As we enter a new year, there is a natural inclination to reflect on the year that passed and the year ahead. This is the perfect time to ground in goals and priorities, build forward momentum in the direction you’ve set, and ensure you take key lessons learned with you along the way. NBHWC is no different – we took time last year to listen, learn, and reflect so that we could come into 2026 with intentionality and strategic aims that respond to the needs of the industry, the coaching community that we serve, and the world as a whole to help achieve our mission.
Reflecting on 2025
I joined NBHWC in June of 2025, stepping in alongside a passionate and talented team that demonstrates commitment to our mission and vision every day. We were all eager to roll up our sleeves and get out the whiteboards to map out what the organization had accomplished, what was still needed for the year, and where we wanted to go in the future.
Some of the key initiatives that we wanted to ensure took place or wrapped up in 2025 included:
- Launching and compiling our Annual Survey, which gathers insights from NBC-HWCs on the state of the profession for those holdingthe credential, and also helps to shape our strategy as an organization
- Updating the content outline and competencies to align with the current state of the Health and Wellness Coaching Industry
- Launching a new Career Center that incorporated enhanced features such as resume support, interview coaching, an improved look and feel, and enhanced engagement with employers to help boost opportunities for NBC-HWCs
- Expanding our team, bringing a new Program Approval and Continuing Education Manager on board, and identifying other opportunities for new roles
- Hosting focus groups with NBC-HWCs and Program Directors to gather feedback, which ultimately helped to shape our strategic goals for 2026
Your Feedback
It is important that we share your feedback and some examples of how this was incorporated into our strategic direction in 2026 and beyond. The reason for this is that your voices truly matter, and, as the community we serve, we want to know where the challenges lie so we can address them together and advance the profession.
- Employment opportunities can be improved
- Advocacy for increased compensation
- Enhanced Continuing Education (CE), including lower-cost CE
- Stronger materials for awareness and education of HWC across employers and client populations
- Additional tools and resources for client acquisition and business
- Focus on workforce diversity – practice setting, education, demographics, and beyond
Looking Ahead
NBHWC is continuing its direction into 2026 with a stronger emphasis on amplifying the Health & Wellness Coaching profession as well as the value of National Board Certification across the diverse employer settings, raising awareness of HWC with the general public, enhancing the resources we offer for prospective NBC-HWCs and current NBC-HWCs, and continuing to pursue meaningful opportunities for reimbursement and integration within the healthcare system. Key projects we’re focusing on early this year include:
We recently launched a new Career Center, which we encourage all NBC-HWCs to explore and utilize. As new employers post positions, we help ensure alignment with the HWC Scope of Practice. The Career Center offers resume support, interview coaching, and other tools to help you as you explore opportunities! If you are an employer interested in posting a position, the Career Center places your posting in front of only National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches. There are various ways to ensure your post is seen, so we encourage you to explore the options.
The Practice Exam has expanded to include two more 50-question practice tests, or all three exams can be combined to replicate the full experience of the National Board Exam (HWCCE). Later this year, we will identify additional tools for study support to help you pinpoint specific competency areas to focus on, as well as other tips to support understanding and prepare for the testing environment.
We hosted our webinar on the Annual Survey, which showed that the profession has remained consistent across demographics, compensation, practice setting, and challenges. All of this highlighted for us that continued momentum and persistence are key to growth. The survey responses represented approximately 2300 NBC-HWCs, and we truly need to hear from all of you; the more responses we receive, the more data we have to help support our coaches. The survey is an important tool for our organization, and we take your input seriously. We read the responses closely and take time to analyze the findings. What we learn is taken into consideration as we set our plans for the upcoming year. Thank you for your participation, and we look forward to hearing from more of you in the 2026 survey!
In the fall of 2025, we held a series of focus groups to discuss resources and initiatives that NBHWC could support. Some of the opportunities we identified include developing additional toolkits to share the value and importance of health and wellness coaching and the National Board Credential, which NBHWC will use in conversations and will also empower NBC-HWCs to use the same messaging in their conversations with employers and clients alike. You can find existing tools and resources in your Membership Portal – stay tuned for additions in the future. Networking Groups continue to grow, offering coaches a community setting to meet, collaborate, and learn from other NBC-HWCs either in their local area or virtually. We are so grateful for our Networking Group hosts who volunteer their time to lead these conversations and drive connections through shared experiences and engaging topics.
Key Takeaways
You are our main priority – a community of incredible people focused on improving the health and well-being of others through sustainable behavior change. Your voices, experiences, and journeys matter immensely to us and our 2026 strategy reflects your feedback and input along with our persistence to support the advancement of the health & wellness coaching profession and the National Board Credential that was created to amplify the field and help us achieve a vision of a “a world where all people have the opportunity to thrive, including with the support of qualified health and wellness coaches!”
