Ep24. Don’t Build a Coaching Business Until You Get Clear on This

If you’ve been dreaming of starting your coaching business but feel stuck on what to offer or how to even begin, this episode will help you get out of your head and into action.

Because the truth is, you don’t need a perfect brand, a logo, or a fancy website. What you do need is to know the real problem you help solve.

We’re talking about the transformation you can offer, the specific people you want to help, and how to start validating your idea without overthinking it.

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with more clarity on what your coaching business can look like and how to take the first real step toward building it.

And if you’re still wondering what niche to choose or what you should offer, there’s a free guide waiting for you below. It’s going to walk you through it step by step.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction: Overcoming the Blank Page Moment
• 1:40 The Real Starting Point: Solving a Problem
• 3:14 Identifying the Problem You Solve
• 6:41 Defining the Transformation You Offer
• 10:24 Understanding Your Ideal Client
• 13:47 Market Research: Validating Your Idea
• 15:41 Standing Out in a Crowded Market
• 16:39 Recap and Key Takeaways
• 17:49 Final Thoughts and Free Ebook Offer

Transcript

 If you've been dreaming of kicking off your online coaching business, but keep hitting that blank page moment, don't worry. You are so not alone. Because the first step is the always the hardest when it comes to building a side hustle, which is identifying a real problem you can solve and delivering a transformation that actually matters to your clients.

So think of the like this. If you know exactly who you want to help and exactly how to help them, everything else gets so much easier. We are talking how to define your IT factor. How to really get under the scheme of the people you serve and how to validate your idea without spinning your wealth. It's going to be real, actionable and totally doable, and that's what I'm going to share in this episode.

Welcome to the Hustle with Heels podcast. I'm your host, Cindy Excell. A corporate girl start, hustler wife and a mom of two in 2020. I started my first start hustle as an online fitness coach while working in my corporate job as a private wealth manager. Over the years, I have been leading proof that a corporate career I.

A side hustle can absolutely co-exist in harmony today, I'm helping corporate women and early stage entrepreneurs create wealth beyond that nine to five jobs and build an online business on their terms. On this podcast, I'll share my knowledge, strategies, and stories that will help you start and grow your start hustle.

Whether you are ready to diversify your income streams or are looking to build a startup business that aligns with your goals, I'm here to support you every step of the way. Now, let's get started. Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Hustle with Heels podcast. Today we are going to dive into something that is so foundational, but often not easy to get it right when you are just starting out.

If you've been sitting there and thinking, okay, I want to start an online coaching business, but where do I even begin? This episode is for you because the real starting point isn't a branding, it's not a perfect website. It's not a cute Instagram handle or LinkedIn banner. It's definitely not spending hours designing your logo.

It is this solving a real problem for a real person? That's it. That's how it all begins. And today I want to help you get super clear on a few key things. What problem do you solve? What transformation or result do you help someone get? And who exactly do you help? And how can you validate your idea without spending months second guessing yourself?

So this episode isn't about giving you the to-do list a mile long. It is about helping you cut through the noise and actually see what you already have, the skills, the experience, the life lessons, the personal transformation, the corporate expertise that the people would pay to learn from. You don't need to overthink this.

Over time, your business will change and evolve, but you need to start somewhere. I'm going to break the down step by step, and by the end of this episode, I promise you, you will feel so much clearer on what your coaching business could look like and how to take that very first powerful step. Let's start with the foundation of any successful business solving a problem.

I know this sounds so basic, but this is the thing that most people skip over when they are just starting out. So when you are just getting into the idea of building a online coaching business, or a start hustle, it's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need a flashing brand, a. Viral content strategy, or even a perfect and polished offer.

Don't get me wrong, all of these things have their time and space, and you will need all of them at some point in time in your business, but none of that matters if you are not solving a real problem. The fastest way to create a value and get paid for it is to help someone get from where they are now to where they want to be, and that is the magic.

And that's it. Simple as that. So how do you figure out what problem you actually should solve? There are a few ways to do it. You can start with your own story. Things like what have you gone through that someone else might be struggling with right now? Think about some challenge that you faced in your life, in your career, in your mindset, and how you actually move through them yourself, and that can be your starting point.

Other ways can be zoom in your strengths. So what do people always come to you for help with, and what are the things that you are naturally good at, but others might be struggling with, is that they advise encouragement, clarity, organization confidence, et cetera. That's not a instance when people specifically ask you for advice on, that's your insight.

Another way could be noticing the frustrations. Things like what gaps do you see in your industry, in your world, or even in the way things are typically done. If something bugs you and you know you can do better. That's also a clue. Let me give you a real life example. When I pivoted from my fitness coaching business to my start hustle coaching business, I kept having conversations with women in corporate who was saying things like, oh, I want to start something on the side, but I don't even know where to begin.

