So my work with Kate is really a great example of how to implement what we talked about in Episode Six and Episode Seven when it comes to creating and then pricing your ideal coaching offer. So I know you are going to get so much from listening to the Hot Seat Coaching Call. And then my follow up call with Kate. I cannot wait to hear what insights you pull that you can apply to your own practice. 

So before we get into it, let me introduce you to Kate Solis Silva. She is really the epitome of what it means to be a heart centered, holistic and results-oriented coach. She focuses on empowering mid career professionals to overcome their internal roadblocks, so that they can connect with their inner wisdom and stop settling and start thriving in their work and in their lives. Kate holds the Associate Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation, and you can learn more about her work at her website, https://www.katesolissilva.com, and you can follow her on Instagram @katesolissilvacoaching. I will make sure that we have links in the show notes for you so that you can follow up with Kate. So now let's get right into my Hot Seat Coaching Call with Kate.

* * * * *

LEE: All right, so tell me what you would like to explore today.

KATE: Well, this was really great information, the conversation that you and Kim had. I am a few steps behind that process, and I am just as of this year just launched my website and stepping into the entrepreneurial space of coaching a little bit more than just strictly as an affiliate coach. Up until this point, referrals have come to me very organically, word of mouth, and I've supported them through a set amount of coaching sessions, but I don't have a program. And when I went through my one-on-one business, like get your website launched kind of gig program last year, one of the pieces was having a program. But okay, what does that entail? What does that look like? 

And it felt like it was very obligatory for me in exploring that last year, and so I want to be intentional about creating that. First, I guess from this conversation I'll switch to program, like, offering, like, what's the first step? And then since being affiliated with Coach with clarity, I really am intrigued by your intensive offering and so like I'm just at a first step here.

LEE: Okay. This is so exciting.I love where you're at, because… I do. Here's why I love where you're at, Kate. First off, you are coming in with a lot of coaching experience. It's been as affiliates for other people's coaching programs, but you've got coaching experience, you know what you're doing, you're trained so you have what you need right now to go out there and serve your own organic clients. 

KATE: I do feel comfortable with that. Yes.

LEE: So this is the fun part. This is where we get to create the offer or the package, that your people need. So before we dive into that, I just want to be clear about your expectations for today and in 30 minutes. What do you want to walk away with today?

KATE: Honestly, more clarity. I mean, if we potentially land on an action step great, but I think just a way to distill what that can even look like for me to start peeling back that layer of the onion.

LEE: Okay, so if today's a little more prep work to get you at a point where it's like, okay, now I can now I can move forward. All right, excellent. Why is this important to you?

KATE:  I do feel like there is a piece of like, when someone calls me I'm very comfortable with the business piece of it, but what are they going to walk away with? I want to make sure that they're feeling fully supported and that they got a ton of value out of coaching with me.

LEE: Okay. Excellent. I wrote down the word values. I get the sense that for you, it is critical that when someone enters your world as a coaching client, they feel powerfully served. And it's more than just getting their money's worth. It's like, they're really going to experience change and their life is going to be better for having worked with you. There's something very deep and profound that's going to happen in that relationship.

KATE: Yes, that's great. 

LEE: Tell me about your client. Tell me about who you really want to work with.

KATE: So she's mid career. She's feeling unsatisfied. And that can be from a variety of reasons. So it may be that she's looking to make a pivot or a change. But it may be that she's looking to work differently. So it's how she's working isn't working. It's not just the what. She's also at a place where her priorities are demanding, she's got a lot going on, and so she may need to restructure how she's working in that capacity. My client typically is struggling with some limiting beliefs and fear of uncertainty and making that change. Whether that be like I said, just working differently, making an external shift, but there's a lot going on internally that's stopping it up until this point.

LEE: Tell me more about the internal piece. What thoughts is she having, what feelings is she experiencing?

