Which Stage Is Your Coaching Business In Now?
If you’ve made it past Stage 3, you’re practically guaranteed to succeed!
Here’s something mindblowing…
Only 5% of health coaches make enough from their coaching business to make it their only source of income. The other 95% usually fall into one of 2 groups…
Either they continue coaching, but only as a side hustle…
Or they give up on the idea of becoming a health coach. They go back to working a job that pays the bills but doesn’t fulfill them.
Those are frightening statistics, and not just for health coaches.
If a health coach isn’t successful, it also means the people they could be helping may not get the life-changing care they need.
But if you understand the 5 stages every health coach goes through on their way to building a successful business, you’ll increase your odds of success.
The 3rd stage is especially important. In my experience working with over 1,000 health & wellness coaches, I know if a coach can make it past stage 3…
… it’s almost impossible for them to fail.
As I tell you about the stages, you may notice they aren’t unique to health coaching. In fact, we all go through these stages many times as we make our way through life. They’re so relevant to all of us that they’re a main theme of every blockbuster movie.
So I’m going to use one of my favorite movies - the original Karate Kid - to walk you through the stages.
If you saw the movie, you might remember that Daniel LaRusso and his mom move to a new town. Daniel starts at a new school. Unfortunately, he quickly becomes the target of bullying by a group of kids.
In one incident, Mr. Miyagi intervenes. The older man has no problem defeating the group of high schoolers using his powerful martial arts skills.
Daniel watches his rivals crumble. He’s dumbfounded. And he imagines how much better his life would be if he knew how to do what Miyagi did. So he asks if he’ll teach him.
Daniel is in the first stage …
Stage 1: Uninformed Optimism
In this stage, we imagine how our lives will be when we have the thing we want. We aren’t sure how to make it happen, but we see the potential and are optimistic.
Think back to how you felt when you were first thinking about becoming a health coach or were working towards a certification … or when you were launching your first offer. Were you excited about the possibility? Did you imagine the kind of business you would create?
In The Karate Kid, Daniel imagines what his life will be like once he knows karate and can defend himself against the bullies. He's excited about the possibilities. And sees Mr. Miyagi as the perfect person to help him make it happen.
Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel and tells him to come over to his house after school. But instead of teaching him karate, Miyagi puts Daniel to work doing chores.
Daniel paints his fence, sands his floors, and waxes his car (remember “wax on … wax off”?).
At first, Daniel goes about the chores full of enthusiasm because he’s expecting Mr. Miyagi to teach him karate. But after a while, he enters stage 2…
Stage 2: Informed Pessimism
The chores have gone on for days. Daniel is frustrated. He hasn't learned any karate to defend himself against the bullies. He’s putting in a lot of time and effort and has nothing to show for it.
For many health coaches, this happens when they realize how hard it is to get clients. Some of them start looking around for a business coach or program. The advice they get often focuses on things like picking a niche, building a website, or using social media.
For other coaches, it happens when they’ve already invested in a business coach or programs. They become disillusioned because they’re following the advice and still struggle to get enough clients to build a sustainable business.
In either case, they eventually reach a tipping point, just like Daniel did. Enter stage 3 …
Stage 3: The Crisis of Meaning
Daniel has put in a lot of work without seeing results. And he starts to question why he’s doing all of this and if it’s really worth it.
In a pivotal scene, Daniel confronts Mr. Miyagi. He tells him the only thing he’s done is fix up his place. He hasn’t learned a thing. He feels he’s being taken advantage of and doubts he’ll ever learn karate.
Miyagi tells him he’s learned a lot. Daniel shoots back, “Bullshit! I’m going home.”
In a stern voice, Miyagi calls him back. He then shows Daniel how each of the chores were teaching him essential karate moves.
Suddenly, it clicks! Daniel gets it.
This is a transformative moment for Daniel. It creates the mindset shift he needs to make it past the low point he’s in.
It’s easy to find the courage to take on a new, bold venture in the early stages. We’re fueled by excitement and optimistic about where it will take us. But when we hit a rough patch, we start to question ourselves and self-doubt can creep in.
This is the fork in the road. It’s the point when coaches feel frustrated and fear they won’t be able to make it work. If they’ve been following the advice of “experts” and not getting results, they may start to feel taken advantage of. And sadly, many of them decide to call it quits.
There are a number of reasons why this happens. Here are two I see that bother me the most...
One is they’ve been following “entry-level” advice. That might be okay to start. But if you keep following entry-level marketing advice, the best you’ll get is an entry-level business.
The other problem I’m seeing now is expensive programs that promise to create marketing assets for their clients. They often use AI because they’re focused on scale. They can churn out a high volume and make a steep profit, but the result is “cookie-cutter” assets. They’re so similar that the coaches blend in with each other.
