Ep #174: $1Million in 3 Years and Impacting Thousands of Lives with Dr. Sonia Wright

You are listening to The Life Coach Business Podcast with Amanda Karlstad episode number 174.

Welcome to The Life Coach Business Podcast, a show for coaches who are ready to up-level their business and take their impact, leadership, and results to a whole new level. If you’re ready to start taking powerful action and become the leader your business needs in order to grow and thrive, this show is for you. I’m your host, Amanda Karlstad, certified life and business coach, and entrepreneurial leadership expert. Now, let’s get down to business.

Hello, and welcome everyone. I have a very special episode for all of you today. Today, I am bringing you a client case study interview from my client, Dr. Sonia Wright. Dr. Sonia Wright is one of my High Level Mastermind clients that I wanted to bring back to the show because over this past year, Dr. Sonia has made some incredible progress in her business, in her self-concept as a CEO, in the development of a brand new program and the development of her team, and is really now where she is scaling her business in a whole new way.

As a result of the deep inner work that Dr. Sonia has done over the past couple of years, it’s really resulted in her being in a place where now she is launching this amazing brand new program. A program that is going to bring so much value to the world. That even as I look back on some of our first coaching sessions, this was a program that we had talked about so long ago that she is now bringing into the world.

So I wanted to bring her on today and to share with all of you more about her journey, more about the growth that she’s experienced, and also talk about this new and very exciting opportunity that she’s currently launching that is going to help elevate the life coaching industry in general. So we’re gonna get into all of those details in today’s episode. There are so many great pieces of wisdom in today’s episode that I’m really excited for all of you to hear.

So to give you a little bit of a backstory and to give you some context for today’s conversation, Dr. Sonia and I have been working together over the past three years. In that time, Dr. Sonia has gone from working with clients on a one on one basis. In fact, when we started working together back in late 2019, Dr. Sonia was very early on in her business.

Even in our initial call together, she had indicated that she wasn’t even sure if her idea, her coaching, was going to be a viable option and wasn’t even sure if she could make money as a sex coach, as we get into in today’s episode. To now fast forward today who is operating as a true CEO, who has a team, who has generated close to $1 million in our coaching business, and who’s about to launch a brand new program that is going to set a new standard for intimacy coaching in the life coaching industry.

I really believe that this program and the work that Dr. Sonia is doing is going to be huge. It’s going to impact so many lives, and change the game when it comes to coaching clients on intimacy. It’s going to have a huge impact on clients and also greatly impact the coaches who go through this process and decide to integrate this into their practices.

So I encourage you to really lean into the lessons in today’s episode. No matter where you’re at in your journey, you’re gonna get a ton of value from today’s conversation. So without further ado, let’s dive into my conversation with my client. Dr. Sonia Wright, the midlife sex coach.

Amanda: All right, everyone, I have a very special guest today. A guest that has been on the podcast before, but I am so happy to bring back on the show, Dr. Sonia Wright. Welcome. Welcome to The Life Coach business Podcast.

Dr. Sonia: Ah, thank you so much Amanda for being here. I’m always super psyched when I get to come on here. I just love the conversations that we have, and then I just love making sure your listeners know how amazing you are.

Amanda: Well, thank you, Sonia. I want to reflect that back to you as well how amazing you are. All right. Well, let’s dive in. We got a lot to talk about. Before we hit record today, you and I were chatting about some things and it was kind of like let’s dive in. Let’s hit record because we’ve got so much to cover today.

So one of the things that I want us to really talk about today is your journey and where you’re at today and what you’re working on that is really going to be, I think, such a great opportunity for some of you that are listening to the show, and just such an exciting place for you in your business and where you’re about to take things. So, I love being able to share this conversation with all of you today because I think you’re gonna get a ton of value from what we’re about to talk about.

So before we dive in just for listeners that maybe don’t know who you are, haven’t maybe listened to some past episodes with you on the show. Why don’t you give us a bit of a background, Sonia, on who you are, what your journey really was into coaching, and just kind of set us up for this conversation?

Dr. Sonia: Sure. So I am Dr. Sonia Wright. I am a medical doctor, a pediatric radiologist. I am also a life coach, a master certified life coach, and a sexual counselor. I’ve also like worked at a sex toy store together. So I put all those things together. I am the midlife sex coach for women. I have been working with Amanda since 2019.