KATE: Change is too overwhelming. I can't do this. A lot of imposter syndrome, self doubt, I'm not good enough.

LEE: So she's feeling a lot of doubt, a lot of fear. 

KATE: She's doing a lot of shoulds. So she may have like that big degree. But she really don't want to be doing it anymore.

LEE: Yeah. So with all this doubt, and all of these shoulds and all of this feeling overwhelmed, what action is she taking in her life right now?

KATE: Outside of connecting with me?

LEE: Yeah, like, What is she doing on like, a daily basis? 

KATE: You know, listening to podcasts? Social media… 

LEE: Is she trying to learn her way through the problem?

KATE: That's a good question. I would say yes. Because what I would like to bring to the conversation, being an iPEC grad myself, I want to call on my tools and resources from that area and lean into the conversation from a place of energy, reconnecting to yourself, and then making intentional choices from there.

LEE: Yes. Okay. So we're going to come back to that in a sec. You've just created a really clear before picture of who your client is, what she's struggling with what's not working, and how she's currently trying to address the problem, which is sorta kinda like learning her way through podcasts and self-help books the like, but because there's such a strong fear of change, she’s probably doing what she's always done. And you know, the saying, if you do what you've always done, you get what you've always got. And that's rooted in fear of change. Before we talk about what she needs to do next, let me talk about what she really wants. So if we could wave a magic wand and solve this dilemma for her, what would her life look like?

KATE: I did recently do a survey, so I feel like I do have some words to call on. She’s connected. She's got clarity. She's confident She's energized, joyful. Those were some that popped. 

LEE: I love it. What is she doing? What actions are taking from this confident, clear, joyful place?

KATE: So would that be more of like the clear priorities? Okay, so knowing what she says yes or no to. She's taking action, her career based on a place of what she wants and knows to be true for herself versus the shoulds. 

LEE: She's moving forward in her career and kind of a more aligned place. And what does that moving forward look like? Are we talking career advancement? Or, really when we get tactile, what does she want?

KATE: She wants to stop settling. To answer your question, Lee, it could be both. It could want to go for a promotion. She could want to leave that job. She could want to work less. It's the stop settling piece.

LEE: That makes a lot of sense, and I think that's really powerful. She's not gonna settle anymore.

KATE: Yeah. Okay, so I say stop settling and start thriving in my niche statement. 

LEE:Love it. Love it. Okay. 

KATE: Yeah, I answered your question at least!

LEE: You’re doing amazing! You're great! I don't hear any bullshit about, “I don't know, I'm not where I'm supposed to be.” No, you are like, on fire my friend, you've got this. So let's keep going. We've got where she is today and we have where she wants to be tomorrow. And you are the bridge between the two. You're the guide. Tell me more about how you bridge that gap. What do you offer to get her from from before to after?

KATE: Well, I do want to, I want to call on utilizing the debrief, big time. So with any of that, that's like our starting point to be able to have some more information about her thoughts, her beliefs, her attitudes are, her perceptions of the situation.

LEE: So you're really you're really leaning into the energy leadership framework as kind of a lens through which you're viewing this. Okay.

KATE: Yeah. And then do not have it created in any way shape or form, but I would like to add some short meditations, you know, guided journaling options for people, more of the introspective work as part of the process, and then taking it to the next level.

LEE:Yes, yes. Okay. So when you work with people, and you kind of lead them on this journey, I'm curious if you notice any consistent phases that they go through? Like when they're on this journey, where do they start? And then what's the next phase they enter? Like, what does that progression look like?

KATE: So what I can answer is up until this point, having coached in more of the traditional career transition or career change, there are definite phases whether that's self discovery, planning, and then action phases. I don't know honestly, what that looks like for me, because like we discussed, my work isn't necessarily just about taking that external shift, like getting from point A to B. It's that both/and feeling. So I don't, I don't know. I need to think about that.

