How I became a wellness coach in 5 simple steps

Intro:

Believe it or not, before I built this online wellness coaching company, I co-founded another one. The latter was focused on fitness. I have always been passionate about wellness and health, but what I enjoy the most is guiding and empowering people to gain freedom through wellness, mindfulness, mindset shifts and business strategies.

Before selling my first company, I took time to be very real with myself and understand what I was doing right, what could be improved and what should not be repeated. One of the things I noticed is how I was constantly falling into the hustle culture without seeing rewarding results, whether these were transformations on my clients or return on investment/profit. 

I had a clear vision for my business and the person I wanted to become. A business that would allow me to work from anywhere in the world, reach a global clientele, keep flexible hours and most importantly: help people regain their freedom and economic stability.

Hence, if you are passionate and like to help people become their best versions of themselves, maybe it’s time you consider becoming an online business coach too! Therefore, in celebration of my company’s anniversary, I put down the 5 steps that got me to have a multi-figure virtual coaching business.

1. Find your purpose

Before I started working fully online, I experienced the corporate world, in fact, I thought this was my dream. I fantasized about becoming friends with my coworkers, having a regular schedule and traveling with the company I would work for. It was a great experience and I did learn a lot, including: that what I actually wanted may look differently. I had a hard time accepting this change and reprioritizing what was important for my well-being. Hence, don’t be afraid to do this because when you are in a work environment that doesn’t fulfill you, it burns you out. This lack of motivation to continue growing, makes you unproductive!

Most people think you have to work in what you are passionate about. But we are humans, meaning, we have many passions. The answer is in your purpose, and your passions can be one of the vehicles to carry out your purpose. Here are some journal prompts to help you find your own purpose:

1. When people ask ME for help, what do they ask for?
2. What activity do I truly enjoy doing for hours?
3. Does this comes natural? What do people want to learn from ME? 
4. Is this an industry where I can grow? Is it a scalable business? 
5. Do I want to keep learning from this industry? Is it interesting enough for me?

Get to writing and researching to find out what online coaching program you could be offering! If you have an idea of what you would like to do or become, I recently opened up the last 1:1 coaching sessions with me of the year, where I guide you through the process.

2. Get certified

Once I knew what I wanted to become, I was desperate to start right away. Yet, I wanted to do this smartly. As a result I found myself doing thorough research before committing to one certification. I knew I wanted a board approved certification and a specialized curriculum. This way, I could gain knowledge, sharpen my skills and build a community that would trust me.

Furthermore, obtaining the right credentials will help you be qualified enough to do the job and in turn, it will help you validate the price behind your products and services. If you don’t know where to start, this post will tell you what you should be looking for. 

Unfortunately, I have not found one program that offers a trustworthy certification along with  a strategic virtual coaching business plan. Which led me to create the Virtual Coach Academy, you can sign up here. Remember to use the journal prompts above to choose the right path.This certification will in fact, empower you and make you more confident with your practice and work.

3. Gain trust

Once I had my purpose clear and got my certifications (I ended up doing a ‘Masters program’ on life coaching), my next step was gaining my audience’s trust and building an online community. This is important for the longevity of your online coaching business. In other words, your credibility is crucial for determining the success of your coaching career. 

One of the biggest mistakes in the virtual world is waiting to increase your trustworthiness. Do this from day 1, share your process and progress. Remember that this is a two-way-street, therefore always aim to overdeliver.

Content creation is truly a powerful tool. You may be tired of hearing this but it remains true. Talking from experience I can say that your content needs to add value into your followers lives. If you are sharing information that is of no use to any of them, then you are wasting your time and resources and will most likely lose your audience’s attention too. To avoid this from happening, my team and I have a content calendar where we organize and brainstorm ideas for my social media posts! And if you feel like you are lacking motivation, here is a free 7 day guide!

Lastly, having an online presence in different platforms will allow you to be discovered faster and to share information in various formats. For instance, I work with weekly newsletters, workbooks, tutorials, and blog posts (just like this one!) And of course my PODCAST! Which is coming back this Friday!

