This is the last episode of Prosperous Coach Podcast where Rhonda gets interviewed by Alek Hess, her nephew.

They talk about:

Why Rhonda decided to retire now and what’s next for her.

What Prosperous Coach contributed that was missing in the industry.

What are some of the most meaningful things Rhonda experienced in her business.

What did she STOP doing that made a big difference.

As an introvert how did she make her business work for her.

What became easier over time that she expected to stay difficult.

What wisdom does she wish was passed onto her 30 years ago about the business of coaching.

Prosperous Coach Podcast episodes will remain available through the summer of 2026.

Thank YOU for all the support and binge listening over the years!

Stay inspired and make things happen.

Rhonda

Is there ever a time when a coach gives a client a refund?

YES, and that is guided by your integrity.

Strengthen the intuitive feelings that tell you when something is amiss in your coaching relationships such as

• Weak or breached boundaries
• Repetitive communication challenges

These things can be repaired if both you and your client are willing, which are great learning opportunities. Or, it might become clear there’s not a good fit between you and your client.

It’s always YOUR CHOICE if and how you give a refund. We’ll dig into that and more in this episode.

If you haven’t heard it already, I recommend that you listen to Episode 376 called When Coaching Clients Ask for Refunds it’s a Symptom. Find that at ProsperousCoach.com/376.

That episode covers how to proactively PREVENT the likelihood of clients asking for a refund by setting your business up in a professional way.

How My Integrity Was Tested by a Coaching Client

In 2006, my first year of helping coaches build their coaching businesses, one of my clients asked for a full refund after 6 months of private work with me.

I was floored and nothing had clued me in this was coming!

After listening closely to their well rehearsed and general complaints, I explained that I could not, in good conscience, give a full refund because coaching is a co-creative process and I had already spent nearly 50 hours in good faith in their service.

The person threatened to complain to Visa, Better Business Bureau and PayPal. So begrudgingly and only to remove those threats, I gave them a full refund.

I found out that week that they had asked for a full refund from their coaching training school as well, which lead me to conclude this was about money not just cause. I felt great compassion that this person’s financial straits lead them to threaten providers.

Did I do the right thing giving that refund?

I had not promised results and I had made it clear the client was responsible for their results. I felt that I had acted from integrity during our professional relationship.

It was the threat that moved me to give the refund.

I made a firm decision then that I would never again give a full refund for time that I already spent privately with a client unless my integrity is crystal clear that I should.

Episode 376, that I mentioned earlier, will help you set your business up and act in ways that discourage requests for refunds.

Also, for help building up and checking your integrity, check out Episode 363 called Test Your Coaching Business Integrity in 5 Powerful Questions.

Circumstances Where Partial Refunds with Coaching Clients are a Good Idea

Let’s shift to talking about giving a partial or pro-rated refund for time not yet spent with clients. Let’s break that down:

1. Partial or prorated refund

2. For time not yet spent

Life happens and sometimes a client who has pre-paid for your Signature Program or a set of sessions isn’t able to complete the program due to unplanned circumstances.

The main way that I work with clients is in my 5-month VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough program where I act as thinking partner, guide and mentor for coaches to create all the foundational pieces of their business.

Five months is a long period of time — the right amount of time for my program — and during that time things can happen that no one can control.

For example:

• The client suddenly has a sudden long-term illness or flare up that makes it impractical to continue
• A family member of the client becomes ill and the person needs to care for them full time
• The client experiences an unplanned pregnancy and that changes their focus
• And, either the coach or client has an emergency and needs to clear the decks

In 20 years offering my VIP program, all these conditions have popped up.

I believe in the kindness of removing stress from a person’s life when they are already stressed, so I’ve offered a partial refund in those circumstances.

Motivated by kindness and checked by my integrity, I know all those are good reasons to give a pro-rated refund for the time left in a program.

YOU don’t have to give a refund unless your integrity tells you it’s best. And you have to go with your integrity otherwise there are repercussions.

I have known some professionals that set a policy of NO REFUNDS no matter what. If YOU want to set a policy like that, communicate it both verbally and in writing. Ask your client to sign and date a document that they have read and understand your policy BEFORE you start working with them.

Money Back Guarantees for Digital Products and Programs

If you are selling digital products — online courses that don’t have a live training or service component, it’s customary to offer conditional guarantees.

I had money-back guarantees on two online training programs I used to sell. It said:

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE:

If you are not satisfied with the quality of this program

within the first 7 days of your purchase

you may request in writing and receive a full refund, no questions asked.

After 7 days this product cannot be refunded.

Of course, I had long sales pages with clear descriptions of what they would receive, when and how as well as testimonials. The program dripped out weekly so I wasn’t giving the full program away before the refund policy was out of time. I never had anyone ask for a refund beyond 7 days.

Unfortunately, the investment for programs like these does not often inspire commitment to consume and implement the material. It’s one of the reasons I stopped selling digital programs — I want my clients to succeed and I know that their commitment to their success is critical for that to happen.

By the way, if you give too many refunds for digital programs you can be penalized by merchant services such as Stripe , PayPal and others so it’s important that your policy is clear and not in small type.

The bottom line? Your integrity is your best guide for whether, when and how you give refunds for your coaching and programs.

Doesn’t it seem lately like everyone is feeling overwhelm these days in higher proportions than before. I’ve been feeling it myself and I know some of it is not mine but rather the collective.

And, I think, overwhelm can become a habitual state that needs an intervention before it becomes anxiety and depression.

What can you do to help your clients release overwhelm, get unstuck and move forward again on their big goals?

This episode has an approach that might work for you and your coaching clients.

A close friend of mine called the other day and said she was going through a rough time. She wanted some coaching. Both of us are professional coaches and we do that for each other from time to time.

Yes, you can coach a friend or family member as long as you set good boundaries and don’t treat them like a client outside of coaching conversations.

It takes mindfulness and it can be done with grace. I encourage all coaches to have at least one peer coaching relationship beyond their mentor coach.

