The Top 3 Mistakes I made when setting up my coaching business

I thought today I’d share a bit about the mistakes I’ve made along the way since I have been running my coaching business. Often this might be all about ‘avoiding’ mistakes but actually I believe we need to celebrate mistakes or failures as it’s the only way we truly learn and progress. So here is a little mistake celebration and sharing!

Mistake One

Coming from a corporate background having worked in London marketing agencies between 2005 and 2012, then corporate marketing departments from 2012 to 2019, this was an ingrained habit that took me a while to realise wasn’t working for me. I am not at my most productive before 11am each day- I much prefer going to a yoga class, a gentle walk or grabbing a coffee and doing some writing. Instead of forcing myself to be in front of my laptop at 9am, I now recognise that I actually have a much more effective and enjoyable day if I let go of any guilt around being present in a format that ‘looks’ like work!

This can be challenging with a four year old who needs me between 5-8pm, but I find I get a second wind in the evening *if* I allow myself a slower start in the mornings and that’s more effective for me than setting my alarm super early! My mistake when I first set up my coaching business was trying to run it as though I was still part of a large corporate organisation.

Mistake Two

This is linked to the first point, but also worth speaking about separately. Just because we are good at something or other people have asked us to do it doesn’t mean that is always the best course of action. What is truly sustainable for you and fulfilling may be something slightly or totally different to the ‘logical’. That doesn’t mean throwing everything away, but when planning your trajectory perhaps there is a way to start heading towards a path that will feel more aligned and purposeful for you. Listen to your intuition and when you most lose yourself. That is what you are truly here to do.

For me I have gradually evolved from marketing full-time in an office in London to remote working, to side-hustle and freelancing, to fully independent coach. It felt too much of a leap to immediately step away from a ‘safe’ marketing role, so each move has been like a stepping stone, towards a more aligned lifestyle. My mistake when first setting up my coaching business was thinking that I ‘had’ to also continue with marketing as my main form of income.

Mistake Three

Feeling stuck?

If this resonated with you and perhaps you’ve been allowing perceived ‘failures’ to stop you, check out my free Getting Unstuck Guide with 5 helpful exercises I use.