Ep 100 - Building a Strong Life Coaching Business: Pillar 1 of BBB
Business Success + Life Coach, Debbie Shadid, is talking with you about the first pillar to building an outstanding coaching business - personal branding.
One of the most fundamental steps in making sales is building up the factors of know, like, and trust. And the first step of that is building a connection with YOU. Not your logo, not the fonts you choose, you as a person.
As a coach, you’re selling yourself. You’re selling your transformation and your strategies and your words. How you position your personal brand is the reputation that you can proactively build for your coaching business. How cool is that?
Listen in on today’s episode for an overview of our first pillar in the Business Building Boutique, personal branding.
Transcript:
00;00;06;04 - 00;00;24;04 | Debbie
Welcome to the Business Building Boutique podcast for new life coaches. If you are a newly certified coach who's trying to figure out how to grow your business, you're in the right spot. Join me each week to learn simple business growth strategies along with step-by-step marketing tips to get you seen by clients in your niche. I'm going to be your guide.
00;00;24;04 - 00;00;38;27 | Debbie
I'll tell you what to do so you can feel confident in your business. And here's the truth, ladies. You can build your dream coaching business without paid ads and without a fancy sales funnel. So if that sounds interesting and you're ready to get more paid clients, then let's get started.
00;00;41;18 - 00;01;02;29 | Debbie
Welcome to today's podcast. Thanks for being here. Let me tell you what you can expect in today's show. I'm going to start out by talking to you about the six pillars of the work that I do in the Business Building Boutique program for new life coaches. So over the next six weeks, I'm going to introduce you to each one of the six pillars.
00;01;03;03 - 00;01;25;12 | Debbie
You're going to understand what it takes to run a business. It is going to be packed with a lot of value you're going to learn so much about being in business and you're going to have a lot of understanding about what it takes to have a really successful business. Now, maybe you've already said to yourself, I'm not a new life coach, but let me define to you what a new life coach is to me.
00;01;25;13 - 00;01;46;16 | Debbie
You actually might be a well-seasoned, really good coach like you've got good coaching technique. You actually even might be a contractor for another coach or work for a school. But if you have not made money in your own business working for yourself, then you're a new coach. So maybe you've already coached for somebody else for a long time.
00;01;46;24 - 00;02;06;23 | Debbie
You actually might already have a website you might already have a program, a niche, and you've actually maybe already coached lots of clients, but for free. So, you're in the right spot if you want to make money in your coaching business. If you want to have more paid clients, this podcast, all the podcasts that I do are going to be for you.
00;02;06;24 - 00;02;27;12 | Debbie
I think free coaching is amazing. And it's a great way to build your coaching skill, but I'm all about making money. I also want to say that you might have already a lot of business knowledge, and that could be that some of the things that I will teach you are things you actually already know. But I will tell you that until you put it into action, you really don't know how it works.
00;02;28;02 - 00;02;49;27 | Debbie
I talk a lot about implementing, and that is one of the things that we do when we work together. I teach you something. I make sure you understand it. I show you how to do it, and then we implement it. Because it's not until something is put into play, do you actually understand, really understand how it works. So that is part of what we're doing.
00;02;50;03 - 00;03;15;10 | Debbie
I want you to be selling coaching along the way. I'll tell you that I'm very honest, very straightforward. I'm very willing to give you my opinion. And the people that I work with, they generally want somebody to give an opinion, like, please, just tell me what to do. I also want to mention something that might not be popular here at the moment, as I mentioned this, but there are a number of coaches out there selling, coaching, business coaching that haven't had any success.
00;03;15;10 - 00;03;39;10 | Debbie
So I want you to really pay attention to that. When you are looking to hire a coach or maybe you've work with somebody or you're following them or going to their workshops or listening to their podcast I want to make sure that you are looking for someone or investing your time with somebody who's actually been successful themselves. There's lots of people that can learn how to do launches that can learn how to do sales, that can learn how to do those things.
00;03;39;19 - 00;03;58;07 | Debbie
But there's plenty of coaches who actually haven't made a lot of money doing that. I'll tell you everything that I teach you every aspect of it I have done myself. I have personally tried everything before I teach it. You guys have heard my story. I've had automated webinars. I've run many, many dollars worth of paid Facebook ads. I've done all of that.