Amanda: Amazing. Amazing. Okay, so let’s talk about where you started, where your coaching business started. Let’s kind of walk through to where you are today. Because I think that’s really important for the listeners to hear.

Dr. Sonia: Yes, I think so as well, yes. Ask me the questions, and we will get these answers out there.

Amanda: Okay, so where did you start? When you and I started working together back in 2019, talk to us about where you’re at in your business? What was going on?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, so 2019 was the first year I was a life coach, like a life coach that actually made money at this. I had trained in another program back in 2016, and I was a life coach for physicians, actually. Then at the end of 2018, I certified at The Life Coach School. I met you in a different mastermind. I just thought oh, you’re a pretty cool, interesting person. That was the first year that I was even charging for my services.

So before that, I had worked for almost three years before I was actually charging for any of my life coaching services. That was also the year I switched my niche from being a physician life coach, I actually still do a little bit of that, to being a sex coach. For me, like the concept of going from being a medical doctor to being a sex coach, like I had a lot of drama and thoughts around that definitely.

When I started working with you, I was in a place where I didn’t really know where this business was going. I needed somebody to help me set up some structures, to see a vision for the future. I remember we had our intake call, and I remember asking you did you think I could make money doing this as a sex coach? Because I think up until that point maybe I had made about maybe $12,000 or something like that. Not that much.

We’re talking the intake consultation was in October 2019, and I ended the year at $22,000, but that was like pulling teeth. Like you working with me pulling teeth because I had no concept that it was possible to do that. People wanted to hire me, and I was in a place where I was like I don’t know. Here take my money Sonia. Do this work. You can do this.

So like, when I think about who I was and where I was, I was really at the absolute beginning of my journey in terms of being a life coach. So anybody listening to this call, please understand that it’s okay to be at the beginning of your journey. We all start at a certain place. Then it’s what you do from that point on.

Amanda: Yeah, absolutely. So you went on. You were making some money. We were working a lot on your mindset. There’s a lot happening. We’re working not only on all of the beliefs that you had, but also, like you said, putting some structure in the business, figuring out okay, what does your program look like? How are you really helping these women? What is the result? Like all of those things, which are really, really important foundational aspects. What happened kind of in that next year? So we’ll move into 2020. Because 2020 was a pretty big year for you.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah. So I’m just realizing as I talk to you that we kind of shifted back and forth in terms of what I was going to do. First, I was going to do the sex coaching for midlife women. Then I shifted into just doing sex coaching for doctors because I was trying to merge my two. Then the pandemic hit, and I realized what I wanted to do was to shift back into life coaching and sex coaching for women in midlife because that was my first love.

You helped me by going through all the steps in your program, the first program that you have, helped me really actually define a whole program because we kind of went through all the steps in my journey with my own issues around sex and sexuality. That helped highlight every step that needed to be in my program.

So we essentially created an online program in a short period of time because my wages were cut in radiology, and I had a son in college. Suddenly it was go time. So we worked together, and we created a program within a short period of time and figured out how to market that thing. Like we did it all.

Amanda: Yeah, yeah, it was intense.

Dr. Sonia: Suddenly I was a $100,000 coach. I was like how did this happen? You know?

Amanda: That’s right. So that’s right because you let’s talk about that. So what did you make in that year?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah. So the first year 2019, I think I finished with $22,000. Then in 2020, I ended at $172,000.

Amanda: Amazing. That is extraordinary growth.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah.

Amanda: That is extraordinary growth.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, that is a lot of growth in a short period of time. Yes.

Amanda: It was, it was, it was. It was amazing. I still remember being on the phone with you. I was actually, I think, walking my son one evening, when we were you were like, in the middle of your big launch. I think you had Voxered me a couple of things like questions. I remember I was walking my son, and I was replying to you. I just remember thinking like wow, we’re gonna do this. This is happening for you, and it was so exciting. Like it was so exciting.

Dr. Sonia: It was exciting for you. It was terrifying for me. What I love about this is you always have the vision. Like you always have the belief when I am in. People need to know and understand I have anxiety, and sometimes it can be very special. But Amanda never loses sight of the vision and what can be. So that’s another thing that I love so much in terms of working with you is that you help me stay on track when my mind wants to like go running away with like my head on fire in the opposite direction.