LEE: Well, so that's okay. It's okay to not know for sure, but walk me through what you just said, in your previous experience, in the more traditional career coaching, you said it starts with self discovery.

KATE: Yeah. So there's getting clear on your values, and what your North Stars are, what really causes that you get fired up by, your personality needs, what your lifestyle needs look like, and making this transition moving forward. That's phase one. 

LEE: Okay. And tell me phase two, again.

KATE: Phase two is more about conducting, like, let's say small experiments. So the informational interviewing, building intentional community, starting to just take some steps forward, maybe take a class, volunteer, get more information about where you're thinking you want to go.

LEE: Yeah, so data gathering, experimentation, okay.

KATE: And then phase three is action. So you're interviewing, you've got your branded materials up to date, you're negotiating, you're potentially landing a new role. 

LEE: Yeah. Okay, so I just want to point out that you did just kind of define a process here. Phase one being the internal reflection, the self discovery, the going within, getting to know yourself, which for many women at the stage of life that they're at right now, and I'm speaking kind of like, I'm looking at myself through this lens, but it's like God…yeah. And so it's so much about my kids, it's so much about my husband's business, it's so much about everything else, so much about my business, that sometimes I forget, oh, I'm a human being apart from my business apart from my husband, my kids and so forth. And so it's this idea of rediscovering me as me, which I think is really powerful. And so what you're saying is that's the work that needs to happen first, because that's the foundation for the next phases. And so then phase two has to do with taking tiny action and small experiments and data gathering. Which, for someone who fears change, I will say that the idea of just taking tiny action…

KATE: I like that, because I mean, I use baby steps so much but tiny action is really cute too.

LEE: Yeah. Okay. Because those tiny actions then set you up for phase three, which is…

KATE: All in.

LEE: All in. Yeah. And all in is going to look different for each one of your clients. They get to determine that but that all in is going to align with their values because they've done that phase two work. And it's going to be consistent with what brings them joy because they've taken tiny actions to try things out. So really, phase three is more taking the work that's already been done and like just narrowing the focus a little bit, right? And then I added a phase four. I suspect it's something that you do throughout, which is kind of a refinement, because nothing's perfect, right? Even once you get to phase three and you've narrowed your focus, there's going to be hiccups, there's going to be obstacles and it's like, well, okay, so how do we refine? Do we need to step back? Do we need to reclarify? And so I want to suggest that there's probably a refinement piece that's present in this process as well. Does that resonate with you?

KATE: Yeah, absolutely. I think that maybe up until this point, it's just been something that's an ongoing conversation, knowing that whatever phase that you're in, it's evolving, and so you're constantly gathering information that's going to help you go closer to your yes. And you're going to start leaving some things along the way as well.

LEE: Yes. We've kind of described it linearly, but sometimes there's going to be, going back and revising, sometimes you're going back to step three, sometimes maybe back to phase one, you know, and checking in with those values, and have there been any shifts. So I just want to suggest we've been talking for literally 14 minutes, and in 14 minutes, you've already clearly identified who you're serving, you know where they are today, you know what they want, and you've just described a four phase process for working with your person. That's a lot. I just want to like, reflect that back to you for a second. 

KATE: Thank you. Where I think that I start to get the feelings of overwhelm is that this program, or whatever it is, has to be a whole big thing, and in this career space, it can often look almost like curriculum at times. And when I get clear, you know, in alignment with my inner wisdom about that, that's not where I'm at right now. And I also don't know if a client that's in this space needs that much stuff, you know, we're talking about they're already overwhelmed. They already feel uncertain. And so to be like, here's all this stuff you have to do every week. I like the word that you use, you know, and I reflect on for myself at times: simple. You know, I want it to feel energizing. I don't want it to be like they signed up for a college course.