00;03;58;07 - 00;04;18;02 | Debbie
I love organic marketing, and if you're listening, you are probably not going to be spending any money on ads because I think you can make $100,000 a year without spending money on ads. So if this sounds interesting to you, you're in the right spot. Everything that I teach, I've tried and tested with many, many women in the last 20 years.
00;04;18;09 - 00;04;41;06 | Debbie
My sweet spot is helping women who are starting their business up to $100,000. Now. I have coached and currently coach women who are making multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. But my sweet spot and what I love most is helping people with that initial puzzle; really defining their brand figuring out what's unique about them. I can see what's unique in you that you can't see in yourself.
00;04;41;06 - 00;04;59;07 | Debbie
I help you figure out how to be a boss. That's an interesting thing. When you work for yourself, it sounds like it's going to be great, but there's a lot of pieces of business that you don't even know that you need to know. There's many hats that you have to wear as a solopreneur. And those are all pieces that I will work with you along the way.
00;04;59;22 - 00;05;20;01 | Debbie
And the women that I work with, they are in business for themselves for two reasons. Number one, they want to have flexibility in their schedule, and they want flexibility because either they're taking care of children at home still or they want to have flexibility. Take care of family. You know, I took care of my grandmother and my mother, and I'm getting ready to be a grandmother for the first time.
00;05;20;01 - 00;05;44;28 | Debbie
So I want to have flexibility in my schedule. And I do that by having my own business and by building a business that supports my lifestyle. Something else that we will work on in the Business Building Boutique. The second thing is having financial freedom to be able to decide how much money you want to make. Together, you guys; we'll decide how much money you want to make and we'll make a plan to get to that dollar amount based on how many hours you have to work.
00;05;44;29 - 00;06;07;14 | Debbie
We'll talk about all that over the next six weeks and again, when we work together. I honestly believe, you guys, that this program, the Business Building Boutique is HANDS-DOWN, the most comprehensive program in the industry for women who want to get their business filled with business clients. Who want to get their business filled with paid clients. I help everyone go from where they are to where they want to be.
00;06;07;15 - 00;06;29;23 | Debbie
Some of you guys, as I mentioned, already have hired somebody to build a website. Maybe you're doing social media, but if you are still not making sales, something is broken. There's a disconnect there. I offer a high level of support with that personalized feedback. Week after week, I'm going to take the time to show you exactly what you're doing so you truly understand why you're doing what you're doing.
00;06;30;02 - 00;06;58;02 | Debbie
I think this creates a level of confidence, business confidence that really fuels the women that I work with, because when they know and understand why they're doing what they're doing in their business, they know that they have the power to repeat it and to be able to really fly on their own, pass the time we work together. I also do some mindset coaching with our mindset coach, and we also have some private coaching layered into my group coaching to be able to support you at all levels.
00;06;58;04 - 00;07;19;27 | Debbie
Now, the minimum return that you could expect after the first year of working with me is ten x your investment. That is an average of the clients that I work with, but I have clients that make five times the investment in their first month. So you could maybe make more than that. But if you're here to get your business started and to be able to make a decent amount of money in your first year, I can get you there.
00;07;20;09 - 00;07;43;01 | Debbie
Today we're going to talk about pillar number one. Are you ready? We're going to talk about the three key pieces to establishing this first pillar. This, you guys, is building a brand and a business style to attract your ideal, your boutique client. I want you to think of your business as like your boutique. This is your special place that can be designed any way you want it to be.
00;07;43;12 - 00;08;06;17 | Debbie
You can serve any kind of client. You can price your business anywhere you want to and offer any kind of group coaching, private coaching, hybrid coaching, whatever you want. It's your boutique that we get to design together. All right. So number one, we're going to talk about personal branding. When we work together, I love, love, ove this. And this happens to be everybody's favorite thing.
00;08;06;17 - 00;08;26;09 | Debbie
Now, when we do personal branding, you will get really clear on not just your personal brand identity but also on what strengths you have that you bring to the business. I'm going to bet that they're strengths that you don't even know you have because this is the way it goes. People are so surprised when I help them see what makes them unique.