Stay Detached When You Coach

To start, my friend did a beautiful job sharing the circumstances that led up to her current state of mind, which was making her feel unable to move forward on things that were truly important to her.

I was able to listen without interruption, jot some notes and feel compassion for her in my heart without taking on her challenges energetically.

Do you know what I mean by that?

It’s so easy for new coaches to stumble into the trap of feeling responsible for the coachee.

It’s important to keep yourself out of the weeds and observe from a detached but loving place.

One of the most beautiful things about coaching is that if you don’t rush ahead in your mind to “fix” the problem … powerful questions, insights and potential solutions do float up in your mind and you can test a few out with your client. If they resonate with it great. If not, that’s great too.

Performance is not where you’re here for.

I experience my intuition most keenly when I’m relaxed. It’s almost as if words are floating in front of me where certain ones will highlight or get larger. That’s my intuition telling me to pay attention.

But just because my intuition is talking doesn’t mean it will be right for my client. So, letting go of insights is just as important as being open to them.

Your intuition might come in pictures or senses. You can develop your own style of listening with detachment and discover things your rational brain might never come up with on its own.

Listen for Words with Charge

As she was talking, I noticed there were two words she repeated often that had a tremendous amount of charge. And for me, each time these two words were said they flashed in my mind like fireflies.

She finished her story with a strong statement about what she did NOT want — continued overwhelm and slow progress on her top goals.

I acknowledged her story and what she was feeling. Then, I noted what she did NOT want and asked her what she does want. She was quick to state which of her goals was most important to her and why, then also legitimize her reasonable desire for the other goals too. I wrote all the goals down so I could refer to them.

I mentioned that the word ‘overwhelm’ came up frequently in her story and that it felt loaded with a charge each time she said it.

She agreed that overwhelm was the crux of the matter and it was loaded with emotion.

I suddenly thought that changing the word might be a good entry point to a solution. I literally saw a cross out over the word ‘overwhelm’ in my mind’s eye. With prompting, she came up with a different, more neutrally charged phrase. And, I noticed some of her heaviness fall away, which affirmed the direction we were going in.

Create a Mechanism for Reset

When people get overwhelmed there’s a negative cycle.

The more overwhelmed they feel, the more overwhelmed they feel. It escalates and then, just the idea of trying to fix the overwhelm becomes overwhelming. A reset is needed.

Using her new phrase, I asked her what could relieve that sense of reduced bandwidth within her.

When you help your clients create a reset, it should be simple, doable most anywhere and anytime and something that truly will provide relief.

Because she knows that if you can change your body, you can change your brain, she committed to the idea of doing a simple physical thing whenever she felt reduced bandwidth. Just talking about it, I sensed ease for her.

Help Them Gain a Sense of Forward Movement

Then we talked about her habits with daily tasks on goals. It became clear that it had been a while since she felt a sense of accomplishment. That repetition of not making progress on her goals had started to create a strong belief that she could not make these goals happen.

Fears about the future are the most paralyzing thoughts. And if a person believes they are stuck for good and cannot reach their goals because they are lacking it creates a sense of helplessness and shame.

I suggested that she build a habit of accomplishing again. The key is to expect less and get small things done each day, then acknowledge every small accomplishment. Over time that builds confidence.

She agreed. Today, she will pick one doable and meaningful task for each goal she’s trying to move forward. Then tomorrow she will do them, then celebrate! When you celebrate accomplishments, it becomes much easier to do a bit more each week without getting bit by overwhelm. Try it out yourself!

We’re going to be talking about the difference between a DIY website, one that you do yourself using something like Wix or Squarespace or having a professional designer create a custom website for you.

There are a bunch of differences and I want you to know what they are so that as you’re making this decision you can go in with your eyes open.

And the special guest that I have for today is my friend and colleague, Nichole Betterley.

Nichole runs a company called NPoweredsites.com. Nichole, tell us a little bit about you.

Nichole Betterley: Thank you so much for inviting me on your podcast to begin with. I’m just, I’m so excited to be here and to talk with you about this. Actually, you were one of my very first clients and I just hold our relationship so specially in my heart.

I have a long history of loving technology and coming out of college I got a job as a developer at a big corporation. And like so many of my clients are, you know, after 11 years of that, I, I totally burnt out on that. And so now I’m corporate refugee.

And, I went on and didn’t quite know what to do. My husband and I started this little oatmeal business where we were making pre-packaged oatmeal, selling them at farmer’s markets and craft fairs.

I had to build the website so we could sell them online. And so, I went down this whole rigmarole of figuring all of that out and designing a site and setting up, you know, the ecommerce platform and everything. And I really, really loved doing that a heck of a lot more than I actually loved making the oatmeal!

And so, you know, that’s kinda how I fell into my calling here.

Early on as I was kind of searching around for what I wanted to do after my corporate life, I did take some coaching certification classes and I kind knew coaching itself wasn’t quite right for me, but I just loved the people. I loved the philosophy, you know, I loved getting coached myself.

And so, coaches just turned out to be, you know, an ideal client for me. I think I’ve blossomed from being just a developer and a designer to more of a consultant and a partner. I’m working with people now and I am just so grateful for where I’m at and what I get to do every day.

Rhonda Hess: Oh, that is such a fun story. It explains a lot. It’s funny, because I did not know that you had taken coach training.

I always recommend you to my clients because I’ve been through lots and lots of web designers and I’ve never found one nearly as good as you.

So tell us a little bit about who your favorite types of clients are to work with Nichole.

Nichole Betterley: Oh Gosh. You send me the best clients … coaches that work with you. It’s somebody who … the thing that I value the most … is the clarity that they have about their business. The clarity and the energy and the enthusiasm. So when somebody shows up and they are super sure about who they’re working with and what they’re helping them with and they’ve got that sparkle and that energy about them, that that just comes from knowing that you’re in the right place and, and, and you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing. That is just, it’s contagious.

