The New Rules of Health Coaching for 2026

Michelle Leotta:
Welcome to the Health Coach Power Community Podcast. I'm Michelle Leotta, ex-corporate girl turned certified health coach with over 15 years of experience growing a successful online practice. I started out with no idea what I was getting into and learned a lot of lessons along the way that have given me the freedom to do the work I love and raised two boys as a single mom.

I created the Health Coach Power community over a decade ago to make it easier for health coaches to build a career they love and make the world a better place.

The health coaching industry has changed, so today I am breaking down five rules to getting client in this new era, like what's actually working right now as we start 2026. I'm Michelle Leotta, and in the 17 years that I've been a health coach. I've never seen a shift like this. I saw it in my own business.

I watched it happen among all of the health coaches that I mentor, and it became undeniable about six months ago. So if you feel like things that used to work in your business suddenly don't anymore, you're not imagining it. And if you're brand new to coaching, please, please be careful with where you get advice because a lot of the old stuff becomes outdated.

Don't worry, because one of the best parts of having your own business is this ability to pivot, and I'm gonna help you do that with five rules to keep in mind in 2026. First, a quick reality check. Health coaching has been and remains 'cause I get this question all the time. It's a viable, full, or part-time career for motivated coaches.

Yes, I know lots of coaches doing this work as their main gig. And despite what you've heard, people are absolutely still spending money to get results that they want. Now, they might be making decisions a little bit differently these days, and we're gonna talk about that. But what's changed not just in this industry either, but in the world, is how people are buying.

Coaches inside Empowered are seeing this firsthand, and I'm seeing it through them, and we're not doing anything elaborate. No complicated like funnels, no 37-step launch plan that takes six months to put together. They're getting clients with one clear offer because the message hits home, and that's the trend that we're seeing faster decisions when the offer is relevant and ready.

So if you're trying to grow your business, just know that using strategies that worked beautifully even a few years ago, there's gonna be a kind of brutal disconnect there. And I didn't just see these strategies work. I'm talking about stuff that came before.

I used them, and I taught them, and I got results with them. And then, yeah, I just kind of watched as those same strategies started to fall apart across the board. Now I have the advantage of somewhat of an equalized view into a lot of health coaching businesses. I have friends and peers across the coaching industry.

So it really became apparent that while some principles of marketing never die. We've had to change, and I've changed how I do business significantly, and I invite you to lean into what's working now, starting with rule number one, letting go, oh my God, I can't believe I'm even saying this, but letting go of nurture marketing right now.

Nurturing your audience is a path to nowhere. Now, for years, it was very, very important. This has changed. Now nurturing might look like emailing your audience with recipes or posting valuable information to social media, writing blog posts, publishing podcast episodes full of information, and running lots of free events.

You know, big value that you're constantly giving away for free in the name of nurturing. And if you're doing that. Like it's because you're a good person and you wanna be helpful. And also because it used to work. I did this as a health coach myself. I built big audiences, I shared tons of value. I showed up consistently.

I gave, and I gave. And I gave, and for a long time. It resulted in clients because I would build up trust with my audience and then they wanted to hire me. It makes sense. You know, when you think about it logically, of course, they would have to trust you first, and then they would want more from you. Right.

But like lately, I started noticing that coaches who were doing a lot of nurture, nurture, nurture, we're ending up with audiences who buy nothing. And maybe you know what I'm talking about. So these so-called health coaching businesses were really more of a nonprofit. Here's a ship that we gotta make in 2026.

Coaches who confidently invite people into transformation are seeing action. Coaches who nurture, nurture, nurture are seeing zilch. Now, I've always said this, but I think it's gonna be true in 2026, more than ever before. The more offers you make, the more clients you're gonna have. Okay? Rule number two, another one that I can't believe I'm saying.

Oh my gosh. Launches are no longer the gold standard. I'm talking about those online launches that you see. There's usually some type of free event, and at the end of the event, the cart opens, and it's open only for a limited period of time. I built a million-dollar business using that launch model. Big fan of launching over here.

Real good at it. You know, like you got that buildup, you got that excitement, you get to put on that big event. You meet people, everybody gets excited, there's a lot of buzz. Then you make the offer, and it's a very energizing. I always really enjoyed it, and until very recently, very effective.

But in 2025, all kinds of unraveling going on here. Even well-executed launches by established coaches in the industry. Even the big names out there were kind of bombing, and it turns out. These days, people don't wanna wait weeks and sit through a webinar and be convinced anymore. They already know if they're in or they're out for the thing that they want.

They're making decisions faster. That's the best way I can explain it. They're buying from their phones with, you know, that little button on the side? You just click, and you buy something. That's the kind of behavior we're seeing, and people are responding to what is incredibly relevant to them right now, not hype.

They've seen it all before. So in 2026, nimble offers beat those big, elaborate launches and inside, empowered or making five-minute mini offers, and that's really all it takes. A personal invitation, very clear messaging. And I think this is extremely good news for health coaches because none of us like to be bogged down in all that technology and all those hours and hours of marketing stuff.

