EP 297 - Your First 3 Months as a New Coach in 2026: Goals for Women Over 50 Starting a Coaching Business
If you’re a woman over 50 who is ready to start a coaching business in 2026, this episode will give you a clear, simple plan for your first few months. Instead of setting huge, vague goals that leave you feeling overwhelmed, I’m going to show you exactly what to focus on month by month so you can start 2026 off by signing coaching clients and growing your coaching business!
Women over 50 make incredible coaches because you bring years of life experience, transformation, and wisdom that younger coaches simply don’t have. Your job now is to channel that experience into a business that feels doable and aligned and that starts with goals that you can actually achieve. In this video, I’ll walk you through the exact 3-month path I recommend for every new coach.
Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
How to set realistic, achievable coaching goals for your first 90 days
Why your first client should come in the first 7–30 days
How to pick a price you can confidently sell without imposter syndrome
The easiest way to find your first client (hint: someone you already know!)
How to coach your first client “until they win” so you get your first testimonial
How to enroll three more clients in the second month
Why Month 3 is the perfect time to launch a beta group program
How to stair-step your goals for the rest of 2026 so you stay motivated
Tools for coaches I reference in this video:
- Flodesk (email marketing): https://flodesk.com/c/DEBBIESHADID
- Descript (video editor): https://get.descript.com/cj4n2vzke4vu
- Squarespace (website builder): https://www.squarespace.com/
- Canva (graphic + brand creation): https://www.canva.com/
- Calendly (calendar software for scheduling sessions): https://calendly.com/
Want to grow your coaching business by becoming a speaker at our upcoming Design, Live, Thrive Summit? There’s only a few spots left! Apply now: https://www.debbieshadid.com/apply
Ready to build your coaching business in 2025? Register for our upcoming LIVE workshop here: https://coaching.debbieshadid.com/workshop
Free Resources for coaches:
- Free Masterclass to Grow Your Coaching Business: https://coaching.debbieshadid.com/masterclass
- Canva Workshop: https://coaching.debbieshadid.com/register
Tools I recommend for coaches:
- Flodesk (email marketing): https://flodesk.com/c/DEBBIESHADID
- Descript (video editor): https://get.descript.com/cj4n2vzke4vu
Connect with Debbie:
Website: https://www.debbieshadid.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbieshadid/
🎙️ Listen to the podcast: Life Coach Business Building School: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/life-coach-business-building-school-with-debbie-shadid/id1502118085
Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly episodes on coaching business strategy for women over 50, tech tools for coaches, and simple business growth strategies that really work: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz6RS8kQGMLJqJrK9uKdjtg
#DebbieShadid #LifeCoachBusinessBuildingSchool #CoachesOver50 #WomenCoachesOver50
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Transcript
Let's talk about your goals, and I'm not talking about vague goals. I'm not talking about giant numbers that you just kind of pull outta the air, but I am talking about a goal for you for 2026, a goal that you can set where you'll feel confident, you can have some clarity around what you need to do. This is going to be amazing. I'm gonna talk to you about how you set your goals for all of 2026, I'm Debbie Shadid. I have helped over 10,000 coaches not only build, but grow profitable boutique-style coaching businesses. If you are a woman who is over 50 and you are just getting started, you're gonna love this episode. Let's talk about your first goal. This is a goal that you can actually achieve, and this is a goal I really want you to focus on. I want you to get your first client in the first 30 days. And here's the truth. If you put your mind to it, you could actually get your first client in the first seven days, So in the beginning. You're gonna lower your rates. Now, I know you've heard all about high ticket coaching, but I actually want you to have rates that are really approachable, and I also want you to be able to sell them easier. I don't want you to have any imposter syndrome, so pick a rate that you feel good about that you can confidently sell to your first client, and whether you decide to do it in seven days or 30 days, either one is great, but I want you to think about that first client. It's not really the income that matters. It is about you creating some confidence to be able to talk about your offer. It's about you learning how to talk about your offer and you gaining some momentum and creating some proof that it works. Okay, so your first goal is to sell your first client In the first 30 days, but if you're a go-getter, I want you to do it in the first seven days. So here's my challenge for you. How will you get your first client? You guys need to figure this out. Where will you find it? And I'm gonna give you a clue. It's already somebody that you know. Yeah, you could go onto your Facebook page, your Instagram page, to wherever it is you hang out, whatever communities. If you tell enough people. Your friends, your family, your coworkers, all the people on your Facebook or whatever social media platform you're on, that you're a coach, you offer to help 'em. I can almost guarantee you your first client is going to come from somebody you know, or somebody who knows somebody that needs your support. Let's talk about your second goal. Let's imagine that you enroll three clients in the second 30 days of 2026, so I'm basically talking about in February, your goal is to enroll three new clients. Now, I know again, that number seems small, but here's what you don't know your first client. It's gonna take more work than you expect. You want to ensure that that very first client that you sold the first month of the year gets results. That means that although you expected to coach him one time a week, you might actually coach him three times a week. You might discover that they need more accountability, that they need more direction, that the real path to transformation is different than you thought. You will want to check in with them, support them through any setbacks, and really adjust your process and learn as you go. This is why. Having a really big goal with a lot of clients is not the best idea. I want you to learn how to work with that first client and get them results and make that first person, the person who talks about you forever. That first person is going to be the one that will help you sell those next three clients in February. that person is your first testimonial. So you want to work with that client, that first client, until they win, as if you're almost guaranteeing their success without making a guarantee, you're guaranteeing it because you are in it with it until they win. Now your second month, when you enroll those three clients, boy, everything begins to shift. Now you are learning about how do I manage four clients at once? You are juggling coaching along with marketing, right? You still need to continue to market effectively because you have to have a certain number of consultations to get three clients. You might have to have 15 consultations to get your next three clients. you're juggling your marketing. You're working still with your first client. Through their first coaching experience. Now you've got three more clients and I will tell