When I create a website with somebody, I really believe that we co-create the website, just like coaches co-create the outcome with their clients. And when somebody brings that sparkle with them, we end up with this really amazing website at the end because of what we brought together.

Rhonda Hess: I’m honored to hear that. I’m really glad you like the people that I send you. They like you. What I always hear back from them is: “I am like besties with Nichole already” after they first meet you. They are so enthused to work with you.

And there’s that real sense of partnership. I also feel really lucky that I get to be in on it to a certain degree because usually when my clients work with you, they’re still working with me. And so I get to see the first designs before they’re finalized. I get to see everything as it’s going along and it’s a very exciting unfolding.

What do you think makes a client winning coaching website?

Nichole Betterley:

1. One of them is they’re talking to and about their client using their client’s language.
2. The website’s not about the coach. I mean, almost the entire website is not about the coach.
3. Even the About page really needs to connect with the client and the site visitor. The words and the branding, your company name, all of that immediately speaks to the client.
4. And then the other big thing is there’s a clear next step And it’s not even usually contact me. It’s usually, that process of starting to interact with you and build that relationship with you.
5. And, and then they’ve got things on the back end of that too, that continue that, that journey for the client. They have processes and systems in place, emails that go out that build that relationship, invitations that go out, they’re putting regular content out.
6. On top of that, they’re out there in the world sending people, driving that traffic back to their website. So, it’s like a whole ecosystem that they start to build and have in place. And, and those are the sites that I see that actually work really well.

Rhonda Hess: That was beautifully said. And you’re totally in alignment with what I say to coaches as well. And what I have found is worked so well on my own website.

I’m very lucky that I continually get clients from my website, people I have never met before, hire me through my website

By the time I send my clients to you, Nichole, I’ve done 3 of the 4 phases of the work that I do with my clients.

So, there is a lot of prep that goes on before the web design process happens, before the content gets put on the page. And then that means that the content that’s put on the page is highly valuable. It has that piece of clarity you were talking about.

What’s the web platform that you prefer and why?

Nichole Betterley: I have been building websites almost exclusively on WordPress.

I occasionally have a client that will come to me who has a Wix or Squarespace site and wants support. And every now and again I’ll take them on because they need just little bits here and there. So I have experience with both of the platforms.

What I love about WordPress, it’s OPEN SOURCE software and what open source means is it’s free. The software itself is free. And it’s built almost entirely by this huge community of largely volunteer people who just love it so much that they give their time to it to build it up and support it and make it what it, what they want it to be.

It’s very much like coaching in a lot of ways it’s just the comradery of the people that are in it and the giving attitude that they have. There’s this whole community and they just put so much love and so much effort and energy into it and it’s grown and it continues to grow.

It powers over 1/3 of the websites on the Internet today, which, if you think about that, is just a phenomenal number of websites.

Just about anything you could imagine you want to do with your website, somebody has imagined it and built a solution for it. The software itself is free, but the ad-ons (plugins) are usually very reasonably priced. And so you can build an incredibly robust website that does e-commerce, membership sites, learning management for not that much money.

Whereas with, with sites like Squarespace and Wix, you are limited to what they offer you.

If you don’t use what they have provided a solution for, you’re having to build custom anyhow. It’s not very easy.

I just think we never know where our business is going to take us. And that’s one of the beautiful things about being an entrepreneur is you twist, you turn, you pivot. And I love the way that WordPress can do that too.

Why do you think it’s important for a coach’s website to be customizable?

What’s the advantage of hiring somebody like you over getting a Wix or Squarespace template and trying to figure it all out on yourself?

Nichole Betterley: I will tell you, I’ll admit straight out. I’m a total DIY person. I love do it yourself. Plumbing projects and electrical projects around my house. And just a couple of weeks ago I refinished my tabletop and so I get the DIY desire and I get why people want to do that and because I’m just right there with you.

But the templates that they offer, and you can do a lot of things with them, but the way I put it is … you’re trying to cram your business into somebody else’s template and your copy, your message into their template as opposed to building your website and your marketing engine around your message and having your website fit your message.

Having a customizable site just gives you — from an aesthetic point of view — you end up with a much more beautiful site because you’re not trying to cram this piece of copy here and, and find a picture that’s supposed to go right there.

It’s just so much less flexible and then the fact that it doesn’t grow with you.

You asked me a question … what do I do with people that come to me with those kinds of websites that they want my help to fix them? I just don’t even do that anymore because 9 times out of 10, we just need to start from scratch because it was going to be more expensive to fix and to shoehorn in an opt in form here where the site clearly doesn’t really want an opt in form. It’s not designed that way.

One of the things I do in design is pay attention to how your eye travels down the page and make sure that where your eye lands is where we want people to be looking.

Rhonda Hess:  Well I really appreciate your point about loving DIY. I will tell you that for most of my clients that decide to DIY, it’s mostly about money. They don’t want to invest the money into hiring a web designer.

And while sometimes I think that’s just the choice you have … you’ve got to do that on your own. I will say that it does take something away from the coach as opposed to being one of these wonderful experiences where you learn something new that you’re going to be able to use again down the road.

I find that for most of my clients that DIY their website — who don’t already know what they’re doing — it actually becomes a heartbreak. It becomes this torturous sort of rabbit hole that they had no idea what they were going to experience and they’ve found it very hard to get the kind of support they need without shelling out a lot of money for consultant support.

And so in the long run they end up spending nearly as much as they would if they invested in a designer like you who is going to be kind and friendly.

And the other thing that happens is that when my clients decide to DIY their website, it means that for the time they’re working on their website, we’re not able to move forward on other tasks during the time we worked together. And so very often we don’t get to those other things. They’re sort of robbed of my support during that time.

There’s a mindset that goes with the idea of put your time and effort into things that you know how to do, that you have strengths for, and then be willing to reach out and in best in people who are experts to help you with the other things.

