How I built a winning 15-year business

When I started my coaching practice, Facebook had just hit college campuses. I remember some of my UCLA alumni friends telling me about Facebook.

At the time I was still working for a large nonprofit and didn’t want to completely put myself out there as a coach. It wasn’t until a few years later that I finally told people I met at parties or events that I was actually a coach.

They’d ask “what exactly does that mean?” And I’d explain that I helped people reach their goals.

When I got my first few clients I focused hard on making sure they got exceptional results. Then those few clients referred me to other clients, and it continued to grow.

I focused on building relationships with new potential clients, through networking opportunities, events, and even community volunteering. Some of my best clients have come out of classes I took, or volunteer opportunities I participated in.

I focused on being of service – I offered free coaching sessions, and up until recently, I always had at least one pro bono client who I knew could refer me to 10 more clients if I made a difference in their lives.

The biggest thing: I focused on making sure the clients reached their goals!

I built a reputation for being a real coach that produced real results. I helped my clients in various ways but always made sure that at the end of our coaching, no matter what, they felt served and had achieved an awareness or tangible goal that changed their lives.

This was especially helpful when the life coaching world exploded and started to get bombarded with new coaches.

This is how I built my practice, through networking and word-of-mouth referrals. Even when other people were building huge followings on Instagram or Twitter, I was still able to build a solid practice, with a solid foundation and consistently hit six figures in my business.

I was also able to build great skills in actual coaching!!
​

What makes the difference for me? I’m focused on three main things:

1. Building relationships with people I can serve.
2. Being of service and providing value.
3. Producing extraordinary results with my clients.

That’s it. I didn’t focus on making sure I posted every day on Facebook or Instagram, letting people know how much money I was making, or putting out all the work I was doing behind the scenes.

I only focused on those three things.

And now I’m at a place where for the rest of my life- I believe I can make a pretty good living, being a coach. Because I’m good at what I do, and I love it.

How can you put this into practice in your own business? This week, make a list of 5-10 people you can build relationships with and who would benefit from your help. Then be of service! For example, send them an article of interest, volunteer your time for their next event, or offer a free session. The more you build the relationships the more you’ll see your own business begin to flourish and grow.