The Uncomfortable Truth About Health Coaching & What Needs to Change

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 a 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.

I just heard from a health coach who donated her three-month coaching package to a school auction, and not one person bid on it, even when they cut the price down to just 150 bucks. So if you've been hearing my warnings that. Nobody wants health coaching. This is what I'm talking about. If you've ever struggled to get clients and people seem maybe interested but don't actually sign up, there's always a reason why they can't.

Right now, this episode is gonna hit close to home and, more importantly, show you what needs to change. Imagine it, this health coach is out there, and she is trying to make the world a better place like all of us truly wanting to help people coming from a place of service, and we know people need help.

People need help all over the place. So she's talking to busy moms who want, what do they want? They want more energy. They don't wanna diet anymore. They wanna make a peace with food. She's talking to them about making peace with food and having confidence and wellness that lasts. That's what she told me.

Wellness that lasts. Who wouldn't want? Wellness that lasts. I mean, every human being would want that, right? No. Apparently, no one wants it. Not even for just $150. And this is exactly what's happening in health coaching right now. Just a quick reframe. It's not that people don't want help or need help, it's that this what we're talking about today, the words I've used so far, this doesn't feel like something that they need to pay for.

So here's what happens. Health coaches take jobs making minimum wage. Either you have one, or you've seen 'em out there, you know what I'm talking about. Or we start lowering our prices, 'cause we're hoping you know, someone is gonna say yes eventually. And the value of what we do from where I sit, it's just shrinking and shrinking and shrinking.

Listen, this coach has a heart of gold, and she's doing everything that she's been taught to do. I'm sure you have also, like she has a program and she picked a niche, busy moms, and she's putting herself out there, and she's sending a monthly newsletter. She's doing all the stuff, and it's still not working.

So what's the problem? It's honestly maddening. I know the first problem, and this is a biggie. It comes up all the time. You know, regardless of your niche, uh, very often the problem that you're offering help with, pay attention here. It sounds nice, sounds nice to have. It's just not urgent. Like no one lies awake at night thinking I need sustainable wellness habits.

Just like not the thing that they're obsessed over. Even moms who wanna lose weight, I mean, sure. And they're tired all the time. Okay. Yes. It would be really nice to fix that. It's like a nice-to-have, but it isn't a priority for them maybe in the season of life. So there's no. And they may even feel, and this is often the case, they feel some level of shame around it, like they should be able to fix this on their own.

How many times have you heard that? Right? Like, oh, I know what to do, I just have to do it. And they don't. For others, they've figured out how to carry on, how to live with their low energy and that annoying weight gain. I mean, they can drink a coffee, they can wear a baggy sweatshirt, whatever. My point is if something isn't urgent, and if it isn't exciting, or if it brings on a level of shame somewhere inside the person, if someone feels badly about it instead of inspired, it's not gonna get paid for.

Okay? Another problem, this is related to the last one, is that health coach messaging is often far too vague. You knew I was gonna say it, right? You want peace with food. Why? What would that help me with? That's what they're thinking. You want more confidence? Yeah. I guess for what, though? Like, what does that mean to my life?

You want wellness? I mean, yeah. Who doesn't? These words and phrases like they literally apply to anyone, and they mean nothing. They like poof, evaporate into thin air. So I've created a brand new resource to help. I got you. It's called The Good Niche. It's a little play on the good witch because when your niche or your target market actually clicks.

It almost feels magical how the response changes. And I love helping health coaches position themselves in a smarter, more strategic way. So I'm gonna tell you a little bit more about it in a minute, but if you wanna go check it out now, go to HealthCoachPower.com/GoodNiche. Now, here's the part that has been driving me absolutely crazy.

The health coaching industry has trained you. To be smaller and smaller and smaller. We're told you gotta get certified. Maybe you need multiple certifications, right? You're not good enough as is, we're warned to stay in our scope of practice. Don't give advice, never give advice. Stay in your lane. Trust me. I'm like fully aware of the intent, the good intent behind all of this, and why it's important, and I was gonna say, but, but I'll say, and at some point you're not even sure what you're allowed to say anymore. Am I right?

And you might even be thinking, how can I really help anyone? I hear this from so many of you. These are not my words. These are your words. So you end up describing your work in the safest, most vague way possible, which you're kind of afraid to say anything.

We can say habit change, we can say lifestyle support, and accountability. Is that what you're handing out? I mean, yes. Wellness, of course, but gosh, we wonder why clients aren't banging down our door. If we're forced to stay in our lane, then I say we need a much, much bigger road. I mean, actually screw the road.

What we need is a runway to something much larger. I mean, look at life coaches, look at, uh, relationship coaches, executive coaches. Yoga teachers, massage therapists, personal trainers who are giving out nutrition advice left and right, no one's policing if or how. They share tips, advice with their clients.

Meanwhile, health coaches are over here wondering if it's okay to suggest a smoothie recipe. Again, I get the nuances of this and the laws that are in place around nutrition and why I do, but there's a solution. Instead of shrinking our scope, let's flip the script on what a health coach is and what we can do.

You know, I shared this in a work session with health coaches earlier this week, and I figured I'll share it with you, too. Once I had a health coaching client who went from sedentary to realizing her dream of climbing the Mount Everest base camp, I had another who resolved debilitating IBS and danced at her 50th wedding anniversary, and I had another who quit her draining job, found another, cut her hair, and started riding a motorcycle.

So, yes. Was it about habit change? Uhhuh, I guess food, nutrition? Sure. Yes. Some of that and a whole, whole lot more because human beings are so much more than whether or not they're meal planning. You know what I mean? I went to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition way back in the day. We're talking 2009.

If you're a grad, then you'll know what I am talking about when I say the circle of life. Remember that? If you're not from IIN, just Google it, circle of life essentially. It's a way of saying and talking about and showing graphically that your health is so much more than food or, or exercise for that matter.

And what that means is that health coaching is two. It always is, by the way. Every single client that I've ever had, you know, they might start off talking about food and what should I eat and what should I not eat? You know, that's what's like on their mind. But it quickly veers into issues with their job, their relationships, their place in the world.

Food is so interesting 'cause it intersects with everything else, so I think our lane is much wider than anyone is giving us credit for. I think it is a runway to enormous impact and business opportunities for you. It has been for me. So if your coaching isn't selling right now, don't try to solve that with another certification.

That's not it. I promise you. I've seen coaches do this a million times. Another certification will not get you more clients. If your coaching program isn't selling it is because of the promise of that program. It's either too vague or it feels optional, boring, or all of the above, we can fix that. See, you've been trained to describe what you do a certain way and to sell people on this idea of health coaching.

Again, we have to flip that whole script, and that's exactly what we do inside the good niche. We expand what you can actually help clients with. We find what people already get excited about and what they wanna pay for, and we message so much differently. We talk about our work in a way that people instantly understand.

Go to HealthCoachPower.com/GoodNiche. I have a special listener-only rate for this super quick, super fun training. Listen, when you've got a niche and a message that people are excited about, you're not convincing anymore. They're saying, yes, let's get started. Here's my credit card. When can we meet? I mean, that's what we wanna hear.

Now, going back to that coach in the beginning of today's episode, well, this episode was for her. And for you. If what I've been sharing hits close to home, that means you're ready to fix it. Go to HealthCoachPower.com/GoodNiche for a special listener-only rate, and I'll see you soon.

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