The Ultimate Guide: How to Start & Grow Your Health Coaching Business (Without Wasting Time or Money)

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.

Hey there, health coaches. The other day in our health coach power community, Susanna wrote, I'm certified through my program. I just took the board exam. Otherwise, I'm totally new to health coaching, and I'm starting from ground zero, but I'm eager to learn all I can to get rolling and be successful. First of all, Susanna, welcome.

We wanna welcome you with open arms. And second, can we all agree that this is exactly where so many new health coaches find themselves? You do the work to get, does it sound familiar? And maybe you even take the board exam, and then you're like, now what? I remember when I started back in 2009, I had my shiny new certification from IIN. I had a heart full of passion.

I guess I had a willingness to just run myself in circles, 'cause that is what I mostly did for a year or two, or three. You know, it was a lot of wasted time. It was a lot of wasted money just chasing things that sounded important for my business, but ultimately were not. I didn't have any sort of marketing plan.

I was just kind of hoping that clients would find me, and that today's episode is the ultimate guide on how to start and grow your health coaching business without wasting time. I'll walk you down the path that I wish someone had walked me down on day one. Now, if you're here with me live, tell me in the comments if any of this sounds familiar so far.

Did you walk out of school thinking, this is it, I'm gonna get started, and then you're like, why are the clients not lining up outside my door? Where are they? You know what? Before we get into all the content I have for you today, and it's gonna be a juicy, juicy episode. I want us all to remember something really important.

We became health coaches. I say we 'cause, I mean me, you, the 15,000 health coaches in our community. We did it because we care deeply about health and happiness in this world. The work we do has the power to literally change lives, lives, change communities, even change the whole darn universe. Not to get all woo woo on you, but that is why getting your business off the ground matters not just for you, but for all the people that need you. That's why this episode matters, not because of the business and the marketing, blah, blah, blah, because we do it so that we can create that change. Yes. Give me a thumbs up in the comments if you're there with me, if you understand what I'm saying here.

None of us woke up today and said, God, I want, I really wanna get good at business. I really love marketing. I can't wait to write some emails. That's not why we do this. Conta said, yes. She is here with me, says, yes, I know you guys are. I know in your heart the work you wanna be doing, and I'm gonna help you get there.

Now listen, I'm gonna share a lot of resources today because things change over time. You know, over the months as the years passed, and it is hard to update an audio-video podcast, which is what this is. I've put everything mentioned today, including my favorite resources, templates, trainings, all that stuff.

Many are free, some are paid, but they're all things that I think you should know about. I've put them into a free downloadable guide, so you can listen today. You don't have to worry about taking notes. All you have to do is download this guide for the most up-to-date resources and recommendations that go along with this episode.

So even if you're listening like a couple years from now, just go to HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted. You could download the guide there. It has links to everything you need and follow along. All right, we ready? Let's dive in. We're gonna start with the basics, which is getting certified in the first place and knowing your role as a health coach.

Now, I know many of you, you know, you probably already have your certification in many cases, but we do have coaches in our community who are just testing the waters. They wanna know what's gonna happen. They haven't quite signed up for that school yet. So, in case you're listening to this episode, before you've attended a training program, quick overview.

So there's a bunch of different health coaching schools out there. So many, right? Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Primal Health Coach Institute, Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. If you're here with me live, tell us in the comments what school you graduated from, or schools, should I say, since many of you are picking up multiple certifications, and anyway, there are so many schools out there anymore, I can't even keep up.

And they vary in length, in cost, in focus, you know what they kind of focus on. So the right one for you is gonna depend on, you know, your learning style, the type of work that you wanna do. And you know, from what I see working with thousands and thousands of health coaches. No, school is perfect. Like every school has its pros, has its cons, and I have a guide to help you know what to look for in a school, whether it's your first, second, or third certification that you're going after.

So I'm gonna link to that guide, um, in the companion download that goes with this episode. Remember, that's at HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted. Now what about board certification? You can be, just to clear up the nomenclature, you can be certified as a health coach through any school that is offering a certificate program.

That's what it means you have obtained the certificate, but board-certified is something fairly new to the industry, so that's through the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, or the N-B-H-W-C. And what they've done is they are attempting to standardize the industry. They have an exam that you can take to become board-certified.

Now, as of this recording, and as far as I can predict into the future, I am not board-certified. Just for total transparency. I was practicing as a health coach for probably a decade with clients on six continents before the board even existed. For me, you know, this extra layer of certification didn't mean anything because I had my own private practice.

So that's what I wanna tell you. No real person, I mean, outside of the health coaching industry, none of your clients have ever heard of the N-B-H-W-C. It doesn't mean deadly squat to them. So it did not make any sense for me to do it; however, getting board certified, you know, it can open up certain job opportunities.