Amanda: Hide under the covers. Thank you for sharing that Sonia. I know I’ve talked about that before, but I agree. I think having a coach that can do that, that can really hold the vision and where you can always come back to that I think is really, really important.

So I appreciate you saying that because that is one of the things that I think it’s just kind of a natural thing that I do, but it is certainly something that I think is really important as you’re growing and scaling a business is to have, like we were talking about, to have that trusted person that can really intimately know your business, intimately know you intimately know your goals, and help guide the way right?

Kind of be that person that you can bounce things off of, that you can leave that message like what do I do? In this moment of an emergency, right? Like I need some support. So let’s talk about that for a minute. Because it’s been 2019 through here we are in 2023. What are we now, almost, I guess four years going on this? I mean this has been quite the journey. What do you think have been some of your biggest transformations in like the last three, four years as a coach going through this process of growing and scaling a business?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, I have to say my biggest transformation came in 2022. That was the year I was deciding do I want to go and continue to do this, or do I want to stop? I know that this is like what? Why? What? But I think this is a point that most coaches have to go through at some point in time because you’re on a place where you’re going to be elevating your game to the next level. You do get to ask yourself if you want to be all in on this.

So I took time, and I actually decreased the amount of time – Because I realized I had been talking to a number of people, some coaches that were at that place, where they were making the million dollars, and they weren’t necessarily happy. When people tell you yes, you’re gonna make the money. It’s going to be good, but you still are going to be you in that new place. Money is great, but it doesn’t solve all your issues, right?

So having to spend that time to decide is this really what I want, and to recognize I get to live my life now. I get to create the life that I want now. This is part of the work I do with you as well as. It’s not just in the business, but who you are as an entrepreneur, what your mindset has to be, and what do you want your life to be like?

So this is another area that’s so important when I’m working with Amanda, and that it doesn’t have to be this fast like media type of scaling, right? What is right for you? What do you want your life to look like? So I actually decreased my work in my coaching, but I kept Amanda and kind of shifted perspective.

Because of the work that I did with you on entrepreneur and growing my business, I decided to start a second business in that year. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but I realized part of the joy in my life is actually being a radiologist as well. So I grew a radiology business. Combined between those two, we met our goal, which was to make $500,000 that year, right? It also helped me to get to this place where I had to make the decision to be all in on my business, right? All in on my coaching business and to also create the life that I wanted.

So in this last year, I actually got married. Like, I didn’t wait any more for the life that I wanted, right. I created the life that I wanted, and I took the pressure off of my business for the business to give me the life that I wanted. Like, I have to be in here and have responsibility for what I want as well, and not try to like get it. When the business makes million dollars, then I will have the life that I want. But no, create the life that I want.

So this year in ‘22 was an amazing year of transformation to like I didn’t want to wait anymore. I wanted to have the life that I wanted. Now that I have what I want in my life, my family, my partner, my children’s doing well. The goals that I had for them, I didn’t want to wait anymore. Now it’s time to create the business that I want and to uplevel to the next level.

It was also a year of transitioning in terms of finding more people for my team, right, to get to this place. Like I never thought that I’d have a team, and here I sit. Then like you helping me manage how to figure out how to do that as well. Like, there’s certain things that you want to spend your time and effort. Like it’s either you have money, or you have time, right? You have to decide where you want to spend that.

So shifting it around was I wanted more time back. So having to make decisions and finding team members to leverage myself and have them do certain activities, right. So then suddenly here’s 2023, and I am in charge of a team. Like this is like a person that went from 2019 and didn’t even know she could make any money in this business to a real business with a team. Like oh, okay.

Amanda: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It has been like, thank you for sharing that. Because that I think is so important. What I want everybody to hear from what Sonia just shared is there is like every level as your business grows, and I talk about this a lot. But as your business grows, it will require different things of you at different levels.

So in the beginning in 2019 when we were starting out, when it was like what am I even doing here? It was all about getting that clarity. It was about building that foundation. It was about getting out there. It was it was about building your muscle in coaching and selling and doing all of those things. In a relatively short amount of time to like you said here we are now fresh into 2023.

You have a full team. You’re launching this brand new program, which we’re going to talk about in a minute. You have a real company now. You have a real business. Not that you didn’t before, but you are now in a position to impact even more people with your work. So let’s go there. Let’s talk about where you are today. Because it’s really, really exciting.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, so I think when I decided I was going back all in on this business, I also decided that I had a goal, but more than a goal, I had a mission. Amanda is very much into what is your mission. But honestly, I wasn’t spending too much time worrying about my mission in the past. I love her because she’s like all righty, listen. Okay, you’re not listening to what I’m saying, but at some point, you will realize that this is important.