LEE: So I'm going to suggest that you really lean into that. You can certainly lean into it with your marketing, but even just as you're conceptualizing this, they don't need 8 million worksheets. Okay? If you want to provide a guided meditation, that's fine, but they probably don't need 10 of those, probably just one or two really solid ones, like, keep it streamlined, keep it simple, keep it focused, because that's how we combat overwhelm, which is what they're struggling with. I will say, though, that I really like the idea of taking this process that's kind of evolved organically through your career coaching work, and bringing it over into this type of work. Because these four phases: self-discovery, tiny action, focused action, and then refinement, that I think is applicable in this space and with this audience, and you've field-tested it in one area, and so now you're just bringing it over here. That four step process, I think what it could offer your ideal client is reassurance that you know what you're doing, you've got a process you're guiding them through, there's something very comforting in that. But it's not so specific and so curriculum based that it's like, oh, I have to complete this chapter this week before I can move on to the next one, because that's not what they want. And it's not what you want, either.

KATE: Thank you. I mean, I'm all about not having to reinvent the wheel, so to be able to pull from some of the pieces of the work that I've been doing is great. I, as Kate Solis Silva Coaching, want to be able to have that conversation about change if it's appropriate. But there's also many of the other topics that we touched on that it's not only about making a career transition.

LEE: Right, right. And I think actually, that's what's so beautiful is that this process you've just just described is so flexible. It doesn't have to be about a career transition. It could be about a relationship changing. It could be about parenting, it could be about a health journey. There's a flexibility in this approach that's applicable to multiple topics and situations, and I think that's the beauty here is that you've created a process that is so adaptable, and it can really meet your clients where they are. Beecause some of your clients may be pretty solid on the phase one stuff.

KATE: Right.

LEE: That may only be a session or two at most, and then you're going right into, okay, you know this about yourself, what's blocking you from taking action? Let's talk about these tiny actions and what you need to believe about yourself in order to take that first step. Maybe that's where you spend the bulk of your time with one client, versus another client who hasn't given much thought to what really matters to them and couldn't tell you what their values are.

KATE: Yeah, I mean, a lot of the people on the survey they just did respond to like the overall stuckness feeling. So that can look a lot of different ways.

LEE: Yes, definitely. So let me check in with you, because I just want to get a sense from you how you're feeling about approaching this through the lens of a process or a system. And that's essentially what we've done.

KATE: Yeah. That’s what I want. Because I have felt like that is a missing piece thus far. Because I would want that. I don't want a ton of homework, but I want to know that I'm walking through something with someone. This is great. And I feel a different energy around starting to create from here, versus what I felt in the past.

LEE: Tell me more about what that energy feels like, what's going on right now.

KATE: A lot lighter. I feel like I'm giving myself permission to put some legs on it, but it doesn't have to be a whole big thing.

LEE: It doesn't, and in fact, what this does, this process that you've just articulated, this is the container you're creating for the coaching experience. And as coaches, that's something we need to do. We need to know the container in which we're working with our clients. But we don't have to structure every single moment of every single session, down to the nth degree. In fact, we can have room for flexibility and movement and magic, because we've established these larger parameters – the container. I love how you're approaching thisand I love hearing that it feels very ease filled, and that there's a sense of flow. I want to take this kind of process that you've created and I want to talk about what that actually looks like in terms of an offer or a package, because I know that that was something that you wanted to talk about as well. You've done some great work conceptualizing, and now let's talk about what the offer could actually look like. So you've got this process… you know, on average, when you think about that client before and that client after, timewise, what are we looking at to get from point A to point B?

KATE: I'm thinking eight to 10 weeks.

LEE: Okay.

KATE: I don't know if there's a best practice that you recommend around that.

LEE: My best practice is trial and error. (laughter) And I say that a little tongue in cheek but really, it's you have to get out there and field-test it and see what is going to work. And that's okay, it's okay to start from 10 weeks and say, “Oh, no, this is more of a six month thing,” or to start from three months and say, “Oh, no, this is six weeks”. Like, you don’t have to have all the right answers right off the top. 

