The journey of building a coaching business can feel like navigating uncharted waters. For many coaches, the desire to scale their business while juggling the demands of current clients often leads to confusion, missed opportunities, and burnout. In a recent discussion led by Cat Connect, the four key stages of a coaching business were unpacked, offering clarity and a strategic framework to help coaches progress with purpose and confidence.
This guide will explore those four stages in detail - Coach in Training, Startup, Sustainable Success, and Legacy - highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities associated with each phase. Whether you’re just starting out or are ready to evolve your established business, understanding these stages can transform how you approach your growth.
The first stage, Coach in Training, is primarily about mastering the craft of coaching. This is where you focus on developing your core skills, gaining credibility, and exploring whether coaching aligns with your long-term career aspirations.
At this stage, it’s vital to embrace experimentation. You’re figuring out your niche, your passion, and the impact you want to create. However, a common pitfall here is getting too comfortable in this phase. Many coaches fall into the trap of endlessly pursuing training after training, delaying the transition into building an actual business.
Key Priorities in This Stage:
Warning: Don’t mistake completing your coaching certification for being ready to skip straight to a sustainable business. The next stage - Startup - is crucial for creating the foundation of a thriving practice.
Startup is where the real work of building your business begins. This is a stage marked by hustle, learning, and experimentation. It’s about creating the systems and structures needed to secure clients consistently and setting the stage for future scalability.
One critical insight is that startup often takes at least two years. During this time, you’ll need to invest both time and resources into business development. It’s also where you begin defining your brand, crafting your message, and exploring marketing strategies that work for you.
Key Activities in This Stage:
Common Mistake to Avoid: Jumping into legacy-stage activities - like hosting a podcast or writing a book - too early. These efforts are better suited for later stages when your business has a stable foundation.
At its core, the startup stage is about building confidence in your ability to attract and retain clients. By focusing first on systems and sales, you’re setting yourself up for the next phase: sustainable success.
Achieving sustainable success means you’ve built a business that delivers consistent income while providing you with the time and mental space to evolve. This is the stage where you move from survival mode to thriving, allowing you to expand your vision and scale your impact.
In this phase, your energy shifts from experimenting to optimizing. You’ve already laid the groundwork in the startup stage, and now you’re refining your systems, solidifying your niche, and focusing on scaling your offerings.
What Sustainable Success Looks Like:
The Role of Delegation: At this stage, having support - such as a virtual assistant (VA) - becomes essential. Delegating administrative tasks allows you to focus on high-impact activities that drive growth.
Challenge: Sustainable success is not a final destination. Economic shifts, market changes, and personal evolution may require you to adapt. Regularly evaluate what’s working and be open to making adjustments to keep your business aligned with your goals.
The final stage, Legacy, is where your business becomes about impact at scale. By this point, you’ve built authority in your field, established a loyal audience, and created a team that supports your vision.
Legacy-stage activities often include writing books, hosting podcasts, or running large-scale communities. These efforts amplify your influence and position you as a leader in your industry. However, they’re only effective if you’ve already achieved stability in the earlier stages.
Key Features of the Legacy Stage:
Caution: Many coaches are tempted to pursue legacy-stage activities prematurely. Without a strong foundation, these efforts can drain resources without yielding results. Ensure you’re ready before diving into this phase.
One of the most transformative takeaways from Cat Connect’s discussion is the importance of accurately diagnosing your stage. Much like a misdiagnosis in healthcare leads to ineffective treatment, misunderstanding your business stage can result in wasted time, energy, and resources.
When you align your activities with your current stage, you create momentum and avoid burnout. For example, focusing on creating a podcast while in the startup phase might feel productive, but it’s unlikely to generate the clients and revenue needed to sustain your business.
Instead, prioritize stage-appropriate strategies. If you’re in startup, focus on client acquisition and building systems. If you’re in sustainable success, refine your processes and explore scalable offers. By matching your efforts to your stage, you’ll grow more efficiently and enjoy the journey along the way.
Whether you’re just starting out or scaling to new heights, the coaching business journey is one of both growth and self-discovery. By understanding and respecting the four stages outlined here, you’ll not only build a thriving business but also create a career that aligns with your vision and values.
Remember: You don’t need to rush. Success comes from clarity, consistency, and a willingness to adapt as you evolve. Take the time to know your stage, focus on what matters most, and trust that the results will follow.
Source: "Coaching Business Spotlight | The 4 Stages of a Coaching Business" - Soul Driven Success, YouTube, Aug 14, 2025 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCNRQS_HD6g
Use: Embedded for reference. Brief quotes used for commentary/review.
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