"Coaching" with Christy, as Advertised in the Quantum Success Coaching Academy's Promotional video, Really Means "Group Q&A Sessions"

The QSCA promotional video says that students get the opportunity to be "coached" by Christy, and to the layman, the term "coaching" implies regular coaching sessions, but, as it turns out, many coaches use the term "coaching" to refer to group Q&A sessions, and that is what Christy intended here, so don't join expecting to get regular coaching from Christy. 

For your information, there were about five 90-minute Q&A sessions with Christy offered throughout the year, open to all QSCA students, past or present, who wanted to join the teleconferencing call to ask Christy questions or to listen to her answers.

~Joscelyn

 

False Pressure Tactics in Quantum Success Coaching Academy's Marketing Contradict its own Philosophy

In the last promotional video for QSCA enrollment, Christy says that "We can only accept 400 students maximum, and we fill up fast, so you need to register soon to reserve your spot so that you don't lose it." I listened to this and signed up early, but after I signed up, the QSCA continued to promote its program, indicating that there was still room for new students to join, until the deadline for enrollment, and this has continued to be their practice in every subsequent QSCA open enrollment since then, so, as it turns out, there was never really any need for me to hurry. This marketing technique, of applying pressure on a potential buyer by telling them that the product is scarce and will sell out soon, even when it is not true, (which, I have since learned, is a classic marketing technique,) bothered me, and especially so, since it is inconsistent with what the QSCA teaches that the Universe is abundant, and that to get what you want via the Law of Attraction you have to "allow" for things to be as they are without emotional attachment. Trying to pressure students to register for the QSCA by using less-than-fully-honest marketing techniques does not, to say the least, seem to reflect this "allowing" philosophy. 

My advice:
In considering a life coach training program, you need to ask yourself how important it is to you that the marketing techniques used to sell the program are honest and consistent with its coaching philosophy. If it would bother you if they are not, then you need to look at different programs.

~Joscelyn

Business Module Taught by Different Teacher than Advertised at the Quantum Success Coaching Academy

The Business Building Module was taught by our regular teacher, not by Christy Whitman, contrary to what was advertised on the promotional video. However, in addition to the seven business building classes, we were given access to a series of recordings of Christy teaching what were called the "first six classes" of the Business Building Module, so maybe this is what Christy had been referring to in the promotional video, but I think that this should have been stated somewhere on the QSCA's website for honesty's sake.

~Joscelyn

More Students per Class than Advertised at the Quantum Success Coaching Academy

I once counted the number of students during roll call before class to see how many there were. There were around 45, not 30, as advertised as the "maximum class size" in the QSCA's promotional videos. The reason for this discrepancy is likely because the videos were made a few years before I joined, when the school was smaller and had smaller class sizes, but there was nothing on the QSCA website that corrected this to let me know that it did not represent the latest school policy. Having an extra 15 students in the class didn't have a negative effect on the learning, but it bothered me because, compounded with the earlier points, I felt like it was yet another thing that wasn't as advertised in the promotional videos.

My advice:
In considering a life coaching course, ask yourself how important it is to you that the advertising be completely honest. If it will bother you if it is not, then you might need to consider a different course, though it can be difficult to know if it is honest until you have been in it.

~Joscelyn

No 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee if the Quantum Success Coaching Academy turns out Not to be Right for You, Contrary to Industry Standards

The QSCA does not offer a 30-day 100%-satisfaction-or-your-money-back guarantee, which, I have since learned from online marketing experts, is considered mandatory for an online information or training program to be considered trustworthy. If you do a Google search for "life coaching programs with guarantees," you will see that many life coaching programs offer such a guarantee, and, in looking for a life coaching program, I would say to settle for nothing less, since there is no way to really know that it will resonate with you until you have tried it out.

~Joscelyn

The QSCA is not ICF Accredited for Coach Training

While the QSCA program is approved by the International Coaching Federation (as mentioned in the promotional videos), it is important to realize that it is approved only as a "Continuing Coach Education" program, and not as an "Accredited Coach Training" program. The ICF writes the following about Continued Coach Education programs: "These offerings are meant for individuals who have a foundation of basic coach knowledge (and ICF credential) and are intended as supplemental training for those wishing to acquire additional learning and/or those who are renewing their ICF Credential." This means that the QSCA program has not qualified for the ICF's Coach Training, and passing the QSCA's course does not count toward ICF Coach Certification. (Neither Christy Whitman nor any of the QSCA teachers have ICF Coach Certification, as is evident from their absence on the ICF member's listing http://coachfederation.org/members/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=3030&navItemNumber=589. When I first discovered this, months ago, I took it as an indication of the unimportance of getting ICF certification, but in retrospect, I think it was a point that I overlooked.) 

My advice:
In considering a life coaching course, you need to ask yourself if getting certified by a school that will enable you, at some point, to get professionally certified by the ICF is important to you, and if it is, then you need to look at ICF accredited programs. (See http://www.coachfederation.org/program/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=2151&navItemNumber=3354)

~Joscelyn

Closed to Intellectual Challenges: What you need to know if you are a critical thinker and considering joining the Quantum Success Coaching Academy's program.

If you are a critical thinker, do not expect intellectual explanations of how the philosophies and methods taught in the QSCA's program make intellectual sense. Similar to the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, upon which the program claims to be based, the attitude is simply, "Try it and see for yourself"; it is not welcoming of critical-thinking challenges. The problem with this is that, from just experience, it is impossible to verify the truth of the alleged "Law of Attraction" that the course is based on, as it cannot be tested, for, if it does *not* work to help one to get what one wants, one can blame it on oneself for not being sufficiently in "alignment," and if it *does* seem to work to help one get what one wants, one cannot know if it was due to external reasons. So, the only reliable way to know if it is true or not is to see if it holds up to intellectual inquiry, which many thinkers, including some of the greatest spiritual teachers of our times, say it doesn't. (Here is what I imagine their explanation for disagreeing with it would be: "Life is not about trying to get what our egos want from the Universe, but about living with presence in each moment, and through this presence, opening up to our full ability to deal appropriately and effectively with life's experiences. Personal growth does not necessarily happen when we "feel good," but when we transform our desires and fears into clarity.") As a note, general references to "quantum physics" were mentioned as "scientific support" for the course's teachings, and while some spiritual practices may be able to claim support from quantum physics (see physics professor Amit Goswami's books, here: http://smile.amazon.com/Amit-Goswami/e/B0028OI2UQ/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1439808810&sr=8-2-ent), how it supports the specific practices that the course teaches is not explained.

My advice:
In considering a life coach training program, ask yourself how important it is to you that the teachers are open to intellectual engagement and challenges, and if it is of a high level of importance to you, then you need to find a different course.

~Joscelyn