I’ve run my business that way from the get go and it has paid me back so many ways.

Nichole Betterley: Over the past 5 or 6 years, I have come to the very sharp realization that in a good website design your copy absolutely has to come first. And, I say that as a diehard designer and developer. I love the design step. I want to get in and start doing the pictures and the layouts and things like that.

But, if you don’t have good copy up front and we build the design around that good copy. If you don’t have that piece, you are starting 100 yards behind the start line at least. And you know, you’re starting in the hole.

And so clients that you send to me that you’ve worked with on their copy, it is so, so good that I’m able to offer a substantial, it’s like, I don’t know, more than 25% discount to the clients that you bring to me then what I charge somebody who walks in off the street. Because the person that walks in off the street … they might have a general sense of who their target audience is and what they’re helping them with.

We are usually starting from scratch on that copy. Yes, somebody who comes to me that hasn’t started with you and doesn’t have that incredibly strong foundation about what they’re doing in their business. They’re not clear about what their signature system is and what their freebie is that they’re going to offer. It’s just, it takes so much more time and so much more money.

I just am so grateful to what you provide them. And they come up with much better at websites at the end. It’s not as hard to get that website to be churning in new clients for them as it is when we’re starting from scratch.

Rhonda Hess:  Yeah. When you mindfully put time and energy into your business rather than slap something up or follow the leader of the other coaches, you know, who may not really know what they’re doing … it’s just amazing the difference that can make.

And at the same time, I’ll just say that it’s all a developmental process. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has to do, do-overs. I have done many. It’s just all about how you like to roll.

It’s so great for me to have a colleague like you that I can send my clients to.

Nichole, I just want to thank you. This was so much fun. I wish we could just talk all day.

Nichole Betterley: Thank you!Rhonda Hess: Stay inspired and make things happen.

This episode is short and part of the series called Smart & Profitable Coaching Niches. If you’re new to this podcast and struggling to determine a strategic coaching niche, this series is for you. Check out all the episodes in this series at prosperouscoach.com/niche.

There’s something I hear nearly all new coaches say … they say “there’s a real need for that niche” or “that audience really needs help with this”. If I’m their business coach I encourage them to think differently.

Shift from tracking needs to tracking wants.

In the world of attraction, wants are more compelling than needs with few exceptions. So instead of thinking about a person’s or a group’s needs, think instead about their wants – the desire that compels them to action.

All people have needs. And as newly trained coaches we have a heightened sense of this.

But not all people are seekers — people who do invest in their own personal or professional growth.

Seekers are people with urgent WANTS. They want something and they are willing to pay well for help to achieve it.

Coaches are seekers. But that’s just an example to help you realize what a seeker is about. I don’t recommend new coaches target other coaches as clients. It’s a much over marketed to audience.

You want an audience that helps you stand out in the crowd of coaches and other people trying to attract attention.

So choosing a niche starts with choosing a viable audience — one that’s full of seekers, is narrow enough to help you stand out and has a BIG problem they WANT to solve.

It may seem like semantics or that I’m splitting hairs but bear with me …

A seeker tends to be social in the sense that they care about people and want to effect positive change in the lives of others. A seeker likes to grow and develop from the inside out. They place a high value on personal evolution – becoming better is some way such as more intelligent, more successful, more aware, more intuitive, more authentic … happier.

Seekers tend to look outside themselves for teachers, helpers, support systems and guides to achieve what they WANT. That’s you. You could be their support system on the way to what they most want.

So, if you think – “Aha, there’s a need. I could fill that need!” You may be leading yourself astray. Because needs often run in the background and don’t drive a person to seek.

It’s the big desires that drive a person to seek and invest.

I’m not sure who said this but you may have heard it and it applies:

Sell them what they want and give them what they need.

Your marketing, which includes all of your messaging—your content, website, emails, and social posts —will go further to attract attention IF they hit squarely on what a group WANTS rather than what they need.

That doesn’t mean that needs don’t play into the decision to hire you. But first and consistently focus on the big wants—the ultimate desires.

Can you enroll coaching clients without pushing or convincing?

YES. And it’s far more effective than giving sample coaching sessions.

Instead, use a set of powerful questions that inspire your prospects to hire you.

I used to suck at enrolling coaching clients because I felt I had to perform.

When I shifted my approach, my enrollment success rate went from 50% or less to 100%.

More importantly, I can be myself and attract clients who are the best fit for me without anxiety.

In my 5-month VIP mentoring program, I role play this process with coaches.

For now, let’s walk through the 3 critical mindset shifts for easy enrolling.

And, grab my free downloadable 10 step enrollment process.

A coach emailed me about this saying:

“Thank you, Rhonda! I followed it closely. Felt calm and collected. No pressure, just curiosity.

Wish I had this earlier!”

You’re welcome, Kat.

Find the Best Way to Do Everything in Your Coaching Business

You probably know this about me. I’m dedicated to the smoothest, easiest, least anxiety-ridden approach to do everything in a coaching business.

The 2^nd most difficult thing for coaches is to become good at enrolling clients. Once you know how to attract your audience to Discovery Calls and have practiced this approach, you can always earn well as a coach.

It helps to know what to say and do to enroll ideal clients, who:

• Will love working with you
• Give you a great testimonial, and
• Refer other ideal clients.

That’s part of my FREE DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE 10 Steps to Enroll More Clients Fast!

It includes ways to ace the money conversation. Have you ever choked when it came time to tell a potential client your fees? You are not alone in that.

Discovery Calls don’t go as well when you only focus on how you work. Instead ask powerful questions and connect the dots from their answers to your program.

This guide also helps you to make 3 shifts:

• Shift from: Over-delivering and performing
• To:            Having more effective enrollment conversations

• Shift from: Stumbling into your pitch at the end of the session 
• To:                         Being transparent from the get go

• Shift from: Timidly asking for the sale
• To:                         Confidently owning your worth and believing in your program

It seems hard to do, but with practice mindset is something you can control.

