Hi Brooke, thank you for sharing your thoughts on my dilemma.
You said “ You can’t quit because there are too many clients who need your help.” And I don’t want to quit, really I don’t. I just want to stop losing money. It’s not sustainable long-term. Making money would be nice. I have two teens and as you put it, “holy hell” they are expensive.
I am still confused (I know you don’t like us to say that but it is true).
You said “You have to start giving hundreds of hours away and giving people results without worrying about the money.”
What I am confused about is why this idea of giving hundreds of hours away seems to be exclusive to the coaching industry.
There are tons of service professionals (dentists, doctors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, hair stylists, etc.) and no one ever tells them to give hundreds of hours away. They don’t give away tons of free content in hopes that of all the people who consume their free stuff, a small percentage will hire them.
And I have, by the way, done free coaching. I have volunteer coached and peer coached. I have done free webinars and I have written hundreds of emails over the last few years with the best stuff I can think of.
You said “Stop defining your business by the money you’ve spent or received at this point and stop making it mean anything negative.”
Marie Forleo (and others) say “If you aren’t making money, you don’t have a business.” This is part of why I’m so tied up about this. I am in love with the idea of helping people, but if it was just about that, I could’ve saved myself a ton of money and just volunteered somewhere instead of starting a business. I would’ve felt damn good about that. But when I have a business that isn’t making money, it feels pretty shitty.
I think part of the issue (and I take partial blame for this – not full blame because I have hired private business coaches who are supposed to help me with this) is that I wasn’t very good at explaining what coaching IS and what it can do for people. I didn’t have a defined niche. I kept jumping around with my focus and confusing people. Maybe even deep down, I didn’t really believe in myself or in the health coaching industry in general (I see so many more coaches struggling than successful).
Here are the thoughts I try to think to keep going: People need this and I can help them. I know some people are willing to pay for help with their weight.
If I make money I can serve more people. This is a fact. I can’t keep draining my savings. It’s not being more focused on my career than on serving, it’s being practical and financially responsible.
What are your thoughts? Thank you for your help.