Not that there's a ton of job opportunities out there for health coaches, especially ones that pay over minimum wage, but particularly if you have an opportunity to work in a clinic or in a, maybe a corporate wellness setting, or if you want to potentially accept insurance one day, if and when that ever becomes available.

I have more to say about that, but not today. I will link you to it. So you gotta decide to get board-certified or not, and it's a personal choice. You wanna just think, all right, what kind of work do I wanna be doing? Do I wanna get one of those jobs that's going to require it? Am I going to be going after my own clients who don't care?

And just so you know, there are tons of highly skilled, very talented coaches who are not board-certified. There are tons of board-certified coaches out there who can pass a test, but don't know what the heck they're doing when it comes to working with real clients. So what do we think about that? Are we board-certified?

Are we not? Are we considering it? I think these days it's being pushed as like the next thing you have to do when you come outta health coaching school. And I just wanna let you know, as of today's recording, you absolutely do not. It just depends on your trajectory and where you see yourself going with your business.

All right. Let's talk about scope of practice, which is just a fancy pants way of saying what can you actually do as a health coach. It's a big topic, comes up all the time. Seems like no one talked about this 10, 15 years ago, and now we talk about it constantly. So generally speaking, we're here to guide clients toward habit change.

We're supporting them in reaching their health goals, obviously, so we can educate, we can ask great questions, we can help our clients brainstorm solutions, and figure out, like what's the next small step to take to move forward. What we can't do is diagnose, and we can't prescribe medication. We can't look at someone's labs and tell them exactly what disease they have and how to fix it.

You know, we can't act like a licensed medical professional because we're not, unless you are, because we do have health coaches who are also doctors, nurses, et cetera. So here's where it gets tricky. Depending on your state laws, there are different ways that health coaches are able to work with clients, and some states are more strict.

Like if you're in Ohio, raise your hand. Just know I'm really talking to you right now, as well as a few others. But Ohio is the most strict as of this recording. And then some states are more open, like I'm in New York, not so much going on here in terms of the state telling me what I can and can't do. So here is my important disclaimer.

I'm not a lawyer. I do a lot of things in my business. I'll do a lot of things to help yours. I'm not a lawyer, so please don't take legal advice from me, from anyone who's not a lawyer, right? Sometimes, health coaches, we start talking to each other and sharing what we heard here and what we heard there.

Take your legal advice from someone who is actually a legal professional and well-versed in this industry. I don’t know if you've ever tried, but gosh. Lawyers, accountants. Sometimes it's actually hard to find people who really understand the health coaching industry, but I do know someone I'm gonna link you to her.

She is fantastic. And um, I think all of her resources are gonna really help you out. They all go along with today's episode, and if you download the companion guide, we'll have links in there for you. This way you'll get the most up-to-date information on your state's laws, and state laws do change over time, right?

These are the only rules that you have to follow. Right. Like, if you're out there and you're, you're practicing as a health coach, the only like literal rules that matter are your state laws; everything else, you get to design the way you work. You get to decide, yes, I'm gonna follow, um, the standards that come with board certification, or I'm gonna do this other type of coaching through this other school, and I'm gonna follow their standards.

You get to decide. So, uh, remember if you're taking notes right now, don't worry about it. Have it all. Packaged up for you inside the guy that goes along with this episode. And if you want that, it's at HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted. So let's see. What do you actually need to start your health coaching business?

And if you're here with me live, tell me in the chat, what do you think you need? Like the essentials just to start working with clients. We're not talking about a year, two years into your business, we mean. Just doing the work for the very first time. And I want you to remember there are all these businesses out there, there's coaches, there's health influencers, et cetera, et cetera, and you look at them online, and I want you to just think in your head that these people are not just starting.

So what you see is bigger. It's far more complex, like what they're doing now, than what they did on day one of their business, like. We all start with humble, humble basics. So I wanna tell you what I recommend. You know, this is after 16 years in the industry, and notice this list is short. That's on purpose.

I am never going to tell you to spend tens of thousands of dollars right out of the gate. That's nonsense. So let's just talk about basic tools in order to be a health coach. I mean, honestly, if you're meeting with your clients in person, and I've met with clients like at a coffee shop or at a park, you need absolutely nothing.

You need to arrive with an open heart and a willingness to ask questions, and that's really it. But let's say, you know, most of us are not working in person these days. We're working online over the phone. Alright, so that's what you need: A computer or a tablet, a phone. You know, a notebook to take notes.

That's it. A pen. Does it get any easier than that? I'm sure you already have all of those things, and that's great news because you don't have to like stock products and have a warehouse. I mean, those types of businesses have so much upfront cost, right? You don't need to have pretty much anything to get started, so you shouldn't be losing money.