So I think in 2022, I had a mission before to positively impact. It was more like to end the emotional pain and isolation associated with sexual dysfunction or sexual difficulties, right. But it was kind of like more on a scale of one woman at a time. In 2022, near the end of it, when I made that decision that yes, I am all in on this. Honestly, I was willing to give up the business if it was not going to have a mission or create the joy that I wanted.

Getting to that place where it’s like I still made over $200,000 in a year that I wasn’t even sure if I was in my business or not, right? So like I think I’m in this business, and it’s time for a mission. It’s time for more, right? It’s time to be all in. So I shifted my mission to positively impact the overall lives of 100 million women.

Because what I saw with the work that I did was I was empowering women in the bedroom, and that was leading to empowerment in and outside of the bedroom. This was more than just up about sex and intimacy. Obviously, that’s an area that’s very important to me, but I also realized that I cared about the overall life of these women as well. The work that I did impacted not only what was going on in the bedroom with the intimacy, but it impacted their relationships overall and their belief in themselves and their ability to like go for more in their lives, right.

So I’m just realizing I want to positively impact a set size of 100 million women or more, and also the overall lives of these women because I know that it’s going to impact them positively. So my mission has shifted quite a bit. With that, the way I see my business, how I envision it in the future has also shifted. So your mission is very key to all of this.

Yeah, I think it’s one of the most important things. It’s something that I, as you know, Sonia mentioned, I talk so much about, and we talk about as a client group all of the time because that bigger reason, that bigger why is so much more important than the byproducts of, yes, the money and all of the things that come along with that. Those, to me, are really byproducts of the work, of the movement, the mission that you’re really creating.

In those times where, because let’s be honest, things don’t always go as planned. Right? Launches don’t always work out. Something breaks in the middle. Life happens. I think when you have that mission, that compelling why, it pulls you forward. It pulls you through many times those seasons where maybe you’re questioning do I want to do this, like you very much were. Would you agree?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, and I want to normalize that questioning. I think that it’s a good thing to not just blindly go forward. If it’s not working out the way you want it to work out, there is a part of it where you’re in the messy middle, and it’s uncomfortable. It may take multiple tries and failures and success and things like that.

But if you are in this place where you’re like this is really not what I expected it to be, it is okay to put a pause on and to reevaluate where you want and decide what you want to do. It may be that you decide that you want to reach out to Amanda and have somebody help you with your business. Or there’s many different ways to go about this. But I don’t think it’s a problem to actually sit and evaluate and decide really what is your purpose for doing this work.

Sometimes when we’re in coaching programs, we have ideas in terms of how it should be. When ours doesn’t match up exactly in the trajectory in the way that it happens, we think that something has gone wrong, and we have failed. We need to understand that each business is going to be different. How we reach different milestones is going to be at different points in time and different ways. Can we have more of an allowance, more of a bandwidth for things being a little different in a different way?

I have to talk to myself about this. Because coming from a medical background or being a doctor, we’re very much into prescribed ways of doing things. We’re very much into excellence. We’re very much into push no matter what, even if your body or your mind is telling you it’s not the right time. So all those things have to come into play, and I had to question all those things and decide.

If you’re not willing to change aspects of your life now at 56, it doesn’t matter what business you choose to go into. You’re still bringing you into all those businesses, and you need to take the time to assess and figure out what it is that you want. Nothing has gone wrong to take that time. But if you need somebody to help you because you still have a goal, then go ahead and reach out for a business coach because it could make all the difference.

Amanda: I agree. I think having, again, going back to having that trusted person that really understands your goals intimately and your life. Like let’s be honest. Like, I don’t know all the details, but I but I’ve been with you on this journey over the last few years. You’ve gone through, we haven’t even talked about it, but you have gone through a lot of things just even personally.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah.

Amanda: Yeah, that really were pivotal. I would say very pivotal in your life. All of those things, whether we want to think that or not, they do have impacts in your work life.

