152 - How a Marketing Plan Can Transform Your Life Coaching Business with Laura McGill
Are you feeling discouraged seeing other businesses achieve success while you're still struggling to get clients? The truth is, building a successful coaching business takes more than just certifications. You have to learn how to be in business as much as you have to learn how to be a coach, and having a solid plan with the confidence to put it into action can make all the difference.
In this episode, I sat down with my client Laura McGill, a total well-being life coach who has been part of my Business Building Boutique program for several months. Laura shares her personal experiences with workshops, social media, and networking and how she overcame self-doubt to authentically present herself and her business. She also has valuable advice for life coaches to succeed: just show up, trust the process, be kind to yourself, and never hesitate to seek the help that you need. Get ready to take notes and be inspired!
Don't just wait for success - show up consistently and trust the process to make it happen.
Connect with our guest!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramcgillcoaching/
Website:https://www.expandyourpossibilities.net/
-----------
👉 Watch the episode on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts!
👉 Book a free Coaching Business Assessment with me
Don’t forget to connect with me on social media:
Transcript
(Preview) Laura: don't hesitate to get support, from a business perspective, unless you're already a digital marketer. Then you have a leg up on everyone else. But I think, you know, the most of us aren't, you know, we come from different backgrounds, but I would say don't hesitate because it takes time. It's a process like most things, not only from a mindset standpoint but just learning all the software and fumbling through things you've never done. And it's easy to just throw up your arms and say, I'm, I quit. But to have a business partner that has been there, done that, that can support you, I say jump right in and don't hesitate.
Intro: Hello, I'm Debbie Shadid, the host of the Life Coach Business Building podcast. If you are ready to have more clients in your life coach business, then you're in the right spot. Each week I'm gonna teach you super simple strategies to grow your business without feeling overwhelmed and without spending money on paid ads. If that sounds interesting. Stick around and let's get started.
Debbie: Welcome to today's podcast. Today I am bringing on another client. I wanna introduce you to Laura. She actually is somebody that I've worked with for several months and I wanna talk to her about really how her business development and growth has happened during our time in the business building boutique. If you have listened to the recent marketing podcast series, then you know I've talked about the steps to marketing.
All of that is the work that we do inside of the business building boutique. And I wanna be able to sort of tell you, and discuss with Laura what she has done in her business. And then also really talk about one of the steps that I talked about, which was networking and how she has really kind of made that a focal point of her marketing. So laura, get started. Introduce yourself. Tell us who you coach and a little bit more about that.
Laura: Sure. Um, hi, I'm Laura McGill and I am a total wellbeing life coach, and I specifically help women with stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. And I help them replace that with peace, purpose, and wellbeing. As a woman that was in corporate and a mom and traveling and all the things, I just found myself being very overwhelmed and stressed every day and just in conflict, trying to do everything perfectly and therefore not doing anything well. I felt like in my head and just didn't see a way out until I hired a life coach. So, the life coach really helped me kind of open new doors and possibilities for me and that's basically why I became a life coach because I took my own transformation to mean now I can help other women who are in, you know, these similar situations as I was in, help them expand their possibilities, which is actually the name of my company, Expand Your Possibilities. So, that is where I was and where I am.
Debbie: So I think, first of all, I just wanna say I admire you so much for being brave enough to leave a corporate career that was significant.
So many people talk about wanting to do something in their life and wanting to become something else and they are tied to a career that they can't walk away from. And um, I think that really says a lot about you that you took what you needed to change about yourself so seriously, that you did leave a significant career to really be able to support other women.
Laura: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.
Debbie: So tell me about this woman, just a minute. Let's go into that, about this woman before we go into talking about your business. This woman that you help, which was you, what happening for her? And let's get some of the other women that are listening to this podcast to raise their hand and say, that's me that she's talking about.
Laura: Mm-hmm. Yeah. she is the one that's trying to do it all, right. She's trying to earn an income. she may not even be, you know, working outside the home, but she's got a family. And we all know as women we have to wear an operations hat too, like the invisible responsibilities that we have that our husbands or partners might not know that we even do, but we do it all.