you, you have to learn how to manage all that. How do you keep up with accountability and with check-ins, and with all that happens with four clients at one time, how do you create systems to support that? You might even be working on materials that you know now those particular clients could use to get better results. I wanna pause for a moment I did not say that you create the course before you get the first clients. I said you get the first client, the second, the third, the fourth, and you're building out your coaching system and support materials while you are working with them. The reason why you do that is because you will learn what it is they actually need. So you'll get better at your coaching. You'll get faster with your process. You will get more confident in what you're doing. You will actually discover what every one of those clients really gets hung up on and what they really need you will be stronger in your authority. You'll begin to reuse some of the marketing materials and resources that you've created, which will then start to save you time. You're gonna start to build a reputation. At that point, you can start asking for referrals. continue to tap into the network of people that you know first. As you build a following beyond that, I wanna encourage you to also always ask people who can you refer me to week after week? Especially if they love you and your job is to help those first clients really love you. Now, the next set of goals that I wanna talk about is to consider launching your first small group program, so that would be your third month in 2026, so we're in March. I'm gonna call this a beta program. This is the learning phase for group coaching. So you're gonna learn how to fill up a group. You're gonna learn how to manage multiple private clients and group clients. You're gonna learn how to deliver results and how to further refine your program. You'll launch that first group program at a lower price, just like I told you to do with your first clients. Once you have those first four private clients at a lower price, raise your price. Then you have evidence and credibility that it really works. You have testimonials to support what you're saying. The same goes for that first group program. So when you are in that beginning stage of group coaching, you're going to offer it at beta pricing. Beta just means, hey, you're the first people that are coming through the program, and I always told my first clients. I'm gonna almost guarantee that you're gonna have success 'cause I want you to be the next story that I tell, I wanna feature you in my marketing. So this is the process that you're in. So by your third month, imagine this, you have your first client that you probably need to renew. You have your next three clients that are now going great. And here you are launching a group program. And now you're managing all of it. At this point, you have a better opportunity and understanding to say, what is my goal for the second quarter and the third quarter and the fourth quarter, and here's what I'd recommend. I recommend that you stair step those goals So in your fourth month, maybe you decide for that second quarter goal. You're like, you know what? I'm gonna consistently now in my second quarter for the next three months, I'm gonna do $2,500 worth of income collected. So now we're talking about $7,500 for your second quarter, and then from there, just stair step it up. So the third quarter, maybe it's double that. The fourth quarter again, maybe it's double that whatever that is, your rates will raise naturally because you will build the amount of testimonials you have, the credibility that you have, those stories that you have. This is where your business starts to get really powerful. Can you see how I am setting you up to be successful? Instead of saying I'm gonna make a hundred thousand dollars in 2026, you say, no, I'm getting my first client in the first month, and my next three clients in the second month. Then I'm launching my group program. This becomes more attainable when you can ask yourself, where am I gonna get three clients from versus how am I gonna make a hundred thousand dollars? Do you know what you do? You actually take action. When you have a goal that is too big and you are inexperienced at business, you don't really understand how to market. You're learning all these skills of marketing and coaching and building credibility and learning how to sell. When you're doing that and your goal is too big, honestly, what I find is that coaches just. Continue to learn and they don't do anything. So I really wanna encourage you start with a lower goal. Start with a goal that you can achieve and blow your own mind. Make that goal in one week if you want to. I know clients can do it. We actually tell our clients how to get their first client in the first week. Working with us. So it is possible to do that. This is the way that you will have success in 2026. You can let your coaching business unfold in a beautiful way instead of spinning your wheels, not even knowing how you're gonna get anywhere. Setting a goal is essential. I wanna help you stay motivated. I want you to have some accountability to yourself and to that goal. I want you to ask yourself from a mindset point of view, who do I have to become to be a coach that sells a group program in my third month in my coaching business? And who fills a group program? Goes on to continue to coach the four private clients. Now, I know this doesn't sound all that big to you, but I can tell you my dear one, there is a process to this. So let your first quarter, of 2026 be the place where you evolve, versus setting yourself up to not achieve it. I don't want you throwing in the towel. I want you growing your business. This is how you can do it. I hope I've inspired you to come up with a goal. I'd love to hear in the comments, tell me what you think. What is your goal? What do you think about this approach to picking one client in your first month? How would you actually market your business to get the one client? I already told you, I'm gonna remind you again, probably your first client you already know, and I'm gonna bet your first few clients, you already know who they are. You just have to get out there and tell people what you can do to support 'em. Then continue to stay connected, continue to market your business, will unfold beautifully. There is a massive amount of opportunity for you, especially if you are a woman over 50, the life experience, the wisdom, the transformation that you've, you bring so much credibility to the table. Now, all you have to do is put yourself out there. I know you can do it. So set your goals, tell me the comments, what they are. And by the way, if you would like to hear the entire path to building your coaching business, I have a private podcast if you will comment the word private. I will send you the four episodes of my private podcast, where I actually tell you step by step, everything that you need to know to build your coaching business in 2026. So click the link in the comments. Or in the show notes or comment the word private and I will send it to you. Let's do this, It is your time to build a business. 2026 is your year that everything changes for you. If you wanna connect with me, tell me in the comments what you're struggling with. I read all the comments. I am so happy to answer your questions there, and I look forward to meeting you very soon in one of my upcoming workshops or hearing from you on one of my social media platforms. So there you go. Set a goal, go for it. Go big. Have a beautiful day. Bye-bye.
