Ep #183: How to Create Extraordinary Growth in Your Coaching Business (Part 2)

You are listening to The Life Coach Business Podcast with Amanda Karlstad episode number 183.

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. Welcome to today’s show. So great to have you all here today. I am so excited to bring you part two of the three part series, How to Create Extraordinary Growth in Your Coaching Business. It’s going to be a great show. I’ve heard from so many of you that you’ve had so many great takeaways and lessons and breakthroughs from part one of this series. 

So I would highly recommend you go back and listen if you haven’t listened to part one of this series. This was last week’s episode. In it I talked all about the first step in creating extraordinary growth in your coaching business, which is an upgrade to your identity. That was a really, really important episode that, again, I would highly recommend you go back and listen to or even relisten to. 

Because my intention with this series is that this is a series of episodes that you can continually go back to and listen to and really take in the lessons and really take in the breakthroughs and really go out and implement what I’m bringing to you in these episodes into your business. 

I want you to know that as I bring you every episode to you, really my intention is that these episodes really serve as, in some ways, mini-master classes each and every week that are a resource for you on your journey. The concepts and the tools and the strategies that I share with you all really have the potential to shift so much if you really tune in and find the lesson and apply it to you and your business. 

So I am super excited to be bringing you another amazing episode today, the second part of this very important series, which we are going to talk all about strategy today. I really want to preface this by saying that if what I’m talking about in this series resonates with you, then I want to really invite you to do this work and to step into your upgraded identity and to really take your strategy to the next level. 

To do that, I want to invite you to apply to work with us to help you take your business to that six, multiple six, seven figure level and beyond and do it in the next year in the most accelerated way. One of the things that I talk about and I share all of the time are examples of client wins. My clients are creating extraordinary wins each and every day through the high level coaching and mentorship and advisory and the containers that we offer. This, I want to be clear, is both in a group setting, and we also have a one on one component that is built in as well. 

So these are very powerful containers that are literally helping clients create not only six figure years but six figure months and really step into leadership in their industry. Becoming really thought leaders in their respective fields. So I want to invite you to join us. Depending on where you are in your business, we can recommend the best path for you. But I will tell you now is the time. 

There really has never been a more opportune time than right now to build, grow, and scale your coaching business. The truth is that if you desire to grow and scale a highly successful business then you also need a high level of mentorship, you need a high level of coaching, you need a high level of advisory around all of these things we talk about on this podcast. 

That’s one of the things that make the mastermind and my high level mastermind so unique is that it really is the perfect combination of not only all of the important inner work, but also the just as important external strategy work, the very important work of the external strategy. So one of the reasons that I do believe that my clients do create such extraordinary and accelerated growth in their businesses is that we do focus on both. 

So it’s very important to me that I am bringing the most effective and cutting edge strategies and tools into my programs for my clients. I can honestly say that the process that I have developed and take every client through is, I believe, the most effective method, the most effective process for any coach who is looking to grow a highly successful business. I’m so proud of what we get to create. I am so proud of the clients that we support and the extraordinary growth that all of my clients are creating each and every day. 

So I want to invite you. If you’re listening right now and you know that you’re ready for your next level, I want to invite you to step into it. You can go into the show notes. You can also go to my website at amandacarlsteadcoaching.com, and there’s going to be a short application and an option for you to set up a call where we’ll put together a very clear scaling strategy for you over the next six to twelve months so that you can finally create the extraordinary growth that you want in your business. 

All right, so let’s dive in. Today, I want to talk to you all about the importance of strategy when it comes to building extraordinary growth in your business. I want to talk to you specifically on how important it is to upgrade your strategy when you’re looking to create a level of growth that is extraordinary in your business. I want to preface our conversation by saying that all of the work that I do with clients, my philosophy when it comes to business strategy is based on principle. It’s based on proven methods. It’s based on proven frameworks that are vital to any business. 

So as I’m talking about these things, these are things that it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a coaching business. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about any other type of business. It’s really important to understand the distinction between principles versus tactics. Because the truth is that when it comes to strategy, I believe that your strategy is just as important as the inner work, as the shifts in identity that are required to build your business to that six, multi six, or even seven figure level.

One of the things that I see happen very often in the coaching industry is that when it comes to strategy and when it comes to the how, the actual nuts and bolts of what it is that you’re putting together, the different pieces of your business. When that is not lining up, when maybe you’re not working from a very clear strategy, when you’re not working from a strategy that I’m going to talk a little bit about this in our episode, but when you’re working from a strategy that maybe isn’t even really setting you up to be successful from the beginning.