We keep it all like in flow. And so a lot of times we're in conflict with, you know, I'm working, but I should be home because my kid is sick or what have you. There's just this constant internal turmoil and as a result you're not taking care of yourself, you know, as part of it is you might not be sleeping well, you might not be exercising, eating well.
Like everything is just coming at you so fast and constantly you're on that hamster wheel, so to speak. Right? And, and stepping off seems impossible. So I, through, you know, various strategies, just help these women learn how to, you know, kind of manage their minds and, just live differently and learn how to just find the calm in the storm and, um, really find their purpose and inner peace is really what it's all about so.
Debbie: So tell me about your certification. I have the beautiful experience of working with women from all certification backgrounds, which is so fantastic for me. But share a little bit about the certification that you have and what that kind of looks like.
Laura: Yeah, and mine is in total wellbeing. And that was important to me because, you know, it's been important to me to stay physically strong, mentally strong and, and always growing in there and then as well as the spiritual side.
So total wellbeing to me is addressing, you know, mind, body, and spirit. And that's what my certification is in through Chopra. so it's a very holistic approach. I start every coaching session with a one or two minute meditation just to help ground people. It's not a religious thing, it's just to help ground people in the moment.
And as busy women, we are running around doing different things. And how often do we just take a couple minutes to ourselves to just breathe and be grounded and maybe it's in gratitude or something. And I just find with my clients that that really just sets a great premise for our time together, our session together, because we are here in this moment. We're not thinking about, you know, all the things that we have to do. And it's an important part of the practice that I, I advocate for.
Debbie: Oh, I love that. A way to be able to slow down before you start working through whatever you need to work through. Let's fast forward to why you thought you needed some business support.
What was going on that took you from I'm certified, I'm qualified. I'm ready. I've practiced. I know how to do this too. I need to get some business help.
Laura: Okay. So coming from corporations with iconic brands that have been around for 80 years that have teams of marketing people doing all the behind the scenes, or not even always behind the scenes, but even doing my presentations for me, for big line reviews at these big box stores that I was selling to. Anyway, that's where I came from.
And I was on the frontline selling for these companies. I had no idea what it would take. I thought once I got certified, my phone would start ringing off the hook. That's how naive I was. And so I knew I had to do some things. You know, I would listen to some podcasts and I would get emails and I, I know, I knew there were things I needed to be doing, but I didn't have a plan and I didn't have a process, and I didn't have the confidence of what I was doing. So I listened to your podcast and, uh, a few times and I'm like, wow, she really knows what she's doing. She has experience a lot of experience, um, with life coaching as well as, you know, owning her own business. And she pulled it all together and it just seemed really pragmatic and action oriented.
So I gravitated towards you and we interviewed and boy am I glad that I did because I didn't know what I didn't know. I knew I didn't know a lot of things. I didn't know the how, and I certainly didn't have the mindset. And that's the other thing that your coaching practice helps with this, the mindset. So after I hired you, I, I realized this is exactly what I needed.
Debbie: Mm. Well thank you for those kind words is it is true. I just wrote an email today about a new launch that I'm doing on a new offer, and the email subject line is, you don't know what you don't know, because it's really hard for me to try to explain to people what all is involved, and we're gonna talk about some of those things today, but if I say something about branding, they say, oh, I already have a logo. And I'm like, okay, I'm not really talking about the logo. Like I'm talking about this whole concept of how you want to be seen, and of course, as your future self, like representing your business. So it's just, there's so many more layers to what it takes, and I always feel like the online business world is disappointing people because they're setting an example or they're showcasing something that is possible, but not for everyone.
Like the possibility that you're gonna, like you said, be certified and have clients tomorrow. It is true. That could happen for somebody and it has happened for somebody, but for most people it's like you have to learn how to be in business as much as you had to learn how to be a coach.