You can run an entire health coaching business with just those two things. By the way, don't worry about the phone. Some people say, oh, I don't want my clients to have my phone number between Zoom and Google Voice and you know, other online platforms, you'll always be able to connect with your clients without ever giving out your personal number unless you wanna totally up to you.

The next thing you have to think about is you gotta track your income and pay quarterly taxes. No one told me that in the beginning. I did not know that for years and years and years. I never even heard of the term quarterly taxes. So this is not the sexiest part of today's episode or the sexiest part of running a business, but it's important.

Uh, so as health coaches, typically we're self-employed. I know I did not wanna be self-employed when I started out. Here I am 16 years later, you know, I thought I will never run my own business. And here we are. So when you don't have an employer who's withholding taxes for you, that means it's on you. You gotta set the money aside.

You have to pay your taxes. Like you have to purposely go and do it quarterly, and you know, you don't need anything fancy, like you don't need QuickBooks, especially not in the beginning. Maybe one day. I mean, I use QuickBooks now, but you can do just fine with a spreadsheet, and you wanna just tally up your earnings.

What did you earn this month? What were your business expenses this month? And then what was your profit? That's it. Save a third. Give it to the government. If you do that, they're gonna be plenty happy with you. If you don't do that, you might find yourself in trouble one day. Again, I'm not a tax professional.

So if you want more information about that, if you're wondering about specifics to you, your family, another business that you own, please contact an accountant. Alright. The third thing I think you need, this one's huge, working for yourself. Like when you're first starting out or ever, it can be incredibly isolating.

Yes. Have you felt that like you're in your own little bubble? You're wondering if you're doing things right, you're second-guessing yourself, and maybe even thinking about quitting before you've really begun. I mean, I remember just going from working in an ad agency where we had like 800 employees in the whole building, and then I was working at home on my couch.
Oh my God. I was starved for conversation. I was so lonely. I felt like I was losing my mind that so many years ago. That's exactly when and why I started the health coach power community, because I figured a rising tide lifts all boats, right? So we're always better off when health coaches come together.

We work together. We share our experiences when we can learn from each other. So whether it's my community or it's another community of health coaches that you find, this is what I want for you, I wanna make sure that you have people in your corner who understand this work. Because you know, who doesn't?

Your friends, your family, your spouse, they don't understand what the heck this is. You need people around you who do. And then finally, something that you need, and this one is highly recommended, although it's not like the cops are gonna come get you if you don't have one. But to protect yourself, you're probably gonna want a solid client agreement.

That's the best way to protect your income. Set clear expectations with clients. Define the scope of your work so nobody is confused about what you do and don't do in a health coaching relationship. So in that companion guide that I put together for you, I've included a link to my favorite legal templates.

They are specific to health coaches because I want you to start off on the right foot. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You don't have to go like go dig around online and copy and paste somebody's legal agreement and hope that it works for you. That's a little shady. So again, you can get the real deal, the same templates that I've used in my own business.

And all of that is, um, linked and listed out for you at HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted. So, just talked about what you do need, and it wasn't much, right? I wanna talk about what you don't need when you're starting your health coaching business. Like all this stuff. You think you need all this stuff to get started, and it holds you back.

I can. Almost guarantee this is happening. For 99% of you, you're thinking that you have to do stuff, you have to acquire this, you have to figure this out, and it, and it's unnecessary just kind of eating up your time and your money and your energy, and you don't really have time, money, or energy to burn, right?

So, all you wanna think about is what do I need in order to work with more paying clients or work with my first paying clients? And we're gonna get to that because that's what makes a business. Getting paid by clients like setting up your Facebook page. No, that's not directly connecting you with clients.

There's so many things that you don't need. Here's another example. A website. I know, I know, right? This one always surprises our health coaches, but you don't need a website. You don't need a logo. Oh, for goodness' sake, please don't spend time with a logo so unnecessary in order to start coaching. You don't need that.

What it does is it makes you feel more legit, right? Like, Ooh, I have my very own website. I must be a real business owner now. But again, if you're not making money, you really don't have a business. So skip this stuff. It can all come later. These are significant projects, so it might be helpful in the future, of course, but even today, 16 years in, I could run my whole business perfectly fine without a website, without a logo.

There's just so many more important things, like a mailing list, which I'm getting to shortly, so hang on for that. Now, you don't need another thing. You don't need a fancy name, a catchy business name, some interesting-sounding name that you've been spending hours and hours trying to come up with something that no one's ever come up with before, to name a health business.