#1 Empower Yourself and Your Potential Coaching Clients

In Discovery Calls, your goal is to EMPOWER your prospect while you DETACH from outcome.

Enjoy the human being on the call. When you put your focus there, the spotlight comes off of you and you relax.

Be sure that you’ve previously set fees that pay you well and then stand firm in them. Did you know I have several episodes about how to price? Get to them all at ProsperousCoach.com/money.

Have you set fees that pay you well?

If not, you’ve unwittingly set yourself up for short-term failure, which can delay long-term success.

Think about it this way …

If you make PRICE CONCESSIONS just to enroll a client, you DISEMPOWER yourself and your prospect.

Take that in. If your potential coaching client hires you because you discounted your fee for them, then your professional relationship begins out of balance and unhealthy.

Your client ends up becoming a burden because you are carrying them at your own expense. You’re likely to resent the relationship because you have worked for so little.

Have you ever felt that a client has become a burden?

It’s not a good feeling, right? And it’s counter to good coaching.

Smart pricing isn’t based on how experienced a coach you are. Base it on what you need to earn and the value of your time.

For your prospect to value your time, YOU need to value it highly first.

Trust that your IDEAL clients will afford your fees and don’t worry about those who won’t.

Look, everyone has money issue to work through. Now is the time to tackle those and get serious about your own success.

How can you coach others to their success if you aren’t willing to do things to ensure your own?

#2 Detach from Your Longing to Enroll This Coaching Client

Yes, you want a steady flow of clients. But being attached to any individual signing on, can be an energetic drag and deterrent.

Attachment stops flow.

If you feel attached to whether someone hires you or not, your expectation builds. And then, if you don’t reach that outcome, your disappointment becomes toxic. It will hold you back.

Set intentions to achieve your goals. During an enrollment call, if you feel they are a good fit, think to yourself: “For the highest good of all, I’d like this client to hire me.” Then, LET IT GO. Literally, open your hands and let go of attachment.

Allow any clingy, needy energy to dissipate.

Whether a potential client says ‘yes’ or ‘no’ neither diminishes nor elevates you.

Acknowledge what went well and aim for continuous improvement in your enrollment.

#3 Hold Back Coaching Whenever You’re Enrolling

It’s tempting, but do NOT coach or problem solve during Discovery Calls.

That confuses the purpose of the call, which is get to know each other and explore whether this partnership is right for you both. Only deliver coaching after they enroll and invest in your program. You are a professional now, not a student, so enroll as a professional would.

Sample coaching sessions, which are great for learning, aren’t a good enrollment practice because:

• They don’t uncover what prospects want that would inspire deeper investment for real value.
• They focus in on one bite size issue, leaving prospects feeling complete without the desire for more. Your Signature Program should have a longer arc and more outcomes you can help them achieve.
• Lastly, giving free sample sessions keeps you in the newbie frame of mind.

Email and let me know how it works for you. I think you’ll be amazed how easy and effective it is.

Are you stuck on your coaching niche?

A coach I talked to was struggling to decide whether they wanted to be a Health Coach or a Life Coach.

They were looking at the niche decision from a limited perspective.

Putting a word before ‘Coach’ doesn’t constitute a niche that helps you stand out in the crowd and gain traction, which is what a niche is meant to do.

Also, LIFE coaching is coaching anyone about anything because life is everything.

Do you see how life coaching can’t be an effective niche?

In my book, other broad tracks aren’t quite a niche either.

At the centerpiece of a smart niche is the people you serve. A unique group with unique problems.

The coach and I worked through 5 pervasive myths—beliefs this coach held— that kept them from identifying a specific audience and niche they would love.

Then it was easy to break through to a smart choice that fit the coach well.

Let’s bust the 5 myths once and for all in this episode of Prosperous Coach Podcast.

Mental Blocks That Keep Coaches from Smart Niches

Hey Coaches!

Back to my client who wanted to do both health coaching and life coaching …

What helped most was to stop thinking about overarching topics or tracks of coaching and instead think about the specific group of HUMANS they could serve and the big problems they face.

Once the mental construct was broken down that was keeping them from, arguably, the most important decision in their coaching business, we could access their zone of genius and brainstorm possibilities that were more on point.

Clues from their life story and work experience helped us to define and describe an audience they would love to coach.

We crafted a truly unique niche for them that no other coach has. That’s how they’ll stand out and the decision guides every other decision and action for their business.

That’s one bonus about choosing a smart niche.

5 Typical Misconceptions About Coaching Niches

So, what about you?

Are there mental blocks in the way of the most important decision for your coaching business?

You’re in good company AND there’s nothing wrong with you!

Let’s walk through typical myths coaches buy into about coaching niches that hold them back.

The amazing thing is that these misconceptions are about as substantial as a speck of dust. They’ve been magnified in your mind over time to look like a big boulder that’s in your way. That’s how you get stuck.

As I talk about these, listen for what resonates for you. And plan to examine them more closely, either with my help in a Nail Your Niche session, or on your own.

Having a private Nail Your Niche session with me looks like this …

1. I send you a custom questionnaire and a few choice podcast episodes to open your mind about niches. Your answers to those powerful questions uncover clues about specific audiences and niches that would align best with you. That seeds our conversation.

2. Then, we brainstorm privately for 90 minutes to eliminate non-viable ideas and hone in on what fits your genius, talents, background and interests. From there we uncover insights into how you’ll work with your ideal clients.

It’s a perfect session to have IF you:

• Have been stuck and without a clear direction for your coaching business.
• You have ideas you’ve been considering and want to bounce them off a coaching business expert.
• You’re ready to make a decision and stop waffling!

To learn more and schedule a Nail Your Niche 90-minute private session with me go to ProsperousCoach.com/niche.

Okay, now let’s bust these myths:

Coaching Niche Myth #1 – A coaching niche is a single broad topic.

Not in my worldview.