Al right. Let's talk about then, kind of when you came to work for me. That was, think, I think it was October of last year. I was sort of in the midst of deciding to launch this summit. And so about the time that you started, that was gonna be one of the things that you've decided to be a part of.
So although I have steps that we follow in, the process that I take all of my clients through and every step is important. You sort of jumped off a diving board right into the middle of the summit water and had to learn a whole bunch of things at once. So do you wanna talk a little bit about the summit?
Laura: Oh, I'd love to. yes, and I, I think first and foremost, I didn't have a niche when I came to you. I wanted to help everybody and we all know that's right. Right? So, forgot I didn't wanna be exclusive. I wanted to include everybody. And, you know, the saying is that if you try to help everyone, you're helping no one.
So the very first thing you helped me do and I needed to do before the summit was to niche, you know, to figure out who I was going to help and going through the analyzing the circumstances and all of that. Past circumstances for me helped me get to the niche. So that was huge.
I also learned Canva because I know Canva's been really great, not only for presentations, like for workshops and the summit, but also for social media. I learned flodesk because that is the emailing mechanism that, um, software that we use that's been amazing. and really to be brave and to have a signature presentation. Yeah. And that has taken me a long way because I have used that presentation a few times already. So there's so many things.
Debbie: That is so good. So even down to, I'll just share with the listeners. I even created a workshop format of how to create a workshop and like what the content, how the content would kind of flow, because just like Laura mentioned, you sort of come into it thinking like, oh, I know my person, she is me and I know all this stuff. But when it really comes down to it, and we're talking about very specific pain points and what I call the rainbow, the pot of gold, the the outcomes that you're gonna have, and trying to articulate all of that and put it together, and be a copywriter is much more challenging than it seems like it should be.
Laura: Yes, for sure.
Debbie: So having that workshop outline really I think helped everybody that was in the summit be able to see like, okay, I just need to plug these pieces into it at least to have like a starting point of how I'm gonna go about this.
Laura: Yes. Yeah. And I think one of the other big outcomes too was you always say there's money in your email list. And I had a small email list that I wasn't even emailing. It was friends and family and I just thought, I don't really wanna market to them anyway. what came out of the summit was hundreds of emails and most of those people that I've been emailing since January now, have stuck with me and I'm getting like almost a 60% open rate on my email. So I'm very thankful for the summit and everything that it offered.
Debbie: That's incredible. 60% I wanna just stop on this moment because the summit people, who registered to come to the summit, which I think was about 350 people, I need to go back and look at my numbers now. It was in January. those people did not, although they opted into the summit and they knew that their email addresses were going to be shared with all of the speakers.
They did not technically, Like say, Hey, I'm picking Laura to opt into. So I actually knew that there was going to be, you know, a pretty fair subscription where people opted out from individual speakers that they didn't connect with. And, I think that that, you know, there was a, actually a smaller amount of people that unsubscribed for most than what I expected. I'm curious, do you have any idea how many unsubscribed from your list?
Laura: probably so like about 50, maybe one of three 50 or however many. Yeah. So
Debbie: yeah, I think that's about where everybody else turned out, kind of about that point too. and then the fact that you have, again, 60% open, right in those emails says so much, especially because learning to write emails and communicate your message is another skill that you have to learn that um, you didn't even know you had to learn.
Laura: Yes. But I'm having, honestly, so much fun writing emails now. I only send one a week. And it's really challenging, but it's so rewarding when you get a couple people, when you see them out or they email back and say, wow, this really helped me today or thanks for making challenging me today or what have you. So, it's been really fun.
Debbie: All right, so also part of this summit, um, she's talking about email and we, they did send emails in the summit and they also posted social media and you had not been on social media and I would say had some resistance to wanting to be on social media.
And that was kind of part of the deal. If you're in the summit, you're going to email your people kind of whether you want to or not. And you're also gonna be on social media whether you want to or not. So that sort of started your social media activity.
