11 Tips To Start A Successful Health Coaching Business
I have been working as a Holistic Health Coach since 2016 and have worked with hundreds of people from around the world helping them take charge of their physical and mental health.
As I’m a strong advocate and supporter of the Institute For Integrative Nutrition - where I studied to get my coaching certification - I routinely get emails from prospective IIN health coaches asking how I’ve built Wholesome Stef and my health coaching business over the years.
And so I wanted to put together a resourceful and insightful blog post distilling some of my health coaching business knowledge that I have acquired of the years, in the hopes that it will help you find the confidence to create your own coaching business. There’s a lot of things that I did right early on, but there are also many things that I wish I would have known or done sooner, and I’ll be sharing all of those lessons with you. So, let’s dive in!
How to create a successful Health Coaching business
Tip #1: Find a niche
Carving out a niche for yourself is one of the most important things that you can do. A niche is laser-focused upon a sliver of the population and their specific needs, and you provide your services to that specific group only. Having a narrow focus allows you to have highly targeted marketing to that specific group and enables you to make a name for yourself within a certain area.
The goal is to become the go-to expert in your particular field so that when people think “Who can I work with for XYZ?”, they straight away think of you as the authority in that field. Narrowing your focus also means that you become highly skilled and educated in that area, making your services more valuable to your clients.
The most natural way to find your niche is to base it on your personal interests, passions and experiences. For example, my niche is helping women heal their relationship to food and their body, with a particular focus on binge eating behaviours. The reason why I got into this line of work is purely because of my personal experience with disordered eating and because I know have a burning passion to help other women overcome the same food struggles I once experienced.
Need some inspiration?
Perhaps your goal is to work with new mothers as they navigate through postpartum hormonal changes, or perhaps your focus is on helping women who are looking to transition to a vegan diet. Maybe you are passionate about educating people about blood sugar regulation or you focus on busy working moms who are looking to improve their gut health.
Wherever your intuition takes you, remember that you don’t have to find your niche right from the start and that it’s OK if your business evolves over time. When I first started health coaching, I was still working with clients who had very varied health and wellness goals, and it was only after a couple of months that I started narrowing down more and more. It takes a little bit of time to find your voice and the lingo that your tribe will resonate with the most, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it right from the start.
Tip #2: Your mess is your message
Your mess is your message. Simply put it means turning your own difficult experiences into a productive and helpful message to benefit others. I’m 99% certain that the reason why you were attracted to a Health Coaching career in the first place is because you have had some sort of physical or mental health struggle that you set out to heal within yourself. And that personal journey is powerful, inspiring and authentic, so use it to your advantage to build a coaching business steeped in trust, authenticity and vulnerability.
I had an eating disorder in my late teens and into my 20s. It was a horrible couple of years with lots of pain and suffering, but I have come out the other end. Once I overcame my disorder and found food and body freedom, I knew I had a choice. I could close that chapter of my life and move on or I could use my messy past to help others in their own struggles. I chose the ladder, and it this personal experience that has set the foundation of my health coaching practice. It is less about offering myself as an example of success, but more about giving my clients a sense that I understand them because I’ve walked in their shoes. You can’t fake empathy — and when you can relate with your clients on that deeper level, it has such a transformative power.
You have a choice too. Think of your own health issues, mental health battles, setbacks, failures and life lessons. You wouldn’t be where you are today if it weren’t for them. You have come out the other end, and you can use your powerful story to help others do the same. The question is: how vulnerable are you willing to get? Which brings me to the next tip…
Tip #3: Be your authentic self
Authenticity is EVERYTHING. In a crowded space of health coaches, it is how you stand out, differentiate yourself from others and build a sense of trust and resonance with prospective clients. Ask yourself: what makes YOU different from other health coaches? Hands down, the number one reason why I book clients is a) because they resonate with my story and b) because my energy is one of authenticity, approachability and relatability. Every time that I do a deeply vulnerable social media post, I almost always straight away get new bookings for Discovery Calls.
This means practicing what you preach, whilst also being vulnerable with your own struggles and difficulties that you encounter/have encountered along the way. Early on in my practice, this meant sharing with my clients that I still had the occasional binge whilst simultaneously being confident in my ability to help them in their own binge eating struggles. It means reading snippets from my private journals early on in recovery and sharing some of the most deeply embarrassing stuff that I used to do. It means getting vulnerable, talking about the icky bits and being comfortable letting people into who you are, not just as a professional, but as a human being.
I know this part is scary for a lot of people. Start small. If doing Instagram Live’s isn’t your thing (yet, or ever), don’t force yourself to do them. Instead, show up authentically in the way that you talk and write, create interesting and authentic branding that is unique to you don’t be afraid to colour outside the box.