Come on all those names like, uh. Health for life and vibrant soul wellness. Like they're all taken, they're all kind of cliche, right? I know when I started, I named my business Find Your Balance. You can find 10,000 iterations of that in the health coaching world. So we all do it, and kind of poking fun at all of us that we think we have to have that cutesy little wellness name.

Um, you know. And it can kind of work against you because they require people, like if you meet someone, you're at an event, whatever, they have to remember you and your name. And then they also have to remember this kind of cliche business name, and they're like, was it Health for Life or Life for Health?

It was something like that. Plus, over time, here's what I've seen happen with so many health coaches, including myself. Your business is going to shift. So if you named your business today, like Keto Mama Wellness. Cool. But five years from now, are you still gonna be so focused on keto? You don't know. You might be into like the opposite of that, you know?

And then meanwhile, you built up all this equity and a name and a url that is useless to you at this point. So far easier for you, for other people, for the longevity of your business, use your own name as your business name. That's it. Done right? Like if you're Mary Smith. You are Mary Smith Wellness.

Congratulations. Something like that. The end. Don't overthink this part. Um, I can't say this enough, it just does not matter, and it will cause more complications for you later, so just keep it real simple. The other thing you don't need are printed business cards or brochures. Oh my God. The brochures that I used to get printed for my business, they're outdated.

In today's online space, you do not need them. You know, most people are gonna connect with you either through social media or email, or a direct link or a QR code that takes them to some digital version of whatever they need. You can even have a digital business card. Don't waste your time. Don't waste your money on print materials because people are like, oh, thanks.

It goes straight in the trash. Or it's been my experience that years later I can actually see 'em over here. All the boxes. Stuff that got printed and it's just sitting around, it's totally outdated. It became outdated before I could even use them all. And it's just unusables just sitting there. Probably just gotta go into the recycling.

Now here's another thing. You do not need an LLC or an S Corp, uh, right away, like when you're just getting started. You're a sole proprietor, and you don't even have to do anything just by default. You are a sole proprietor, and that is perfectly, perfectly fine. You can protect yourself with a solid client agreement.

As mentioned earlier, you can always form an LLC leader. So here's a fun fact. If you're here in the comments, tell me how many years do you think went by before I started an LLC? Recap. I started my health coaching business in 2009. I was a practicing health coach for 13 years, and since then, I've been mostly focused on helping all of you.

Any guesses? Because I see coaches doing this right out of the eight, they're not even outta school yet. They gotta set up that LLC, and they're getting all like, oh, what do I do? What do I do? If it's easy for you, fine. Do it. I did not start an LLC until I was one to guest 5, 10, 10 years into my business.

Oh, somehow I managed, somehow I was profitable. Somehow I've built this whole thing right, without even taking that step. So don't let this stuff hold you back, 'cause sometimes there's just more important things for you to spend in your time on. And then finally, you don't need fancy programs with the bells and the whistles and the videos and the logins and blah, blah, blah.

I know it's really tempting, like you wanna create this beautiful online course maybe, or a video library 'cause you've seen that stuff online and you're like, Ooh, like I want my stuff to be like that. But if you haven't even worked with a single paying client, or if you're not bringing in enough money, like that high-end online course requires money, right?

The platforms, the filming, the editing, all that stuff, it all takes money. So, what you see out there, remember what I said? It all looks really shiny, but you get there over time. Anything you see that's evolved it was not someone's first iteration of their business. So you can't go from zero to 60 overnight.

Even if you had like all the startup capital in the world, I don't know, maybe you got a trust fund or something. Most of us do not, but let's say you did. I don't think it's a good idea because I promise that you're gonna have ideas and areas of interest that change over time as you're working with your clients, so it doesn't make sense to get all fancy and shiny right outta the gate.

Just start working with private clients. You don't need a program. You don't need a curriculum. You don't need videos. Oh my God, that's not what coaching is all about. Now, I know that I have an episode all about this, like coaching without a set program. Uh, not every health coach school teaches this, so I wanna make sure that you know, all you have to do is show up to be there with your clients.

I'm gonna share the link to that episode with the, uh, downloadable guide that I've been talking about. Anyway, the takeaway is this: you can start lean, you can start today. There's nothing standing in your way. You don't have to wait until you've spent thousands of dollars or built this like perfect setup.

And I think the sooner you start working with real-life people, not practicing with other health coaches or friends, but like real people, the sooner you're gonna gain the clarity and the confidence that you need in order to grow. It's actually the only way. Like, everyone's like, well, you know, I gotta wait until I have more confidence.

I have to wait until I feel ready. And we're all up in our head about like, oh, I need this client management tool, and I need that website, I need this, I need that, and have no clients. So I'd much rather you have like 10, 20 paying clients before you even think about any of that stuff because you gain so much clarity by doing the work.

