Kathy Mallary | Business development and marketing solutions for self-employed coaches

I didn't realize it when I started my first coaching business (Creative Catalyst Coaching) back in 1997, but I had a built-in, automated marketing system from the very first day. You see, at the same time I was getting serious about launching my first coaching practice, I was also working full time at the Academy for Coach Training.

I was in front of a classroom or on a telephone bridge line most of the time, teaching people how to coach and facilitating personal growth workshops. I was so immersed in training and facilitating that I didn't have time to think too much about marketing my business.

In fact, I didn't do any marketing at all
I didn't bring brochures to class or give away free special reports (or even my business card.) Back then, I didn't know anything about on-line shopping carts, auto responders or info-products; I didn't even have a website! I was doing well enough without any of that, thank you very much, because it seemed like all I had to do was show up to teach and amazingly, I got coaching clients. In fact, I had to start a wait list pretty early on, just to keep some balance between teaching, coaching and family.

You can see why I might have mistakenly thought that being a successful self-employed coach was a piece of cake. The truth is, I wasn't really a self-employed coach until AFTER I quit my day job. That's when I realized that I needed my own marketing system, pronto.

Naturally, I hired a business coach
When I left the Academy to focus on my own business in 2003, I hired a business coach and immersed myself in marketing. I read everything I could get my hands on about building a successful service business; I joined discussion groups, did market research, studied what successful coaches were doing (and not doing), took classes and asked LOTS of questions.

For a while, I see-sawed back and forth between feast and famine; when I focused on marketing, I'd start to get more clients; but then I'd get busy with clients and stop marketing. Things would start to get lean and the whole cycle would begin again. It was frustrating and stressful. (I noticed that a lot of other coaches seemed to be experiencing the same frustration, too.)

It pays to keep your eyes and ears open!
But I was determined to make it work. I loved having my own business, and the last thing I wanted was to have to get a J-O-B! So I kept my eyes and ears open and kept at it. And over time, I noticed three things that the most successful coaches all have in common:

They focus on a niche.
They build their brand around a signature method or approach.
They have multiple revenue streams.

Finally--a business model that WORKED! So I decided to try it out for myself. I experimented with different niches and different methods and approaches and I re-worked my business plan, my strategic marketing plan, my business systems, all of my materials and my website over and over again.

I developed and refined numerous coaching programs and tried out many different coaching products and packages with groups and individuals in my coaching. (God bless my clients, who keep coming back to see what new thing I'm cooking up next!)

Mistakes? I've made them all!
In the process, I'm pretty sure I've made just about every mistake you can make and still be in business! (I feel like I've been creating my own personal MBA program from scratch.)

The real breakthrough came when I started getting creative with my Playing to Win^tmprogram. I had been offering it as a one-on-one personal growth coaching program and it was doing well, but when I tried out the Playing to Win^tm principles with my business clients in a group coaching setting, they raved about it. It got me thinking outside the box about how to offer my unique method and approach, and it ultimately lead me to refine my business model and create my first marketing program, Get With the Program^tm, which evolved over time into my new 21-step system called Expert Coaches Thrive^tm.

A brand new business
What a shift! My business is almost unrecognizable today. Putting those three keys for success into practice--focusing on a niche, having a signature program, and creating multiple revenue streams--has brought even more than I hoped for. I'm getting better results AND having more fun.

So that's how I got the best of myself in business. If you're serious about having a successful coaching business, I'd love to help you get the best of yourself in business, too!

All my best,

Kathy Mallary
Founder of SpiritSpring Coaching

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