Starting your own life coaching business: How to dance on your edge and leave doubt in the dust

Starting your own life coaching business is not for the faint of heart…. but if it’s calling your name, it will be the one of the most rewarding careers you can dream of.

If it is your dream to become a life coach – what are you waiting for?  What does it take for you, or any of us, to step wholeheartedly and without reservation, into that role?

In my experience, it takes guts.  I became a life coach to support other people determined to make life incredible.  Those of us who are tired of mediocrity, tired of routine, and who want to make a difference in the world, for the better.  In order for me to best serve those kinds of wonderful, strong and interesting people, I have to walk my talk, so I quit my job and threw myself in.

I had started out working part-time while I slowly eased into this role, to get a feel for it, tiptoe around the edges of it, before diving in.  To soak in the awesome and brilliant support that is Mentor Masterclass, and with our coach Jeannine Yoder, before I launched myself out into the world, finally ready to be a life coach.

I was kidding myself.  Making a change such as starting a life coaching business, or indeed ANY kind of new venture requires you to step outside your comfort zone, and we ask that of our clients repeatedly – it’s the only way to grow, to stretch and improve.  I admire those who can juggle a job they’re not in love with, while starting a career that they adore, on the side.  I am not one of those people. I have to go all-in, or I will drift comfortably along until a year has passed and I realise I am not all that much farther ahead than a few months after I started life coaching.

I was never going to be ‘ready’.  There was always going to be a ‘yeah, but’.  So I quit my job and started a life coaching business.

This is me, dancing on the edge.

It’s exciting, it’s empowering, it’s freedom.  But of course doubt creeps in.  We all have the same fears.  How will I find clients whom I can best serve?  How will I find enough clients, so that I can eat more than noodles each night?  Who’d want to be coached by me?  Why would anyone sign up with me?  What do I have to offer?

I know what I have to offer.  I only know this, because I have a coach.  A coach who has kept me accountable, celebrated with me when I’ve successfully navigated some crazy plan that was well out of my comfort zone (and therefore, invariably, paid off).  I, in turn, now know I can offer amazing support and guidance to people who are ready to make a big change.  Buy a round the world ticket, move countries, quit their jobs, change careers, get a Ph.D., change their money ‘story’, get incredibly fit with a prominent six-pack, quit sugar, commit to being their very best selves.

I also know I can offer this, because I’ve done those things myself.  I continue to, as well – I’m currently gathering some amazing clients I will love working with this year, my first year as a full-time location-independent life coach, while travelling and exploring the world – this year, a large amount of the United States, starting with a transcontinental road trip.

What have you worked through? Struggled with and overcome?

Chances are those are the exact things that you can be unbelievably helpful to others with, those who are facing the same challenges as you did… and they need you.  It takes guts, but if you truly desire to help people, to give unconditional tough love so that others can achieve their dreams and spread more happiness and fulfillment into the world, then you’ll be great.

While I’m pretty happy to dance on my edge, I do still struggle a bit with leaving doubt in the dust.

Three things to know about managing doubt and fear:

• Hands down the very best way to manage doubt, is to have your very own guide and cheerleader.  If you have your own coach, and then, even better, the support of a whole community of coaches such as the mentor masterclass sisterhood and continue to grow, to learn, and try new things, possibly scary things, then I believe you cannot fail. Neither will I.

• Another way to manage doubt, especially when you’re starting out as a life coach, is to recognise that the fear you’re feeling is an important guide that you’re on the right track.  If you weren’t growing, getting uncomfortable, then you wouldn’t be feeling any fear or anxiety.  Try to stay with this discomfort, get curious about it, play with it – perhaps even feel it as excitement if you can.  I think of it as a game sometimes!

• It’s also important to know – with any kind of fear when you’re learning and growing – is that it can feel incredibly AWFUL.  As in, not just butterflies, but full-on sickening and crippling fear.  Our bodies are extremely good at keeping us safe, and they will do a lot to try to have you stay in your comfort zone where they know they’re successful at just that!  Acknowledge this to your body, say thank-you for caring, for looking after me so far, but I got this.  This is what Louise Hay meant when she said ‘feel the fear, and do it anyway’.  Knowing this can be so helpful – this fear is something I must surrender to, and play with, even though it might feel awful, it means I’m on the right track, which gives me great comfort.

When you decide to make a big change in your life – whether it’s chucking in your day job and becoming a full-time life coach or not – take some risks, and get some support.  You will get there!

What can you do to ‘dance on the edge’ and really stretch yourself?  Are you willing to leave doubt in the dust by getting excited, and having fun with the steps that might be scary?

Guest Blogger: Mariska Anderson

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