural retreat experience “designed to restore, edify and transform.” She regularly posts reels about her own personal and professional journey.
Jacquelyn aka Joc
Joc focuses on coaching Black millennial women and encouraging them to put self-care first while breaking down the “strong Black woman” stigma that stands in the way of self-healing. Her certifications are long and impressive, including a hypnotherapy certification, Reiki certification and quantum life energy certification. Her posts are honest, vulnerable and perfectly imperfect. She offers pay-what-you-can coaching sessions and often goes live on her IG to discuss a variety of topics.