4. Draft an action plan

Drafting an action plan is a must. I suggest starting with a clear vision of what you want to achieve in the next year, next 3 years and next 5 years. Once you have that down, you can divide the following 12 months into quarters. Finally, proceed to fill out each week with tasks that will work towards your end goals. 

To Optimize your time and productivity you can apply the following tips:

• 1. Divide your days according to your tasks: While you may be tempted to multitask if you are working from home or anywhere in the world (perks!), as a psychobiologist, I can tell you: you won’t be fully focusing on either one of your tasks. As a result, it will just take you longer and make you decrease your productivity. 
  2. Set specific times for emails: It will help you be more intentional and responsive. It goes hand in hand with the latter tip. If you set times for specific tasks, it will make it easier for you to get it done.
  3. Define your non-negotiables: Specify what are your “musts”. For instance, how many times a day you are going to work, specify breaks, if you need a mindful routine before getting into work, how much time you are willing to wait for someone to show up in a meeting, workout times and so on…

Also just as important…

as setting aside specific time frames to specific tasks, make sure you have a smooth transition in place for when you decide to let go your 9-5 corporate job – if that is what you are planning, of course! At some point, you may need someone to help you with some tasks, like mommy-duties or admin stuff, which you can delegate.

In addition to this, get to know money! While you are drafting your action plan, make sure you brainstorm a system on how to manage your profits. Divide your earnings and operating expenses so you can build a profitable online business. Doing this will help you have a clear idea on all your accounts. Reinvesting in your company is also crucial, so it can grow exponentially. If you want to know more on how to build a profitable online business click here. In addition to this, I created a list of books that helped me when I was just starting!

Other things to consider are what kind of products and/or services will you offer? How will you price it? What will the price range be? How many clients will you need monthly to keep your online business going? Success comes from having a detailed plan and measuring your progress accordingly.

5. Have a business strategy

This is intrinsically linked to the previous point. So let’s rewind a little. 

• Know your audience

Identifying your ideal customer and what your audience is looking for will help you optimize the content you share. By learning more about them, you can figure out what types of things they want to know, what they will search for, how your content will answer their questions, better target their topics of interest, etc. That is ultimately the information you will want to share on your different platforms in order to increase your target audience and keep them!

• Emphasize your value proposition

Why would someone consume your content instead of going with somebody else? That is a question that you need to ask yourself for the sake of setting yourself apart from your competition. What is your competitive advantage?  Brainstorm! What do you have to offer your possible clients that others don’t? Setting yourself apart in your industry of expertise is what will make them choose you!

• Focus on your goals but also on the WHY behind it

What do they MEAN to YOU? This is the gasoline that will keep you going whenever you are lacking motivation. Knowing your intentions and why you are doing what you are doing is powerful. It is what will make you enjoy your work and stand out in your industry. It will drive you to continuous improvement. 

• Value your existing clients

A study says it costs five times more on average to acquire a new customer than to keep the ones you already have. Therefore, you must nurture your relationships with your current clients. Continue your marketing efforts and make them keep choosing you. It is actually quite simple. Because your customers already purchased products or services from you, they already trust and know you. Even if they don’t intend to purchase from you again, don’t forget word of mouth is also a really powerful tool!

• Focus on your online presence

Think “How can I help my prospect client today?” “What kind of questions would I have wanted answered 5 years ago?” Brainstorm what kind of valuable content you will need to share. Having a well-thought online presence is a crucial resource to demonstrate who you are, what you are offering and what your brand stands for. For instance, having a web page not only shows the latter, but you also have the capability of turning it into a 24/7 salesperson if you put in place the right strategy!

• Build a mailing list

Having a mailing list is having a customers list. With it, if used well, you can make magic! It is a resource where you will be able to provide leads for sales, test new products and get feedback from your clients and potential customers. It’s also an amazing tool to track your customers’ buying patterns and understand what they are looking for.

• Hire the right mentors 

Find someone you look up to, that has already achieved your goals you want to achieve! They will have the experience and the know-how. Here I show you how to choose a coach in three steps!