You ever made, looked at a recipe, and you're looking at it and you're like, oh my God, I don't know if I can do that. How do you do that? Like when you start, that's when you learn. When you actually get in there and you start doing the thing, you mess up. Or maybe you are, you're successful, or whatever. When you do the work, it all comes together.

Trust. You gotta trust. I've only seen this scenario unfold with like several thousand health coaches. Take my word for it. Alright, I wanna move into marketing. Who hates marketing? Just raise your hand. I know it's not the fun part for everybody. Kind of the fun part for me, because I've been doing this for so many years, right?

I used to work in, uh, big advertising. So for over 20 years now for big brands like Royal Caribbean or Ocean Spray, uh, all the way to like the tiniest one-person brand of my own business. I've been doing online marketing and uh, I kind of like it, you know. I've also always been online since day one, so it's always been like in the online space, and uh, it's, it's changed a lot through the years.

It's so interesting. It's easy to get overwhelmed. So the first thing, I just want you to think about it for like five minutes and no longer, 'cause you can get stuck here. Think about it, don't obsess about it. Your target market that's an important concept in marketing. We also call it your niche. You'll also hear it pronounced niche that's acceptable, both pronunciations.

So the idea of a target market, or a niche, or a niche market is to narrow down on who you wanna work with. And that's so that you can stand out. So people actually listen to you. And I'll give you an example. So when you try to speak to everyone, I'm a health coach, your message is so watered down. It gets lost in the noise because you'll be saying something like, learn to eat healthy and feel better, learn to eat healthy and feel better.

Yes, everybody wants that in a sense, but it's very vague. We've heard it too much. Okay, so everyone's just like, oh, that's nice, whatever. But when you're focusing on like a really specific type of person. Then they're gonna feel like you're talking to them. You'll say, um, instead of that, you would say, Hey, learn to get rid of itchy eczema symptoms.

: And they're like, yes, yes, I have that. I need help with that. Talk to me. See the difference there. So I just wanted to demonstrate a really simple example of how a target market makes a huge difference. Now that said, choosing a target market. As with so many things I'm mentioning today, it can be overwhelming, especially in the beginning.

For those of you that are here, do you have a target market? Yes. No. Tell me in the chat. I know that if you don't, one of the most common concerns is that you're gonna leave people out. You don't wanna help everyone. I don't wanna leave anybody out. Um, another concern would be like, worst. What if, what if I'm barking up the wrong tree?

What if I'm choosing the wrong target market? So you can't let yourself get stuck here. I want you to just know about it. Just be aware of target markets and know that you can evolve. Over time, you can refine a target market as you go. You can start very broad, maybe you're gonna start very narrow.

It's gonna change whatever you think you have right now. It's gonna change. And I have a whole episode to help you with this. I think it's called, um, if you're having trouble choosing a target market, do this instead. So I'll link to that in the companion guide. Um, again, that's at HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted.

I think that's gonna be really helpful because I've seen too many health coaches just get stuck in the mud here. Lisa's saying that she does have a target market, but not sure if it's too broad, helping people who have been diagnosed with a health condition that's too broad. That's not really a thing, right?

Any health condition. Uh, mental health condition, physical health condition might be a good differentiator right there. And then, of course, you'd really narrow down to like a specific health condition if you're gonna help people, like I said, who have eczema, for example. Because if you're just like, I help people who have diagnosis, that's like most every single person on earth, especially over a certain age, taking a pill for something, right?

By the time everyone's probably 40, certainly by the time they're 50. So yes, over time, Lisa, that's gonna get. Narrow down, down because you're gonna realize you're really good at helping people with this kind of health condition. Or, uh, you really like, just personally enjoy working with people who tend to have this other kind of health condition.

So if you're not sure yet, it will reveal itself over time. The next thing I wanna talk about is building your mailing list. And I know I'm just bang, bang, bang today, but I promised you guys the ultimate guide. I'm not here to mess around, so let's do it. Your mailing list is going to be the backbone of your marketing, and it is entirely free to start your own list within an email service.

So we're not talking about using like Gmail or Yahoo. Um, you wanna sign up with an email service provider. Your email list is going to be far more effective than posting on social media. So, just if that thought came to mind, I'll just post to Instagram. That's cool. You can do that. But the email list is what's really gonna do the heavy lifting.

And I know that this can be a little bit daunting, so I've created a free mailing list, set up tutorial. I give this away all the time. I want every health coach to have this. It's inside the companion guide for you. It walks you through the process of setting up your email list step by step so that there is nothing holding you back.