There are schools of thought about niching. Mine is based on my own experience plus 20+ years of helping coaches to choose a profitable niche. To me, organizing your efforts around viable niche equals likelihood of success.

While broad topics like health or wellness coaching, relationship coaching, career coaching or executive coaching can give you a general direction for your business, they aren’t narrow enough to build your business around so you stand out in the sea of other coaches in those broad tracks.

Too many coaches are held back from financial success because they are trying to sell a type of coaching rather than offering something people KNOW they want. You have to know your audience first before you can design a viable niche.

A Real Coaching Niche is a Specialty You Become Known For

As a coach, you are in business to help people reach their potential. So, center your niche around a unique group of people rather than a topic.

Did you know that you can work HOLISTICALLY with a specific audience?

You don’t have to limit yourself to just one area of that audience’s life. Human beings aren’t neatly segmented into single topics.

But this isn’t a reason to call yourself a Life Coach. Target a specific audience and niche in a way that serves them.

FOR EXAMPLE:

If you target an executive in a certain field, you’ll likely coach your clients around self esteem, habits, skills, relationship issues both on the job and at home, plus much more. You set the scope of your work based on what your audience wants that’s eluding them and the problems in the way.

If you target parents, you’ll deal with values and mindsets about themselves and parenting, relationship challenges with partner, kids, inlaws, and the ways they navigate discipline, school, nutrition. Plus, so much more.

Do you see how rich these audience-based niches are even though they target a single unique group of people?

If you think that specializing means promising results. Not true. Listen to Episode #280 called Coach, Are You Worried About Promising Results? You really don’t need to worry about this.

There are ways to language your offers so you cover specific Big Problems and Desired Outcomes while still making it clear you don’t guarantee results.

If your offers are vague or bland, you won’t enroll clients.

Coaching Niche Myth #2 – The broader you niche, the faster you’ll succeed financially.

Usually false.

The current field of coaching is full of generalists trying to eek out a paltry living and working a lot of hours to do that. Many have other jobs.

There is not a marketing expert in the world who doesn’t advise that limiting your audience and the scope of your business is the way to be financially successful.

If you stand in the middle of a busy marketplace and shout “Hey everyone!” into a microphone, some will stop to ogle for a minute and then go about their business. But, if you tailor your message and offers to fit one unique group of people about their unique challenges and goals, you GRAB THEIR ATTENTION and keep it.

Coaching Niche Myth #3 – Narrowing your niche means excluding some people.

Yes, and that makes everything easier for everyone.

Earning money in any business comes down to making strategic decisions – THIS not that.

It is only by narrowing and being specific that you can leverage your time and make an impact.

Will that leave some people out? Not so anyone would care. And REMEMBER narrowing your audience is only about the way you market.

I mentor new coaches. My messages are tailored to their challenges and goals. Yet, experienced coaches hire me too. If they want what I offer and we’re a good fit, we can work together.

If your messages and offers try to be all things to all people, you’ll exhaust yourself trying to attract enough clients. You’ll be spread too thin and only able to charge low fees.

Your messaging will come across wishy washy and vague.

Focus makes your life easier.

• It helps your prospects FIND you.
• It helps them TRUST you.
• It inspires investment at a higher level.
• It means you market less and work less while earning more.

Think about your own experience with specialists.

Would you rather have a knee surgery done by a surgeon who has completed 400 knee surgeries or a person who does any kind of surgery? That’s a no brainer, right? You go with the specialist!

Would you rather get help to build your coaching business from a coaching business mentor who has focused solely on helping coaches build successful businesses or a general business expert?

It’s about relevance, understanding and connection.

Coaching Niche Myth #4 – Narrow niches require additional training and certifications.

In rare cases.

Most of the time, what you need to be perceived as credible is about the relevance of your messages and offers. It’s not difficult to understand a unique group of people, especially if you are one of them or have been.

The best clues to your niche come from your personal background or work history. Those experiences are often enough to specialize successfully.

It does require a bit of audacity and a belief in self to strike out into a unique niche. You are good for it!

Courage is readily available to you now. Confidence comes with time.

A focused niche is actually a confidence builder because you quickly learn how to attract and serve that unique audience and become KNOWN faster.

It fees good to be a specialist.

Occasionally, more training would be helpful or necessary but most often, that’s a procrastination technique to put off taking the leap you need to take to be successful as a coach.

If you feel intimidated by a certain audience or topic, there are two possibilities.

• That is exactly the audience you’re meant to pursue because it’s time for a grand life lesson you’ll master by serving that audience.
• Or, there is a similar audience and similar territory that would be better for you and it’s time to get out of the box with your thinking.

Coaching Niche Myth #5 – It’s boring to coach one audience.

Not so!

I’ve mentored hundreds of coaches starting their businesses for 20+ years and never been bored once. That’s because the diversity found in individual human beings is endless, even when they are experiencing a similar path.

The richness in your business is about individuality, circumstances, unique strengths and challenges.

Now that the 5 myths are busted, you can get creative!

You get to choose what you do in your business and who you serve.

I was having the last session with a favorite client the other day.

Last sessions are a bittersweet time for all. Your clients lose an accountability partner and the structure that helps them stay inspired and make things happen. From here on out they’ll have to hold themselves accountable.

You lose their unique presence in your life. You’ve been holding space for their growth and it’s time for closure. You’ve seen them transform and learned so much from this unique human being.

My last calls with coaches are often pick-my-brain sessions. They ask about client management, little business building details and insider tips that will help them avoid pitfalls or shorten learning curves.

The big question on every coach’s mind, that they are often afraid to ask until the last minute, is … how long will it take me to be successful?

Is it 3 months, 6 months, 2 years?

I’ll share what I told my client with you now.

How Much Time Before I’m a Financially Successful Coach?

Are you wondering just how long will it take to be successful in your coaching business? Three months, six month, 2 years?

