More and more women who come to me start by saying they don’t really trust the coaching industry.

They share that the marketing they see feels really glitzy and sales-y, as if celebrity coaches are inflating what’s possible as well as what’s really happening in their own business.

They tell me they’re scared of needing to have “Hell Yeah” attitudes in order to succeed, or being inauthentic in order to attract clients. They also admit that they feel pressure to spend what feels like a bazillion dollars in order to receive “formulas” that they sense aren’t really for them.

Hearing all this saddens me greatly.

Because I know that there are some not-so-pretty things happening in this industry that I love so dearly. And I also know that those not-so-pretty things are damaging women more than supporting them.

The coaching “noise” is everywhere — over social media, in your inbox, spoken from colleagues. It’s hard to know what’s Truth and what’s not.

If you’ve been part of my community, you know that over the last few years, I’ve spoken out more and more about what I call “glamour coaching” and why it is dangerous.

Because you shouldn’t have to spend hundreds of thousands to receive stellar support in your business.

And you shouldn’t have to feel like your sacred & unique business needs to fit into a “formula” in order to be successful.

And you shouldn’t get down on yourself because you haven’t earned 6 figures overnight.

Here are some guidelines so that you can navigate the coaching industry in an empowered way — with wisdom, confidence, intuition, and a strong sense of your ethics, integrity and authenticity.

I’ve created them because I believe so strongly & deeply in coaching as a tool and in the power of the coaching industry, and I want you to be able to love this field as much as I do:

Don’t believe everything you readUnfortunately, not everything you read on social media is the “Truth”. There may be some facts that got “left out” from the marketing.

Use your best judgment when you read things about people who create 6 figures in 3 months or people who work only 4 hours a week but earn 7 figures. Or people who have added 10,000 to their list in 10 days. All of those facts may (or may not) be true, but I guarantee there is more to the story than is being revealed.

I am often told by clients that I am very real and authentic. I believe this is one of the reasons why my clients are so happy and successful — they don’t have a false sense of expectation and therefore they are pressure-free and judgement-free, which opens up so much more space and energy for persistent & aligned action that leads to results.

Understand that the best kind of business is one that is grown sustainablySpeed and “Now! Now! Now!” are big themes in many coaching circles. While I do love and appreciate when things can more forward at the speed of lightening (& sometimes they absolutely do), I can tell you without a doubt that a successful business is a sustainable one.

I’ve seen way too many entrepreneurs crash and burn because they haven’t created strong foundations in their business. Foundation and persistence is a HUGE part of an entrepreneur’s work, and I believe that anyone that tells you that you don’t have to work to create what you want is wrong. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to work hard, or that you have to suffer. Quite the opposite — the point is to enjoy the work. But it does take effort and energy to create something real.

Earning 100K but spending $80K doesn’t equal business abundanceThere has been a trend in the coaching industry towards spending a ton of money on more and more team members, more and more un-necessary programs, more and more applications & technology, more and more bells and whistles.

My husband likes to call me frugal, and he’s right: I just don’t like to waste money!

I grew my multiple 6-figure business without breaking the bank, and I teach my clients to do the same. Here is a tip to get you started: You shouldn’t be spending more than 40% – 45% of your gross income (unless you are earning less than $20K and you are investing in business support). I am proud to share that I average about a 65% margin.

Price Yourself and Invest in Yourself at rates that feel in alignment with youNothing makes me angrier than experts telling new practitioners and entrepreneurs, straight out of the gate, to charge exorbitant rates.

This is usually a surefire way to create disappointment, despair and frustration.

I’m all about charging rates that feel GOOD to you and that help you really step into your value, but jacking up prices that feel out of touch doesn’t actually do that.

If you want to learn more about how to price your offerings with integrity, alignment AND your value intact, read this article about it.

Don’t Lose YourselfI have hired a number of coaches over the years, and have received a ton of value from them. I would not have been able to create the business I’ve created without their love and support.

At the same time, there have been many instances where coaches made suggestions that just truly didn’t resonate with me. The suggestions were perhaps the “norm” or the “formula” in the industry, but I knew in my heart that it wouldn’t serve me or my business.

YOU know and understand yourself and your business better than anyone else. Trust yourself before you trust any formulas.

Know that there are MANY, many amazing coaches out thereThis is the most important guideline in this article. Despite some of the not-so-great things happening in the coaching industry right now, overall it is a wonderful and magical industry that has broken stereotypes and boundaries, given hope and inspiration to millions, and truly transformed the world. I believe deep down to my toes that the world is a better place thanks to the coaching industry. And I believe it will do much, much, much more good in the decades to come.

If you know you need support in your business and life, don’t approach coaching from a jaded perspective. Know there are so many brilliant coaches out there who can change your life. The trick is to approach it all with some of the tips and pieces of wisdom I’ve given you in this article, and above all else — trust your intuition and love yourself.

With much love,
Joanna