So I am doing two things to help with that. The first is that over the next several weeks, I will be re-airing some of my earliest podcast episodes, the ones I made all the way back in February and March of 2020. I spent the first several months of the podcast creating what I called then “The Getting Started” series. And recently, I went back and re listened to several of those episodes, and realized that even though it's been three and a half years since I recorded them, the information in those episodes is still spot on. So today, I am going to share episode four, Creating Clarity In Your Coaching with you. And be sure to stick around until the very end because I'm going to come back here live in 2023. And share my thoughts about what I might do differently or what I might add, if I were re recording that episode today. So regardless of whether you have been a longtime listener who has heard every single episode of the show, or if this is your first time, I guarantee by listening to this upcoming episode all about creating clarity in your coaching, you are going to walk away with some aha moments and a bit more direction about what to do to start or to revitalize your coaching practice. I know there are some of you out there who have been doing this for perhaps six months, a year, maybe even several years, and you're feeling a little stuck, you're feeling a little bored. You're thinking about maybe pivoting or targeting a new audience or coming up with a new approach. And if that's you, actually, I'm right there with you. I'm feeling that pull myself, which is part of the reason why I went back and listened to my own early recordings. So I would encourage you to listen to this episode with fresh ears and think about how the concepts can support you as you are creating a new refined vision for your coaching practice. 

So I said I was going to do two things. Thing number one is rebroadcasting these early episodes completely free, amazing content for you. The second thing I'm doing and this I am so excited about y'all and I I really hope you will join me. I have decided to launch the Coach with Clarity Seminar series. This is a series of six live trainings that I will be doing over the course of the next year. And these trainings really look at the craft of coaching, we will be going into some coaching fundamentals, the skills and techniques and tools I believe every coach needs in their arsenal in order to provide powerful transformational coaching to their clients. Now, there will be a little bit of business talk in those seminars as well. So if you are someone who's looking for both coaching, and business skill support, you are definitely going to want to check out the seminar series. Our first seminar kicks off on Monday, September 25th, at noon Eastern Time. And we're going to be looking at what I call unbreakable connections, and how to foster relationships with clients, colleagues and referral sources in ways that yes, build your business, but also enrich those relationships, because relationships are at the heart of what we do. So that is our first seminar. Moving forward, we will have seminars about how to structure an overall coaching relationship, how to structure an individual coaching session, how to support your clients when they're feeling stuck, or if they need to make a decision and they're not sure how to move forward, we are going to be diving in and I am going to be sharing some of the techniques I've only previously shared before in my certification program. So this is going to be a robust seminar series. And I'm making it available so that you can purchase one seminar for $125. Or you can purchase the entire series of six seminars for $600. What's even better is that if you choose to enroll in the entire series, I've got a bunch of bonuses designed to support you in building and growing your coaching practice. You will get access to my Business Blueprint, which will walk you through how to apply a lot of the concepts we're going to be covering today and in subsequent episodes. You'll also get access to the Coach with Clarity Client Creation Kit, which is one of my most favorite things I've ever created. Because it helps you come up with the foundational pillars of your coaching practice, and a marketing strategy that is fully aligned with your values, your strengths and your preferences. Because I don't want you ever feeling like you have to show up in a way that feels out of alignment with who you are as a person. That is not what marketing is about. And so the Coach with Clarity Client Creation Kit includes my marketing matrix, which is designed to help you come up with a marketing plan that actually feels good and that you'll want to implement. 

So you'll get the blueprint, you'll get the client creation kit. And this is so exciting. I've never done this before. But I am offering three Voxer Q&A days. So on those three days, one in October, one in February and one in June, you will be able to connect with me on Voxer, which is a free voice and text messaging app. And you can ask me any questions you have about the business and craft of coaching. So it's essentially like getting one on one coaching from me on the spot through this asynchronous app. I use Voxer all the time with my coaching clients and I absolutely love it. And so you will be able to do that on three separate days throughout this year long seminar series. So I will be right there to help you apply what you've learned from the trainings and to take the next step in your coaching practice. So that is the coach with clarity seminar series, y'all. I am so excited to bring it to you. So I want you to head on over to coachwithclarity.com/seminar you can get all the details about this first seminar I'm hosting on September 25th. You'll also see the future seminar topics and dates. And you can get more information about those bonuses that you'll receive when you sign up for the entire series. Again, you can purchase just September's training for $125 US dollars, or you can purchase the entire series of six seminars for $600 and get all of those great bonuses including those Voxer Q&A days. So I really hope you will join me then. 