Laura: It did. Thank you. Yes. Um, I learned with your help to get over myself. Mm-hmm. And it's not over, it's not about me, it's about the people that I'm helping. And once I kind of had that mindset shift that, you know, people really wanna see authentically who you are. And what do you have to lose? If I could help one person with my message or my reel or what have you in a particular day, then it was all worth it. So
Debbie: I think what's been fun about your social media, and so many others, is that there's this unique, quirky thing that seems to work, that also feels like it's not working. And in your case, it was your dog. So if y'all, I'll leave her link to her Instagram, in the show notes. Y'all can go follow her too.
I know you said like, my dog reels are doing the best. And it's like, you know, that's okay because people want to get to know you. They want to have something that makes 'em smile a little bit. They wanna, I mean, social media is an escape. It's also an educational tool, but it's an escape. And if we can go, if somebody can be on their lunch hour or waiting for their kids, an escape to your dog, then it's actually pretty fun. then the beautiful part is they begin to engage with you and see, because of your dog, let's say. Well, she has more than the dog stuff on there, I'm just telling you. But cause of the dog, then they start reading and valuing some of the other things they have because now they have a connection.
They know Laura and her dog. So it sort of works out. I mean, not again, in the way that makes sense. Right. But, it does kinda become a thing. So
Laura: he is definitely my business partner. He's usually laying in the background during my Zoom meetings and, you know, I have some of my best thoughts that I share with people on social media when I'm walking him and I'm outside and, you know, so yeah, he's a big part of my business
Debbie: that is so crazy.
Laura: Got over 1300, um, accounts reached with a couple of his reels, so he's.
Debbie: Yeah, that's all right. Yeah that's right. That dog is awesome. alright, so we've talked about some of the steps that you did, and just to kind of recap that, um, you know, you worked on your branding, you did have a logo, but you worked on really expanding your branding.
You narrowed your niche. Thank you for reminding me about that. you know, you learned how to do some social media, the technology of Canva, understanding how to make Canva look pretty cuz everybody can do Canva, but some of the stuff doesn't look very good. then learning flow desk and beginning to write regular emails.
And let me just say, it's even things like importing the email list. Do you remember that putting the email list into flow desk was like a brain buster? It was like, okay, this is hard. And I think having accountability and a group sort of behind you knowing like, we're waiting for you to do it. And it wasn't just you, it was everybody that was having a hard time.
It sort of makes you like, well, I have to get this done, in a different way that you might put off till tomorrow if you were flying solo. So let's talk about what I think is one of the magical things that happened for you. I speak to everybody about creating an organic marketing plan, as y'all have been hearing about the marketing podcast. And in that organic marketing plan a couple of the things that I really love, uh, number one, are workshops, and we obviously, she did a workshop for the summit. And then, I encouraged you, like your next step is to start doing workshops. Mm-hmm. And I'll preface this before she says it. I always tell people, you're gonna do workshops and nobody's gonna show up and you're going to do 'em anyway. Yeah. So what happened when you did your workshops?
Laura: Oh, my first few workshops, I think I was fearful that people would actually come, and that's how I showed up. As I look back in December, I did like three in a row to help people with the overwhelm of the holidays and family dynamics. And so, I only marketed, if you could even call it that like a day or two before Uhhuh.
And I thought I was doing enough cuz I actually was doing a reel. And for me that was a big deal cuz I didn't wanna be on camera, so I was being brave. I did a reel and like a post and nobody showed up. So to any of them. However, you had kind of forewarned us that that could happen and that's normal in the beginning. so I was kind of prepared for that. But as I look back, it still really helped me to make the presentations to, it's all part of being brave and part of the whole process. Right? So, you know, I, it was practice and now I have this content and I have the YouTube videos, and I think that they're good enough that I can reuse them or, you know, use them on my website and that type of thing.
So nothing that you do, even if it seems insignificant at the time, is for not like it's all getting you closer to, you know, what you want.
Debbie: Something you just mentioned that's interesting is it is true that new coaches who do the workshops with me, and they don't get the result that they hoped for. The truth is, although they feel like they just marketed like crazy with the one reel because it's like so uncomfortable, it's so brand new.
