Prosperous Coach Podcast

Print out these 5 ways to ensure a healthy relationship between a coach and client.

What do you do when a client comes to a session resistant, as if their arms are folded across their chest? Coaching seems to bounce off them. 

Or worse they seem to have the expectation that you’ll fix or figure out things for them, but aren’t willing to be part of the solution. What’s going on there?

It might be about power dynamics and, specifically, the power that is perceived by the client about the coach and the coach about the client.

For coaching to happen, both coach and client must show up creative, resourceful and whole. In other words, standing firmly in their personal power, rather than deflated or inflated.

Perceived personal power can dramatically affect how safe, effective and enjoyable the coaching relationship feels to both coach and client.

I’ll share 5 things you can do to support a healthy coaching relationship.

Find this episode transcript and more resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/254.

Are you networking to build connections in your coaching business, yet? If you are, that’s smart.

Networking isn’t just about meeting potential clients, although that can happen. It’s more about having a professional community and leveraging the resource that’s helped businesses thrive for hundreds of years — other business owners.

You can meet centers of influence or an opportunity might find you. I’m lucky that happened for me. Networking can spark long term mutually beneficial connections and referral partners.

If you’re not networking because it’s uncomfortable, I get it. It has been a big challenge for me. And I think most people find networking difficult, but not my guest today ... 

She loves it and will share tips that will take the squirm out of this for you. By the way, she’s a coach!

Would you like to struggle less so you can enjoy all aspects of your coaching business journey? I will share 2 brilliant concepts that I rely on.

Find the transcript for episode 253 and more resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/253.

I know that once a coach has strategy in place in their coaching business, success is largely an inner game — your response to challenges and opportunities. It’s perfect territory for deep transformation and … struggle.

Struggling used to be an art form for me.

I came by it honestly. My mother, who grew up during The Great Depression, was a practiced struggler. But, she also made things happen. I inherited both those traits.

Then one day my coaching business mentor said about my habitual struggle: “Everything doesn’t have to be so hard, Rhonda.” Obvious right? But that was a lightbulb moment for me. I began to dismantle my struggling style. Still, at high stress times, it rises up.

Find the full transcript for this episode and other resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/252.

Also mentioned Episode 99 - What Coaching Clients Want Vs What You Think They Need.

Not long ago I was among a group of new coaches who were having an interesting discussion about coaching someone who was un-coachable. 

As the situation was described, I realized the coaching conversation was actually between two friends, not a coach and her client. A friend was having a rough time and the coach, wanting to help, tried to coach her friend through it. It didn’t end well and they concluded the person was un-coachable.

That took me back to an unpleasant memory when I had just graduated from coach training 20+ years ago. Two of my good friends, who were married, were at my house for dinner and they started arguing.

Eager to use my coaching skills, I jumped in to coach them. It devolved into losing my friendship for a time. It was a harsh lesson that I clearly needed. And it helped me to understand the ethics of coaching at a deeper level.

Are there situations where it’s okay to coach without a professional coaching relationship? Let’s dig in to that.

In this episode I share details about a coaching session I had with a coach where her money mindset shifted. Find the full transcript and more resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/251.

Also mentioned Episode 82 about the mindset "ACT AS IF".

How is your money mindset, Coach?

A healthy money mindset is a make it or break it thing in coaching business success — especially when it comes to confidently asking for money from potential clients.

It’s fascinating because it doesn’t matter if a coach had a high-powered job before, how much money they earned, how many certifications or degrees they have, or even how confident they appear — I hear the same admission from coaches …

“I’m afraid to ask for money!”

I felt the same way until I made some mindset shifts. I now know how to attract clients in a non-salesy way. And also, I’ve discovered the power of investing in one’s future.

Find the full transcript of this episode, which you might want to print out, at prosperouscoach.com/250.

If you are putting yourself out there as a life coach and talking about life coaching on your website and on socials, you may face some or all of these common challenges:

•   Potential coaching clients have trouble justifying your fees.