Dr. Sonia: 100%. Like in 2021, I was all in on the business. It was gonna be my million dollar year. I quit my radiology job. Like within a week or two, I felt like my whole life got destroyed like on a personal level that I had not even anticipated. So you have a plan of how it’s gonna go and what your year is going to be like, and you’re just going to focus on your business. Then everything in your personal life falls apart, and you find yourself having to rebuild it and rebuild the family and sort things out. Like, honestly, a week after.

So yeah, that changed things, but it was also like the best thing as well. Now looking back at the time, it was not an easy year at all. Yeah, but who I am and how I grew as a person and what went on in my business as a result of what was going on in my personal life. Now on the other side, my commitment is so much even stronger than it was. It’s also an understanding that things are going to happen that you do not plan. They can throw you in a tailspin that you’re not expecting.

Amanda: Sometimes you need to go through, and I look at that year for you, Sonia, as that was kind of like a resetting year personally for you that I think has now allowed you to get to where you are today.

Dr. Sonia: I think so. I think so. When I was in the middle of it seemed really crazy, but now that I’m on the other end, my personal life looks completely different than it looked previously. I now have the support that I did not have in my relationships. So that is definitely a key factor into my future, and the fact that the success is going to be there as because it’s already there. But it’s so much had to be in place. I believe very much in the universe. I believe that the universe was like we got to do some work here behind the scenes.

Amanda: We’ve got to do some rearranging here.

Dr. Sonia: A lot of things needed to be rearranged. So yes, that ‘21 and ‘22 were years that were like a slowing down on my business in order to deal with a lot of personal stuff that was going on. Yeah.

Amanda: But I want to also point out, even though you “slowed down,” you still made multiple six figures in your business.

Dr. Sonia: Yes. Actually, I was counting it all up. Over the course of the time that I’ve worked with you, accumulation wise, we’re almost at a million dollars.

Amanda: So good.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah.

Amanda: A million dollars.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah. I was like oh, wow. In the middle of all that craziness going on where I’m about to leave coaching in general, yeah. It’s like wow. That’s amazing.

Amanda: That’s incredible, Sonia. So a million dollars, y’all. Like a million. That is extraordinary. That is so cool. How does that feel?

Dr. Sonia: Well, it’s funny when you don’t – This is where you check the facts, right? Because when you don’t check the facts, you’re just like do duh do duh do.

Amanda: Your brain just makes lots of stories, right?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah. Your mind tells all these stories, right? Then you have to look at the facts and like oh wow, I’ve consistently made over $200,000 for the last several years, and I also started another business, which Amanda helps me with. Between all those things, we’re at just about a million. I’m like wow, okay. All right. Okay, wow. So if I’m not 100% in my business for like two years and I accomplished that, what is that that I can do when my mission is in mind, and I’m ready to go. I’m working. I’ve put together a team.

So yeah. So where we are now with the business is I still do some private coaching because I do love my clients. That’s pretty exclusive as not too many people that I will coach, but I do coach people because I love that aspect of things. Then I have my group Own Your Sexuality Now. That I offer once a year. So that I just do right at the beginning of the year, and I do that for 12 weeks.

I’m in the middle of creating an intimacy coaching school. It’s a 12 week program for any type of coach that wants to be able to coach on sexual intimacy. Because if you’re a relationship coach, a divorce coach, even a money coach. It really doesn’t matter what kind of coach you are, it comes up for your clients, and they don’t necessarily have any place to go. You might not feel comfortable with doing it. If I have this goal to positively impact the sex lives of 100 million women or more, I’m going to need people to help me with this goal. Right?

Amanda: That’s right. Okay, so let’s talk about it. You are creating a certification. Actually, it’s kind of an adjunct certification is what we’ve landed on.

Dr. Sonia: Exactly. Exactly. So it’s not specifically if you want to be a sex coach. Like those programs are yearlong or two yearlong programs. But at the same time, our clients have issues around sexual intimacy, and they don’t know where to go to even start the conversation. Sometimes it’s not a really intense issue that they’re dealing with, but it would be nice to someplace that they can – But a lot of coaches are like oh I cannot even talk about that. Sex is a taboo topic. I don’t even know. I’ve got my own stuff going on with intimacy, I can’t.

So there’s a lot of I’m not going to go there. This is not something that my client can talk about. This is not something I’m comfortable coaching around. This is where I get upset because the life coaching industry, we are supposed to be able to coach on any topic to help a person’s life improve. We systematically separate out certain things that are uncomfortable for us to discuss. It might be racism or just discrimination or something like that. But it’s also sex and sexual intimacy and sexuality. We shift that off.

