One of the most frequently asked questions that I get is some variation of “How did you become a Life Coach?” I remember in early summer 2018 pondering this same question after having uncovered my passion and life purpose (you can read more about that HERE). Here’s the path that worked well for me –
Credentialing
I got the very good advice from a fellow Certified Life Coach to attend a school that was accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I narrowed down my research to three schools and ultimately went with Life Purpose Institute (LPI) because it felt right.
I went through their full coaching program which at the time was called the ATCP Path and obtained by Advanced Life Coaching Certification in about 14 months. I did the advanced path because I wanted to be as educated on coaching as possible so that I could be of most value and service to my clients, and because I knew I wanted to go on to receive additional credentialing through the ICF (at the time of this post being published I have successfully obtained the Associate Certified Coach and the Professional Certified Coach credentials through the ICF, with only the Master Certified Coach credential left to go!).
I attended classes, did homework, wrote papers, peer coached, practiced coached and started my business while working my 8-5 in office corporate job. Needless to say, it was very busy and tiring time of my life, but it was well worth it!
Starting A Business
When I am coaching clients who are starting a new business (you can learn more about entrepreneur coaching HERE), I tell them to start with these 3 things:
- Make sure your business is set up legally in your state of residence and make sure your business is legally protected (with contractual documents, insurance, etc.).
- Get clear on what you are offering and what you are charging for said offerings.
- Have a way to take payment from your clients.
The pretty logo, the fancy website and the shiny business cards will come, but none of these are needed to get your business started and to make your first sale! I don’t think I had any of these things for the first year or more of Ashley The Life Coach and yet I was seeing clients and making money!
One of the biggest mistakes a new business can make is waiting to have everything be perfect in order to launch. Once you get these 3 things in place you can launch, which will put you lightyears ahead of your competitors who are still waiting to launch while going back and forth about their brand colors.
Marketing
Another huge mistake a new business can make not having a deep understanding of marketing. I was an advertising/public relations major at TCU which has served me very well in my coaching business. It provided me with a solid understanding that if you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one.
To create a strong marketing plan, I highly recommend entrepreneur coaching. This is how I successfully marketed my business:
- I niched down. The more you niche, the more clients will come. Seems counterintuitive but trust me, this works. I have a $35 resource that can help you do this. My niches are established as a Clarity Coach and as a Dallas Life Coach, but I have clients in Phoenix, Raleigh and Boston (as well as other cities). Niching down gets you the clients in your niche and more, trust me.
- I got on social media way before I felt ready. I don’t even use socials in my personal life, but I knew how effective they are for businesses. I built my business on Instagram. It was and continues to be wildly successful for me.
- I told everyone I’ve ever met in my life I am a Certified Life Coach. One of my first clients was a referral from my high school friend’s dad! Word of mouth is truly everything!
I’m Here To Help
Becoming a Certified Life Coach has been such a blessing in my life! The road to go from working in corporate to being able to sustain your lifestyle with your own business can be bumpy and long, which is why I help other small business owners make their lives easier! Business coaching is often a tax write off too! Click HERE to apply for a complimentary consultation!