It feels like such a monumental, like big marketing. Like I marketed everywhere. When in reality it's so small, it's a wonder anybody would show up, like, did anybody actually know? So that's interesting. I bet you, I, I, truthfully, I haven't thought about it that way, but I bet you that's been because you're being honest with yourself and looked at it.
Yeah. That's probably been more the case for the clients that I've had that have done workshops where people didn't show up. They didn't really show up to market it.
Laura: Right, exactly. That's, I mean, in my case that was true. And now I'm like, okay, I can do this. And so now I'm using my email to market my workshops and I just came from a networking meeting this morning and, um, somebody gave me the idea, I think it was Vicky and our group talk, to bring a brochure and like hand out a brochure about your workshop.
So, I did that this morning. A bunch of people took a brochure or my business card or something. So I'm, I'm really thinking next week I'm gonna have a lot of, and I don't, it's a lot. I'm gonna have people attend my workshop and I'm excited about that.
Debbie: Okay, let me just give you some coaching here. So I think that maybe you didn't have the opportunity to do this, but although people aren't gonna register when you're networking with them, it would be super helpful if you actually could remember who those people were so that you can send them a courtesy text message reminder before the workshop and say, Hey, I'm super excited and, and would be my honor if you attended my workshop tomorrow. because, you know, just a reminder, we were at the networking event, we chatted about this. I wanna make sure you have this on your calendar. Mm-hmm. Just the same link. Mm-hmm. It would be super helpful.
Yes. You have best intentions. But it doesn't always turn out in the way that you hoped. Y you forget.
Laura: Right? Yes. Really good. Really good. Yeah. Good feedback. Appreciate that. Yeah.
Debbie: So, let's stop back to the beginning of her networking. She came to a coaching call and she told me about a networking group that she was considering joining.
And, in 90% of the cases, I would tell people before they went to this particular networking event, it's not for you, but when Laura came to our group coaching and told me about it, I chose not to mention that to her because she was so excited and she had such a deep belief about the experience that she had just had.
And so I knew for sure as coaches, we know what you think you bring about, what you think about you bring about. She believed that this was gonna work, and so she was prepared and ready to go in. But tell us kind of what happened from there.
Laura: Yeah. And so, you know, things evolve, right? And, I guess a couple things that I wasn't crazy about with this particular networking group, it was very big.
and it was quite a drive to get there and it's, you know, heavily referral based and I just thought, I don't know if I'm gonna be referring people from where I live up to go, you know, up to this other area. So it just wasn't a hundred percent fit. I made some great connections, but. So anyway, I was sitting in my church one Sunday and was sitting behind another entrepreneurial woman.
I know she's trying to kickstart her business, new business. And then I looked around and I saw another woman that I know as an entrepreneur and I thought, gosh, we need a professional networking group for women right here at this church where there's like 2000, I think, you know, members or 2000 households, something like that.
so yeah, so I'm at the beginning stages of getting a kind of a group of founders together and we're gonna present to kind of the leadership at the church to get this underground, to have our own networking group of like-minded women to support each other and collaborate and really, yeah, to see how, see what we can develop. So,
Debbie: Okay. I can't quote scripture, but what just came to my mind is where two or more are gathered together. You know, there I will be also, something like that. Like what an amazing thing in a church. I'm getting goosebumps, choked up myself thinking about what a blessing you guys can create for each other.
And here I am about to cry on my own podcast. What a blessing you can create for each other and for the church. I mean, that's really incredible. I have no doubt that that will be blessed. And I already knew about this and I now moved to tears. Yes. So, that's been super fun. But I think the key part about that, Laura, is that you have become a changed person.
Like when you went to that networking event, all of a sudden you were somebody, the first networking event, I should say. Yeah. You were somebody who could confidently talk about your business and like it was second nature. Yeah. Like you'd have conversation about it like we're having right now. It wasn't like, wait, what do I say? And am I saying it right and what's the next thing?
