Why Your Coaching Business is Failing (And It's Not What You Think)

Let me tell you about the worst coaching advice I ever followed.

Three years into my coaching journey, drowning in debt with exactly zero consistent clients, I attended a workshop where the speaker said: "Just focus on being the best coach you can be, and clients will naturally find you."

I nodded along with everyone else. Made perfect sense, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

I spent the next eight months getting another certification, perfecting my intake forms, and reading every nutrition textbook I could find. You know what happened? I got really good at talking to myself in my empty office.

Meanwhile, my bank account was having a different conversation entirely.

The Three-Legged Stool That's Actually Falling Over

Here's what nobody tells you when you're starting out: your coaching business isn't really about coaching. Not at first, anyway.

Think of your business like a three-legged stool. You've got your coaching skills, your ability to sell and market, and your systems and admin stuff. Most coaches? They're building one massive leg and wondering why they keep falling over.

I've watched hundreds of coaches make the same mistakes I did. And honestly? It's painful to watch because these are good people who genuinely want to help others. But wanting to help and actually building a sustainable business that lets you help people long-term? Those are two very different things.

Let me break down the three mistakes that are probably killing your coaching business right now.

Mistake #1: Perfecting Your Craft While Your Business Dies

This was my biggest mistake, and I see it everywhere.

You think you need to know everything before you can start helping anyone. You're collecting certifications like Pokemon cards, waiting for that magical moment when you feel "ready enough" to actually charge money.

But here's the brutal truth: you're never going to feel ready. Ever.

I know coaches with twelve certifications who still second-guess themselves when a client asks about seed oils. I also know coaches with one basic cert who are booked solid and changing lives daily.

Guess which ones started selling first?

The Expert vs. Coach Trap

The problem is we think we need to show up as the all-knowing expert. Client asks about intermittent fasting? We feel like we should have a PhD-level response ready. Someone mentions keto? Better know every metabolic pathway involved.

Nope.

Your job isn't to be Google with legs. Your job is to be a coach.

When a client asks me about some trendy supplement they heard about on TikTok, I don't launch into a biochemistry lecture. I ask them: "What made you interested in that?" Because nine times out of ten, they're really asking: "Will this finally help me lose weight?"

Now we're getting somewhere useful.

What to do instead:

Start with your foundation knowledge and begin selling immediately. Yes, you need to know basic nutrition principles. No, you don't need to memorize the glycemic index of every food on earth.

When you don't know something? Say "Great question, let me get back to you on that." Then actually get back to them. Revolutionary concept, I know.

Mistake #2: The Clone Client Assumption

Oh man, this one hits close to home.

I used to think my clients were basically just slightly less disciplined versions of myself. I meal prepped every Sunday, so obviously everyone should meal prep. I loved morning workouts, so why wouldn't they?

Turns out, not everyone wants to spend their Sunday afternoons chopping vegetables for two hours. Weird, right?

Reality Check Time

Your clients aren't you. They don't have your schedule, your priorities, your relationship with food, or your living situation. That working mom of three who barely has time to shower? She's not going to track macros. The college student eating in dining halls? Different challenges entirely.

I once had a client—let's call her Sarah—who kept missing her lunch workouts. I was frustrated because it seemed like such an easy win. Lunch break, empty gym, perfect timing.

Finally, I asked why she kept skipping. Turns out, she didn't want to mess up her hair and makeup in the middle of her workday. Simple as that.

My first instinct was to think "that's silly." But you know what's actually silly? Assuming my priorities are everyone's priorities.

The Curiosity Solution

Instead of assuming, start asking. Real questions, not leading ones.

• "What's your typical Tuesday look like?"
• "When do you feel most energetic during the day?"
• "What's worked for you in the past, and what definitely hasn't?"

And here's a big one: "Why is this goal important to you right now?"

Not why it should be important. Why it IS important to them.

I had a client once who said she wanted to "get healthy." Could mean anything, right? When I dug deeper, turns out her dad had just been diagnosed with diabetes, and she was terrified of ending up the same way. That context changed everything about how we approached her goals.

Mistake #3: Caring More Than Your Client Does

This one's going to sting a little.

You're lying awake at night thinking about why Jennifer didn't do her food tracking this week. You're mentally rehearsing the perfect motivational speech. You're taking their setbacks personally.

Meanwhile, Jennifer went out for drinks with friends and didn't think about nutrition once.

The Care Unit Concept

Here's something that changed my entire perspective: you should care exactly one unit less than your client does.

If they're at a 7 out of 10 in terms of investment in their goals, you should be at a 6. If they're at a 3, you should be at a 2.

This isn't about being callous. It's about sustainability—yours and theirs.

I used to pour my heart and soul into every client, regardless of their actual level of commitment. Some clients got amazing results. Others would disappear for weeks and then pop back up expecting me to be just as invested as when they left.

That's a recipe for burnout and resentment.

Setting Boundaries That Actually Work

The solution? Get crystal clear on responsibilities from day one.

Your job as a coach:

• Show up prepared for sessions
• Check in regularly (define what "regularly" means)
• Provide guidance based on their specific situation
• Be available during agreed-upon times
• Follow through on what you promise

Not your job:

• Make them do the work
• Want their goals more than they do
• Chase them down if they stop responding
• Fix their entire life
• Be available 24/7

I have clients sign a simple agreement that outlines this stuff. Not because I'm trying to be difficult, but because clarity prevents so many problems down the road.

When someone ghosts me now? I send my regular check-ins until their package expires, then move on. No drama, no taking it personally. I did my job.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Client Results

Some of your clients won't succeed. Not because you're a bad coach, but because change is hard and not everyone is ready for it at the same time.

That client who swears they want to lose weight but keeps self-sabotaging? Maybe they're not actually ready to lose weight. Maybe they're getting something from their current situation that they're not ready to give up yet.

Your job isn't to force change. It's to create an environment where change can happen when they're ready.

What This Actually Looks Like in Practice

Let me give you a real example from last month.

New client, let's call him Mike. Wants to lose 30 pounds for his wedding in six months. Seems straightforward, right?

Old me would have immediately designed the perfect meal plan and workout routine. New me asked questions first.

Turns out Mike travels three weeks out of every month for work. He's stressed about wedding planning. His fiancée is already doing keto and wants him to join her, but he hates restrictive diets.

If I had gone with my initial instinct, I would have set him up for failure. Instead, we focused on portable protein sources and bodyweight exercises he could do in hotel rooms. Way less "perfect," way more sustainable.

Starting Where You Are, Not Where You Think You Should Be

Look, I get it. You want to be the best coach possible. That's admirable. But "best" doesn't mean having all the answers—it means being genuinely helpful to the people in front of you right now.

You don't need another certification to start helping people eat more vegetables. You don't need to understand advanced periodization to help someone build a walking habit.

Start with what you know. Start with who you can help today. Build your business and your skills at the same time.

The Reality Check You Need to Hear

Here's what's probably going to happen when you start implementing this stuff:

• You'll feel weird "selling" at first
• Some potential clients won't be a good fit, and that's okay
• A few clients will push boundaries, and you'll need to hold them
• You'll still feel like a fraud sometimes (we all do)
• Your business will actually start growing

The coaches who make it aren't the ones with the most knowledge. They're the ones who start before they feel ready, who see their clients clearly, and who protect their own energy so they can show up consistently.

So what's it going to be?

Another certification, or your first paying client this week?

I think you know the answer.

If you're ready to stop overthinking and start building, I'd love to hear about it. What's the first thing you're going to do differently? And if you're still stuck in perfectionist mode, what's really holding you back? Let me know in the comments—I read every single one.