Welcome Message & Background

Hello and welcome to CoachesXL. My name is Lee Down, and I am a driving force behind CoachesXL, and many other individuals are behind me with tremendous teams, technology, and support providing a way.

Beginning my own coaching business following a decade-plus-long career in technology, I ventured into professional coaching and was trained by The Coaches Training Institute, which I highly recommend. With technology already so much a part of my history, the web and internet applications, systems, processes, automation, etc., were already a requirement in my eyes, and a tremendous tool for gaining exposure and clients.

I was repeatedly asked for help along the way by closer associates, and beyond as I became known amongst some online coaching community sites. Often I was shocked by the purchases many coaches made for their sites, for seo, and other technology services. While there are no perfect solutions, and we often find ourselves having to fill some gap one way or the other, there is no excuse for not providing value.

CoachesXL a Vague Vision

Updating a site, actively promoting oneself, email marketing, blogging, and now with social media, we are very busy with online web promotional activity. I've always been lucky, having a sense for what to do and a familiarity with the technology industry, etc. I applied my curiosity and creativity to developing a strong web-presence and a wide audience in a much lower traffic niche early on.

With the painful conversations with other coaches, how not to get ripped off, how to get started without a big budget, and so on and so forth, I had always wanted to provide a vehicle that combines a variety of features that simplify giving your business a start. While I held the vision, I held no open path to achieve this idea.

Technology Partners with Vision

In 2007 a chance encounter with local entrepreneur, Riel Roussopoulos, I found myself working along his team for the better part of a year becoming familiar with the technology they were creating and adding my own end-user feedback to its progress. In this capacity, my natural talents for online community building and the use of social media became easily apparent and OMC Social Media Solutions was created to provide assistance to others struggling with all the connecting dots.

The culmination of these efforts both jointly and individually has combined expertise and systems tools where people are looking for solutions. The CoachesXL site and community platform, complete with forums, ecommerce, products, and blogs, is hosted by iXLd's flagship application XLsuite which is a business management tool for coordinating online and offline business. From creating this community and communities like it, to providing easy tools to help others launch their own sites and access these tools (customer management, email marketing, ecommerce, blogging, etc.), the end results are creating huge opportunities.

Social Media Synergy

Expanding wider into the social media networks of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and friendfeed, to name a few, the network of contacts grew increasing ever wider. Along this path, many new relationships formed and some becoming more key and instrumental to the unfolding of events not yet known, but a tugging mystery to follow is felt. Along this way, key influencers, coaches, and writers joined the ranks to help launch this community of coaches made for coaches by coaches. We all felt this was a significant thing to celebrate.

The Big Bang

The weekend of July 25th, 2009 was the re-launch of CoachesXL, becoming a community site for coaches hosted by coaches, rather than simply an information site as it once was. Annie Veillette, Chantal Beaupré, and myself, Lee Down, pushed the introduction preview so coaches could add themselves to the Free Directory listings, and begin to contribute to their own community.

Evolution Continues

With the initial launch, we know some features of the site are not turned on yet, or not quite working properly. For the most part, however, everyone can easily add a full-listing to the Directory Free of Charge. A link back to your website is possible, and for a small upgrade fee to the Pro level, you can also create more prominent exposure for yourself.

What We'd Really Like You To Do

The most important thing we would like coaches joining our site to do, is to simply take advantage of what we're offering. Doing so involves the following and reaps the rewards too.

• Post a full profile
• Create a Blog and Write a Post
• Copy your Feed and Share it Elsewhere easily
• Upload your own Products
• Add your product photo
• Write your own web-copy
• Receive Buy Requests via Email
• No Middle Man
• Write a Coupon to Inspire a Purchase
• Sell Electronic Products Easily
• Join the Affiliate Program
• Have your Blog Posts Featured on the Home Page
• Have your blog posts featured on the Fan Page
• See your Blog Posts Tweeted in the CoachesXL stream

Why I'm Doing This

You see, when I began coaching I found it difficult with the number of challenges out there to getting started. Community is one of those things, and not all of us are good at connecting locally. A virtual community is a good anchor. One made of coaches for coaches is even better. Where our expertise blends together, where we can collaborate, and where I know that you can easily get access to sound advice, knowledge, expertise, and services to support your online business endeavours (you're always at choice), then I'm a fulfilled coach and technology professional.

I like seeing people succeed, thrive, and live fulfilling lives. I know you do too, or you wouldn't be here.