So without elaborate launches, without those evergreen webinar setups, we can really get back to being human, connecting with other humans. Not bad, huh? It's like the part that we really love to do. Rule number three is we want to avoid white noise messaging. What do I mean by that? This is one of the biggest shifts that I've seen with the coaches that I'm working with right now is how quickly things start to change.

Once they get their messaging to land, they're saying something that someone actually wants to listen to. Now, this isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of fix. So it's gonna be different for you and the next coach. I can't tell you what the perfect words are that you're going to say that are gonna land for your audience or for any audience, but I can tell you this generic is out, templated is out.

ChatGPT obvious copy, please dear God. Gotta customize that stuff. We're all using ChatGPT, but you can spot it a mile away. It's out and vague messaging about health and wellness, and feeling vibrant. Definitely out he days of, you know, promising clients more energy and less brain fog and losing a few pounds.

It's all white noise. People have heard it all before; they've heard it a hundred times, and it's why so many coaches tell me. They're just hearing crickets. If you're looking at your website and your emails and you're like, gosh, I don't know what else I would say. I get it. Like we as health coaches are kind of, or very, we are immersed in wellness talk, and we love that stuff, but in 2026, I am telling you, it is becoming super important to leave that behind and speak in a language that your potential clients.

Number one, recognize that's always been true. But number two gets them excited. Like the thing that they care so much about that they actually get excited. Now I have a theory. Hear me out. I have a theory on why this whole shift has happened. Example. Over Christmas, I asked ChatGPT to give me 10 ideas for stuffed dates, not for dessert.

I said for appetizers and make half of them vegan. Oh, and they should all be make ahead. So like very specific. I wanted something very specific. I asked the question, I got exactly what I was looking for, and I got it right away. Now, let's think of the algorithm on Instagram or on YouTube. It's something that we're in front of every day, whether we like it or not.

Most of us, uh, you know, you're seeing it in one shape or form. Now I'm sure you've had this experience where you're thinking about something, you're talking about something, and you know you're interested in it. You're having maybe a conversation. The next thing you know, you look on Instagram, let's say, and boom, there's an ad.

For like the exact thing that you were just talking about. It's almost like it's reading your mind, right? And then with that one button click, you buy it. I think that type of like, I want it now. I click, I get it now. It's like already in a box being shipped to my house. That's a big change over the last year or two.

People are spending on a specific outcome. That feels 100% relevant and exciting to them right now. So in 2026, the health coaches who are getting clients, like it's not about doing more. You don't have to be doing like more videos, more social media, spending more money on Facebook ads, none of that stuff.

What's working is being super clear and like hyper specific about exactly who you help. What problem you solve or what transformation you can help create for someone, and why now is the right time? So for this, you gotta think like, what is something unique that you bring to the table? Think about your life experiences.

Think outside of your Health Coach certification. Like, what makes you different? What makes you helpful to the right person? Then lean into that, like lean so hard into that because nobody wants health coaching just for the sake of health coaching. Nobody wants to sit down and be health coach. They don't even know what that means.

But they do need help, and you are, you know, whether you realize it right now or not, you are perfectly positioned to help the right person create a huge transformation in their life. We're gonna talk more about this in just a bit, but first rule number four, which is we're gonna love this. Less tech. Yes, I'm really happy about this one, aren't you?

Less tech, more being a human being? You got this. So this is another shift I've been seeing very, very clearly. We are living in this world of AI and bots and chat BT and algorithms. So, you can spend hours and hours with tools and automations and kind of get everything running on autopilot in your business.

But this has been showing diminishing returns. I'm just gonna say it. I've done it. I've been there. I've tried it a million different ways for many, many years. It was a great way to go. And in the last six months, mm-hmm. I've cut about half of the tools that I was using. I'm doing far. Far less with automated processes.

You email me. You know what? You're gonna get an email back. From me, like the next time I'm at my computer, it's not gonna be boom, automated. So by saving all that time with technology set up and troubleshooting, and hiring a VA to help you, I mean this used to take up half of my week. I have traded it in, and I invite you to give this a shot, trading it in for actual human connection.

I know sounds crazy, but I think that's what we need right now, and I think that's why it's working. S,o for example, Diana is a health coach who sent me a message on Instagram a few days ago, and it took me, you know, several hours to get back to her because I am a human, not a but. And then we chatted a little bit, and we set up a time to connect on a call.

We met. We had a real conversation. I am suggesting that in 2026, if you wanna stand out, you need to be more human and less automated. And I figure if I can do it, I have an audience of thousands and thousands, and if I'm able to get back to someone personally and I'm able to actually respond to people in my DMs, you can do it too.

You don't have to do it immediately. You are not a robot. It's okay if it happens the next day. Now one of our empowered members has been booking discovery calls left and right lately. She said it used to be so hard to book those calls, you know, like, click here to get a free discovery call.