Alright my friend. Let's get into it. I am so excited actually to share this episode with you listening back. I remember recording this episode in I believe this was late February 2020. And I was so excited about bringing this podcast to life and it was this episode where I really felt like I was starting to find my stride. There is so much good information in this episode and don't forget, I will be back at the end to share my thoughts and any new insights I have around this topic of creating clarity in your coaching. So let's do this.

Well, hello again, my friend. Welcome back to the Coach with Clarity podcast. I'm so excited to have you here, as always. And today's show, it's going to be a good one because it is all about helping you create clarity in your coaching, which this is the Coach with Clarity podcast after all. So we've got to have an episode about creating clarity in your coaching. So what do I mean when I say creating clarity in your coaching? I'm talking about getting super focused on who you want to serve, what they really need from you, and how you want to serve them. So those three things, the who, the what, and the how, are what we are going to dive into today. And basically, those are the three pillars of creating your niche or your niche. I think both pronunciations are totally acceptable. I may even use both pronunciations in today's episode, so bear with me. So today's episode is about the who, the what, and the how, and that really anchors your coaching niche. But before we even get into that, let's tackle a question I hear a lot, which is, do I even need to choose a niche? And I find this question so interesting because when I ask people, well, tell me why you wouldn't want to choose a niche, the response I typically get is, well, I don't want to cut myself off from working with all sorts of people. I love coaching, and I just want to get out there and serve as many people as I can and make a really big impact. And you know what? I get that. I became a coach for the same reason I want to get out there and serve as many people as possible. I mean, this is really my calling. So why would I limit myself by choosing a niche? 

Well, first, let me start off by saying you don't have to. You do not have to select a niche if you don't want to. And in fact, I know that there are many coaches out there who don't. They market themselves quite generally as a life coach or as a business coach or as a corporate coach. And that's about as specific as they get. And if that works for them, and if that works for you, then by all means, go forth. That being said, I'm going to suggest, especially when you're first starting out, that you do get clear on your niche. You get clear on the who, the what, and the how. Because that will help you provide structure to your marketing plan. It will help you reach the people you most want to serve because you are narrowing your focus and you're using very specific language in order to communicate who you are and what you do. Because here's the thing about selecting a niche, and I really want you to hear this. If you only take one thing away from our conversation today, I want it to be this: choosing a niche is a marketing strategy. It is not a service strategy. So when you select your niche, it is to help you get crystal clear in your marketing and in your messaging, so you know exactly who you are speaking to and how you can serve them. But that doesn't mean it has to limit you in terms of who you actually serve. You may find that even though you are speaking to a very specific audience, the energy behind your offer appeals to someone who may not tick all the boxes on your ideal client list. And that is okay. As a coach, you can then decide whether that person is a good fit for your practice or not. And I'm willing to suspect that if there's something about your messaging that attracted them, even if they didn't necessarily meet all of the requirements of your ideal client, they may still be a great client for you, and you can make that decision together. So choosing a niche and speaking to a specific audience does not have to limit your services. It provides focus and clarity to your marketing approach and to your brand messaging, but it does not have to limit how you show up and serve your people. So that's what I want you to remember as we go through this conversation, that selecting a niche is a marketing strategy, but it is not a service strategy. How you serve people is very much anchored in your coaching approach and the coaching skills and tools you use with your client. So your niche has nothing to do with how you create a powerful relationship, how you ask really deep, empowering questions, and how you partner with your client to help them create the change they want. That has nothing to do with your niche. Those are coaching skills that you can cultivate. And if you're looking for a way to do so, definitely check out the Coach with Clarity Membership, we spend a lot of time and energy focusing on how you can become a more powerful coach. But that process is separate from selecting a niche. It is separate from marketing. So, again, as we approach this conversation about creating clarity in your coaching and figuring out what your niche is, remember, that is a marketing strategy, not a service strategy. So I hope that makes sense. And with that, let's really dive into the three pillars of creating your niche the who, the what, and the how. 