Or, I'm exhausted, I just don't have time. Or I feel so unmotivated from my copy job, I feel bit stuck, but I'm not ready to leave yet. I wonder if, if there's something else I can do beyond my copy job. And I thought, wait, I've been there and I'm actually doing what all these women want to do already. And I've had that exactly same feeling as all of them.

And I figured out a way to build my side hustle in fitness coaching back then without burning out or hiding it or quitting my job because I was completely building my fitness coaching business alongside my nine to five job. So that became the very problem I decided to solve After I hear. What these women are struggling with, which is helping those high achieving women incorporate in the senior positions and in the leadership roles to package their expertise into a profitable coaching business.

Because that's what I did. That's what I knew, and that's what I could genuinely create transformation for them. So the takeaway from here is you don't have to look far or be 10 steps ahead. You just need to be one step ahead of somebody else that you can help. Solve a real problem that people would gladly pay for in order to take that off that plate or get the clarity on.

And that's your starting point. Once you are clear on the problem you are solving, the next step is to define the result or the transformation you can offer. This is where often most new coaches stop short and where you got to take things to the next level because people don't just pay for your time, they don't even pay for the service.

What they pay for is a result. It's a transformation, a before and after. I. So ask yourself, what will your client work away with after working with you? How will that life, career mindset, health, wealth, whatever that might be, actually improve? Think of it like painting a picture of the afterlife. Will they feel more confident?

Will they finally stop spinning the well and take the focus to action? Will they land a dream job and hate their first 5K in their start business, or finally get back those two hours a day that they easily waste? Specificity is everything here, so let's play with a few examples. Especially if you are a corporate woman in a senior position that's sitting on years of experience and thinking, how can I actually turn what I know into a coaching offer?

For example, if you've got a background in HR or leadership role, maybe you can help mid-level professionals step into the leadership position without second guessing themselves or shrinking in meetings. Or if you've been working in project management, maybe you can help overwhelmed solopreneurs create simple and repeatable system without getting buried in task lists and the tools.

Or if you are in finance or accounting, maybe you can help small business owners make confident money decisions without the stress of complicated spreadsheets. Or if you have built a career in sales, maybe you can help new coaches sell authentically without fitting pushy, or awkward and discovery course.

The last example, if you come from marketing or branding. Maybe you can help service-based entrepreneurs clarify that messaging without spending months tweaking their website. See what we are doing here. You are taking your existing knowledge since you already do day in, day out, and flipping the script to solve a problem for someone else.

You don't have to reinvent yourself. You don't have to reinvent any business ideas. You just have to get clear on the transformation. You can guide somebody through. Let's take this one step further with a little exercise. I absolutely love to do that with my clients. Here is a sentence field to finish and then write that down.

If you have a notebook and a pen handy, I help blank, which is your specific audience, achieve blank, which is a specific result without blank, which is big pain point or frustration. So this creates so much clarity around what you do and why it matters. So for me, it is. I help corporate women and the female leaders all in senior positions build a profitable online coaching business using their existing skillset without burning out or feeling overwhelmed.

And without quitting that nine to five job, that one sentence makes it. Crystal clear what I do, who I help, and how I help them. And once you have that, you are no longer just one another coach. You are someone who delivers real transformation. So take some time with this. Your first try won't be perfect, and over time you will continue tweaking that.

But play with the words, say it out loud, and most importantly, make sure it excites you. Because if you don't believe in the transformation you are offering, no one else will either. Now once you are clear on the transformation you can deliver, the next step is to understand who you help. This is the big one.

So who are you here to help? Because the truth is if you are trying to help everyone, you are helping. No one. I'm sure you have heard about this many times before. I get it. You naturally want to be helpful. You've got so much to offer, but it feels scary to narrow it down. But the moment you get very specific about who you serve, your messaging starts landing.

You stop blending in and start standing out. This is particularly important when you are a new coach because in the coaching world, if there are already many coaches do what you do, which usually that's the case. You need a way to stand out. And that starts with, you need to be super clear on your ideal clients.

So not just in the vague woman between 30 and 45 kind of way. It is really painting the picture like a real person with a real story. So ask yourself what kind of lifestyle are they living right now and what's keeping them up at night and what is their biggest pain point of frustration? What do they secretly want, but feel maybe too overwhelmed or stuck to go after that?

And what do they believe that is standing in that way? The thing is, you don't have to guess. Look around your world right now. Start with your network. The colleague who always talks about wanting to do something outside their nine to five. And that friend who's incredible at what she does, but feels totally unfulfilled in her job.

All the connection on LinkedIn who keeps engaging with your content. So these are all your clue that you've got people out there you can speak to. Those people might already be your ideal clients. You just haven't seen it yet.

So look around your workplace, your friendship circle, your old uni friends, or even your gym buddies. Chances are somewhere in your orbit is already struggling with the problem you want to solve, and the real move is go talk to them. So ask questions, be curious and get to know how they think, what they want, and what's stopping them.