Tip #4: Put yourself out there
Getting your diploma, building a website, printing some business cards and handing out flyers at your local yoga studio isn’t going to cut it. You need to be think bigger and be bolder, and put yourself out there more. Here’s a couple of ways you can do that:
Offer to do free talks at your local health food store, community centre, yoga studio etc
Connect with other wellness practitioners to create a referral network
Offer to write blog posts for wellness influencers or other practitioners
Interview industry experts on your own website
Reach out to health magazines with content ideas
Get featured on podcasts
Do Instagram Live’s on other people’s accounts
Go to networking events as much as you can
Be present on at least two social media platforms that your ideal clients hang out at
Don’t wait for these things to happen and for people to come knocking on your day. Do whatever you can to get yourself known, and that oftentimes means taking the first step!
Tip #5: Start your email list early
In the world of social media, email marketing may seem a bit archaic at times, but it’s nothing short of a powerful tool. For one, emails are personal and direct. There is no ranking system limiting your reach, unlike social media. Secondly, someone who has added their email to your newsletter is already a lot more receptive to your message. And lastly, you own your email list. You do not own Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc, and if something were to ever happen to those platforms, you have no control over that. On the flip side, an email list is entirely within your control.
In order to grow your email list, you need to create a lead magnet offer - whether that’s in the form of a free mini eBook, journal guide, check list or cheat sheet. Have a look at my freebies here for reference. Ever since I designed these, I grew my newsletter subscription to 4-figures and it’s been an incredible tool to drive traffic and conversions.
Tip #6: Talk your clients lingo
Know your target market better than they know themselves. Understand their pain points and communicate your offer in a way that inspires transformation and action. Talk about their struggle in their language and in a way that will deeply resonate.
Tip #7: Use the right business tools and platforms
Invest money early in using the right platforms for managing your coaching business. In particular, I think it is important to invest into a scheduling platform and an accounting platform. I waited to do this for way too long because I was stingy, and as a result I wasted countless hours in my early days chasing invoices or endlessly emailing back and forth with potential clients to find a time that suited us both. If you are in a position to do so, I highly recommend taking this step as early as possible so that you can clear up as much of your time to do what you’re good at - being of service to others.
If you’re on the hunt for good platforms, I can recommend Calendly (see how it looks in-action here) or Acuity for scheduling, and Xero for all things accounting.
Tip #8: Invest in SEO
One of my biggest regrets when starting my business is that I didn’t invest in SEO sooner. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential tactic for brands that want to drive website traffic and grow their online visibility, and it’s a powerful tool in attracting not just traffic, but the RIGHT traffic. I didn’t invest into SEO until about two years ago, but once I did, my traffic skyrocketed. Most importantly though, the type of clients I started attracting were 100% aligned with my niche and coaching focus. And that has made all the difference in the world. SEO is a bit of a long-haul game as it takes time to have a noticeable impact, which is why it’s important to start this process early! It may seem a big investment at first (I spent roughly $1600 AUD a month for couple months at a time), but from my experience it definitely pays off.
Tip #9: Diversify your income
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. One-to-one coaching is a great place to start, but there are only so many clients you can see in one day. Brainstorm about other avenues where you can earn revenue as a health coach, and don’t be afraid to launch yourself into those early on. Ask yourself: how could I make money in addition to seeing clients?
Perhaps you could:
Offer workshops and host events
Create group coaching programs
Create online courses
Do corporate consulting
Create a recipe book
Use referral programs
Do social media partnerships
Create your own line of products
Sell advertising space on your website
There are so many options available to you as a health coach, and I recommend thinking of at least three solid and diversified revenue streams for your business. To pull back the curtains on my business, I make revenue through four main sources - 1:1 coaching, brand partnerships, affiliate income and freelance work in social media management. In addition, I’m currently working on my very first online program to help even more women heal their relationship to food and their bodies! It’s something that has been mentally been in the works for many years, and I cannot wait to be of more service to others and also to create another income source for myself that doesn’t rely on my ability to serve people 1:1.
Tip #10: Keep showing up
In the beginning it may seem like no one is seeing or interacting with your content, and that can be discouraging. But keep showing up consistently and I promise it will pay off. You don’t have to have 1000s of followers on social media to have a thriving coaching business - it’s quality over quantity. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by the numbers! Just keep sharing about yourself, your offer and keep providing value. Your vibe attracts your tribe, and soon enough you will call the right clients into your life that are ready to invest with you.
Tip #11: Never stop learning
After you’ve graduated with your health coaching certification, you will be equipped with all the knowledge in the world to get out there and start your business. But it doesn’t end there. Continue pursuing education in areas that you are the most passionate about, formally and/or informally. Be addicted to soaking in new knowledge, pushing your own boundaries and challenging your beliefs. For me, that has meant doing a Yoga Teacher Training, investing into workshops, obsessively reading books about nutrition, mindset and self development, doing Masterclasses with Mindvalley or watching health documentaries on Gaia. As a result, my business and my approach as a coach has evolved and adapted over the years and I continue to grow on a professional and personal level.