So question number one who is your dream client? There are a few ways we can approach this question, and I'll share with you the way that I see most often, or at least where people tend to start, and that is from a demographic perspective. So as people are describing their ideal client or their dream client, they tend to start with qualities that are readily apparent or obvious. So I am talking age, sex, gender, location, socioeconomic level, career choice. Again, these are qualities that we could probably expect to find from census data. So they represent more external qualities about a client. And this is a really good place to start. For example, let's say, you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you want to coach working corporate moms. Okay? So there is a lot of demographic information in there that's really helpful. We know that you want to work with women. You want to work with women who have children. You want to work with women who are employed in a corporate environment, and they define themselves as professionals. So they probably have a certain level of education, I'm going to assume bachelor's degree or above. They probably hit a certain income level because of the nature of working in corporate. So already we have a lot of valuable information about who they are as a person. So starting with demographics makes a lot of sense, and it does help us define our audience. But the mistake I see a lot of people make is that they stop there. They think that once they have defined the demographics of the people they want to serve, that they've identified their niche. And I'm going to encourage you to go even deeper when you're defining who it is you want to work with. I want you to move beyond demographics and into psychographics. So if the concept of psychographics is new for you, I want you to think about demographics being external and psychographics being internal. So psychographics tell us a lot about the internal life of a person. Psychographics are about knowing their core values, what matters most to them. It's about knowing key personality traits. It's about understanding what motivates them, what drives them in their life. So again, these are not necessarily qualities that would be readily apparent just by looking at someone or just by finding out some of the cursory information about their life. No, these are far deeper traits and qualities to a person. So to go back to our example of working corporate moms, again, we know we're talking about women probably with at least a bachelor's degree, making decent money. They're moms. Again, these are things that are readily apparent. But what really matters to her? What does she want to build her life around? Is she a working mom because it's important to her to have her own professional identity? Is independence a key trait for her? Maybe she's a working mom because she wants to show her children what's possible. And so the idea of being a strong role model matters a great deal to her. Perhaps she's working because financial independence means a lot to her and she wants to get to a point in her life where she can pay for her children's education, she can pay for her housing independently. There are many reasons that she may be working a corporate job right now, and those reasons likely connect with her values or the things that matter most to her. And from a niching perspective, it is so incredibly important that we understand the internal motivations and drives of our ideal client because that's where we are going to connect with them most. When we are talking about the coaching approach that we use or what we offer as a coach, we want to connect with our client on that deeper values based level because that's where they are going to feel most connected to us. And that's how we are going to be able to really paint a picture that we understand them, we understand what it means to live their lives and to face the struggles or challenges they're facing. And it builds that know, like and trust factor that is so important when you are first connecting with prospective clients. So as you are thinking about who you want to serve, I want you to, yes, consider the demographics, but also go deeper. Consider the psychographics of your ideal client as well. What are their personality traits, what are their core values? What motivates them? What do they most want? Once you've done this, then you'll have a much better idea of who your ideal client is and who it is you most want to serve. 

Once you've done that, then you are ready for the second part, which is the what. And that is defining what your client needs most.So we have an amazing picture now of who your client is and what drives them. Now we want to really get into their life. What is it like to be them? What challenges or struggles do they face? What opportunities are before them? What do they most hope for in their life? So as we do that work and we get really clear on the challenges your client is facing and we pair that with what they desire most and what they hope for themselves, then we can start seeing the disconnect between where they are today and where they want to be in the future. And it's in that disconnect between the two that we as coaches can enter and provide a solution. We can be that bridge that gets them from where they are now to where they want to be. But we can only do that if we first really understand their starting point. So exactly what's going on in their life today, what's working and what's not working. And we need to understand where they want to be. So what does that ideal future look like for them? I like to think of this as clarifying your clients before and after picture. We see before and after pictures a lot in marketing and it's because it is really powerful. It is extraordinary to witness someone's transformation by seeing where they were when they started and where they wound up when they finished. Before and after pictures can be incredibly inspiring and motivating. So when we are talking to our ideal clients, we want to connect them with the present day as a before. And we want to make sure that they really see that we understand exactly not just where they are today, but why they are there. The challenges and the obstacles and the struggles that they're facing that are keeping them stuck in the now. Because then we can contrast them with what they most want and where they want to be. Because every single client has a dream or a vision or a goal that they want to achieve. They may be scared to fully admit it, but deep down they know that there's something that they want more than anything else. And as coaches, our job is to help them uncover that and then help them develop a plan of action to get to that ideal outcome. So when we can be really clear in our language and in our messaging about what that deep desire is, then the client is going to feel connected with us and they're going to see us as a viable solution to getting what they most want. So that's why it's so important that once you've talked about who your client is, you want to identify what they need and what they want. That's how we create a really powerful before and after situation for them. 

