The unhinged way I grew my life coaching business (and why that’s exactly why I was so successful)

I've been in business long enough to have strong opinions about what actually causes success. And lately, a question keeps coming up in conversations with other business owners: does anyone actually know what works right now, or is everyone just throwing things at the wall? Here's where I've landed. When you strip back the tactics and look at the psychology behind growth, the fundamentals haven't changed that much. The platforms evolve, the tools get shinier. But the motivators? Largely the same as they were eight years ago. So let me take you back to 2018, when I made a series of decisions to grow my life coaching business that most people would call reckless. I'd call them some of the best calls I ever made.

I Launched Before I Had My Qualifications

This is the one that makes people flinch. I launched products and services as a life coach before I had my certification. I was completely transparent about it. I wasn't marketing myself as a credentialled expert. My messaging was honest: these are the things I've tried, this is what worked for me, here's what you might want to explore. I got my qualifications as a life coach and mind body practitioner after I'd already built the business. What I did instead of waiting was leverage other people's expertise. I brought in a psychologist, a neurologic music therapist, a naturopath, a nutritionist, a boudoir photographer, and a sex therapist. I was the facilitator, not the sole expert. Any programme that required specialist knowledge was peer reviewed before it went near a client. One of the biggest traps I see, especially with health and wellness practitioners, is the endless training cycle. One more certification before they feel ready. The truth is, it doesn't result in more sales. You already know enough to start. Begin, then fill the gaps as you go.

I Fired All My One-to-One Clients and Went All In on Group

Very early in my business, I let go of all my one-to-one clients and committed entirely to a group programme model. Most coaches build a full roster, hit burnout, then slowly try to transition. I had a handful of one-to-one clients for a few months, felt like a caged animal, and decided I was done. Life coaching, done well, takes an enormous amount of cognitive and emotional energy. You're not giving advice. You're helping someone reach their own lasting revelations. I knew early I couldn't sustain that at scale. So I moved into group, and my ability to actually get people results was significantly better in that format.

I Prioritised Audience Building When Most People Were Ignoring It

This is the decision that made the biggest difference to my early growth, and the one most business owners consistently under-invest in. I started a podcast early and stayed consistent with it. I showed up on Instagram twice a day, even with a newborn and a toddler. I ran Facebook ads as soon as I was able to. I took building an email list seriously from day one. Demand has to be built before it can be monetised. When I ran my first group coaching offer, I sold five places. Two years later, I had 50 people per cohort. The difference was audience building. Not a better offer, not a flashier sales page. Audience building. Too many business owners put this off until the offer is perfect, the website is done, they feel ready. Later becomes never. And then they wonder why sales aren't coming.

I Built Community Like It Was the Only Strategy That Mattered

Because for a long time, it was. I launched a Facebook group and answered every single comment. I showed up live once a week with nothing to sell. And I ran dinners. Not fancy events, just a restaurant booking, an email to my list, and a split bill at the end. Anyone who wanted to meet like-minded people could come. I'd facilitate the conversation. It worked in a way content alone never could, because it created real human connection. The kind that makes buying from you feel like a natural next step rather than a risk. Community building is not a dated strategy. It worked a decade ago and it works now. The reason most people skip it is because it feels slower than posting a reel. It is slower. It's also stickier, more loyal, and far harder for anyone else to replicate.

What This Means for Your Business Right Now

None of what I've shared is new. That's the point. The platforms have changed. The formats have evolved. But the psychology underneath, why people buy, who they buy from, what makes them trust you enough to say yes, that hasn't shifted nearly as much as the content industry would have you believe. Before you chase the next trend, ask yourself whether you've actually done the fundamentals well. Have you built an audience consistently? Have you moved away from one-to-one before burnout forced your hand? Have you made people feel genuinely connected to you and what you do? If the answer is no, that's your strategy. The businesses struggling right now aren't missing a hack. They're missing the foundational work that makes everything else possible. Start there.

Ready to Build a Business That Works?

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