•   You aren’t earning enough to even cover your costs.

•   Your friends and family don’t really understand what you do.

•   You're getting too few referrals.

•   Your groups don’t fill.

•   Networking isn't working.

•   Your social posts about life coaching topics don’t get much traction.

I hear these complaints from new coaches all the time. And, I always encourage them to refine and pivot instead of quitting.

Let’s look at these 7 challenges as symptoms of one root cause — it may surprise you what it is and also be a big ‘aha’ that helps you realize there’s nothing wrong with you or your coaching. It’s something else.

Find the full transcript for this episode and more helpful resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/249.

Also mentioned:
Episode 184 – How to Charge More for Your Coaching
Episode 191 – Low Pricing Could Kill Your Coaching Business

Initially I thought being a professional coach would be like being a therapist. People would find me in listings or by referral, keep buying sessions for years, and refer friends. A few years in, no coach I knew had a business like that. It set me to studying successful coaches.

Now, I like to test a coaching niche idea and see if it has “legs”. The coaches I work with look for confirmation in 2 ways:

1.     Their chosen audience is viable — actively seeking solutions and willing to invest in resources.

2.     Their niche is designed to fit their audience’s stated big goals and the problems in the way.

This keeps my clients from coaching niche mistakes that would slow them down. It sets them on a confident path.

Did you test your coaching niche before creating your website and putting out content on the socials? It’s never too late.

Find the full transcript for this episode and other resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/248.

When you need it most, confidence is elusive. As a new coach, you are on a roller coaster of fear, excitement and overwhelm with imposter syndrome always in your face. I know that place!

One of my current clients is in the Market Research phase of developing her coaching business, which will assist every aspect of her business — from writing the most compelling web copy and determining the milestones of her signature program, to exactly how she'll market every day. 

I'm so proud of her for diving in to do the interviews even though I could tell she was initially afraid. I was totally confident in her abilities. Which is easy for me, right?

See, she had no basis yet for confidence on that project. 

And that’s what you need to know first … you cannot have confidence about something you’ve never done before, but you can have courage.

Courage is even better than confidence. It can take you anywhere you want to go!

Find the full transcript and other resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/247.

Nail Your Niche - 90 minute strategy session with Rhonda Hess

Also mentioned, Sofia von Celsing, coach to high achieving women leaders.

Why do some coaching niches never pay off?

Coaches, with their big hearts, tend to focus on what their audience NEEDS. But I found out through trial and error that marketing a coaching niche that focuses around needs rarely results in enough clients or income. And I think coaching around needs can wander extremely close to therapy.

People buy support to get what they need from known resources like therapists or doctors.

Coaches that focus their niche, marketing and offers around what their specific audience WANTS —their BIG goals and the BIG problems in that way of achieving those goals — will get more traction, attract more clients and earn more. And by the way — those are things you want.

Another reason why certain coaching niches fail is that not all target audiences are viable — by that I mean the audience is easy to access, full of seekers and eager to evolve. Let’s dig into that and I’ll have lots of examples for you.

Find the full transcript for this episode and more resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/246.

Also mentioned 5-month VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough mentoring program with Rhonda Hess, Business Mentor for Coaches.

My coaching business was my first foray into entrepreneurship after 20 years in corporate roles. Talk about an identity crisis! Okay, let’s reframe that to a chance to blossom and mature. ; )

Many of my clients are in the same place making that transition from employee to full time coaching.

It’s going to require some recalibration of your mindset and reorientation to your responsibilities.

Think of it like a makeover. 

You uncover parts of yourself that have been buried under a persona you felt was necessary for your corporate job. You can help those parts to find their voice. It is hugely empowering to bring more of your authentic self to your business. 

The good news is that your identity is more fluid and innate than you might think. Plus, all of your core values, talents and skills can come with you into your business. 

It will take courage and patience. You’ve got loads of that and you don’t have to make this identity transition alone.