When there isn’t clarity, when there isn’t cohesion, and when you, as the business owner, aren’t even clear on your strategy or when you’re working from that faulty strategy to begin with, it’s very difficult to grow your business to the level that you want. So one of the things that I see happen over and over again with clients who come into my programs who, I will be honest, many have already invested in programs. Many have invested in courses and tried piecing things together. 

What tends to happen is that unless you have the full clarity in your business on your brand, on your offer, on how to actually market your business in a way that is scalable. I find a lot of coaches who are actually leaving so much money on the table, who really aren’t maximizing their true potential, who might even, again, be working from a strategy that isn’t even really designed or is even going to allow them to take their business to the level that they want.

So this is why when we work with any new client when we have our initial deep dive and intensive session, so often I see this happen where so many clients then just as a result of one session go on to create their biggest cash months within literally a matter of weeks. We’ve had so many that have done this already this year. 

We’ve had clients that have come in struggling to bring clients into their programs consistently, who have literally created their biggest cash months in business with we’re talking over $40,000 in cash. One was over $50,000 in cash. We recently had another client who, after our initial meeting, made some tweaks to her offer, and, again, followed that up with over $50,000 in cash in the following month.

So, not only do we see that happen with clients that already have programs that they’re enrolling clients into, but we’ve had clients who come into the program who are launching brand new programs who are turning around and in a matter of weeks making $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 and beyond. 

While I do want to say that all of these clients are in a mindset that is conducive to creating these results, the fact is that typically with the clarity, with the tweaks in strategy we can help them create that exponential growth in a matter of months, if not weeks, because of it. Because of the upgraded strategy that we’re able to implement in their business.

I want to really hit this home and let you know how powerful this really is. So let’s talk about strategy in some detail. So when I say strategy, I’m talking about various things in the business. I think about strategy in terms of overall strategy, the overall strategic direction of your business. It’s all of the things that are required in the business in order to grow it, quite frankly, to that million dollar level and beyond. 

So in my process, in my working with clients, in all of my containers, I’m always looking at and always focused on how can we help our clients create even at a foundational level. Even if that client is just launching a new program, is just launching their business, what will be required in order to scale that business to a million dollars and beyond? 

Let me give you an example of this. When a coach is typically earlier on in their journey, and let’s just say maybe some of you are in this place where maybe you’ve just completed your coaching certification or maybe you’ve been trying to build your business for some time, but you’re feeling stuck. 

One of the biggest challenges that I see for coaches in this place in their business is a lack of clarity. It is a lack of clarity in terms of things like what it is that their program even looks like. It’s what their offer even looks like. It’s who is really their niche? What does their program entail? What is that marketing strategy that is actually going to create the level of momentum that they want? 

What’s really challenging at this level in your business is because it’s challenging to not be able to see beyond the clarity that you have. At this stage of business, in addition to doing everything that you can, a lot of times I see coaches doing what I call throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping that something sticks. 

What I have learned is that unless you gain deep clarity, unless you do the foundational work of really getting clear on your direction, on the strategy, the overall strategic direction of your business, I find so many coaches will end up spinning and staying stuck and not creating the level of results that they want. 

The truth is that you can do all of the inner work. You can do all of the mindset work. You can do the energy work. You can do all of the very important inner work that I 100% believe in. The truth is you might be doing a ton of inner work, you might be doing a ton of mindset work, for example. You might be doing energy work, right? All sorts of inner work.

On a side note, I do believe in all of this. But the reality is that I have found having clarity and having a real business strategy and having an overall strategic direction will actually clear up so much of that inner drama, of those inner energy leaks that you might have, that mental energy, that mental anxiety that you right now are spending not having that clarity, not having that clear pathway to where you’re going.

So when you’re in a place where you are spinning and you’re unsure and you’re not sure what to do next, having that clarity can actually eliminate so much of that inner mind drama because of that clarity, because you then have focus, because you can now see the bigger picture.

So your strategy is, I have found, going to be even more important, especially in the beginning of your journey. Because for most coaches, let’s be real. This is the first time for most coaches when they’re actually growing a business, when they are in an environment where they’re an entrepreneur.

So not only are you up against all of your doubts and whether or not you can actually create what you want, it also creates so much doubt when you don’t know what your next step is, when you can’t see a bigger vision for yourself, when you can’t see a bigger vision for your business, when you lack actual strategic direction in your business. 