Now, here's the other thing to consider. Your client has probably already tried a lot of things to get to that after picture, to get to that ideal state. So in addition to knowing where they are now and where they want to be, we also need to be clear about what is blocking them from getting there, what have they already tried, what has not worked, and what issues or problems repeatedly surface that get in their way. If we can identify those problems or those struggles and relate to the client in a way that says, yeah, you know what, you're not alone in this. A lot of people struggle with this or a lot of people experience problems with that. And here's a different way through. Here's how coaching can help you work through those struggles or overcome those problems in a new and different way so that you'll get different results and get closer to that ideal outcome. That is a powerful message. So we want to make sure that when we're talking about what our client needs, we're clear on where they are today and the challenges they're facing. We're clear on where they want to be in the future and what their ideal vision is. And we're also clear on the obstacles or challenges that have shown up for them and made it difficult for them to accomplish what they want on their own. Because then we're able to position coaching as a new solution, as a new strategy to getting to their ideal future. 

Okay, so at this point, we have really clearly defined who it is you want to serve. We have defined what it is they need. So now it's time for that third question: how? How will you serve your clients? So I'm going to ask you to start by thinking about those obstacles or those problems that you just identified. And now I want you to describe the solution. What is it that your clients need to think, feel, or do in order to overcome those obstacles? So you'll notice I said think, feel, or do? Because likely your clients need to embrace a new thought, or they need to feel differently about themselves or their situation, or they need to take a different action in order to achieve their goals. And honestly, they might even need to do all three. They may need to create a new thought, foster a new emotion, and take new action in order to break the cycle of what they're currently doing. And as their coach, you can help them do that. You can help them identify the thought processes that are currently limiting them. You can help them step into a new way of feeling about themselves. And you can help them create a solid action plan that's going to have them take new action to get them closer to their goals. So, in terms of how you work with your clients, think about what do they need to think, feel, or do differently in order to work through those obstacles and get closer to their ideal outcome. Once you can answer that question, then you have started to define the solution. So you've identified what the solution is. Now it's time to talk about how you provide it. What approaches or skills or tools do you use in order to help your client think, feel, or do something different in their life? I can use my own coaching practice as an example. My coaching approach is highly influenced by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT for short. I was trained in ACT as a therapist, and I've now taken the elements of ACT and incorporated them into my coaching approach. And in fact, I wrote a book all about it. So if you're interested in learning more, you can head over to Amazon and order your copy of ACT On Your Business. Because in that book, I walk through the three pillars of ACT meaning, mindset and mindfulness, and how to apply them to your business and to your life. So I take an ACT oriented approach in terms of providing a solution to my clients. I know that to create change in their lives, to change the way they think, feel, or do in their lives. They need to start with those three M's: meaning mindset and mindfulness. And there are processes and strategies that I use to help them use the three M's to create that change. So that's an example of how I provide the solution for my clients. Coaching becomes a partnership where I help my clients tap into their deeper meaning, recognize their current thought patterns or mindset, and how it might be limiting them, and how to incorporate a mindfulness practice so that they can feel more deeply connected to their work and to their life. All of which will enrich that deeper meaning and purpose. So for me, the three M's are how I anchor my coaching work, and it's the approach that I use with my clients. It provides a framework in which I can anchor a solution. So you'll want to think about how you provide the solution to your client. You've already identified what they need to change in terms of their thoughts, their feelings, or their actions. Now it's time to think about how you provide that solution. 

So we have just covered the three big questions you need to ask yourself to create clarity in your coaching. The first question is, who do you want to serve? The second question is, what do they need? And the third question is, how will you help them? So with that, let's head into today's Clarity in Action Moment. 

Today's Clarity in Action Moment is brought to you by my free coaching style quiz at coachingquiz.com. In just seven questions, you'll discover which one of the five coaching styles you are and how your style serves you as a transformational coach. You'll learn your style's, unique strengths, as well as a few pitfalls and obstacles that might show up along the way. Want to know your coaching style? Then head to coachingquiz.com and discover your coaching superpower today. 

