Over the years I’ve debated about what to call myself. Simply put, I help small businesses solve problems.

Ranging from finance to strategy to operations to marketing – the core denominator of what I do (and what we all do at Hoffbeck + Co) is solve problems. We break down an issue; find a rule, principle, or framework to apply; analyze the problem, and solve it.

My Internal Debate About Consultant vs. Coach

I often went back and forth on whether I thought I was a Consultant or a Coach. Which was it? Which word best described what I did? Which word did I like better? Which word resonated with me the most? Were they the same thing? To say this has been something I’ve thought a lot about is an understatement.

(No joke, this blog has been in my drafts since last July.)

I kept gravitating towards one word more than the other. I’ve known I needed to break this down for myself and to help others know how I can help them, as well as how they should think of me and Hoffbeck + Co. I started to realize that sometimes what we call ourselves may be different than what other people call us. Here is my attempt to unify the two. 🙂

I’ll be honest, I’ve leaned more toward the title of Consultant. I first started Lane R. Hoffbeck Consulting way back in 2013. How has it been 10 years? No idea. “Consultant” felt like it embodied more of what I did than the word “Coach” did. There’s nothing wrong with the word Coach, I just felt like Coach didn’t fully fit me.

One of my big takeaways from my MLS at Pepperdine Law was the importance of a definition. How we define something sets the starting point for everything else that comes next.

So here we go!

What is a coach?

There are a lot of different ways one could define a Coach as well as a Consultant. Here is what I’ve come up with.

A coach is someone who gives perspective, offers advice, motivates, and cheers someone on to help them achieve a better or desired result. A coach at their best provides accountability and paints a vision for what is possible. Oftentimes a coach helps someone solve their own problems.

What is a consultant?

A consultant is someone dedicated to problem solving. Here is how I attack this:

Spot an issue
Analyze the issue based on the unique facts present
Apply rules, principles, and best practices to see what can be implemented
Facilitate the change by helping the client make an informed decision
Decide and implement

Whereas a coach will help someone solve their own problems, the consultant will be charged with the task of having to solve the problem for someone.

Lane and Mahla holding their dog Finn in front of a mountain view — Mahla and Lane, Consultants + Partners at Hoffbeck + Co.

**We are both consultants and coaches at Hoffbeck+Co.**

In fact, a way I like to say it better is that we both consult and coach.

We dance between the two based on the task at hand. We have services that are dedicated to Coaching (i.e., Finance Coaching, Marketing Coaching, StoryBrand Coaching, and Business Coaching). We also have services that are more focused on implementation, production, and higher-level problem solving where the burden falls on us to bring an outcome to life. We aren’t simply defined by the limitations of either.

We do both. We are both. If I had to pick one, I would call us consultants because I feel that encompasses coaching as a skill set within the title of a consultant.

Maybe this is just a long-winded post sharing my analysis of what makes up my identity and the identity of my company. But I hope, and I also believe that there is more to it than that. I think some clients have written us off because they didn’t think they “needed” a consultant. I also think that some clients don’t want to be coached, and they just want to pay someone to get shit done. I get it. The same crisis I had about what I was, is the same crisis they face when looking at what they need. They gravitate towards one -- Coaching or Consulting -- and flee the other.

I’ll end it with this. There are bad coaches and bad consultants. A bad coach is just a cheerleader. A bad consultant is a dictator that tells you everything you have to do. Neither of those are effective.

We truly believe that our job at Hoffbeck + Co, whether we are consulting or coaching, is to help our clients make informed decisions. We want to facilitate solutions, not force our agenda.

So whether you call us your consultant or your coach, cheers!

We are here for it. We are here for you.