Introduction to CV

Formed in 2001 as an on-line community for coaches it has become the largest in the world with over 60,000 members representing nearly every country. In addition the CoachVille Schools of Coaching formed in 2002 has over 3,500 students making it one of the largest coach training programs in only three years.

In 2004 CV began expanding its program offerings beyond coach training to include personal and business development programs. The members of the community began to expand as well from "just coaches" to include eager learners from all walks of life to create an eco-system for "coach-based learning".

What is CoachVille?

 CoachVille is in the Coaching R&D business

 CoachVille provides coach training for all levels of coaches through learning programs. These include internet based eCourses, live Teleclasses and live events

 CoachVille operates as the largest association/network of coaches worldwide

 CoachVille creates and distributes client coaching programs, assessments and other tools

 CoachVille is a place where coaching industry Thought Leaders share their wisdom and programs

 CoachVille operates as the largest global think tank of coaches

 CoachVille offers cutting edge coach training, personal development and corporate coaching programs

Values-in-Action
What matters most to us, as an organization:
Style: We don't do bland. We do fun, quirky, innovative, and edgy.
Effectiveness: Our coaching/marketing tools WORK for our members.
Speed: We eliminate delay at every opportunity, by over-responding.
Freshness: We're big on R&D and experimentation. No recycling here.
Community: We help members connect and contribute to each other.


How Our Members Experience CoachVille
 As a place where they can be intellectually challenged.
 As a place where they naturally become more creative.
 As a place where they accelerate their personal evolution.
 As a place where they can contribute.
 As a place where big ideas can be freely tossed around.
 As a place where they can access what's new in coaching.
 As a place that they can call their professional home.
 As a place where they add to their skill sets.
 As a virtual community, available on demand, 24/7/365.


How Our Work Gets Done
CoachVille is an entirely virtual organization (no traditional offices) run by a small Leadership Team. The operations and member services teams are comprised of approximately 15 full and part-time staff and volunteers.
The 1000-person volunteer R&D helps us creates and polish content.
Our products/services are delivered mostly online or via conference call, and via live events held throughout the US & Canada

What is Coaching?
A few definitions we like...

 Coaches help players win

 Coaches Inspire an individual or team to achieve a desired result

 Coaches unleash the greatness in people

The CoachVille Story
CoachVille launched as a global virtual community for coaches on June 2, 2001, founded by the late visionary Thomas J. Leonard, a key player in the field of personal and business coaching. It's mission... to improve the quality of coaching worldwide, and to provide a home for every coach. Its guiding principle: "Adding Value for the Joy of It." Thomas lived his words, and while in its early days, CoachVille membership was $79 for a lifetime, on August 29th, 2002 the doors to CoachVille were thrown wide open, and membership became free for all who wished to join the growing ranks of CoachVille coaches.

Thomas felt that "Everyone is a Coach." Not a professional coach perhaps, but certainly a coach in their own way. After all, coaching is simply a set of advanced communication and relating skills, with knowledge and experience woven in. Our best guess is that the greatest source of growth in coaching is actually in the non-coach sector, meaning that managers become more coach-like in their dealings, ministers weave in coaching skills to their professional skill set, even accountants round out their style to including a coaching approach.

Within its first 100 days, CoachVille grew to become the largest professional network and trainer of coaches worldwide, having reached 5,300 members. Currently CoachVille membership stands at 65,000+ with members in 175+ countries.

Asked what contributed to CoachVille's phenomenal growth, Thomas wrote: " Here is our best guess...

1. The price point is fairly irresistible. Our low cost structure, online automation/technology and the volunteer support model makes this possible.
2. The lifetime (vs. annual renewal membership) is a compelling model. Given high delivery cost structures, few virtual networks, schools or associate can afford to adopt this model.
3. The 80% of folks who are coaching in some format simply who will not join a traditional coaching school or a traditional association, will join CoachVille given it's a fresh model that's entirely value driven.
4. CoachVille's rate of evolution and product development is very high. This is appealing because it keeps CoachVille fresh and exciting.
5. CoachVille member referrals bring in 48% of new members. That's incredible/good and keeps CoachVille momentum sustainable.
6. CoachVille is a worldwide phenomenon. We're on our way to members in 100 countries and then a presence in those countries."

