When someone is a corporate wellness coach, they help their clients create a healthier work environment, reduce employee absenteeism and improve workplace productivity. Often times, they also provide a variety of programs that are designed to encourage healthy behaviors such as exercise, weight loss and smoking cessation. This can be a highly rewarding career for health coaches, but it can also be challenging to break into.

It can be beneficial to obtain a business and wellness coaching certification that can give you the skills necessary for working in this field. You may also wish to join a network of other health and wellness coaches who are working in this area, which can offer support and mentorship as you build your own practice.

Companies are looking for creative ways to save on their overall health care costs, and wellness coaching is one of those options. As a corporate wellness coach, you can set up a confidential partnership between an employee and a professional coach, with the goal of helping them achieve their personal goals. These goals may include reducing stress, improving posture, getting out of pain, better nutrition and increased sleep quality. You may also be asked to help employees lower their risk of developing high dollar diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

This is a field that requires a different approach than working with individuals who are paying out of pocket, and you can expect to spend more time on marketing and administration. You may be expected to track and report to the company on a monthly or annual basis, and you will need to know how to manage a budget for your business.

You will also be expected to be a problem solver, and you should have excellent customer service skills. You may find yourself working with a number of employees at once, and it is essential that you have the ability to meet their needs quickly and effectively.

In addition to having a strong business plan and being comfortable with finances, you will need to be passionate about changing people’s lives for the better. Many health coaches who try to get into this space get discouraged and give up too soon, but if you are committed to making a difference, it can be very fulfilling. You will likely need to speak with a few dozen or even tens of businesses before you get your first client, so it is important to stay persistent. The reward is well worth the effort!