The place where people are going to get to learn information about sex and sexual intimacy is like pornography, which is not good or bad. But it’s not real. It’s imagined. It’s entertainment, but it’s not where we should be getting our facts and our ideas about sex and sexual intimacy. We should have a place, and our clients need to have a place where they can go and just say hey, what do you think about this? What resources might be available for me? Can you just help me coach on this one thought?

Like if you’re a relationship coach and you’re helping to put back a marriage, but at the same time, you’re not comfortable talking about sex. Your client is like yes, we’re working on this, this, and this, and this, but we’re not talking about that we’re not having sex on this. Like that type of thing, right?

Or if you’re a dating coach, and you’re like yeah, let’s coach on how to get a partner, how to get dates, and things like that. But she might be like how do I handle this situation around sexual intimacy? What are my thoughts about if I’d like to have sex with this person on the second date? Does that make me a blank, blank, blank, blank, right?

Amanda: Yeah.

Dr. Sonia: A lot of stuff that’s going down that. But maybe that’s something that because it’s “off limits.” We don’t talk about it. So a place where somebody can get the training, where a coach could get the training, so that their client, no matter what it is that they coach on, it can holistically help their client, right?

A place where the coach themselves feels comfortable talking about this because they’ve looked at their own sexuality and sexual intimacy issues. So they feel comfortable with their own sexuality so they can create this safe space for their client. They can create a safe space to do this work with themselves, and we can impact the life coaching industry and say hey, this work needs to be done. We need to talk about this as well.

Amanda: Yes, so good. So good. So I love the mission here. I love what you just shared. I know we had a conversation just earlier this week in your one on one on this as you’re putting some things together. So what would you think was the turning point for you when you decided to like go all in on this program? Like what was the moment that you were like you know what? I’m gonna take this on. Because you and I have talked. Like this is a big mission.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah. Well, I get people periodically reaching out to me, and they’re asking are you doing training? I want to be able to coach on that. So part of it is that there’s a need out there, and they’re asking for assistance along the lines with life coaching and incorporating sex coaching into their life coaching. So I get that all the time. People are like do you do this? Can you do this one on one with me? I’ve done it on a one on one level where I have actually helped somebody incorporate it into their business and such, right. So I’ve known that the need has been there for a while.

But then I think it galvanized me realizing that we’re just not able to coach the whole client. We’re not able to really address the issues that are going on. We’re requiring that our clients compartmentalize themselves in their life. It doesn’t need to be that way. We can also like have fun with this too. Like I am so into this program. We start with an intensive component where we focus on the coach and their sexuality and get them to this place where they’re comfortable with it. So like it’s a gift that I can give to every coach.

Amanda: It’s almost like if they’re going through it, they get the gift of like working on and resolving some of those issues that they might be challenging. Right?

Dr. Sonia: Exactly, exactly. So it’s like a gift I get to give the coaches and a gift that the coaches get to give their clients, and an overall gift that we impact the coaching industry. I think that all the coaches out there that are listening to this recognize how their life has been impacted by their life coach training, whether or not they chose to whatever area of a niche they go into. You are your first best client. Right?

Amanda: Right.

Dr. Sonia: That concept there. So it’s along the same lines. Let’s address whatever sexual intimacy issues there that you have not had a chance to address. I have a lot of coaches that have taken my Own Your Sexuality program as well and then try to like put it in into their program. This makes it easier. I’m like here, let’s do this work together. Let me hand you all the information that you would need in terms of being able to coach on the most common issues that are going to come up. Then for those that are more complex, then let’s have information on referral. You don’t have to be the expert is what I need people to understand.

Amanda: Let’s talk about that because I think that’s a really important piece of this and that I think you’ve been really clear about from day one. Let’s just talk about that. Like tell us more about not having to be the expert on this particular topic.

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, this is not like a full sex coach training program. There’s programs that are out there that are great, but those programs also take a year or two to get through, right. So what we’re talking about is your client needs someplace to go that’s safe where they can discuss. They already have this trust with you. So they can come and talk about specific things with you.

