5 Big Mistakes I Made in My 1st Year as a Coach

The Beginning

When I started my coaching business in 2021, times were uncertain.

I decided to retrain as a Life Coach during the pandemic.

Working day and night to pass my coaching certification. Walking away from a successful career. Into the unknown of self-employment. 

It was thrilling. The change I needed. But it was bloody scary! 

Like any ride into the unknown, my first 12 months in business had its ups and downs...

And in today’s Newsletter, I’m going to share my 5 biggest mistakes in my first year as a coach. 

My first day

On the day I announced my career change, I knew I was on the right path.

Being brave, I clicked ‘POST’ on my first piece of Linkedin content. I knew there was no going back. 

The post did well. I surprised a lot of people in my network. 

Thinking back, I had no clue when I’d get my first paying client. 

I’d been working with a few people already as part of my coaching certification. But none were paid. 

By the end of the day, I’d secured two new clients. Both were going to pay for the full programme!

Was this a sign? 

I thought so. 

The dip in form 

Like anything new, it carries a shine for a while. But slowly the shine fades.

Everyone gets on with their lives.

Old news is old news.  

In my first month, I had a lot of attention on LinkedIn. But it went downhill in month two. 

My posts were getting little to no engagement. What the hell was going on? 

My second month was the toughest. I made £65! 

At this point, doubt crept in. How was I ever going to make this work?

I stood at the bottom of the mountain, looking at the skies. 

My 5 biggest mistakes

I was walking a path few had taken. 

At least I didn’t know anyone who’d gone this way before. 

At the time, I needed support. But I carried on anyway. 

I ended up learning more in my 1st year in business than in the previous 5 years of my career. 

Here are the 5 Biggest Mistakes I Made in Year 1: 

1. No niche

When I first started, I called myself a Life Coach. I’d work with anybody. But I couldn’t offer a specialised service. This was my mistake. I didn’t communicate my expertise and credibility because I was a generalist. 

2.  Offered too much for FREE

I was new, I was insecure. I offered ‘Free Taster Sessions’. A whole 90 minutes for free! Whilst I got bums on seats, I wasted a lot of valuable time with people who never signed up for my programme. If people truly want what you offer, they’re prepared to pay for it. 

3.  Doom scrolling 

I spent too much time watching toxic creators on Linkedin. People told me I wasn’t making enough money, or my programme was terrible, or I wasn’t doing this or that. The moment I started to unfollow negative people was the moment I began to refocus on my journey. 

4.  Didn’t accept help

For the first 6 months, I didn’t ask for any help. When you make significant changes in your life, it’s important to hire expertise. Professionals who’ve walked down the path you’re going down. I hired a personal branding coach halfway through my first year and it helped me to find my coaching niche and fast-track my business.

5.  Hesitated to create new programmes

Although I was listening to my clients' problems, I wasn’t using this information to create better products to suit their needs. When I decided to listen intently to common issues, I was able to create new coaching programmes, like Beat Career Burnout and Confidence & Belief Bootcamp which have been hugely successful. 

It’s ok to make mistakes. Every problem should be an opportunity for you to grow.

I’ve grown so much since launching my business in 2021. 

And I can help YOU to do the same. 

At a faster rate. Because I know the pitfalls and fast-track tips that make a coaching business successful on Linkedin. 

If you’re interested in working together, I’ve recently designed a new coaching programme that I’m so excited to share with you. 

It’s called… 

Unlocking Success in Coaching: Strategies to Build & Grow Your Coaching Business

Over 6 months, you get:

🟦 Support with how to create your coaching programme

🟦 Weekday access & support from me via Telegram

🟦 Video Courses via my Online Portal

🟦 My method to attract great clients 

🟦 Effective Linkedin Strategies

🟦 1:1 Coaching Sessions

🟦 Workbook exercises 

To apply for the programme, send me a DM today. 

Places are limited so don’t delay! 

Let’s talk about your situation and your ambitions. 

Otherwise, have a great weekend! 

Tom