Um, that's gonna also be listed in the guide at HealthCoachPower.com/Get Started. I give it away for free because I know this step is so essential, and I know how easy it is. Look at a new tool or a new interface and go, huh? And then you waste like a week staring at it and get nowhere. I don't want that for you.

Let's just get that part done. Now the other thing that's gonna come up while we're on this topic, um, is going to be a domain email address. It's not required to set up your mailing list. It's not required to start working with clients. Um, and, you know, you could, you could do pretty much everything we've talked about today without a domain, a domain being like, in my case, it's HealthCoach Power.com, that is my domain name, but in order to actually send emails from that email service, right?

So you could get set up to that. But then you're like, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna email my list. You're gonna need a domain-based email, and that means buying a domain name. It's gonna be like, I dunno, $15, $20, pretty inexpensive. And setting up an email account that goes along with it. Also, inexpensive, should be a couple dollars a month.

So this goes back to what we were talking about earlier with your business. If you're hemming and hawing over your business name, you're never gonna be able to buy the domain, which means you're never gonna be able to use your email list. And I want you to sail through all those little speed bumps. If you are Mary Smith, then you are Mary Smith Wellness.

Congratulations. You might grab, uh, marysmithwellness.com, msmithwellness.com, or marywellness.com, whatever is available. You don't need a website yet. So even though you're buying a domain, don't worry about it. You don't have to attach a website to it. For now, you just need an email account. So if you go to like any of the domain, uh, services, whatever they're called, Blue Host or DreamHost or whatever name, cheap, um, you'll be able to do this, and then you'll get that email account associated with the domain of your choosing, and you're done.

I know, I know there's some like weird tech stuff that you gotta work through in the beginning. Don't let it hang you up. Take the easiest path. All right, so marketing is a huge topic. Let's see what Stephanie's saying over here about target market. She has one. She says people's help for people whose help that has nose dived after separation or divorce.

Oh, then goes on to say cancer and grief and trauma and ended up with emotional eating or drinking. So she's getting there. You see that you guys, Stephanie could say, I help women and men get healthier. That's like the most broad statement. That means absolutely nothing, right? That's everybody in the world with everything.

Stephanie is starting to hone in on people who've gone through some type of trauma, um, and has led to emotional eating. Now it's interesting because like at first I thought she was just saying she works with, uh, people who've gone through a separation or divorce, because that's such a specific group of people, and I know it well because I fit into that group of people.

When I get together with all my friends who are divorced, we can talk and talk and talk and talk about so many topics that are like very specific to being divorced, and no one else understands. That's how you wanna be able to communicate with your people. You wanna be speaking their language so specifically that they're like, yes, yes, yes, you've been reading my diary.

Whereas if I tried to have that level of conversation who had gone, uh, someone who had gone through cancer, which, you know, knock over here, I have not gone through that myself. I wouldn't be able to connect this strongly with that group. So anyway, I think, Stephanie, you are on your way. Like I said, it evolves over time.

You're gonna, you're gonna figure out what the best group for you is. Marketing's just, it could, I could talk forever about marketing. Most of this entire, you know, Health Coach Power Community podcast is about marketing. But if you remember only one thing from this section of today's episode, I want it to be that the most effective marketing you can do it's just talking to people.

So if you got one of these, and I'm pointing to my mouth for people who are listening on podcasts later, if you got one of these mouths and you can talk. That's the basic thing that's gonna get you very far on its own if you know how to use it. So I don't want you to get overwhelmed. I don't want you to think, oh, this is too complicated.

You don't really need a lot of technology or like funnels or, you know, content calendars, all that stuff maybe comes in the future. Your most powerful marketing move as a health coach is simply having a conversation, like with your hairdresser or a neighbor or like a parent at your kid's soccer game.

Every interaction you have is an opportunity for you to talk about this work and what you're excited about and the clients that you've been helping. And people are gonna ask you questions when they see how jazzed you are about the topic, right? So you don't have to be pushy or salesy. You can just, Hey, yeah, I got a workshop coming up.

That's what I've been doing. Instead of when someone asks you, how you doing? You're just like, fine. Like, talk about what you do. I know you're excited about it. Alright, this is the ultimate guide, so we got a little bit more to go through. You don't have to remember everything. You're gonna come back to this episode.

I think time and time again, everything I've mentioned, the tutorial for setting up your mail list, the link to, you know, talking more about your target market and what you do when you don't need. It's all in the companion guide, but before you can worry about marketing yourself to the masses. I think we all just have to start with that very first client.

So, hey, for those of you that are here live, have you had that first paying client? Yes or no? Just say, Yes, I've had a paying client, or No, I haven't had a paying client yet. I mean, that's where we all start. So I just wanna lay it out there that your first clients are almost always going to come from your personal network.