There’s some very common things like mismatched libido, a woman’s changing libido, erectile dysfunction. Like there’s specific things that are out there that will come up again and again. Society’s concept around sexuality, what it means for a man, what it means for a woman, what it means for a non-binary person, and concepts of what we think about ourselves as a sexual being, right? Those are a lot of common concepts that come up again and again and again.

So we can do this work together to address those. Also to address when you need a therapist, when your client needs to consider going to therapy. If trauma stuff comes up to them, how to get them the help that they need for that. That type of work is something. So I have a trauma specialist that comes into the course and talks about that. I have a relationship specialist that comes into the course. I have one of the top coach training people that come in that can address issues along the coaching program as well.

So there’s a lot of different ways that we addressed the needs. Everybody that does teaching within the course has been doing sex coaching as well. So definitely we have the experience. We’re not necessarily saying that you have to be the experts. Let us be the expert. Let us be your resource. Let’s come into this program and finally do the work that you need to do for yourself to feel comfortable around this subject and recognize you don’t have to be the expert. But at the same time, have some tools available and go from there.

Amanda: So good. So in so many ways, like we’ve talked about, this is really helping so many coaches in so many different niches. I think this is so applicable, like you said. I mean this could be relationships. This could be money coaching. This could be general life coaching. This could be all different types of niches. It’s such an amazing tool to be able to create that safe space, like you said, for your clients.

Also for yourself as a coach to explore some of those areas that maybe you haven’t explored before that you’re not comfortable with, which I think is really such a unique thing that you’re doing with this program and such an important aspect to that. I know that that’s where the program starts. So what would you say for somebody, let’s say, that is coaching maybe on relationships or maybe is a dating coach or maybe is that money coach or health coach? How tangibly could this help them in their business?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, so this is an adjunct certification, like an advanced certification, for anybody that is a certified life coach specifically, right. So if they have this training, they get to put this emblem on their website, which tells people from the beginning hey, this is a comfortable place where you can start addressing issues around sex. It’s not the whole focus because you came to me because I’m a money coach, or you came to me because I’m a health coach or a dating coach.

But if some topics are coming up for you, and you don’t know where to start, this is a place where you can feel safe to start the process. We can start talking about things and coaching on things. If you need additional, there’s definitely other services out there that you can add on. But at least start the conversation, right. So that becomes something that’s so important, whether you’re a relation coach or a money coach or a dating coach or a health coach.

Now, sex impacts every aspect of a person’s life and vice versa, right? They’re not separate things. We want to keep this separate, but we need to recognize that while we’re busy keeping things separate and clean and safe, people are suffering because there’s places they can’t go to talk about this issue. Right? They can’t go to start the conversation.

All I’m asking is for you to get trained to start the conversation and feel comfortable enough checking in with your client saying hey, how’s the sexual intimacy going in your relationship? What would you like sexual intimacy to be when you’re dating? Those type of questions. How does sexual intimacy impact your health? We know it definitely impacts the health in so many different ways. Right?

Then sex and money are so, so very similar. The same things about people that can’t talk about money, they can’t talk around sex either. So if you can coach on sex, you can honestly coach on any topic. If you can talk about with your clients around sex, you are comfortable talking about just about anything, which opens up everything for you as a coach just in general, and in terms of how you come into a coaching session to help your client. You just know you’re going to be able to coach on whatever it is.

Amanda: I love it. So good. It’s such a great program, y’all. It is so in depth. Sonia has put so much work into this. As you can hear her just in the way she speaks, she has so much experience. She is the expert in this area. You have so much training, so much experience, so many coaching hours that you have that you’ve worked with clients.

I just want to encourage all of you listening. If this is something that piques your interest, if this is something that you think could help you in your practice and be an even better coach, I really want to encourage you to get in touch to check it out. So where, Sonia, can somebody go and check this out if they want to learn more?

Dr. Sonia: Yeah, there’s a link in your show notes.

Amanda: There will be a link in the show notes.

Dr. Sonia: That will be the fastest way for them to get on the waitlist so that we can send out more information to them. I’m actually going to be doing a bonus podcast for episode podcast on my own podcast, The Midlife Sex Coach for Women Podcast, where we’re going to talk even more about this program with the coach that I’m doing the program with Lisa Hatlestad. A number of you are familiar with her and the work that she does.

So together, we have created this program. So there will be bonus episodes about that as well. But the fastest, easiest way would be to click on that link and get on the waitlist. We’ll go from there.