00;08;26;10 - 00;08;44;24 | Debbie
The reason why personal branding is so important is because people are buying you first. They're first buying a connection with you, and then they're buying a result second. If you think about it, you're first drawn to somebody by a connection that you feel with them. So we have to get clear on that first and your personal branding is also your reputation.
00;08;44;24 - 00;09;02;26 | Debbie
It is so amazing. You actually get to design, right now, you get to design how you want to be seen. You get to create a reputation in business from the start, from scratch. So we'll do the complete exercise on personal branding. And I promise you guys, it is the most fun ever. It is life changing for sure.
00;09;02;27 - 00;09;23;17 | Debbie
Then we'll dive into your business brand. Your business brand is the second part of this first pillar. Business branding is not just a logo that's what a lot of people say already have a business brand. It goes far beyond a logo. It goes beyond your brand colors, your general aesthetic, your fonts that you have, the feelings that you want to convey.
00;09;23;18 - 00;09;42;21 | Debbie
Beyond all of that, your business brand is actually the curb appeal of your business. And I know if you've been listening to my podcast, you've heard me say it over and over, and I think it's the best way for me to describe it because everybody understands a house in their neighborhood that goes up for sale. It has the best curb appeal and it goes crazy.
00;09;42;21 - 00;10;03;25 | Debbie
You get tons of offers. That is what I want for you. I want your curb appeal, your business brand to be so fantastic. That does not mean, by the way, luxurious or I'm not talking about a particular style. I'm talking about the polished professional image. And by the way, you can do that for free. It can all be done for free.
00;10;03;26 - 00;10;22;15 | Debbie
It doesn't cost money. All of that together is what is going to give you the curb appeal that will make it so when people drive by are slamming on the brakes to stop and see who you are. So professional does matter to the women that I work with. They don't want to wing it. They actually like to have a plan for their business.
00;10;22;15 - 00;10;41;23 | Debbie
They like to feel professional. They believe it's important, and so do I. And I think for life coaches, this is extra important. We're competing in a life coach world or a coaching, maybe you're not an actual life coach or a business coach or a marketing coach or something else, but we're competing in a world where everybody can be a coach.
00;10;42;05 - 00;11;03;25 | Debbie
Nobody needs any training. I know a lot of you guys are like me. We've gone and had the ultimate certifications. We've taken really high-end courses and classes and work with other really extraordinary coaches. But lots of people have had zero training and they call themselves a coach. So having that really professional wrapper around your brand that curb appeal just sets you apart.
00;11;03;25 - 00;11;25;14 | Debbie
And the women that I work with, they know that. They want to have I want to be pulled together. I don't want to just go out and say, Hey, I'm a life coach. One of the things about saying that you're a life coach and not having all of this together yet is that it leaves this possibility of somebody who hears it that they get to think anything they want about you because they can't visually see it.
00;11;25;14 - 00;11;51;05 | Debbie
They're not reading about it. They're not hearing from you. They just know, Hey, I'm a life coach, so I want to really help you see by the words that you use by the brand that you represent yourself, by the way, you personally represent yourself, how we can target your ideal client. All right, the third piece of this in making an incredible foundation is narrowing your niche and targeting your coaching to meet the needs of that specific audience.
00;11;51;05 - 00;12;09;05 | Debbie
I know that this is conflicting information than what many of you have heard. I realize it goes against lots of very successful coaches who say just go out and say your life coach, just go out and offer coaching. And I agree with that, you guys, you can just go out and offer coaching and lots of people make good money doing that.
00;12;09;18 - 00;12;27;09 | Debbie
But again, the women that I work with, they want to feel good about what they're doing. They want to feel confident about what they're doing. And what I know is that when I help them narrow down their niche, it helps us get so clear on everything else in their business because they know how to market, because they know what they're going to say to their person.
00;12;27;09 - 00;12;47;12 | Debbie
They know the problems about their person even better than their person knows them, like you want to be able to articulate. And we work on that later. And some of the other foundational pieces I'll talk about we work on the copy, the messaging, where we have words and phrases and things that we say that the person doesn't even realize.
00;12;47;12 - 00;13;05;21 | Debbie
Like, wow, I didn't realize that's what I was thinking, but they're right. You want to be filling in the blanks. And that only happens when you have narrowed your niche down and you can spend the time thinking about that person. You want to be able to fill in the gaps of what is going on for them, and you want to be able to speak to the result that they want.