When my client asked me that, I asked if he wanted a full answer. He did. He really wanted to know what I had to say about it.

“Yes. All of that and more. By three months and before you’ll have slices of success.

After that, if you’re consistent and congruent, leveraging the foundation you’ve created, you’ll have a string of successes that establish you in your business. You’ll become known. That’s a goal!

Success comes moment to moment and it’s important to celebrate those moments like you would the growth of your child. Celebrating the baby steps will condition you to succeed in a bigger way.

Your business is your baby. It’s a living entity that you birthed. It can’t survive without your steadfast commitment to it.

Nurture your baby business every day so you can attract all the positive things – a following, social proof, Discovery Calls, ideal clients and of course the income and profits that come with those.

Work ON your business every day. That’s what a business owner does as opposed to an employee who only has to do the role they are given.”

About at this time my client said something like “Yeah but with a kid don’t they eventually grow up?” And we laughed about that.

“Of course, they do. But it’s not like you stop being a parent. They still need you.

With each phase of development, you learn how to parent differently, right? You adjust. Think about it — kids grow as you grow. You grow as they grow. You calibrate to the new phase.”

We came up with some success principles:

• Notice what works and what doesn’t but not with impatience. Study your business. Study yourself and your mindset. Make small adjustments rather than big sweeping ones.

• Limit your scope and master that rather than going crazy trying everything at once.

You get to figure it out. And you’ll be so proud of yourself with each realization, each threshold you cross, each win. But hopefully you’ll also be good with the mistakes.

My client said: “So there is no magic number?”

Could I have told him it takes about 18 months? I could, but it’s not true for every coach with every target audience. All coaches are different, with different skills and different abilities to stay the course. Some get there fast. Some drop out. It’s up to you.

We added this success principle:

• Just like the state of happiness, the state of success is transitory. Count on that. But also make your own definition of success.

I asked him how he could define success in a way that allows for mistakes and recalibration? We coached around that for a while because it takes a mindset shift to realize that success really is a state of mind.

Watch for the Sweet Spot for You in Your Coaching Business

It took me years to find my sweet spot — I mean the combination of everything that works best for me. I’m there. I love it!

I think it took longer than it needed to because I was so busy thinking everybody else’s way was better than mine. It took some maturity for me to realized I had my own way and to allow that to blossom.

I’m probably on version 8 or 10 of my business after 25 years. I’m not talking about major do-overs here. I’m talking about stretching and innovating, trying and failing, and finding a better way.

This is what every business is like. Whether it’s a solo coach or a big corporation, a boutique business or a mid-sized empire. Every business grows at the pace of its leader’s ability to lead and adapt.

So, then my client told me that he truly gets my podcast episode sign off now — Stay inspired and make things happen. He said: “It’s not stay inspired OR make things happen. I need to do both.” That’s right!

My coaching business was my first foray into entrepreneurship after 20 years in corporate roles. Talk about an identity crisis! Okay, let’s reframe that to a chance to blossom and mature.

Many of my clients are in the same place making that transition from employee to full time coaching.

It’s going to require some recalibration of your mindset and reorientation to your responsibilities.

Think of it like a makeover.

You uncover parts of yourself that have been buried under a persona you felt was necessary for your corporate job.

You can help those parts to find their voice. It is hugely empowering to bring more of your authentic self to your business.

The good news is that your identity is more fluid and innate than you might think. Plus, all of your core values, talents and skills can come with you into your business.

It will take courage and patience. You’ve got loads of that and you don’t have to make this identity transition alone.

The 6 Big Shifts from Employee to Full Time Coach

Building a business and then sustaining it is an amazing personal journey.

More and more people are deciding to be their own boss because they want to have more lifestyle freedom and to be at the cause of their own circumstances.

Still, if you are taking the leap from employment into entrepreneurship it’s no small thing. There are 6 big shifts that require mindset mastery as you transition.

1. You go from being directed by a boss to supervising yourself in every way.
2. You go from a defined infrastructure and role to creating your own systems and functions from scratch.
3. You go from working collaboratively to working more autonomously, at least at first.
4. You had a regular paycheck. Now your income will vary and you have to generate it on your own.
5. Someone else administered your payroll, taxes and benefits and now you’ll manage that yourself.
6. And, you leave behind an established organizational culture and now you create your own with colleagues, clients and a community you build.

It’s a big deal.

And, all of this is very satisfying while also challenging. It helps to be aware of those 6 shifts in your day-to-day experience not only so you can manifest the internal and external changes but also to be compassionate with yourself as you are finding YOUR way.

Your business is your business and you get to do it your way.

Leverage Your Background into Your Coaching Niche

Two years ago, one of my VIP clients was shifting from a career of nearly two decades, all in one industry, into her own coaching business. Her previous position had status, significant responsibilities and a salary to match.

Understandably, she was terrified about shifting to full time self employment as a coach.

Fortunately for her she decided to leverage her work experience by choosing a related audience and niche. And this is something I highly recommend to coaches, when you can.

She had instant credibility with her audience because she had been where they are now. And, it was easy to put together relevant messaging and offers because she knew the context her audience lives in.

So, leveraging your background into your target audience and coaching niche will somewhat reduce the stress of the transition because there’s common ground into the thing you’re going to be doing.

You’ll be glad to know that 2 years into this coach’s full-time coaching business she is thriving, getting tons of transaction, making a big splash in her space and earning multiple 6 figures.

7 Tips to Grow with Grace into Your Coaching Business

When you’re a free agent you do need to think a bit differently here are 7 tips to help you make that transition.

1. Let your fear be your fuel.

And don’t let fear control you. Look, everyone entering new territory feels fear. It’s natural. It’s uncomfortable but it’s not life threatening. So make the feeling of it work for you by dedicating yourself to your business success and stepping fully into the CEO role.

That’s, by the way, how you will feel more comfortable over time and you won’t worry about fear even when you feel it.