Not always. 9.9 times out of 10, it's gonna be your friends, your family, your coworkers, your neighbors, you know, people who already know you, or maybe people that they introduce you to, like one step removed. I see. Lisa, yes, has had a couple clients. Fantastic. Keep going. Before you can take on a paying client, like before Lisa took on her first paying client, she had to know what she was offering them.

And here's what I mean. Sometimes I'll ask a health coach. If I walked up to you today and I said, I wanna be your client, and you would get excited, okay, and I had my checkbook out like it was 1982, I guess today it would be my Venmo or I was about to Z you or whatever. How much, how much would I make it out for?

How much does it cost to work with you? And it's such a simple question, but most health coaches go, uh, and just stop in their tracks like this. I dunno. So we gotta fix that. 'cause you can't sign your first client if you don't know what you're selling them. Decide right now on a coaching container. It's not gonna be perfect.

It's not gonna be where you stay for the rest of your career. It's just for the next, your first, or your next client. That's it. So, here's what you need to know. How long, how long will the coaching package be? One month, three months, six months, a year? I don't know. You tell me. How often will you meet with your client during that time, and how much will it cost?

That's it. That is a coaching container. They know what they're signing up for, and you know what you are delivering. It could be three months for a thousand dollars, and you're meeting twice a month. It could be six months for $600 with one call per month. You know, there's no right or wrong here. What it shouldn't be is one month for like $10,000 where you're gonna meet every single day, unless you and your client are very, very intense people that I think, is going a little bit hard.

Uh, it probably shouldn't be on the opposite end of the spectrum. It probably shouldn't be 12 months for, uh, $10 a month either, because that's gonna get old real quick. And if your client doesn't have enough skin in the game, they're not gonna show up for themselves, especially for 12 months. Geez. You get to decide on what feels comfortable for you.

Just guess, you don't know the answer. I don't know the answer for you. Just make your best guess and start there, and then you'll change it for the next client. You'll go, oh gosh, six months was too long. Or, oh gosh, three months wasn't long enough. Right? And you'll just iterate using your best gifts every time.

You just, uh, you know, you can't sell something that you haven't defined. So I'm gonna give you an idea. My very, very first clients, so this is going back a very long time. Um, I had them pay me $600 for a six-month coaching package, and that was half price while I was still in school. Right? I was still at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition at the time, and then after I graduated, then I bumped it up to 1200.

For that same six-month package, and this was back in 2009. So those are real numbers coming from my real life doesn't mean you have to do anything like that. And also, that was very long time ago. So do as you will with that information, if you wanna dive deeper into the exact steps for finding that first client and how to price yourself.

Um, have a couple episodes on these topics, and I'm gonna link to them in our companion guide for this ultimate Guide episode. Now, what about for those of you who already had a couple of your first few clients, you're still brand new, you're still getting your business off the ground. It's like, now what?

And it's where coaches get stuck. You can find a friend who wants to work with you in the beginning, or, like for me, my cousin was my very first client, but then, growing beyond that circle of family friends, I would say. That's the real work. Like that's where now you really are acting as a business and not like a little hobby shop.

You know, you gotta keep growing and expanding your reach. And adding to your mailing list. You gotta keep bringing new people into your world, and they're gonna come in through freebies, things that you do for free, that's gonna be a major way of getting people onto your mailing list. Whether it's a downloadable lead magnet or a short challenge, like an event, a free workshop, anything that gets people to raise their hand and say, yes, I want your help, and then make offers.

You are not, you are never gonna get more clients. You're never gonna start working with people outside your, you know, circle of friends and family unless you get in front of them. You get their email address so you can communicate with them and then you make offers. I always say the more offers you make, the more clients you will have.

Write that down. Or, no, I should really put that in the companion guide. That should be its own page. The more offers you make, the more clients you'll have. So when I say offers, that could be offering a free consultation. It could be offering a five day mini program. It could be offering your introductory rate on something, some package, or even just offering a freebie to someone who is not already on your mailing list.

It's like you don't wanna just give information and give people recipes and give people value. I mean, yeah, we're gonna do that, but always offer clear step for them to keep working with you. And I mentioned at the beginning of this episode, I ran myself in circles when I was in this stage because I was just like doing, doing, doing, doing everything I could think of.

I was very tired. I was very alone. I did almost quit three times. I want you to avoid that kind of burnout by continuing to prioritize your own self care. And staying connected to a community or mentor, like you have to have people in your corner who understand the ups and downs of building a business so that you can continue to feel motivated and moving forward.

Gosh, it was hard for those years, right? We didn't have so many, uh, like groups online. I didn't have that many things available to me back then in 2009, 2010. These days, take advantage of what's out there. So if you're at this stage of business, you've had a few clients, you're looking to grow beyond your current circle.

