Inga Masek, South Carolina
Empowered Learning Solutions
Empowered living empowers lives.
Inga Masek has been a homeschooling mom for 9 years. After 30 years as an educator with various roles from curriculum specialist to principal, she experienced the freedom of homeschooling her four children and was hooked. Throughout her career, Inga has helped parents make their homes a vibrant center of living and learning without the need for frustration or fights. As a homeschool coach and strategist, she’s committed to helping moms who struggle with stress, overwhelm, and doubt gain clarity, confidence, and courage to be who God has created them and do what He’s called them to do, while experiencing the joy and freedom homeschooling can provide. Connect at https://linktr.ee/ingamasek
What is your niche (coaching focus) and how did you choose it?
My coaching focuses on moms, especially moms of school-aged children who are homeschooling or considering it because, although I know many of the best coaching strategies can work for everyone, too many times the implementation and application do not meet the unique needs of moms who are also juggling their child’s education. I have always been a self-improvement advocate. Long before I decided to become a life coach, and even before I became a mom, I spent my free time reading self-improvement books and attending classes, seminars and workshops. Even throughout my career in education, I found myself coaching and mentoring new teachers and leaders on more than just classroom-related subject matter. When I became a mom, and started homeschooling my own children, I felt I needed the most clarity, confidence, and courage—all things life coaching can provide—but I couldn’t find coaching that could help me navigate this season of my life with all of the intricacies, emotions and challenges that it presented. I know that success or failure in homeschooling never starts in homeschooling, so I want to help moms see how being empowered in their own lives helps them to create a home environment that can empower their children, whether they homeschool or not.
Who is your ideal client?
I help moms of school-aged children who are homeschooling or thinking about it and are anxious or nervous about how to fit teaching their child at home into their life. She’s been thinking about homeschooling for a long time but feels too overwhelmed by all of the information that’s out, or she has already started homeschooling but isn’t experiencing the freedom that homeschooling can bring; she second-guesses every decision, wastes too much money buying curriculum she never uses, or feels uncertain about whether she can or how she should navigate this in her life. She know she wants to give her child the best education but doesn’t have clarity about the possibilities of what that can look like.
What inspired you to become a life coach?
After an especially challenging few years of sleep problems, chronic pain, and many tearful nights, I knew that there had to be a better way. I started piecing together Biblical principles, along with self-improvement advice that had worked for me in the past, and practical strategies that I’d been using—all with a keen eye to this season of being a homeschooling mom. I tried different things, kept what worked, and reworked what didn’t. I shared some of the tips that had worked for me with other moms I knew, and when they said it helped them too, I wanted more. I found Transformation Academy and, as I went through the certification course, I knew that I could create a coaching program that could meet the needs of moms who homeschool and allow them to reap the benefits of life coaching during this season of their lives.
How long have you been coaching?
I have been coaching and mentoring teachers and administrators as an Educational Coach for over 20 years, but I became a certified coach through Transformation Academy in spring of 2022.
How did you get your first client?
After initially becoming certified, I coached a few moms I knew on a barter system or for a donation of their choice. I felt I needed some practice to see if the strategic system I create could work. Shortly after that, I met my first client at a church small group. I mentioned that I was a homeschooling mom, and she started asking questions. She shared some of her frustrations and that she had worked with a coach before but was still struggling. I shared a few strategies that could work and mentioned that I had become a life coach to help moms who were struggling with the same things she was. She set up a “Discovery Call” with her and her husband and booked my year-long program shortly after.
How has your coaching journey changed your life?
Being able to see the impact of connecting Biblical principles, self-growth, social-emotional well-being, and educational strategies has changed my life because I have a renewed purpose. It has changed my hard days from being all about me to opportunities for what I learn to be able to serve others to get through their own hard days or seasons.
What is the most challenging part of being a life coach?
The most challenging part is in striking a balance between being a giver and being an entrepreneur. I’m learning to recognize that every conversation isn’t a request for life coaching. My own coach had to remind me that giving people free coaching isn’t only bad for the business I am trying to grow, but it may jeopardize relationships.
What is the most fulfilling part of being a life coach?
The most fulfilling part of being a coach has been the “lightbulb moments” where I can see the head tilt, the eyes widen, and then hear the mindset transformation: the new way they start speaking about the “old thing.” Then I get to watch the actions they take because of this new mindset and their genuine reactions to the results. I love serving, but this is the addictive payoff for me, and I think it’s what I work for.
What has been your most inspirational coaching moment, with a client?
My first client was struggling with feelings of doubt, overwhelm, fear, and other feelings she wasn’t quite able to fully articulate. I was walking her through the decluttering exercise during the clarity phase. As we were doing each section, she just kept saying, “Inga, this is so good.” It was funny because the session went on a little longer because of this, especially since I was holding back tears as I could visually see the shift in her thinking. When we got to the end of that session, we sat quietly for a few moments so we could both take it all in. She just kept shaking her head. When I asked her to share how she felt after that, she said she was trying not to cry and could not imagine that “homeschool coaching” would be like that. I usually ask my clients if we can begin and end in prayer, and as she prayed she thanked God for answering her prayer through me. She even prayed over my business that I would be able to give this gift to more moms. Needless to say, I got choked up then (and still do now as I type it today). That has meant the most to me because I continue to ask God to only send me the people that I am supposed to serve.
What is your favorite coaching activity or exercise to do with clients?
My favorite coaching activity is helping clients to build their Homeschool Blueprint because they get to see how the different pieces we’ve been working through up until then help them to craft a homeschool, in and around their life, that can truly enjoy. I also love the decluttering exercise because I know how important clarity is in our process and it sets the framework for everything else I do.
What has been the most effective strategy for finding clients and/or growing your business?
You have to have the courage to talk about what you do and why you believe in it. I don’t think you necessarily have to sell yourself, but, rather, you have to be able to hear what potential clients need and align the part of your courage that could help them. I don’t believe that a person who is struggling or searching is looking for more information. They want proven strategies for success or to overcome the challenge they are facing. While social media can be so time-consuming for a new coach, I know that’s a place where I can connect and communicate how I can serve the most people. I also share what I am doing with my community and always remind them I can share my info with anyone that they feel I can serve.
What advice would you give YOURSELF back when you first dreamed of becoming a coach?
Trust God, Trust yourself, and Trust what has worked. You don’t have every part of the business aspect figured out before you start treating this as a business.
What is the impact you want to make in this world?
My desire is that the work I do through Empowered Learning Solutions would help one million families to have a mom that is empowered to be who God created her to be and equipped to do what He called her to do without the bondage of self-doubt or overwhelm.
Inga Masek has been a homeschooling mom for 9 years. After 30 years as an educator with various roles from curriculum specialist to principal, she experienced the freedom of homeschooling her four children and was hooked. Throughout her career, Inga has helped parents make their homes a vibrant center of living and learning without the need for frustration or fights. As a homeschool coach and strategist, she’s committed to helping moms who struggle with stress, overwhelm and doubt gain clarity, confidence, and courage to be who God has created them and do what He’s called them to do, while experiencing the joy and freedom homeschooling can provide.