2. Hire a private Business Mentor.

If you want to do things right the first time and wade into the experience rather than diving into the deep end all on your own, find a mentor who will hold your hand through the first 5 months.

Having 5 months of time with a business coach helps you make the shift internally and externally in small increments rather than all at once.

3. See your mistakes as opportunities.

I know you’ve heard this before but truly this is entrepreneurship 101. You can’t survive this if you get uptight about every mistake you make because you’re going to make a lot … and that’s how you learn … and that’s how you’ll become a success.

Everyone makes mistakes. I’m still making them.

4. Create a grounding morning routine and stick to it.

Hopefully you already have one of these but if you don’t this is time to change this. A daily walk or other exercise, meditation and a good breakfast helps you to sail through the week.

5. Think both intuitively and strategically about everything.

Whether it’s planning, who you talk to, or how you spend your time, where your money goes – all of that!

6. Look for a platform that will help your star rise.

No one succeeds alone. Who or what organization can help you reach your audience and confirm your credibility for them?

I was very lucky that in my 3^rd year of coaching, Coach Training Alliance asked me to be a trainer and create their certification program. That put me in front of an avid audience of coaches and was perfect for me.

7. Be a good boss.

• Put boundaries around your business.
• Create space in your calendar for you.
• Celebrate your wins.
• Look for ways to continuously improve.
• Give yourself a promotion by raising your fees.
• And, review what’s going on in your business and how you’re going to do things differently.

I know you’re going to be able to weather your transition to full time coaching.

Entrepreneurship is different and it’s boundless. You never know what you’ll end up learning or doing. Your business will bring you wonderful surprises and help you become a better you.

Has a coaching client asked you for a refund? It’s a symptom.

Coaches unwittingly create requests like that by undervaluing themselves, which shows up in

• messaging
• offers
• pricing, and
• enrollment processes

How you value yourself colors what prospects and clients experience with you.

Your uncertainty breeds their uncertainty. They’ll show that by asking for:

• References
• Guarantees
• An escape hatch

They’ll ask questions that seem mistrustful which knocks down your confidence.

That painful cycle stops when you decide to own your value. And, YES, you can simply DECIDE!

Then, in every way you operate your business, show that you’ve owned your value.

Let’s talk about practical ways to generate faith in yourself and your prospects faith in you.

Are You Responsible for Your Client’s Results?

Take this in … your client’s results are NOT up to you.

Yes, your presence, words and actions impact your clients. And, you are responsible for the consequences of your behavior.

But you cannot control how your client shows up or how they respond during or after a session.

It may seem like a fine line, but as your awareness grows, that line becomes more solid and reliable.

What can you actually control?

1. The way you show up
2. What you say
3. How you respond

The rest is up to your client.

In my agreement document of my onboarding packet for newly enrolled clients, I ask them to initial this statement:

I understand that I am responsible for my feelings, decisions, actions and results.

Help prospective clients understand that coaching is co-creative. It is a partnership. Each of you has a specific role and they are responsible for their results.

If they know this from the start, they will be better clients and get more from working with you.

Raise Your Professionalism and Belief in Your Coaching Services

If you are selling coaching session packages and are relatively new to coaching, you may get requests for references, guarantees and refunds.

As you gain experience and believe in the value of your services, those requests stop.

Clients take cues from you.

If you show up uncertain, that comes across energetically and lowers your prospect’s or your client’s confidence in your services and perhaps even in their ability to take in the coaching and transform.

Show that you believe in your

• services
• client’s ability to transform, and
• your professionalism

Believing in all 3 of these things does not require years of experience. Start telling yourself every day that you and your services are worthwhile.

Offer a Signature Program at a High-Ticket Price

I teach coaches to offer a Signature Program customized to your target audience and the big challenges they have on their way to achieving their big goal.

Then price program that high.

Why? Ironically, the more you charge for your services, to a degree, the higher quality client you attract. I’m talking about clients who do take responsibility for their own success. The investment itself in your high-ticket services is a gateway to their own success. And responsible clients instinctively know this.

Low pricing is full of pitfalls. Get past it as fast as you can.

I have several episodes on money mindset. Check them all out at prosperouscoach.com/money.

It’s never too early for you to give yourself and your clients every advantage by making this shift!

Publish Content Weekly That Helps You Pre-Qualify Coaching Clients

The next way to prevent distrust is having a strategic content strategy. It helps you pre-qualify coaching clients Discourage prospects who are looking for transformation without investing their time, money and energy.

Early on in my coaching business I was trying to enroll any client from any audience at any price because I was desperate to get an income flowing.

That mindset and approach held me back for years and is disastrous for so many reasons.

Step into the CEO mindset and run your business strategically so you can earn well and stay in business.

That’s why you start by targeting a viable audience and building a niche/specialty around that so you can stand out in the crowd and become known for your specialty. Specialties attract better clients.

Then, all your content focuses on WHO you work with and HOW you help them achieve what’s important to them. That helps you attract the right type of clients who:

• fit your niche
• want the scope of your work
• are actively seeking solutions and
• know they will have to invest to make progress

Assess Fit with Your Coaching Prospect in Your Discovery Call

The way you conduct Discovery Calls signals a lot about how you value yourself and sets the tone for possible enrollment.

Check out these episodes for details about how to conduct a professional Discovery Call that doesn’t require convincing:

• episodes 162 and 198 to handle objections
• episodes 217 and 241 to have better Discovery Calls, and
• episode 242, which has a DOWNLOADABLE CHEAT SHEET with powerful questions to ask in the call

It’s equally important to assess the fit of your prospective coaching clients for you as it is for them to assess the fit of you and your program.

During Discovery Calls, pay close attention to your intuition.

You know what is right for you and what is not.

If you are desperate for clients and income you may ignore your intuition and enroll a client who is not right for you. If you’re tuned in and owning your value, you’ll attract clients who are

• Coachable
• Respectful
• Responsible for themselves
• A good fit for you

Own your value. Stay inspired and make things happen!