Certified by Failure: Why Your Mistakes May Be Your Greatest Coaching Asset

Most coaches don’t quit because they lack skill.

They quit because they believe a lie.

That unless their life is clean, successful, and fully resolved, they have no right to help anyone else.

Certified by Failure confronts that lie head-on.

This is not a motivational book about confidence.

It is a calm, honest guide for coaches who feel like imposters because they have failed, struggled, or are still becoming.

Sam Choo makes a clear distinction most self-help books avoid: failure does not disqualify you, but unexamined failure does. Drawing from real coaching realities, not polished success stories, this book shows how mistakes can become training, how judgment is built through experience, and why integrity matters more than outcomes.

Inside, you will learn how to coach without pretending, how to turn past failures into practical guidance, how to help clients avoid costly mistakes, and how to work responsibly even when your own growth is ongoing. You will also learn when failure qualifies you to teach, and when it does not.

This book is for coaches who care deeply about doing the work right, who hesitate because they don’t feel “ready,” and who worry that their past makes them unfit to lead.

You don’t need to be the example.

You need to be attentive.

If you have failed, learned, and reflected, you may already be more qualified than you think.

This book gives you permission to stop waiting and start coaching with clarity, responsibility, and quiet confidence.

Ref: B36. This book contains 128 pages and 14,898 words.