The Ultimate Roadmap to Starting Your Coaching Business
Let’s get real for a second. You’ve been out in the wild, wild west running a creative business—managing 1:1 client projects, juggling deadlines, and delivering work that leaves people picking their jaws off the floor.
You want more freedom, less burnout, and—let’s be honest—a few more zeros in your income. Spoiler alert: you’re in the right place.
Good news—you don’t need a magic wand or to wait for Mercury to exit retrograde. You just need a solid plan, a platform that makes you look like you have your life (and tech) together, and a little wit. Lucky for you, I’ve got all of that lined up right here.
This blog post is sponsored by Teachable.
This post is sponsored by Teachable, the platform we trust to host and sell our digital products and courses. We do earn an affiliate payment at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclaimer.
Professional Services vs. Coaching vs. Consulting: What’s the Difference?
Here’s the thing about services: you’re in it, all day, every day. Talk about hands-on, high-touch, and often high-stress. You’re solving problems and doing the work for your clients.
Coaching and consulting, however, flip the script. They allow you to take a step back from the constant hustle of deliverables and embrace a more strategic, empowering role. Let’s break down the differences to help you decide which path is right for you.
What Are Professional Services?
Professional services are all about execution. You’re hired to do the work—whether that’s building, managing, designing, or delivering a final product. Your expertise and time are directly tied to client outcomes, making this model high-touch and highly involved.
For example:
Web Designers deliver completed websites, handling everything from design to development.
Social Media Managers create and post content, reply to comments, and track metrics.
Brand Strategists build comprehensive plans that businesses can follow to grow their presence.
While this hands-on approach ensures a direct impact, it often leads to long hours, limited scalability, and the potential for burnout.
What Is Coaching?
Coaching shifts the focus from “doing” to “guiding.” As a coach, you’re helping clients reach their own goals by empowering them with skills, frameworks, and accountability. Your role is to support transformation, not to produce deliverables.
For example:
A Business Coach might help a client craft a winning pitch for their dream client.
A Wellness Coach guides clients in building sustainable fitness or nutrition habits.
Coaching is about helping clients achieve their goals while giving you more flexibility and freedom. You’re less involved in the day-to-day and more focused on creating a lasting impact through your expertise.
What Is Consulting?
Consulting is a strategic partnership where you provide expert analysis, actionable strategies, and tailored recommendations to help your clients achieve their goals. Unlike professional services, where you’re deep in the trenches doing the work, or coaching, where the focus is on guiding clients through personal discovery, consulting is about delivering clarity and direction.
Consulting is like being the guide, not the mechanic. You’re teaching your clients to fish instead of floundering knee-deep in a pond, gutting their catches. It’s less “let me do that for you” and more “let me show you how to get the most out of your bait.”
Which, honestly, sounds pretty great, right? More strategy, less burnout.
For example:
A Marketing Consultant could review a client’s current strategy and offer a detailed plan to increase their visibility.
A Financial Consultant might analyze a business’s revenue streams and recommend cost-saving measures.
Consulting allows you to leverage your expertise at a higher level while leaving implementation to your clients. It’s a scalable, sustainable way to serve clients while giving you room to focus on strategy and growth.
How to Decide if Coaching or Consulting is Right for You
Whether you’re dipping your toes into coaching or consulting for the first time or ready to transition out of hands-on services, the magic lies in choosing the path that aligns with how you want to work—and live.
Here’s the thing: your next step doesn’t have to mean doubling your workload. In fact, it’s about the opposite. By focusing on strategy and leveraging your expertise in new ways, you can free up your time, grow your revenue, and create a business that works with your life—not against it.
But first, let’s figure out what that looks like for you.
Do you want to empower clients to solve their own challenges? Coaching might be your next big adventure.
Do you thrive on offering expert advice and actionable plans? Consulting could be the perfect fit.
Or maybe you want a hybrid approach—a mix of both? That’s where things get really interesting.
No matter what path you choose, the key to scaling sustainably is starting with a crystal-clear understanding of your ideal clients, their needs, and how you can best support them.
Step One: Get Crystal Clear on What You’re Fixing
Before you start booking clients, you need laser-focused clarity on what you’re offering. Not “kind of clear” but zen-monk-staring-at-a-waterfall clear.
Ask yourself:
What problems are your ideal clients desperate to solve?
What solutions can you walk someone through in your sleep?
Where does your expertise meet their struggles?
And let’s address one thing head-on: we’re talking about their real problems. Not the ones they say out loud at networking events, but the kind that keeps them up at night with thoughts like “Why does everything feel like a dumpster fire?” If you can answer that, you’re golden.
Step Two: Set Up a Coaching Platform That Works for You
A good coaching or consulting business doesn’t just need an amazing offer—it needs infrastructure. A place that doesn’t require a PhD in technology to set up. Enter: Teachable.
Why Teachable?
User-Friendly: Teachable’s no-code platform makes it simple to get started and build out your offers quickly and intuitively.