KATE: What I have found thus far with clients is the shorter engagements always have needed to be longer. So I don’t want to err on the side of too short, and I do want to have time in there for the assessment and debrief too.

LEE: Yes. So the times that have been too short, what times have those been, like, how… five sessions? So five sessions is too short

KATE: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

LEE: Okay. And were those weekly or every other week?

KATE: Bi weekly.

LEE: Okay, so that was 10 weeks, then five sessions every other week. So knowing that, I'm wondering if maybe giving yourself and your client the gift of a little more time, and more of an expansiveness might serve the overall experience. Even if it's shifting from 10 weeks to 12 weeks, or four months, whatever kind of feels good to you. What what are your thoughts about that?

KATE: Yeah, originally I just like from my gut like, three months felt right. But not knowing exactly what that looks like on a calendar.

LEE: Well, let's talk through that. If your gut is saying three months, let's play with three months for a minute. Okay, so three months. Would you open with the debrief, would you open with a general launch session? What feels right?

KATE: So your launch session sounds super cool to me. I had not heard of that previously. I don't have that. I would like to explore that moving forward. It has not been on my radar until last week.

LEE: All right, so let's play with the idea of opening with a launch session. And again, there's the launch session guide in the Tool Kit. And I'm also coming out with something new. It was going to be a guide, and then I realized, this doesn't want to be a guide. This wants to be a process and a program and so like, I've got something coming out in the next few months that could also be used in a launch session. So more to come on that. Y'all can be my beta testers if you'd like. But okay, so let's think about opening with a launch session. And then maybe the next session could be your Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Debrief.

KATE: Cool.

LEE: Would you want to do those spaced two weeks apart, spaced one week apart? What's ideal?

KATE: I don't know the answer to that. I don’t know.

LEE: Yeah. Good. We get to try it out then. A little hypothesis to test.

KATE: Yeah. Both of these feel meaty, and so I'm wondering if a client would benefit from some extra reflection time, so maybe it would be every other week? I don't know.

LEE:  Okay. So let's go with every other week for now. And that's always something that you can play with moving forward. So those are your first two sessions, your launch session and your debrief. So week one and week three, let's say. And if we're looking at three months, we're looking at, what, four additional sessions, around four to five? 

KATE: Oh wow, okay. So like a four month thing.

LEE: Yeah. How many additional sessions would you like to work with someone through this process?

KATE: I mean, and again, if we're going to have four phases, at least allotting two sessions for each phase. This is all like, throwing paint at the wall, kind of, you know.

LEE: Yeah, we're putting something together for you to go out and trial. We're creating an experiment for you to test. 

KATE: Okay. 

LEE: But I'm hearing you've got your opening session, you've got your assessment and debrief, and then you've got maybe eight additional sessions. 

KATE: So that's 10 total. Ten sessions. 

LEE: Yeah. And you can space them out how you want, but it's sounding like it wants to be four or five months. 

KATE: Yeah. Okay, I mean, I've got a starting point to start, like, thinking about what this looks like. Yeah.Thank you.

LEE: You're welcome. So let me kind of, let's summarize everything you've accomplished. Like what are you walking away with today?

KATE: I mean, I have like a skeleton draft of what something could look like. So, high five, Lee.

LEE: High five, Kate. It came from you. I was the mirror. All I did was reflect it back. That was all you. 

KATE: Yeah, that's great. And, I know, like, it doesn't have to be a today thing, but I would love to hear how, like, how you've taken your six month, and then you have that intensive, because this is a continued conversation for someone to think about exploring signing on to a program of length. 