This is gold for your messaging, for your content, and for your future office. For example, my ideal client is a high achieving corporate woman, and they are in the senior position. They have been working in corporate for at least, you know, seven years plus, I would say, and they also have the leadership experience as well.

They are very good at what they do. They're smart, driven, probably leading a team. On the outside, everything looks great, but inside she's craving more freedom, more meaning, and a way to take control of her income. She doesn't necessarily want to leave her job right now, but she does want options. She wants to build something of her own without burning out or starting from scratch.

That's who I speak to every time when I show up because I know her. I've walked beside her. I've had a coffee with her and I was her. So if you are still figuring this part out, try this little exercise. Give your ideal client a name. Write down her age, her job, her lifestyle, what she complains about on a Friday night, what she wishes she could say out loud.

Make her real. Because when your message speaks directly to her and when she sees your content, she will think, whoa, is she talking to me? That's why you know that this is working after we figured out who we want to help. The last part is that you need to use market research to validate your data. Again, this is the part that so many people skip because just having a great idea in your head.

Doesn't mean that it's going to land in the real world. We need to make sure that people actually want what you are offering and that they are willing to pay for it as well. This is where market research comes in. It does not have to be scary or complicated, and here are a few ways you can start doing this right now.

Number one, you can find a similar business. So go check out coaches or service providers in your space. Are there others solving a similar problem? Are they working with clients, launching offers, and getting engagement? If yes, that's a good thing. It means there is a demand. The market exists, and you are not out there trying to convince people they have a problem they don't even care about.

And the second way is to join online communities. Think, um, places like Facebook groups, LinkedIn conversations, even Reddit thread or podcasts, anywhere your ideal clients might hang out. And also YouTube videos as well. That's another place. Start paying attention to what they are asking, what they are struggling with, what do they wish someone could just help them solve?

This gives you the real life language straight from your audience. It is, again, gold for your content and. And the odd option is to talk to your network. This is one of the most powerful steps and hardly anyone does it. So reach out to a few people who match your ideal client profile and just ask them, what are you struggling with right now?

What would you love support on? What's keeping you from taking the next step? You are not selling anything. You are just listening. And this not only helps validate your idea, it also shows you exactly how to shape your messaging so it clicks with the right people. And I wanna say this as well as a new coach, do not let your competition scares you.

If someone else is doing something similar to what you do, if they have many, many more years experience than you do, that's not a threat. That's a proof that the people actually want this kind of service that you want to provide because your power is in your uniqueness. I. No one else has your exact story, your style, your vibe, your lived experience, and what sets you apart isn't your niche.

It is you and how you deliver the result to your ideal clients. So take what's working, add your own flavor and a step into the space with confidence. There is a room for you. There is a room for everyone. The market is big, and it doesn't matter how small your niche may look like, I promise you, if somebody is already doing it, that means there is a market and the people are out there right now looking for exactly what you bring to the table.

All right. Now let's wrap this up with a quick recap. Start with one clear problem. This is the foundation of your set hustle, not a website, not a logo or problem you can solve. Instead, then define the transformation you offer because people pay for the results, not your coaching sessions, and then get clear on who you help.

Your messaging becomes magnet when you know exactly who you are speaking to. And lastly, validating your idea. Don't stay in your head. Get out there. Talk to real people. Look for proof of demand and the trust, your ability to bring something unique to the table to. Remember this, you don't need to have everything perfectly mapped out before you start because that just doesn't exist.

What matters is that you start, you've got experience, you've got the skills, you've got knowledge, you've got the expertise, and you've got the desire to serve. You've future clients. They are already out there silently waiting for someone like you to show up and help them solve a problem they don't want to carry anymore.

So when you are ready to step up and do this, everything will start to shift. And if your head is spinning right now and thinking that all sounds great, but how do I know if I'm even picking the right niche? Don't worry, I've got something for you. I have created a free ebook that will walk you through exactly how to discover your perfect coaching niche and create your 5K per month set hustle without the overwhelm, without second guessing.

It's just step by step instructions and you can grab the right now at the short note below. This is the guide I wish I had when I was starting out. It'll help you get a clear, get a confident, and actually help you move forward. Because the truth is you don't need all the answers to begin. You just need to take the first step and to get your foot through the door.

And if you're still listening, that tells me you are serious about making this happen. So trust yourself back yourself and take the next step that your future self will Thank you for. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today, and I'm cheering you on every step of the way. Until next week, keep taking actions and keep hashing with intention.

And I believe in you. I'll see you next week. Thank you so much for listening to the Hustle with Heels podcast. I hope this episode has inspired you to take action towards your sad hustle dream. If you are en enjoyed this episode, please take a second to rate and review it. Each review helps me help more corporate women and early stage entrepreneurs.

Just like you, don't forget to take a screenshot, share it in your Instagram stories. All on LinkedIn and check me at Cindy Excell. I will see you next week.