About our C.E.O - Dave Buck
Dave Buck became CoachVille C.E.O. and Head Coach of CoachVille after Thomas Leonard passed away in 2003. Dave was hand picked by Thomas to continue his work and expand his vision.
Dave is an MBA, professional consultant, coach and 10+ year solo-preneur. His professional coaching began in January 1997.
He is the founder of the Personal Brand Mastery program for solo-preneurs.
He is an enthusiastic, insightful, practical coach, successful consultant and software trainer, proud champion of the Teleclass medium, practical teacher of branding, perfect life, personal evolution and web site development.
Former adjunct MBA professor – "The Joy of Business", soccer player and former soccer coach at Seton Hall U. He is a true lover of life.
Dave’s newest coaching projects include: Energy Patterns, The Coaching Lab and Practicum, A New Way to Coach and numerous other projects that are still in development.

More About Our Founder
Thomas J. Leonard, often know as the "father of coaching" passed away suddenly on February 11th, 2003.
Founded, in 1992, Coach U
Founded, in 1994, the International Coach Federation, a large association of professional coaches with over 130 chapters worldwide.
Started, in 1998, TeleClass.com, a virtual university with over 20,000 students, offering over 100 classes during any given week, delivered via conference call and RealAudio.
Wrote 28 personal and professional development programs, including Personal Foundation, Certified Strategist, Toleration-Free, Clean Sweep and SuperSensitive Person, A Perfect Life, Certified Critical Eye which are used by coaches, training firms, and Fortune 100 companies.
Authored 6 coach-related books since 1998: Working Wisdom, The Portable Coach, Becoming a Coach, Simply Brilliant, and The Coaching Forms Book (6th edition) and The Distinctionary, along with 14 internally published works available exclusively to the coaches at Coach University.
Was featured on over 100 hours of commercially available audiotape sets demonstrating techniques and processes of coaching.
Developed numerous popular websites and resources we still incorporate today.

Thomas also...
Was the founder of the International Association of Coaches and he developed the ICF, International Coach Federation, the largest professional coaching association worldwide. Was the founder of the Graduate School of Coaching, the most comprehensive coach training school (1000 courses in development), with 1400 students from 35 countries.
Was the founder of the International Association of Certified Coaches, the largest professional coaching association worldwide.
Was the publisher the Today's Coach, the largest-circulation ezine in the coaching industry (30,000 subscribers).
Conducted Teleclasses on coaching and professional development topics.
Conducted workshops and conferences for coaches throughout the year.
Worked on a number of creative projects.
Was the owner/publisher of EzineVille, a collection of 20 ezines with 2 million unique subscribers.

Thomas was 47 years old, single and traveled most of the year in his RV and worked out of his studio in Phoenix, AZ. He was a former financial planner (20 years ago). He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He, along with the coaching profession he helped to pioneer, was featured in over 200 media outlets since 1996, including Newsweek, Time, Fortune, NBC Nightly News, Los Angeles Times, and The Times (London).

About Coachville Programs and Services
CoachVille offers a wide variety of coach training, business development and personal development programs for Coaches.
Our Graduate School of Coaching 2.0 is a 125 hour certification program for experienced coaches.
The Center for Coaching Mastery (A CoachVille Charter Program) offers a certified coach training program for business owners, professionals, managers, executives and new coaches.
Here is just a sample of our course offerings...

• Coaching Mastery - Quick Start Program
• Mastering Change 
• Designing Personal Environments
• Expand Inner Game Awareness
• The Power of Groups
• Happy Human
• Teleclass Leaders
• CoachVille Coaching System
• 1^st Year as a Coach