Find Your Voice as a Coach

Key Points:

0:00 – Welcome and Monthly Check-In
The call opens with casual conversation, updates, and encouragement around recent progress inside the group.

0:32 – Going Slow and Taking a Mental Break
Sociata shares that she feels like she is moving slower than others and is taking time for a mental break.

0:51 – Entrepreneurship Is Hard
Nikki shares that building a business took longer than expected, but confidence builds after getting a few clients and staying with the process.

1:11 – Leaving Corporate and Finding Your Place
Shannon talks about leaving corporate, feeling burned out, and learning that entrepreneurship does not come with a textbook.

2:30 – The Female Entrepreneur Experience
The group discusses how difficult it can be to be a woman entrepreneur in the business coaching space and how women may show up differently than men.

3:30 – Nurturing and Accountability
Shannon shares how one client needed both reassurance and accountability, showing how a nurturing coaching style can still hold clients to the work.

4:58 – Using Past Experience on Your Own Terms
Shannon explains that she resisted her old corporate identity at first, but now sees she can still use that expertise in a better way.

6:00 – Coach or Consultant?
Nikki introduces two discussion topics: the difference between coaching and consulting, and what to do when clients do not follow through.

7:02 – Confidence Comes From Knowing Your Stuff
Dani explains that when coaches understand their work deeply, confidence comes through in the room, whether virtually or in person.

7:27 – Solve a Micro Problem First
Dani shares that solving a small problem in the first meeting can show the prospect what the coach is capable of.

8:40 – When Clients Don’t Follow Through
The group discusses clients who pay but do not do the work, especially when implementation requires their participation.

9:37 – Slower Clients and Crisis Mode
Cindy shares an example of a client who is overwhelmed and slow to implement, so she is nurturing him while helping him move out of crisis.

11:17 – Personal Spending and Business Cash Flow
Dani explains how hidden owner withdrawals or personal spending can affect cash flow even when the profit and loss statement does not show the full picture.

12:19 – Client Participation Is Required
Shannon shares a government contracting client who wanted her to do everything, even though the client needed to provide the technical business information.

14:09 – People Pay But Still Don’t Act
Nikki notes that people often pay for programs, classes, or coaching with good intentions but never follow through.

15:20 – Setting Expectations Upfront
The group agrees that expectations matter, but some clients still will not do the work even when expectations are clear.

16:01 – When to Fire a Client
Nikki explains that if a client refuses to participate, she will end the relationship because their lack of effort can make the coach look bad.

17:15 – Choosing Better Clients
Cindy shares that many of her better clients were already relatively successful and wanted improvement, rather than being in complete disarray.

18:22 – Presentations Without Selling
Cindy explains that she presents often, but many events are instructional only and do not allow a direct close.

19:11 – Turning Presentations Into Referral Opportunities
The group discusses how presentations can still create referral relationships when attendees understand who to refer.

19:43 – Using a Soft Call to Action
Nikki suggests a simple close when direct selling is not allowed: “If you want my help with this, just let me know.”

20:08 – Free Coffee Conversations
Cindy shares her “worst nightmare” coffee conversation approach and how it can uncover real business problems.

21:31 – BNI and Targeted Networking
Sociata shares how she joined a BNI group with contractors and tradespeople because that audience fits her ideal client.

22:06 – Hitting the Real Pain Point
Sociata explains how she challenged an HVAC business owner around legacy, cash flow, and whether his current habits would support the future he wanted.

23:07 – Helping With Cash Flow
Sociata shares that her client struggled with chasing shiny objects and draining the bank account, and is now starting to accept help.

24:40 – Industry Experience Objection
The group discusses how business owners may resist help if the coach does not have experience in their exact industry.

25:15 – Business Is Business
Nikki explains that while every industry has nuances, the core principles of business growth still apply across industries.

26:43 – Spotting Bad Marketing
Cindy shares how she helped a contractor see that her marketing reports were not showing value and that she may not have been getting what she paid for.

28:33 – Digital Marketing Spend Without Results
Nikki shares an example of a therapist spending on Google Ads without meaningful results and explains the danger of jumping into tactics without understanding them.

29:27 – Shiny Object Prospecting
Cindy shares that she has been testing LinkedIn, accountants, community banks, and other approaches while trying to narrow down what works.

31:05 – LinkedIn as a Sales Tool
Cindy explains how she has updated her LinkedIn profile, masthead, and content so it positions her as a business coach and profit authority.

32:42 – Boosting Strong Posts
Nikki shares that strong organic posts can be boosted, and that a LinkedIn profile needs to support outreach because people check before responding.

33:54 – LinkedIn Outreach and Content
Nikki shares that regular LinkedIn posting and outreach have been generating prospects and proposal conversations.

35:02 – Social Media as Free Advertising
Nikki encourages the group not to ignore social media because consistent posting helps people get to know, like, and follow you.

36:01 – Scheduling LinkedIn Content
Nikki explains how she schedules LinkedIn content in advance so she can stay consistent without spending too much time daily.

38:03 – LinkedIn Automation and Voice Messages
Shannon shares that she uses automation for connection requests and follow-up messages, then sends voice texts when people do not respond.

