How to pick the right business coach for you

5 days.

5 days is all it took for me to send an email to a potential business coach and then sign up with them – agreeing to the biggest investment EVER in my 2-year-old agency biz.

How much was this investment, you ask?

$1,000 a month for 4 months.

(It seems like chump change now compared to what I spend each month on Facebook ads😀.)

But at the time I was eager.

Excited.

And ready to do the damn thing!

(Shout-out to The Bachelorette fans!)

At that time, I had grown my personal Instagram account to about 20,000 followers. I knew there was potential to do something there –I just didn’t know what exactly.

In the back of my mind, I had a dream of becoming an online course creator. To teach others what I had learned for myself over the past 2 years of being an agency owner and full-time digital nomad.

So when someone recommended a few business coaches in a Facebook group one day, I checked them all out, sent off a few inquisitive emails and within 5 days, I had my very first business coach.

I loved her.

I loved her straight-talkin’ energy and her crazy-smart business acumen.

However, I learned a powerful lesson in my first-ever experience with a business coach.

Where she had scaled her business to… I did not want to take my business to.

She was an expert in building a jam-packed agency business. But I wanted to launch and create an online course. Our objectives were not always aligned.

BUT.

Even though I didn’t have an online course at the end of our time together, I DID have a ton of online biz experience under my belt:

• a poppin’ Facebook group that I loved
• connections and market research done with my audience on a 1-to-1 level
• a brand new personal brand website
• a freebie that was growing my new email list
• an email service provider
• brand new 1-on-1 coaching services
• AND… two live webinars – DONE. ✅

 

(Talk about scary but exhilarating.)

By the time we finished working together, I learned one key thing:

When you choose a business coach, you need to pick one that has designed a business EXACTLY how you see yours evolving.

• Want to book out your client-based business? → Book a coach who successfully does that.
• Want to sell evergreen online products? → Hire a coach who has mastered the art of evergreen and is reaping the profits.
• Want to offer high-end consulting to corporate clients? → Hire a coach whose business is built off of that very foundation.

Why You Need a Business Coach

Okay, maybe you don’t NEED a business coach, but in my humble opinion, it’s one of the best investments you can make.

As freelancers and business owners, an outsider’s perspective can shake things up in a good way.

Oftentimes, we get so consumed by our day-to-day routine that we forget to take a step back and assess:

• Is my business in alignment with my goals? 💘
• Am I on track to manifesting the life I want? 🔮
• Am I using my unique strengths to the best of my ability? 💪

A good business coach will help you mold your business around your life (and not the other way around), hold you accountable, and will help to keep you on track.

Okay, so what are the benefits of working with a coach?

1. You learn valuable business skills (often at an advanced level)
2. You learn how to clarify your goals to get the results you want
3. You learn how to break down your goals into smaller tasks (we’re talking action steps, baby!)
4. You learn how to avoid bad habits and adopt negative mindsets that stop you from accomplishing your goals

Here’s how to find a business coach that’s going to help you navigate the online world and be the perfect fit for YOU.

1. Write Down Your Business Needs

You’re not going to find the right coach if you don’t understand your business and where you want to go.

Before you start researching and reaching out to potential coaches, take a minute to self assess. 🤔

Grab a pen and a piece of paper, and answer the following questions:

1. Where is my business RIGHT NOW? The good, the bad, the ugly.
2. Where do I want to go NEXT?
3. What SKILLS do I need to learn to achieve my goals?

When I decided to grow my agency business through e-products, 1-on-1 coaching and educational trainings, I had gaps of knowledge that were holding me back.

I needed to learn about:

• Sales funnels (I had nooooo idea what this was. A sales page? Conversion copy? What?)
• Email marketing (Um… what’s a tripwire, exactly?)
• Creating, managing and selling an online course (Okay… but which platform do I use?)

So I made sure I hired a business coach who had been in my shoes, had all those advanced skills and could show me what steps I needed to take… to make my business successful.

2. Ask ALL The Questions To Your Business Coach

Once you’ve signed up for a trial or discovery session, treat it like a job interview. In that, you’re interviewing the coach.

The business coach is (usually) pitching themselves to you, but the final decision is up to YOU. 👊

Use the session as an opportunity to mine for information to find out everything you can about their coaching style, any particular business practices, and anything else that may impact the success of the partnership.

Here are five essential questions to ask your potential business coach:

1. What’s your current business model?
2. How many hours a week do you work?
3. What’s your coaching style?
4. What are your coaching hours?
5. What are some things that you’ve helped your previous clients with and how did you help them?

These questions will give you a good basis to understand how that coach runs their business.

You’ll find out if they are super hands-on or if they have a more independent approach.

How many hours they work will give you an indication of their business philosophy and what shortcuts they can teach you.

Don’t be scared to get into the nitty-gritty details.

If you’re just starting your biz and you have a young family or a full time job, you need someone who can understand the constraints on your time.

There is HUGE value in hiring a coach that has the lifestyle you want to achieve.

3. Test The Waters With Your Business Coach

Before you sign a contract, test the coach out.

Even if they have amazing testimonials, you still need to dip your toes in and get a sample of their work.

One of the best ways to do this is to sign up for one of their free training sessions, any live online webinars, or one of their previous workshops.

It will give you a glimpse into their unique approach, methods, strategies, and style of working with clients. 👀

After you attend a session, ask yourself:

• Am I inspired?
• Will I enjoy working with them?
• Does their style resonate with me?
• Do I feel like we’re speaking the same language?

If you can answer yes to these questions without any doubts, you’re one step closer to picking the right business coach for you.

4. Listen to Your Intuition

Is a business coach ticking all of the boxes for you, but something doesn’t FEEL quite right?

Don’t write off your gut feeling.

Listen to your intuition and continue the search.

You want to work with a coach that’s going to make you feel excited every time you have a call. You want that electric synergy that’s going to inspire you and impact your results.

Investing in a business coach is not the same as signing up for an online course about Pinterest or time management hacks. It’s an investment in yourself and in your dreams, so trust your instincts.

Working with the right person at the right time will help you achieve your goals. 💪

Whether you’re seeking expertise, accountability or someone to help you get out of your own head, choose the best person for where your business is at right now.

Don’t feel bullied into making a decision, either.

It’s your biz, and you hold all the power – not the coach.

With that being said, if you’re in a situation where your gut feeling is holding you back, take some time to assess whether it’s the coach or YOU.

Sometimes fear has a funny way of creeping into our lives.

It’s totally normal to feel it when you’re about to embark on a new adventure or a new investment.

Don’t confuse your fear of the unknown with the conclusion that this is the wrong coach for you.

In fact, the right coach will be able to recognize that this is where you’re at and help you through it… so that you can ultimately make the best decision for yourself.

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Hire me as your coach for $0.00!

If you loved this blog post and want even more how-to tips on making sales through your Instagram account, join me for my FREE hands-on workshop.

In this ~co-working~ style workshop, we’ll check off:

1. What your best Instagram strategy is – even if you’re new in business or are just starting to use Instagram for your business (PLUS, we’ll give your profile and bio a total makeover)

2. What your current season of business is and which features you should focus on to get the most results for your efforts

3. How to navigate making reels for your business, especially if you feel silly pointing or dancing on camera (PLUS, we’ll generate 80 content ideas for your next posts – yes, 80!)

4. Future-proofing your account for inevitable changes that are coming to Instagram (including an evergreen formula that’ll never go out of style)

Join me at this FREE workshop now ⬇️