LEE: Yes. And we've got a couple of minutes, so I can just in a nutshell, tell you how I approach it. Because I do have six month coaching agreements with people, and then I have a half day intensive and that intensive tends to be more strategic. Those are people who are coming in and who are very much like, “I have this thing I want to accomplish. I want to create a plan of action. I want to know exactly what to do to get it done. And then I will go off and implement it.” So it tends to be a more focused, task oriented. I suppose I could do one that was more mindset oriented, and we certainly address mindset within that half day intensive, but I find a single deep session to be particularly helpful and attractive to clients when there's like, we get shit done. Like, that's what today is about. You will leave with a plan, you will know exactly what to do, you'll have a calendar. For me, that's worked really well with my intensives. Whereas the six month piece is really like, this is an evolution, this is a relationship, this is a process, and I will be with you every step of the way. And so in that sense, my intensive and my coaching package really complement each other, but also they speak to clients at different stages of their journey. So they don't compete with each other. And some clients will start with one and move on to the other, or just stick with one.

KATE: Good stuff. 

LEE: Yeah. So what is your next step?

KATE: So my next step would be to digest these notes and to start drafting what a program could look like, with what do each of those pieces entail.

Lee: Yes. I love that. 

KATE: It's simple. 

LEE: I was just going to say, and approaching it with simplicity and with ease.

KATE: Yes. 

LEE: And remembering that the client will like to know that you have a process. That will make them feel taken care of, and supported. Especially when you're marketing it, they do not need to know every detail of every session. That actually will just add to the overwhelm that she's probably already feeling. And I'm going to give you permission not to know every detail of every session.

KATE: Lee, what a treat. I'll take it. 

LEE: Seriously, like you may find things unfold and emerge in the process of conducting the coaching, you know, and so then it's like, oh, look at what's happening here. Look what it wants to be. Again, it's very much about co-creating the offer.

KATE: It is, but what I love about this is that I feel much more confident now even just having a prospect call. Because I do feel comfortable saying, “These are the four steps and we will co-create homework that's customized to you throughout that process.” 

LEE: Yes. 

KATE: And it's easy and light and you're not having to like, you know, study for an exam in the process. 

LEE: I love it. 

KATE: Because that's what I think I've been feeling like I haven't been able to provide up until this point, was that like, here's the process to fully support you.

LEE:  Yes. I mean, you killed it, Kate. Well done.

KATE: I appreciate you making the time. 

Lee: It's my pleasure. Thanks for sitting in the hot seat.

* * * * *

LEE: Okay, Kate, I am so excited to have this part two of our conversation. We spent a lot of time during the Hot Seat Coaching Call outlining your process, and by the end, you came up with what feels like a really solid first start for a program. So we've got the launch session, we've got the debrief, we have eight additional sessions. So we're really looking at somewhere around a five-month coaching relationship. And offline, we mentioned how between sessions your clients will be able to get additional support primarily through Voxer, which is like an amazing voice memo app, I highly recommend if people aren't already using it, and then maybe occasionally email support as well. So does that feel like kind of a comprehensive offer that you're making to your clients? 

KATE: Yes, thank you. 

LEE: Excellent. Okay, so now let's talk about pricing. And let me start by asking kind of what's coming up for you when I even throw out this idea of pricing.

KATE: As we touched on earlier, it’s really helpful when you framed in the exploration piece of the package, is just making sure that really providing that deep value for clients is important to me. And that they are feeling like, again, when they're walking away and investing in this product, that it is a piece of life change and transformation.

LEE: Yes. And the word investment is really important because, of course, there's going to be a financial investment, but there's also an energetic investment and time investment, and so the money piece reflects all of that, both from your side as the coach and what you're providing and what you're giving, but also from the client side in terms of their readiness and willingness to show up and really do the work.

KATE: Absolutely.

LEE: So let me ask you what, what are your initial thoughts about pricing this package? What's coming up for you?

KATE:Am I putting a numeric for it right now? 

LEE: We can start there if you'd like. Absolutely.

KATE: Okay, yeah, I mean, I do feel comfortable having the conversation with the client around this, and the dollar amount that's coming up for me when I think about this is somewhere around 1500. 

LEE: Excellent. So 1500. And if we're talking about this evolving over five months, we're looking at basically $300 a month.