Amanda: So good. So good. Sonia, what else would you say now if we look at just the journey, again, that you’ve taken here to get you to today? Like what advice would you give to all coaches listening?

Dr. Sonia: Well, the easy advice would be to hire Amanda. But what I have to say though, Amanda, is our relationship has changed over the years. My business has changed. You’ve always been actually ahead of me in terms of the vision for the business. No matter what it is that I come to you with, you are able to adapt and say okay. Because we’re working on this coach training program, but I’m also working on a membership program, right? So when I came to you, I was a one on one coach.

Amanda: Yes.

Dr. Sonia: You were able to coach me and helped me evolve my business from a one on one coach to a group program coach to now a group training coach. Also we’re going to be doing memberships. So like to be able to work with somebody that has the skill set to be able to guide me on all different aspects of my life and my business is very, very key.

So I would say that as a coach, don’t forget, you need your own coach. No matter what it is that you are working on, you’re going to need your own coach. I’m not shy. I’ve invested money in coaching. I have continued to invest money in coaching because it has given me the greatest return on investment of anything. The person that I am here today, the entrepreneur that stands before you, Amanda, so different from the person that you spoke to in 2019.

Amanda: Yeah, yeah. I was actually thinking about that as you were talking about your program, Sonia. In my head, I was thinking to myself wow, like look at where you are today. I can still remember our first conversation, our consult call. I think you were on break, actually, from radiology.

Dr. Sonia: So actually, and I know that sounds really crazy, but I was in a mall.

Amanda: That’s right. I remember, you were having lunch.

Dr. Sonia: I was like coordinating a number of different places that I had to be. So like I don’t even know why I was at this table like in the hallway at a mall with my headphones on and the phone. I was doing it on my phone with my earbuds. I think at the time they didn’t even have separate earbuds. So it was like air pod that was like stuck into the phone. We were having a conversation and yeah. So even that has changed.

Amanda: Yeah, I mean, your question, to go back to what you said at the beginning of this conversation, can I make money doing this? Do you think I can make money doing this? To now you’re launching a certification program.

Dr. Sonia: That’s pretty amazing. That’s really –

Amanda: With a team.

Dr. Sonia: With a team. With a whole team, yeah.

Amanda: You’ve got a big mission, and you’ve already impacted so many women, and you’re about to impact so many more. It’s really amazing, really extraordinary. So I just want to acknowledge that because I agree with that. To have witnessed you become who you are today has been such an honor for me. Yeah, I want to acknowledge the work that you have done. It hasn’t been an easy path.

Dr. Sonia: No, not at all. It hasn’t been easy. It has 100% been worthwhile. Like everything that happened needed to happen. I don’t think I could have changed from the person I was that didn’t really have self-confidence, didn’t believe in herself, didn’t believe in her business, to where I am today, where I come all in, and we’re gonna do this, and I have a team of people.

Also one last thing, invest in your business. This is not about creating a business and taking all the money out of the business as soon as you make it. It requires that you invest in your business and put the money back in in a number of different ways. Yes, I have a team, but I pay, right? Yes, I have a coach, but I pay.

But at the same time, if we look at what has happened in three and a half years, there definitely has been a lot of growth that would not be there if I wasn’t investing in my business and investing in coaching and investing in who I needed to become in order to do this work.

Amanda: Absolutely. I think that’s a beautiful place to end. I couldn’t agree more. Sonia, thank you so much for coming on the show today. I am so excited for this new program. Coaches, if this sounds like something of interest, go to my show notes. We’re going to link this up. You can get on the waitlist. You can listen to the podcast Sonia is going to be releasing here over the next several weeks.

I encourage you. If this makes sense for your business, if this makes sense for your practice to get in touch, to get on the waitlist. This is an amazing, amazing program. Sonia is the expert when it comes to all things sexual intimacy. All right, Sonia. Thanks again.

Dr. Sonia: Thank you so much, Amanda. And we start on March 31^st, anybody that needs to know.

Amanda: March 31^st. So get it. All right.

Hey if you’re ready for a real breakthrough in your business and want to grow and scale your business to at least six figures or more in annual revenue, I invite you to apply for my exclusive program The Mastermind at amandakarlstadcoaching.com/the-mastermind. I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Life Coach Business Podcast. If you want to learn more about how to build, grow, and scale your business and accelerate your results visit amandakarlstadcoaching.com.