The Life Coach School, an Allen-based institution that provides life coach certification and personal self coaching, has named Erika Royal its new CEO, effective immediately.

Founder Brooke Castillo, who Royal is replacing as CEO, has been conducting interviews for months to find a person with experience and knowledge that she didn’t have. During that time, Castillo has been learning how to be a founder that can bring a CEO into her company. 

“Although I’ve talked to some extraordinary people over the past few years, there has been a lot of growth I’ve needed to do in order to arrive in the place where I was really ready to actually hire someone,” Castillo said on her podcast, The Life Coach School Podcast. “I have found the perfect person to come in and do that job.”

Royal joins The Life Coach School from Holland & Knight LLP, where she worked for 22 years, 12 as a partner. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she is described as someone with a strong, strategic mindset with leadership skills that will be integral to the School.

According to a statement, Royal also has experience in the coaching industry and a background working in diversity and accessibility.

“This is a company I love and have believed in for a long time,” Royal said in a statement. “It has played a huge role in my personal mental health and happiness, and I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to improve people’s lives by showing others what’s possible with the Model.”

The transition into Royal’s new role has already begun.

Castillo, who is widely known as the face of the company, has been serving as founder and CEO for around 14 years, coaching thousands of clients individually and in groups to improve their lives, businesses, and more. As a Master Certified Life and Weight Coach, Castillo leads a vast community of coaches and individuals who want to be the best version of themselves.

The Life Coach School consists of a coach certification program, self-coaching program, self coaching scholars, online coach certification program, and more.

And, since founding, the company has continued to see unprecedented growth. In July, Castillo ranked sixth on the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies from the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) and American Express. The list showed that The Life Coach School’s gross revenue grew 408 percent from 2017-2019.

Castillo says Royal has been training and preparing to take the helm for years, even if she had no idea she was doing so. She expects Royal to bring a breadth of qualities to the company, including a warm personality, professionalism, and wonderful energy. 

“When you find someone you know will come in and do an amazing job, it’s like discovering your soulmate,” Castillo said. “That’s what I found with Erika. We’re going to be able to do more together than we would have ever been able to do separately. This is the beginning of something incredible.”

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