KATE: Lee, I’ll say that I'm throwing that number out, but I am absolutely open to best practices and some consulting around this. Because that's what's coming up for me intuitively, but I don't necessarily feel like I have enough data around that to make an educated suggestion.

LEE: That's where I would start. Because really, pricing, we want to balance several factors. We want to balance what we need to bring in for our business to be sustainable. We want to balance the perceived value of our time and our work with the client. We also want to bring in the value of the transformation that the client receives by working with you. And we want to be mindful of what other people in our industry are charging. Now I specifically left that one last because in many ways, I think that should be the least important, and I know a lot of times coaches lead with that. They're so focused on other coaches and what their rates are, and they feel like that has to dictate their way forward. And I want to push back and say, “No, it doesn't.” We want to be mindful of it, but it shouldn't be the primary factor. 

KATE: And that's helpful because to be honest, I feel like that's some of where this number is originating from.

LEE: from other people's?
KATE: Yes. 

LEE: So I'm curious then, if we kind of keep in mind, all right, so 1500 seems like maybe that's in line with your industry, that's really good to know. Do you feel like that's an average? Is that a low point? A high point? Where are we in the spectrum of pricing?

KATE: I'm gonna say mid, average. 

LEE: Okay. And so then my question to you is, based on your training, your experience, do you consider yourself to be an average coach?

KATE: No, I do not. 

LEE: Yeah. What kind of coach are you?

KATE: I am a transformational coach. And I am very invested in the craft and in my clients experience, so I don't identify with the word average. 

LEE: Yeah. So here's what's coming up for me, and I want to hear how this resonates with you. I think if we're basing your rate on industry average, then that's kind of the bar we're setting for the experience. So I think it's important that if what you're offering is transformation, which it is, then it's okay if the price maybe comes in a little above average, to reflect the fact that there is that additional value. Now, I'm gonna, I'm gonna have a little caveat here. I recognize that this is kind of the initial foray into this package and into this pricing, and a lot of times people will ask me, “Is it okay or should I reduce the price for my first couple clients until I really make sure that this going to work, because it feels like a beta.” And I'm going to say that's really up to you. If you choose to do that, I would not frame it as discounting your rates. I really try to avoid sales or discounts when it comes to coaching because then the energy that comes in with it is that people are getting less of something. So I would frame it as your initial rate or your introductory offer, if that's something you want to do. So if you wanted to start with 1500 as an introductory offer for your first three clients, you could absolutely do that, knowing that eventually it's going to be closer to say, 2000. Yeah, how does that sit with you?

KATE: Very helpful. I like that there's room to explore and grow. I'm not pigeon holed into anything. And it is, you know, for me, it's an energetic shift. Just hearing how you phrased it in that space, because I would never want a client to feel like they're getting an average experience. I would never want to be delivering an average service. So be able to being able to start somewhere but knowing that there's room for growth,

LEE: Yes, and believe me, you will be revisiting pricing throughout the lifecycle of your business. Because as you grow and gain more experience and as demand rises for the work you do, then your supply is going to be limited, which means your pricing is going to need to go up as well. Like this is where we're headed for you. But to start in this kind of 1500 range, if your intuition is saying this is the right place to start, and it's consistent with industry averages, that's something that we should pay attention to. I would recommend if we're going to go with 1500, let's make that like a limited number of clients, and let's also talk about other compensation methods, because money is one type of compensation. Another type of compensation is a testimonial. And so we certainly don't want to require or mandate a testimonial, but I do think it's reasonable when you're working with these first clients to say, “With this introductory rate, at the end of our time together, if you're satisfied with your experience with me, you know, if you've had the transformation that you're looking for, I would love to feature you through a testimonial. And that might be on my website or my social media, but if you would do me the honor of providing me with a testimonial at the end of our time together, if you're satisfied, I would greatly appreciate that.” Because that's also a different form of payment. What are your thoughts about that?