So when you add up all of the doubts and all of the fears and all of the lack of belief, and you combine that with not knowing what steps to take and what to do next and not really knowing where you’re actually going with your business. When you don’t see the full picture, when you feel like the only thing you know to do is to post on social media, but you’re also not getting traction there nor do you want to spend your life on social media. This is a really hard place to be.

I know that many of you can resonate with this right now. So I want to actually challenge you that if you’re feeling stuck, if you’re feeling like you’re spinning in your business then I also want to challenge you to get very serious about what is it from a strategic perspective that you’re actually doing? How would things change if you had a real business strategy? How would things change if you knew exactly what the next steps were to take your business to the next level? 

I want you to really consider how that would change how you feel, how that would change your business. I know for so many coaches, this alone, this upgrade in strategy, could be the thing that really opens up that next level for them. So often it can be just one shift, one element of the strategy that has really the potential to change everything. 

So let’s talk about if you’ve already built some momentum in your business. So for those of you that have already hit or you’re on track for six figures or more in your business, or maybe you’re already at that multiple six figures in your business. I will tell you. I have many, many clients at this level who come to me who are ready to scale, who are ready to go to either that multiple six figure, that seven figure level, that seven figure level plus and beyond.

Here is what is likely happening at this level. What I found out is that this level in your business, it can be a great place to be in that you have some things figured out. You probably have clarity on your niche. You probably have clarity at least around your program.

But what I will say is that one of the most challenging parts of this phase of business is that you don’t have visibility to your blind spots. Here’s what I mean. To get to a six or multiple six figure level in your business, again, there are some things that are definitely working in the business. Maybe you have started to build an audience. Maybe you have some level of email list. You probably have somewhat of a proven offer.

But the challenge is, at this level, oftentimes when you’re at that point when you are ready to go to the next level, what will happen is what got you to where you are is not what is going to get you to where you want to go. So, for example, you might have a program that you’re actively selling. We have many, many clients who fall into this phase of business where they come in and quite honestly have a pretty successful program. 

The problem that comes in is that they also need to expand that program. They need to optimize that program in order to reach that next level of scale. So you might be clear on who it is that you help. You might need some refinement in your messaging and your marketing. With some of those tweaks what would likely help you help even more clients. 

The other challenge is that a lot of times you don’t have a lot of systems at this phase in your business. You’re probably hustling, and you’re probably feeling maybe even a little burnt out, and you know that it’s not sustainable. Maybe you’ve even diversified your traffic sources, and you’re probably feeling tapped out with whatever traffic sources that you’ve been leveraging. Maybe you haven’t yet tiptoed into paid ads, but you know that that could help you but you’re not really sure where to start with that. 

The other thing that I see here that’s very common is that you’re probably still operating from circumstance rather than operating as the true CEO of your business. Time becomes a big issue at this phase of business because you need to install new systems, new processes, new workflows so that you can actually scale so that you can spend more time being the visionary of your business.

So what I found is that at this stage in business, there are a lot of blind spots that I know personally I have had to work through and that my clients have to work through at this stage. This is why I think having a coach being mentored and being coached and advised at a high level at this level is absolutely mandatory. Because the truth is at this level, you know how to get things done. You have proven your offer to a degree. You’ve grown to that six figure mark or more. 

So you’ve been able to overcome a lot of the doubt. You’ve been able to overcome a lot of the fears. So a lot of those internal battles that you have overcome, you can now shift your focus more into the strategy. So you are capable, very capable at this level, but what you probably don’t have visibility to are those blind spots to what you are doing that is actually going to produce the level of growth and revenue that you really want.

So, for example, I see this happen a lot where a lot of coaches at this level in business don’t actually have a business model or are operating from a business model that actually can’t carry the business, can’t really take the business to the level that they want. I also see very often at this level that how a program is being delivered can also be a big challenge. Again, it can also create roadblocks in being able to scale to the next level.

Another thing that is huge is your pricing. So almost every client that I work with at this stage, when they come in one of the first things that we’re looking at and we’re tweaking typically is their pricing. So there are so many pieces at this stage of business, again, that I find unless you are working with somebody who can look at your business with an objective eye, there are a lot of blind spots there. 

So your vision at this phase, and again, the strategic direction that you are taking your business is more and more important. I would argue that it’s required to get to that seven figure level and beyond. So this stage of business requires a huge upgrade in terms of your strategy. It very often requires more sophistication in terms of how are you selling.

