Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of “Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us” and the co-author of “The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care.” Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.
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June 20, 2024
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Opening your own coaching business allows you to work from home, set meetings on your schedule, and maintain flexibility—all while helping clients make life-changing health shifts.
But a fulfilling, lucrative business won’t appear out of thin air—something that Emily Woods, a health coach and business mentor, knows all too well.
Here are Woods’ top four tips for bringing your health coaching business from concept to reality:
1.
Invest in the right education and certification program
The first step to becoming a health coach is to enroll in a program that teaches you the ins and outs of coaching. “Picking a great certification is the most important thing,” says Woods. “That decision is your kickoff.”
You’ll want to look for a program that speaks to your interests and jibes with your schedule. She recommends mindbodygreen’s Health Coaching Certification (HCC) program for anyone looking for a well-rounded health coaching education in just 20 weeks.
Through live lessons, online videos, and real-time practice sessions hosted by world-class health care experts, HCC teaches the fundamentals of holistic health, along with the positive psychology and mentorship skills needed to empower clients to reach their health goals.
2.
Treat your business like the business it is
Health coaching is a more in-demand service than ever before. “For health coaches, there’s a lot of success to be had. Coaching is something that people are looking for, learning more about, and directly seeking—even more than they were just two or three years ago,” Woods says.
There’s a wide audience of people looking for support on their health journeys—and your job is to make it as easy as possible for these people to find you!
“Posting about what you do on social media isn’t enough,” Woods notes. Instead, she encourages clients to treat their business like the business it is. That is, do market research, make a business plan, create an offer, work on lead generation, etc. If you’re new to the business world, investing in business education and marketing programs might be worthwhile as you build your plan.
Figuring out these details takes time, so Woods encourages aspiring health coaches to get a head start even before they officially get certified.
When working with new business clients, the first thing Woods does is help them find their niche within the larger umbrella of health coaching.
There are many reasons coaches will want to specialize in a particular niche—be it plant-based eating or postpartum health. For starters, Woods says, “having a niche is your gateway to getting really good at something. If you try to be good at everything, everything will be a watered-down message.”
By finding a niche that’s well suited to your skills, passion, and personal history, you’ll also create a business that’s totally unique to you and will stand out among the crowd. Not to mention, having a specialty that lights you up will help you stay excited about the work that you’re doing for the long haul. This brings us to the last point…
4.
Stay consistent—but don’t feel like you need to do everything yourself
When it comes to building a stable business that can withstand the test of time, Woods says that consistency is key. This means keeping up with a steady stream of online marketing, social media posts, etc. “You don’t have to go viral,” she says, “but posting consistently will help you continue to grow and develop trust with your audience.”
This can be tedious at times, but remember that you don’t need to go it alone. Woods recommends building a team of mentors, advisers, teachers, and potentially employees to help you stay on track. No successful health coaches reach their goals alone, she notes—even if you can’t tell from their marketing, they almost certainly had a team supporting them.
The takeaway
Starting your own health coaching business is a way to help others reach their well-being goals while maintaining a more flexible, fulfilling work schedule for yourself.
Investing in a high-quality certification, making a solid plan, finding your niche, and staying consistent with your offerings can help get your business off the ground—so you can get to work changing lives for the better.