All right, my friend. Now it's time. It is time to take action on these three questions that we have explored today. And to make it easy for you, I have created a free challenge that you can sign up for coachwithclarity.com/challenge. And it will walk you through exactly what you need to do to clarify who it is you want to serve, what it is they need, and how you serve them. Even better, it goes beyond that and helps you start to identify what makes you unique and how you can reach these people you most want to serve. So it's going to walk you through this process of creating your niche, it’s going to help you tap into your unique strengths and what makes you special as a coach, and it's even going to give you a jumpstart on how you can start finding those clients you most want to serve. You can sign up for the Five Days to Client Clarity Challenge by heading to https://www.coachwithclarity.com/challenge. It is 100% free and each day will take you 10 minutes or less. There is a brief video and a worksheet for each day, and by the time you wrap up this challenge, you are going to be feeling so clear about who you serve, how you serve them, and even where to find them. So head over to coachwithclarity.com/challenge, complete the Five Days to Client Clarity Challenge, and then I want you to come share your experiences with me in the Coach with Clarity Facebook group. 

Hi, friend, it's Lee. We're back here in 2023. And I hope you enjoyed listening to that episode about creating clarity in your coaching, as much as I loved recording it in 2020. And as much as I enjoyed listening to it again now in the present day, and I have to say a lot of what I talked about in that episode still holds true today. I am a firm believer in starting with demographics, but moving past it and really focusing on your clients inner experiences, their values, their beliefs, their fears, their hopes, because when we connect with them on that level, well, that is the level where we create transformational change. So moving past demographics and psychographics, when you are determining who you want to serve, I still think is of utmost importance. And I also think that knowing where your client is in their personal timeline, knowing where they are at in their journey is also critically important, because then you can ensure that your coaching your offer meets them where they are in their present timeline. It takes into account all of the experiences and the rich history they bring with them to the present moment. So we're honoring that, as we are looking forward with them to what is possible. 

And honestly, I think if I were going to rerecord this entire episode, in 2023, I would spend a little more time looking at that, as I really listened, I realized I focused a lot on what challenges, what struggles, what problems are they facing. And I agree that as coaches, we do need to be aware of the problems our clients are encountering. Because we can support them through that, we can help them find solutions, we can help them find opportunities. But I also think I would probably shy away from some of the language I used. I really try now not to focus too much on the struggle. The energy of that word struggle just feels really heavy and it's not necessarily something I want to foster or encourage in my coaching relationships. Instead, I try to be more opportunity minded. And I try to focus on the possibilities. So I don't want to be blindly optimistic. I know that many of my clients are coming to me, because they need support in an area. And if they need support, it's likely because they have experienced a challenge along the way. And they know that partnering with a powerful coach like me can help them take the next step. So I don't want to ignore any challenges or problems. But I'm not sure I would necessarily focus too much on that. I tend to be more about what's possible, what the opportunities are. And really helping people live into what it would feel like if they were living out their dream, living out their vision. So really focusing more on opportunities than struggles. So I think that's probably the major change I would make if I were to rerecord this. But outside of that I think everything we talked about in this episode still stands and I hope that you find it helpful as you move forward with your coaching practice. 

And I hope you will join me for the next episode of the Coach with Clarity podcast where we are going to go back to basics again. And we are going to continue to cover the foundational principles of starting or revising a coaching practice. So if you haven't yet subscribed to the Coach with Clarity podcast, be sure to do that. That way you will not miss any future episodes of the show. And you should be able to do that wherever you are currently listening to your podcasts there's probably a follow or subscribe or a little plus sign button. All you have to do is click that and for absolutely free all future episodes of the Coach with Clarity podcast will show up automatically in your feed so we can stay connected. And I also hope that you and I are able to connect as part of my Coach with Clarity Seminar series. So if you are looking for in depth, applicable training to help you become a better coach and a better business owner, definitely check out the Coach with Clarity Seminar series at coachwithclarity.com/seminar.

All right, my friend that is it for me this week, but I will see you next time for another episode of the podcast and until then, my name is Lee Chaix McDonough reminding you to get out there and show the world what it means to be a Coach with Clarity.