When I say that, I want to be clear. I’m not talking about complicating things. What I’m talking about is keeping things streamlined and simple, but also becoming more sophisticated in your approach in all areas of your business. It also means a lot of times growing a team, starting to grow the team, at least with some part time employees. It could be contractors. Every business is a little bit different, but it’s really starting to become that million dollar version of yourself and acting in accordance with that.

So, for most coaches, I will also say at this phase you also have to upgrade your internal winning strategy. So again, my friends, you could be doing all of the mindset work. You could be looking at all of your underlying beliefs about yourself and your business. But yet, if you still don’t know what to do, if you still don’t know how to really put all of these pieces together on what next steps to take. 

I would also say if you’re not getting expert feedback on what it is that you are actually implementing in your business, and if you’re working from a flawed strategy to begin with, this is a place where so often I see so many coaches that end up spinning and stay stuck and not creating the results that they want.

So there is so much opportunity in this day and age to be able to create and build a business to whatever level that you desire. To do your amazing work in the world, to do your meaningful work. So as I was really thinking about this, one of the things that I thought about is when I look at the landscape and when I look at this industry as a whole, there really isn’t a lot of excuses for not building what it is that you want. 

I truly believe that if you are really committed to doing your important work in the world, the technology and the information, the tools that we have in this industry to reach people all over the globe and to really do meaningful work and really help others. I think not having a real business strategy and not growing as a true business owner is one of the biggest mistakes that I think you can make in this industry. 

It’s one of the reasons that I see again so many coaches that don’t really maximize their potential, that really aren’t able to step into that expanded version of themselves. What I have also learned is that, and I talk about this all of the time, but there will always be the internal work to do. Every new level, every new phase of business that you reach, there are new and different challenges. 

That doesn’t just mean that you have no challenges. That you don’t have problems that you have to solve. It does change. I’m the first to say that this is the most important work. But when we can’t even get to that because we are lacking so much on the strategy side that we can’t even get past our initial doubts, that we can’t even implement correct things in the business. 

When we can’t move beyond limiting beliefs because we are so stuck because we don’t know what that next step is to take, this is why having real business strategy is sometimes the best inner work that you can do because it gives your brain something tangible and real to focus on. Something tangible and real to create. Something tangible and real to implement, to solve, to refine, and to optimize.

These are the things, my friends, that actually matters when it comes to growing your business. So strategy is absolutely going to be as effective as to your level of inner growth. Without it, you’re going to feel lost. You’re going to wonder whether or not you’re on the right track. You’re going to doubt whether or not what you’re doing actually works. 

But when you have that blueprint, when you have that feedback, when you are getting expert eyes on your business and expert guidance and mentoring on your strategy, the truth is that that can unlock millions in your business. I will tell you this is the work that we do. 

When I look at just in the past few coaching sessions that I’ve had in the last week, it’s been interesting because I can really look at some of these coaching sessions and pretty much guarantee that with some minor tweaks, with some minor adjustments, with challenging a few of my clients in the ways that I did that literally those conversations, those coaching sessions, have unlocked millions of dollars in revenue over the life of their businesses. I’m fully confident in that. That was just last week. 

So that is how important having true strategic guidance is. That is how valuable knowing what your strategy is and executing your strategy and getting feedback on that strategy actually is. So many coaches spend so much time directing their energy on things that quite honestly are inconsequential to creating the level of success that they want. 

So if you want to have a certain level of success in your business then you have to learn to play the business game well. That requires strategy. That requires actual implementation. That requires actual feedback and iteration and understanding how to do things like effectively market your business, how to effectively position your brand. These are the things that are going to lead you to being able to grow and scale to the level that you want. 

So upgrading your strategy and ensuring you’re working with a strategy that is actually capable and will allow you to scale is just as important as the inner work, as working through all of your limiting beliefs. So the last thing that I want to offer to you on this is that strategy and data removes confusion. Strategy can eliminate doubt. Strategy can stop the spin.

So when you look at your experience today, I want you to really question your level of strategy. I want you to really question what would be different if you had a real strategy to implement. Now, strategy is required at every stage of business you’re in. It is required no matter if you’re building to that six figure mark. It is required no matter if you’ve hit that six figure mark and now you’re scaling beyond that. When you’re scaling even beyond that seven figure mark, strategy is important.

So I want to challenge all of you to upgrade your strategy. Get in an environment where you are doing that each and every day. That’s what your business needs. All right, my friends. Have an amazing week. I will talk to you all again soon. Take care. Bye-bye.

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.