Um, I have resources that go much deeper into list growth and making offers. And you can find all of that linked up in the companion guide at say it with me, HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted. I know I've said that like 20 times today, but really I wanted to make sure I wasn't just rattling off 40 different URLs and you had to write them down while you were listening to this.

We're gonna wrap up with a little mindset check because this is not just about growing a profitable business. I mean, it's somewhat about that, but it's about who you are becoming in the process, and that's the really exciting part for me to watch as you all go through your process. You know, there's nothing I've ever done in my life.

In terms of personal growth and development, that can come close. Maybe motherhood. Okay. Motherhood and growing a business that can touch the growth that's happened as a result of being a business owner. Like, it's work, both motherhood and starting a business. It's work and it's also a great gift to yourself.

So think long term. You're not just trying to get through today or next month. You're creating a business, and you're creating this career that is hopefully going to grow with you year after year. You know, a couple decades now I'm working on, and that means that you don't have to have it all figured out right now, and you can't.

We just cannot know today what your business and what you should be doing. You know, for something that's gonna last so long, you just can't. You kind of have to go, huh? Make your best guess. I do it all the time. As a mother, I dunno what to do in this situation. I've never done it before. I guess I just have to try so that you can take the next step forward.

And especially in your business, try your best to avoid the shiny object. And there's a lot of shiny objects out there. It's really tempting to chase like, Ooh, that tool, I need that tool. Look how convincing that ad is. Or, uh, you know, this trendy marketing idea or this social media trend, you know, or that certification, this other certification that's gonna make me more legit.

I need that. You are absolutely bombarded, aren't you? Emails ads promising six-figure health coaching practice. On that. You're not gonna make six figures this year, I just wanna let you know, right? And that's not a bad thing. I mean, wouldn't that be weird if you just started doing something you've never done before and you made six figures in your first year?

Like if it looks like snake oil and it smells like snake oil, probably not gonna make six figures your second year either. But you know, maybe a few lucky help coaches as well. But for most of us, including myself, know it takes time. So don't believe the hype. And when you get that like shiny object thing going on, you are like, woo, woohoo.

Uh, you're changing your focus, and every time you change focus, you slow yourself down. You know you wanna get on one path. You wanna stay committed to the basics that you've learned in this episode, and you're gonna build momentum that keeps building on itself. You know, that's sustainable growth. And finally, remember why we're doing this work, right?

You're not a charity. You're not setting up a nonprofit with your health coaching business; I don't think you do need to earn money in order to sustain yourself. I got a mortgage to pay, and you know, as a health coach in this industry, we also earn in non-monetary ways and sometimes. I have to pause and remind myself of that, 'cause those can be the most rewarding ways.

Like our businesses pay us with this opportunity for self-growth. Our businesses pay us with client wins that make our hearts like overflow with joy. I know my business pays me with the flexibility to work from home. Whatever hours I want. You know, I can have slow mornings, I have time for my own self-care.

I can cook dinner from scratch every night. Those are luxuries, luxuries that my business gives me. So make sure you're earning the way you need to so that you'll be able to sustain yourself, sustain your business, and do this work that you love for years and years to come. All right, well, if you have made it this far with me today, amazing.

Uh, we covered a lot. Remember, you don't have to do it all at once. You're just gonna start at the top, work your way down one step at a time, and if you're ready to jump in, some of you will be and take big action. Right away. You're like, I want. To be all in with my health coaching business right now, grab my free health coaching blueprint at HealthCoachPower.com/BluePrint.

It's gonna walk you through the exact steps to start building your client base right now. I put all the other resources, including that one that I mentioned in today's episodes, tools, templates, links, uh, other podcast episodes that you can listen to on these topics, and get a little deeper dive.

Just go to one place, HealthCoachPower.com/GetStarted. You're gonna find everything there for you. It's all organized, and that way I can keep it updated, um, and ready for you whenever you need it. I think that the world needs us. You know, the world needs more health and happiness, so don't wait to feel ready.

Don't wait until somehow the confidence fairy comes and bing gives you confidence. That's not how it works. You know, the only way to feel ready is you gotta start doing it. I'll see you next time for what I'm sure will be a much, much shorter episode, but today's was an important one, so let me know how it helps you.

I'm always available at HealthCoachPower.com. You can email me michelle@HealthCoachPower.com. See you next time.

Thank you so much for listening to the Health Coach Power Community podcast. Please take a moment, leave a written review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us reach more coaches and allows me to bring you this free content every week to join us live. Ask your questions and have a direct line to me. Join our free Facebook group at HealthCoachPowerCommunity.com.