So stage 3 is the point in the journey where a coach needs to decide if they’re throwing in the towel, or if they’re going to double-down on their resolve. If they’re not getting the results they want, they need to find another way to make it happen.
If you’ve been following entry-level advice, it’s time to up your game. You’re off to a great start reading this newsletter because I created Health Coach Marketing Insights to show coaches the advanced marketing techniques I use with my clients.
Okay, back to Daniel …
Once Miyagi showed Daniel how the chores were laying the foundation of key karate moves, he entered stage 4 …
Stage 4: Informed Optimism
Daniel could now see where all this was going. With this new insight, Daniel recommits. He’s willing to put in the work because he sees how his efforts will get him the results he wants.
Daniel eventually has the chance to take on Johnny, the lead bully, in a karate tournament. But Johnny does an illegal move that badly injures Daniel’s leg.
Even though Daniel can’t use the injured leg at all, he stays in the tournament. And Johnny knows he’ll knock him out with his next move.
Daniel stands up and faces Johnny. He raises the injured leg and lifts his arms. It looks like he’s doing it because he can’t put any weight on the leg.
What no one knows (except Mr. Miyagi), is that Daniel is preparing to make a bold move – the powerful Crane Kick.
Stage 5: Achievement
Johnny steps forward to take Daniel down. But Daniel surprises everyone by kicking Johnny right in the face, knocking him to the mat.
The crowd goes wild! Woo hoo!!! Daniel triumphs over the bully!
What a great movie! One reason why people enjoy it so much is that the storyline is so relatable.
You can apply the stages Daniel went through to many parts of your life … including building your health coaching business.
So let’s recap what the 5 stages look like in your world:
Stage 1: Uninformed Optimism. You’re either working on your certification or are putting yourself out there to get more clients. You’re probably excited about building a business you love that helps others.
Stage 2: Informed Pessimism. You’ve been at it for a while now, and you’re working with clients. But it’s feast or famine.
Your days are filled with a lot of things that are supposed to help you get more clients. Maybe you’re taking courses, programs, and workshops...
Maybe you’ve picked a niche, built a website, and started posting on social media…
You’re doing a lot, but you aren’t seeing the results. You may feel like you’re spending more time trying to get clients than actually coaching people through their health problems.
Stage 3: The Crisis of Meaning. This is the danger zone – the point when you’ll either do what it takes to join the 5% of successful health coaches, or give up and go back to a job that doesn’t fulfill you.
You start to question if you can make this work. You may be feeling financial pressures, too. It’s the moment you either find the grit you need to persevere…
Or you quit.
Stage 4: Informed Optimism. Something happens that makes you recommit and lean in even further.
You’re re-energized. And now when you put in the work, you feel good about it. You know why you’re doing it. It feels focused and intentional.
Stage 5: Achievement. You’ve reached your goal! You now have a health coaching business that you love and also supports the lifestyle you want.
So those are the 5 stages. If you can make it past stage 3, you become practically unstoppable. And I have something to help...
I have a bunch of great things planned for 2025 that will help you get more clients so you can build a coaching business you’re excited about (and that makes you money!).
If you want access to my very best resources, now’s the time to become a Founding Member.
If you upgrade to Founding Member today, you’ll get immediate access to these resources and trainings:
How to Create a Profitable Health Coaching Business
Discover the 5-step system that’s helped over 1,000 natural health professionals turn their skills and expertise into a profitable online businessThe 3 Health Coach Success Paths … and how to pick the one that’s right for you
The Irresistible Breakthrough Offer™ Formula
Discover the 5 essential ingredients you need to create an offer that attracts more health coaching clients who are ready and eager to pay you
Then on November 29th (Black Friday), I’ll be adding 2 powerhouse resources to help you get your website working harder to bring you more clients in 2025:
The 4 Questions Your Website Homepage MUST Answer … if you want to build a profitable health coaching business
The Website Essentials Checklist …13 things your website must have if you want more clients
I also want to help you position yourself to stand out from other health coaches. So I’m also adding these 2 powerful resources:
The 5 Game-Changing Messages Every Health & Wellness Coach Needs To Build a Profitable Online Business
The 3 Mistakes Health Coaches Make When Crafting Their Signature System … and what to do instead
Plus, Founding Members will have a free pass to the workshops I’m holding in 2025! The first one I’m planning is about how to create a website that makes you the obvious best choice for your dream clients.
The other reason why now is the best time to upgrade is because the Founding Member investment will be increasing from $150 to $180 on November 30th. And instead of getting 2 strategy and implementation calls, you’ll get 1 private call with me instead.
So if you’re all in on making 2025 the best year yet for your coaching business, now’s the time to become a Founding Member!
Upgrade to Founding Member to get all those free resources, plus 2 private calls with me. (Price goes up on November 30th 2024)