LaDonna Bohling, an ACA International Certified Instructor for more than seven years, explains her dedication to teaching her fellow members.
10/8/2019 9:00
Why Did You Decide to Become a Certified Instructor?
“I’ve always considered one of my talents to be the ability to convey information so people can understand it. I did some training in my previous career outside of the accounts receivable management industry, and when I first joined Contract Callers I was here for about three months and the next thing I know I’m training people on the FDCPA. One day a friend said, ‘You should be a Certified Instructor.’ I looked into it and knew I wanted to be a part of the program. My CI training class was big and had what turned out to be some amazing instructors, like Irene Hoheusle, Michael O’Meara, Travis Miller, Nick Jarman and Joe Adams. It was an incredible group to learn with and from.
What Are the Most Challenging and Rewarding Parts of Being a CI?
The most rewarding part is both when I can see people learning, and also when they give me feedback on my role as an instructor, whether it’s positive or negative. Feedback on your work is invaluable. That said, sometimes you do have to shake off criticism. A few years ago, I got a really bad review from someone in a class I taught on the FCRA.
He said it was one of the worst ACA trainings he’d ever participated in. That completely floored me. I went back and tried to find out what I had done wrong, but I just couldn’t see the difference between that class and similar ones where I’d gotten great reviews. I was talking about it with another instructor who told me, ‘Sometimes you’ll just get comments like that. Don’t let one person out of 12 make you reevaluate what you’re doing.’
How Do Your CI Skills Translate to Your Job?
When you’re an instructor you have to know your subject matter inside and out. This keeps me on my toes and helps me keep up with not only changes in laws and regulations, but also how agencies are responding to issues. I think that’s why the Contract Callers collectors are so good. I bring them perspectives from all the other agencies that I encounter through my work as an instructor.
What Kind of Feedback do You Hear from Participants that Makes You Feel the Class was a Success?
I love it when I’m at an industry event, like ACA’s Annual Convention, and people who I’ve taught in webinars walk up to me and say, ‘I heard your voice and I knew it was you!’ I really enjoy making those personal connections. People also tell me that they like the stories I share in my classes about how I approach certain situations. It’s relatable and helps them connect with the material.”
Read more about Bohling in the September issue of Collector magazine.
Bohling, IFCCE, CCCO, is the chief compliance officer at Contract Callers Inc. and has taught more than 30 seminars.