You’ve been so rocked by your fitness or nutrition changes that you’ve decided you want to start paying it forward and help other people achieve their goals, too.
Maybe you want it to be a side gig, maybe you’re fantasizing of quitting your day job and running an empire, maybe you’re currently a little somewhere in between.
First of all: congrats, this is awesome!
The world always needs helpers and more people who are willing to guide others through the rugged terrain of life and deliver them successfully to the other side.
So where do you start? What do you need to do? How do you get clients? How do you know when you’re ready? How do you go from good to great?
Here are my best tips to get you moving.
BEFORE YOU START
BE A GOOD STUDENT
Yup that’s right. Just cuz you’re hoping to move to the other side of the table doesn’t mean that your learning days are over. The best teachers are ALSO the best students. Always growing, always evolving, always taking notes.
How coachable are you in the gym? How do you take criticism? How well do you take being wrong or losing?
Becoming a coachable student who is always eager to learn and better themselves is hands down the first step in learning how to teach others to do the same. If you’re not there yet, you’re not ready to teach.
For more on how to be a great student, listen to She Thrives Radio ep 22 | Best Practices for Athletes: How to be a Great Student
LEARN YOUR SHIT
Yea, you need to know some shit. But you don’t need to know everything. Way too many people get caught in a trap of thinking they need 29 degrees and certifications in order to start, and I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be like that!
Waiting until you get to the end of Knowledge Road to start helping people is not only silly, but oftentimes is actually just fear dressed up in disguise.
If you are even one step ahead of someone else on that road, and you are able to turn around and help them navigate it, why wouldn’t you do that?
Yes, certifications and knowing your stuff is important: especially in the health industry. Learn as much as you can, take whatever classes or certs that appeal to you, and soak it all up, but don’t get stuck thinking that you can’t do anything until you have letters after your name.
Plus, learning isn’t a one time deal, a certification program or a finish line you cross and then are done for good.
Learning never ends, and the best teachers are ALWAYS students, and the best coaches are always investing into coaches for themselves. Learning your shit is part of the process, not a prerequisite.
SWERVE ON THAT DOGMA
When you’re first learning about your industry and niche and studying up on all the fine print, one of the things you are almost certain to find is a fuckton of dogmatic beliefs— especially so in nutrition and fitness.
It can be hard to catch this when you’re a total noob and a sponge soaking up everyone’s expert theories and opinions, and you’ll be tempted to start regurgitating this dogma as fact, but I beg of you, please: keep your wits about you as you learn, and take most things with a grain of salt. (but wait isn’t salt bad? boom. that’s some dogma right there, son).
There’s more than one way to healthy, more than one path to fit. What worked for you may not work for another, so don’t get stuck in the one size fits all mentality to, well, ANY part of cultivating wellness.
WHEN YOU GET GOING
JUST START
You know your shit, you’re eager to start teaching, you know you can help. So when you do you know you’re really ready? Well that would be right this very moment, my dear. If you’re waiting for a sign, this is it.
For your internet business: Don’t get tied up in the bells and whistles like websites and branding colors and logos. Find a platform to share on just START.
For your IRL service: See if you have a friend or acquaintance who you be up for being your first client. Start talking to local gyms, shadowing, interning, and doing whatever it takes to start getting comfortable wearing the coach’s shoes.
SERVE, SERVE, SERVE
How do you actually start, you ask? First up: serve. Help. Deliver. Guide. Share. And yes— for free.
If you’re asking “how do I make a bunch of money doing this” BEFORE you’re asking “how can I help the people out there who need what I can teach them”, you’re not gonna get very far.
Before you can start rakin’ in the beaucoup bucks, we need to create a following of people who know, like, and trust you. Who know that what you teach works, who are excited to learn from you, and who generally like and connect with you as a person. These are the people who will likely be first in line when you actually have something to sell them.
Now— a lot of people all sorts of sweaty and stressed out about numbers and like counts. Don’t be that guy. You can be a wildly successful health coach with a teeny tiny audience— but only if you do it right.
And the right way, is to serve. Focus on what you can give, not what you can get.
And this isn’t just on your internet platforms, but also IRL. Find places to make an impact any and everywhere you can. Being a coach means you’re always a coach, not just when you’re speaking to a client. Make a difference. Be in service to others. The bonus? All of this sharing and helping is giving you tons of experience and ultimately makes you an even better coach.
COACH YOURSELF
Remember how being coachable was first on this list? Well, it ain’t over yet. Learning how to self-coach will become one of your best growth tools in your entire toolbox.
When you’re having a shit day, when you’re feeling stuck, when you don’t know what to do next or how to more forward, when you’ve made a mistake, etc:
Start talking to yourself like you would talk to a client. What would you recommend someone do in this situation?
You are ALWAYS your first client. Get in the practice of coaching yourself through everything that you possibly can.
For more on how to be an amazing coach, listen to She Thrives Radio ep 23 | Best Practices for Coaches: How to be a Great Teacher
And a last little note:
When you’re hoping to become someone who helps, it’s important to be in touch with how YOU, personally, become better at receiving help.
Do you ask for help when you need it? Are you willing to learn a new or different way? Are you always on the hunt for ways improve and develop? Are you showing up in service for people around you on the regular? Do you invest in your own growth and betterment? Do you love seeing others succeed?
If so, you’re ready, and about to be one hell of a coach, girl.
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re looking to create, build, or grow your online business, I’ve got two ways to help you do just that:
SMALL BIZ CONSULT: A brief but thorough look at your existing business with all my feedback an suggestions, with a plan of action to help you get where you want to go.
MONTHLY COACHING: You and I working together week after week to overcome hurdles and make intentional, smart, and sustainable steps in creating and growing a business that you love.