39:25 – Create When You’re in the Right Headspace
Shannon explains that her posts perform better when she writes during a creative window instead of forcing content when she is not in the mindset.

40:13 – Referral Partners Through LinkedIn
Shannon shares that she landed a referral partner through LinkedIn and that not every connection needs to become a client.

41:59 – Coaching vs. Consulting Language
Nikki raises the question of whether “coach” has a negative reputation and asks how others describe what they do.

42:59 – Alternatives to “Business Coach”
Cindy shares that she sometimes uses terms like profitability business coach or profit architect, depending on the situation.

43:53 – Handling Bad Coaching Experiences
Shannon explains how to reframe a prospect’s bad experience with a previous coach using a simple analogy about one bad restaurant not ruining all tacos.

44:50 – Handling “I’ll Do It Myself”
Shannon models how to respond when a prospect says they will try it alone by asking how long they have already been trying to solve the problem.

45:20 – Reframing the Investment
Shannon explains how to tie the coaching fee back to ROI and show that the coach’s help can pay for itself.

47:20 – Working on Objection Responses
The group talks about the need to get better at responding to objections instead of freezing or immediately agreeing.

47:55 – Don’t Sell the Process More Than the Outcome
Nikki shares that she sometimes slips into teaching mode and gives away too much process instead of focusing on the outcome.

49:02 – Show the What, Not the How
The group agrees that prospects need enough value to see the opportunity, but not so much detail that they think they can do it alone.

49:19 – Consulting vs. Advising
Dani explains that she has done consulting work but wants to move toward more advisory work, especially with larger companies that can afford guidance without execution.

50:37 – Qualifying Prospects Before Calls
Nikki shares that she added a minimum fee question to her calendar form so people who cannot afford her do not book one-on-one time.

52:16 – Wins and Challenges
The group briefly opens the floor for wins, challenges, and final questions.

52:37 – BNI Chapter Question
A new member asks how to choose between different BNI chapters and whether the structure changes by chapter.

52:56 – How to Pick a BNI Group
The group explains that BNI meetings generally follow the same structure, so coaches should choose based on where their ideal clients are.

53:15 – Visit Before Joining
Sociata recommends using the free visits to see who is in the room and whether the group has the right mix of ideal clients.

53:58 – Consistent Networking Builds Trust
Cindy explains that networking gets stronger when you show up repeatedly and people begin to know, like, and trust you.

54:40 – Using the Simulator With BNI Members
Cindy shares that she is starting to run the simulator with each BNI member so they understand what she does and know how to refer her.

55:48 – Closing
The call wraps with encouragement, thanks, and a reminder of the value of consistent conversations.

Five Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship can feel slow and messy, especially after leaving a structured corporate career, but confidence grows through experience.
• Women coaches can use their natural strengths, including nurturing, listening, and accountability, as part of their coaching advantage.
• Clients must participate in the process. Clear expectations help, but some clients may still need to be released if they refuse to do the work.
• LinkedIn and networking can both work when they are used consistently and tied to real conversations.
• Coaches need to sell the outcome and transformation, not over-teach the process before the client has hired them.

Notable Quotes

“Being a business owner and entrepreneur is freaking hard.”

“You don’t go to school to be an entrepreneur.”

“You could still do what you were doing before. Now you get to do it in a better way.”

“Business is business.”

“I don’t like it when people take advantage of other people.”

“If you want my help with this, just let me know.”

“You have to participate.”

“Don’t let it get to you.”

“Show them the what, not the how.”

“Consistent communication with people is what’s doing it for me.”

Action Steps from the Call

1. Give yourself permission to move at your own pace while still staying consistent.
2. Identify which past skills or corporate experience you can now use on your own terms.
3. Set clear expectations with clients before work begins.
4. Watch for clients who want results but refuse to participate.
5. Decide in advance what behavior would cause you to end a client relationship.
6. If you present at non-selling events, include a soft next step such as, “If you want my help with this, let me know.”
7. Use free coffee conversations strategically, but do not let them turn into unlimited unpaid consulting.
8. Choose networking groups based on where your ideal clients are, not just convenience.
9. Use the simulator with referral partners so they understand what you do and who to send you.
10. Update your LinkedIn profile so it supports your positioning and makes it clear how you help.
11. Post consistently on LinkedIn to build visibility, authority, and trust.
12. Use LinkedIn conversations to build referral relationships, not just direct clients.
13. Practice responses to common objections, especially “I had a bad coach before” and “I’ll just do it myself.”
14. Stop over-teaching in sales conversations. Give enough insight to create trust, then focus on the outcome.
15. Qualify prospects before giving them one-on-one time if your calendar is getting filled with people who cannot pay.

Resources & Tools Mentioned

• LeadHER Circle
• Focused.com
• PAS / Profit Acceleration Software
• Profit Acceleration Simulator
• BNI
• LinkedIn
• Alignable
• Google Ads
• Meta Ads
• Marvelism
• LinkedIn Scheduler
• AppSumo
• LinkedIn automation
• AI tools
• Government contracting
• Strategy calls
• Free coffee conversations
• Q&A call format
• Calendar qualification questions
• Referral partners