KATE: No, I love that. And just to clarify, is this something that you're planting, the testimonial piece, are you planting that seed right from the beginning then? With the language of in this introductory offer in this initial offering, this would be a lovely add on for us to partner in.

LEE: I do. I plant the seed at the very beginning that, at the end, if they're satisfied and if they're comfortable doing so, there will be an opportunity for them to provide a testimonial. The other thing I do is that when I have testimonials, I am featuring their headshot, their testimonial, and I'm also linking to their website. So it is a way to build visibility for them. It helps with SEO because there's there's links. So there's benefit, even with providing the testimonial. It's not just one sided. And I think that's also something helpful to remember. I don't want you to feel like you have to sell your clients on it. But keep in mind that when you do a testimonial the right way, it can be a wonderful way to conclude your work together, and to have the client summarize all the gains they've made, so they see what they've accomplished. And then when you share the testimonial, you can do so in a way that shines the spotlight on them and on their services as well.

KATE: So that's really helpful to dig a little bit deeper into this. I am thankful to have received some testimonials up until this point, but I think there's an opportunity to frame it a little bit deeper, and contextualize it a little bit more and it would be something to start off the engagement with just like I said previously, planting that seed would be helpful. So thank you for providing a little bit more information around that specifically.

LEE: You are so welcome, and Kate, because you are in the Coach with Clarity membership, you have access to my testimonial request form. Because I believe in making this as easy as possible for our clients. Yeah. So instead of saying, Hey, will you write me a testimonial? Because they'll say yes, with the best of intentions, and then maybe they'll forget, or what they write doesn't really suit your needs. Instead, what I do is I have a questionnaire that my clients fill out, there's a series of questions I ask, and then I craft a testimonial based on their responses. And then I run the testimonial by them to get their approval, and then we're good to go. So there's much more information about that in the Tool Kit within the membership.

KATE: Awesome.

LEE: All right. So Kate, we have arrived at a number, how are you feeling about this?

KATE: Honestly, I feel great. Like I was saying a little bit earlier, I think just knowing that this is all just a starting point, that there's always room to evolve and shift and reflect and come back to it, but it feels like a good, a good starting point.

LEE: Yes. And that's exactly how I want you to think of this entire package, including the pricing, this is your starting point. This is your hypothesis. You get to test this out, you'll test the messaging and the marketing and see how it sits with your people. And then this is going to evolve and you have permission to let it evolve and to evolve with it.

KATE: I will take it.

LEE: Excellent. Kate, thank you so much for coming on and and allowing us to kind of peek behind the scenes of your business as part of the coaching call for the podcast. I'm so glad grateful.

KATE: I'm grateful as well. Thank you. This has been immensely helpful. 

LEE: I'm so glad.

* * * * *

Kate, thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing your experiences with me and with the audience. And for those of you listening, I mean it. I cannot wait to hear what insights you took from my coaching with Kate. So you can head to the Coach with Clarity podcast, Facebook group and share your thoughts. Just head to https://www.coachwithclarity.com/facebookgroup and you will be transported to the group where you can join and engage in the discussion. 

And if you heard that session and thought to yourself, man, I want to be on the hot seat, well then, I encourage you to check out the Coach with Clarity membership. It is the place for intuitive coaches, helpers, creatives and healers who are ready to expand their approach to coaching while building a sustainable fulfilling business. So head to https://www.coachwithclarity.com to learn more, and I can't wait to welcome you into the membership. 

All right, my friend. We are continuing the Getting Started series next week with an episode that I know you are not going to want to miss. We are going to explore how to find that ideal client. So you know who they are, you know how you're going to serve them. Now let's get out there and find them. We'll dive deep into that on the next episode of the Coach with Clarity podcast. Until then, I'm Lee Chaix McDonough, encouraging you to get out there and show the world what it means to be a Coach with Clarity.