About Mark
I started out in a family that didn't have much. Things went better for me than I had any right to expect. I'm a grandfather now, and at this point in my life giving some of it back matters a great deal more to me than adding to it.
Who I am
I'm Mark Hope. I live in Oklahoma. Over the years I've been a partner in a real-estate rental business, started a free community education platform, and founded We Help People Everywhere, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built around helping people get charitable organizations and small businesses off the ground.
None of that is the reason to talk to me. The reason is simpler. I came up the hard way, I made a long list of expensive mistakes, and I've spent a lot of years since then sitting across from people who were stuck on something. Somewhere in there I got reasonably good at helping a person find the edges of the thing they're stuck on.
I'm not a professional at this
I want to be plain about that, because I'd rather you hear it from me than find out later. I'm not a licensed anything. I hold no certification in coaching, counseling, or psychology. What I have is a life — a long one, with the rough parts included — and a willingness to sit with you in yours.
If that's not what you're looking for, I understand completely, and I'd rather you go find the right person than spend your time on me.
Why I don't charge
Coaching here runs through We Help People Everywhere, which is a nonprofit. Charging for it would change what it is. I'd rather talk to the person who needs a conversation than the person who can afford one, so there's no fee, no package, and nothing to buy afterward.
That also means I'm not selling you anything at the end. If we talk twice and you're set, that's a good outcome.
I say it this way: I'm charging nothing, and if you want a refund, you can have it. It's a joke, but it's also the whole arrangement. Nobody is on the hook for anything here. If I can help one person, all of this was worth building.
How I work
I ask a lot of questions. I'm more interested in what you've already tried than in handing you a framework. When I do have an opinion I'll tell you it's an opinion, and you're free to ignore it — the decisions in your life should be made by the person who has to live in them.
I'll also be direct with you. If I think you're avoiding the real question, I'll say so. Most people who write in are looking for that rather than for encouragement, and the ones who aren't usually figure out quickly that this isn't the right fit.
What I don't do
I'm a coach, not a licensed clinician. I don't provide therapy, counseling, diagnosis, or treatment, and I don't give legal, medical, or financial advice. If what you're carrying belongs with a licensed professional, I'll tell you that early rather than late, and I'll help you think about how to find the right person.
If you're in crisis right now, please contact emergency services or a crisis line in your area rather than waiting on an email reply. In the US, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
What to expect from me
- I read the messages myself — there's no intake team.
- What you tell me stays between us, with the ordinary exceptions where someone's safety is at stake.
- I'll be straight with you about whether I think I can be useful.
- You're never obligated to schedule again, and you don't need a reason to stop.
I'm not the only one here
I'm one of the life coaches at Mark Hope Life Coaching, not the whole of it. Other people with real life experience volunteer their time here too, and I'd like there to be more of them. If you've lived through something and you want to sit with someone who's in it now, come talk to me about joining us.