Click here to book a, you know, at the time on my calendar. We used to have all that stuff very automated, and people were just not doing it anymore. People would maybe get to the calendar and go, eh. I'm outta here. Maybe they wouldn't even get that far at all. But now, by actually connecting with people, if you know how to have the beginning of the conversation, it's very easy to segue into saying, why don't we hop on a quick call?

And now that health coach I was just telling you about, she's got multiple calls booked every single week. She said it's become so much easier. Meanwhile, I see health coaches drowning in platforms and automations and trying to like duct tape systems together with, you know, limited technology while.

You're working another job, you're taking care of your families, and you're wondering, why does this feel so incredibly hard, and it's not working? So in 2026, go with less tech. Trust me here. Fewer tools, more humanity. You wanna simplify everything.
That's it. That's rule number four and rule number five, health coaching isn't the product, it's not the thing you're selling, it is the vehicle. And this might be the most important rule of all, because people don't wake up in the morning wanting health coaching. They don't see the value of health coaching. They don't understand how just talking can help them. And I'm doing air quotes around just talking, 'cause we all know it's a lot more than that, but that's what it feels like. That's what it sounds like to someone who's never been coached before. So, like an episode that I did a few months ago, and I talked about stop trying to sell health coaching. This is becoming more and more useful and like relevant to how we have to move forward.

I know many of you heard that advice. You listened to that episode because you tell me that you're trying to. I have a real-life example that I think will help. It's perfect for those of you that need an illustration of what I'm talking about when I say don't try to sell health coaching. Okay, so here it's one of our empowered members is realizing that she is uniquely suited to serve women who are on the brink of divorce, right?

They're in marriage counseling, they're on edge, they're confused, they're lonely. Maybe you know someone like this, maybe you are someone like this. It's actually. Very common, but it's a very specific person. She's everywhere, and yet she's kind of hard to find at the same time. So the outcome that this woman wants is what?

Maybe she wants to get divorced. Maybe she doesn't wanna get divorced, but for sure we know this woman wants to rewrite her whole damn story. She wants to burn it down and start over, and she's ready for change, right? S,o health coaches, what do we do? We help clients create change. That's exactly what we do.

So right now, that woman may not care at all about buying health coaching. Or feeling more vibrant or even having more energy. Like that's not the thing that's on her mind. But you know what? She is obsessing over her marriage, her anxieties, how she's losing weight, 'cause she hasn't been able to eat and she's been thinking about what's on the other side, her vision of freedom, her fears of what's on the other side, too. But she's thinking about living a life that feels like her, again, being able to breathe again. We got a message around that. That's what this health coach is focusing on, and now. That woman who doesn't want health coaching, she's listening with wrapped attention, and we're not getting crickets anymore.

We're getting her eyeballs and her ears perked up and paying attention. Now, before you tell me, Michelle, this sounds like more life coaching than health coaching. Tell me what does that woman need right now? She needs her energy, right? She needs to feel grounded. Focused. She needs stress reduction. She needs boundaries.

She needs sleep. She needs to find ways to eat and, despite all the stress, nourish herself so that she can keep going. And those are all things a health coach can absolutely help her with. But we activate her by talking about what she most deeply cares about right now. So excited. It gets me really excited because health coaching has always been about so much more than just food and exercise and stress management.

It's always been bigger than that. I think when you're in school, you think it's all about the nutrition. I know I did, and then once I started working with clients and getting deep into their world, I was like, gosh, wow. I've seen clients change careers. I've seen them cut their hair, start riding a motorcycle, like whole life changes, not just food.

Not just health results. It's not just about the symptoms, like it, of course, it's about nourishing ourselves and taking care of this vessel that we live in. But why? So that we can do what is the question, and that is the shift that people are hungry for. They don't care very much that you're gonna teach them how to meal plan healthy dinners.

I mean, that sounds pretty good, but Hmm. Whatever they care about the results on the other side, that thing they want, talk about that, and I promise it will bring so much more depth to your messaging and your coaching sessions and to your client's experience. And that's what's working right now and that's what's gonna continue to work in 2026.

Now, very good news for health coaches with all of this because all the stuff that's working as we go into this new year requires less hustle, less tech, less perfection. Sounds pretty good and a whole lot more connection. And that's really the name of the game. So if you felt exhausted, and I know many of you have felt like, oh my gosh, I am just getting nowhere, if you've been feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, like this is an invitation to do business in a whole new way.

So you can help the people who really do need you, even if they don't realize it when you call yourself a health coach. And if you want support navigating, that's exactly what we're doing. Inside Empowered, which is my small group mastermind program, where I'm working closely with health coaches to get insanely excited about their businesses, again, uncover existing demand, sharp in-messaging, and build a business that actually pays the bills for once.

How's that? If it sounds like something that you're ready for, just email the word Empowered to michelle@healthcoachpower.com. Thanks for joining me today, and here's to doing things a little bit differently and smarter in 2026. Happy New Year, everybody. I'll see you soon.

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