Laura: Yes. You're so right. Yes. It definitely helped me show up differently and with more confidence and, um, Yeah. And with the mindset that I can, I'm here to help people, you know, and it's really, networking is really when you're doing one-on-one coaching, it's about people getting to know, like, and trust you and what's a better way than actually meeting them in person and having conversations. So that is one of the great things that I've learned, through your program. And just, you know, by doing it.
Debbie: Yeah. Well, I have to tell you, overall You have been through the process beautifully. You have not quit on yourself. Mm-hmm. You have shown up even when you were aggravated about not getting the result that you thought you hoped for.
Mm-hmm. And really just trusted that the process was working out like it should, you know, and as we talked about before we got on the podcast, Oftentimes you have a desire for a goal, and you mentioned when you first got certified, like you thought you'd be booked up right away. And, you know, you have a desire for a measurable goal during our time that we worked together too. But what you have created and learned and accomplished and set yourself up for, in my estimation, is a long-term successful business.
Laura: I believe that.
Debbie: Yeah, so, so fantastic. I have no doubt now that you can continue the email marketing, that you will just only get better at your workshops that you know there's a podcast in your future and that you'll be leading this, networking community and, and we've talked so much about bigger companies that you could be reaching out to and doing some things for, and all of those pieces are easier done when you have a professional looking website when you have professional looking marketing materials, when your marketing message is really dialed in, when you have a way to follow up in, I keep using the word professional, but it all really makes a difference and creates confidence for, I know it created confidence for you too.
Laura: Absolutely. I just think back before I started with you, how I was all over the place, you know, and I just didn't have a plan. And now, It's kind of simple, like I have a plan and I'm having a lot of fun with it, and it's so much better than being in the swirl and the land of, I don't know, insecurity and doubt like I was before.
So yeah, it's been a lot of personal growth and I thank you for the majority of what you've brought to the table.
Debbie: So tell me, is there anything else about marketing your business or key takeaways that you think a coach should know? You know, something else you wanna add?
Laura: Yeah, I would say don't hesitate to get support, from a business perspective, unless you're already a digital marketer.
Yeah. Then you have a leg up on everyone else. But I think, you know, the most of us aren' t, you know, we come from different backgrounds, but I would say don't hesitate because it takes time. It's a process like most things, not only from a mindset standpoint, but just learning all the software and fumbling through things you've never done.
And it's easy to just throw up your arms and say, I'm, I quit. But to have a business partner that has been there, done that, that can support you, I say jump right in and don't hesitate.
Debbie: Well, thank you. I mean, it really, you're like a dream client. Seriously. It made me, I feel like a mother saying, job well done, Laura.
I'm so excited for what the future holds for you and let me just make sure that I mentioned the people that have an opportunity to work with you mm-hmm. Really are blessed because what you are doing for women who are all experiencing this same level of stress and anxiety in the way that the world is now, yeah.
They really can benefit from the help that you're able to provide them. So I thank you for choosing to support women who really do need your help, for sure. Is there any way somebody can get in contact with you or what would that look like to kind of explore working with you?
Laura: Of course they do. Debbie, of course. That's a way of getting in touch with me. Yeah, there's many ways. you know, my website, I think you'll have that in the notes. Yes. But it's, expandyourpossibilities.net. all my contact information is there, but I just, you know, wanna leave people with, give yourself space and grace, not only in your lives, busy moms and professionals that are trying to do it all. Give yourself a lot of compassion and, everything will work out exactly how it should. So,
Debbie: so good. So good. Thank you so much. I'll talk to y'all next time. Have an amazing week. And again, Laura, thanks. Talk to you. Thank you, Debbie.
Outro: Okay, ladies, that is it for today. Before we go, I want to invite you to head over to debbieshadid.com. I have this incredible Canva training, specifically designed for life coaches where I'm gonna teach you how to use Canva to create beautiful graphics to market your life coaching. All right. Have an amazing week.
I'll talk to you very soon. Bye bye.