All-in-One Solution: From hosting to payments to communication, Teachable is designed to handle it all. Customize the experience with milestones or utilize built-in features for scheduling meetings, setting up video calls, sending messages and files, and more.
Better Onboarding: Who and how you coach is up to you. Teachable’s customizable intake block and page editor give you the power to control how you onboard your clients.
Fits Your Brand: Their effortless drag-and-drop builder and customizable templates mean you can personalize your coaching products to align with your style and branding with just a few clicks.
Maximize your Earning Potential: With strategic add-ons like order bumps and upsells, you can present additional offers during checkout, turning every transaction into an opportunity for increased profit.
Scalable: Whether you’re starting with one-on-one coaching or dreaming of launching group programs, digital products, or full-fledged courses, Teachable grows with you. No more patching together multiple tools or wrestling with clunky learning portals. Scaling with Teachable will feel seamless and stress-free.
I’ve been using Teachable since 2016, back when creating an online course felt like trying to build IKEA furniture with no instructions. Eight years later, and here I am—loyal, caffeinated, and very much still in love with the platform. Read my full Honest Review HERE.
Teachable is the backbone of my business—and the reason I’ve been able to scale from 1:1 services to a multi-seven-figure empire. I needed a secure, intuitive place to house my growing number of courses and coaching programs, and Teachable was the answer to all my entrepreneurial prayers.
Start on their free plan to get your account set up, and when you’re ready to expand, upgrading is seamless. No duct tape, no clunky integrations—just smooth sailing.
Step Three: Tap Into Your Network
Your next client might be just one introduction away. The average person knows around 600 people (NYTimes), with 10-25 they trust completely. Don’t underestimate the power of your existing network!
Start with:
Your Inner Circle: Friends, family, former colleagues, or anyone who knows your skills and can refer others.
Second-Degree Connections: Friends of friends, community groups, or online networks where your ideal clients hang out.
Let them know about your consulting services and clearly describe the type of clients you’re looking for. The more specific you are, the easier it is for them to think of someone to refer to you. Your network can’t help if they don’t know exactly who you can serve!
Need a script to break the ice? My One Week to Clients course (inside the Co-op) will walk you through what to say, how to follow up, and how to network. No icky cold calls, no spammy DMs, just real, intentional connections—Mad-Lib-style scripts included. Who doesn’t love a good Mad Lib?
Step Four: Make Discovery Calls Less Cringe
The key to landing consulting clients is that first discovery call—which, yes, can feel awkward if you’re not sure how to approach them. But it doesn’t have to be.
Think of a discovery call like a first date. You’re both testing the waters, feeling out whether there’s a vibe. The goal is simple: dig into what they’re struggling with and identify whether you are the right person to help solve it. No pressure, no hard sales pitch, just a genuine conversation where you’re exploring whether this could be a match.
Pro Tip: Teachable simplifies managing your coaching sessions. Schedule calls, set milestones, and track client progress all in one place. Bonus: You can handle payments upfront, eliminating the hassle of chasing invoices later.
Step Five: Scale Smart, Not Hard
Once you’ve secured your first few clients, it’s time to think bigger. The beauty of consulting and coaching is that scaling doesn’t have to mean more work—just smarter systems.
Options for scaling:
Group Coaching: Turn 1:1 sessions into group programs for higher impact.
Digital Products: Get PAID to bring in more qualified leads. Check out Digital Product Jumpstart for my proven process.
Courses: Package your expertise into a digital offer that sells on autopilot.
Memberships: Build recurring revenue with exclusive content or coaching access.
Not sure where to start? Our One Day Launch Challenge can help you take an idea and turn it into a sellable product—fast.
Bonus: Templates to Save Your Sanity
Nobody has time to start from scratch with every new client. That’s where the Creative Template Shop comes in. These ready-made templates take the guesswork out of client relationships—just grab, customize, and send. It’s seriously that easy.
Services & Pricing Guide: To set clear expectations and wow clients.
Project Proposal Template: To make your offers irresistible.
Client Hub Template: To keep communication seamless.
Client Project Calendar: To map out deliverables like a pro.
And don’t just take my word for it—these templates have helped countless students streamline their workflows and land clients faster.
Want them all? Instantly access these and hundreds more inside the Co-op, where you’ll find all the tools, resources, and training you need to build your business online. Let’s make running your business easier (and a lot more fun)!
Look, no blog post is going to magically unlock a flood of clients. There is no secret portal to success (at least not yet, still waiting on AI for that one). But there is a process that works, and it starts with a clear offer, a strong platform like Teachable, and consistent action. Follow that, and you’ll be amazed at what’s possible.
Ready to get started? Start with a free Teachable plan, grab the tools you need, and get your first coaching or consulting clients in the door. The world is waiting for your brilliance—it’s time to show them what you’ve got.
Have questions about coaching, consulting, or launching your first digital product? Join me in the Co-op for ongoing support. Let’s make it happen—together.