00;13;05;23 - 00;13;27;18 | Debbie
I specifically help life coaches who are new to business see how I talk to you about that. In the beginning, I was specifically telling you what new to business was, so that you are very clear it's not a new coach necessarily it's somebody who hasn't generated money in their business. My coach is specifically, again, very smart. They've done the research, they value validation.
00;13;27;24 - 00;13;54;26 | Debbie
They're willing to invest in themselves to look like a pro. They want to sound like a pro. They want to know what they're saying is very clear. They want to be able to articulate their solution well so they can get the attention of their ideal client. This, again, is why you want to narrow down your niche. You could work with lots of people and I know that the first thing that comes up for people is if I get too narrow on my niche, then I won't have enough people.
00;13;55;07 - 00;14;19;21 | Debbie
But let me just tell you, and I know you've heard it before, but I see it week after week when you narrow down your niche and you get super clear on it, you actually will make more money because you will be speaking to a very specific person. And when you speak to that person and your business brand matches that person and your personal brand is reflects to that person who you are, that person will be your best customer.
00;14;19;21 - 00;14;39;06 | Debbie
They'll be the people that will come and do the work that you want to have them do. They're the people who will pay you what you want to have them pay you you won't have to try so hard to sell them. They'll be sold before they get to you. This is how you separate yourself from the competition. When we talk about personal branding, nobody can copy you personally.
00;14;39;07 - 00;15;00;08 | Debbie
You can have multiple weight-loss coaches, but if you narrow yourself down, you'll attract just the person that wants to work with you. You will be potentially doing the exact same program that somebody else is doing, but each one of us speaks about something in a different way. Each one of us hears something in a different way. We represent it in a different way.
00;15;00;17 - 00;15;29;04 | Debbie
This is why that personal branding piece is so important. I hope that this has been helpful to you, these three foundational pieces of this first pillar, this will set you up for success when it comes to creating your offer, when it comes to setting your prices to making your marketing plan, to doing all of those things that I'm going to be sharing with you in the next five episodes, I want to invite you to subscribe so that you do not miss any of these next five episodes.
00;15;29;07 - 00;15;47;17 | Debbie
All right. And the last thing you guys, if you want to have one of those few open spots, do not wait. It's limited. We start in a few days in the Business Building Boutique for new life coaches where we're going to do all this stuff. And we're going to start right here with this first foundational piece of personal branding, business branding, and niche.
00;15;47;17 - 00;16;09;18 | Debbie
And even if you have done those things, my dear, I promise you we're going to get so much clearer on where you are, because if you've done those things and you're not making money, something about that is broke. So get on my calendar. I want you to be confident, and I can promise you after the first session you are going to be thrilled and I hear this over and over, like, thank goodness. I've worked with other coaches.
00;16;09;18 - 00;16;24;21 | Debbie
I was scared. I've bought other programs, but after the first session, I can see that you're going to give me the support that I need. That's what I want to do for you, too. All right, you guys, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate you so much. Thanks for giving me your time today for listening to the podcast.
00;16;24;21 - 00;16;39;01 | Debbie
I hope that it was valuable to you. Again, you're invited to work with me or to just have a conversation with me. I don't need to twist your arm because I want it to be right for you and for me both. So if you are ready to be a coach who makes more money, then let's have a conversation.
00;16;39;01 - 00;17;00;05 | Debbie
DebbieShadid.com/Schedule. Pick a time and we will talk about what's happening for you and hopefully, you can grab one of those spots for the upcoming start of the Business Building Boutique for new life coaches. All right, go have an amazing week and I will talk to you very soon. Bye-bye. That's it. Thanks for listening.
00;17;00;05 - 00;17;21;20 | Debbie
Now it's up to you. Put what you learned today into action. Do what you need to be seen and then hired by clients in your niche. And if you're ready to stop wasting your precious time and get your business finally booked up, you're invited to join me in the Business Building Boutique for new life coaches, where you will learn everything you need to be a coach with plenty of paid clients.
00;17;21;20 - 00;17;24;15 | Debbie
All right. Have an amazing week. Until next time. Bye. Bye.