13 Costly Errors Wellness Coaches Make...Are You Guilty?
Building a successful wellness coaching business can feel like navigating a maze—full of exciting opportunities, but also plenty of missteps along the way.
Whether you're just starting out or have been coaching for a while, there are some common mistakes that can stall your growth and leave you feeling stuck.
The good news?
These mistakes are avoidable, and by addressing them early, you can fast-track your success, attract your ideal clients, and create a business that thrives.
In this post, I’m diving into 13 of the most common mistakes wellness coaches make when trying to build their business—and more importantly, how to avoid them.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, struggling to grow, or just not seeing the results you hoped for, this is the guide you’ve been waiting for. Let’s uncover the missteps holding you back and set you up for long-term success.
Here are 13 common mistakes wellness coaches make when trying to build their coaching business:
Lack of a Clear Niche
Mistake: Trying to serve everyone instead of focusing on a specific niche.
Consequence: A confusing and generic message, which makes it harder to attract and retain the right clients who align with your expertise. This leads to wasted time and resources on leads who are not truly interested or aligned with your services, instead of nurturing quality leads who are more likely to convert.
The Fix: Take The Niche Clarity Quiz Now to figure out if your niche is clear and profitable.
2. Focusing Too Much on Social Media Followers
Mistake: Believing that a large social media following automatically leads to business success.
Consequence: Coaches may spend too much time chasing followers rather than creating genuine connections, nurturing leads, or focusing on income-generating activities.
The Fix: Focus on quality over quantity—opt for deeper engagement with a smaller audience of ideal clients rather than chasing big numbers. In the beginning of your coaching business especially, focus more on getting in front of others’ already built audiences and making personal connections with those who can refer ideal clients to you.
3. Skipping Client Testimonials and Social Proof
Mistake: Failing to gather and showcase client testimonials or case studies.
Consequence: Missing out on one of the most powerful forms of marketing. Social proof builds trust and demonstrates real-world results, making it easier to attract new clients.
The Fix: Set up a simple system to request testimonials after each successful client engagement (e.g., an automated email request); have getting testimonials as 1 of the 3 emails you automatically send after working with a client (for more on these 3 must send offboarding emails, check out this previous blog I wrote.
4. Neglecting Email Marketing
Mistake: Focusing exclusively on social media without building an email list.
Consequence: Your email list subscribers are your hottest, most interested leads, so by focusing exclusively on social media, you miss out on the most effective way to build a successful audience.
The Fix: Decide on how often you will email your list (I recommend at least weekly; though build up to that over time), and batch your emails to your audience so you remain consistent. So for instance, if your goal is to email your list twice a month, create 4 emails so you have enough to last you 2 months, and continue working ahead so you always have content no matter if you’re on vacation or you’ve got a sick kiddo at home.
5. Trying to Do Everything Yourself
Mistake: Not outsourcing or getting help with tasks like tech setup, design, or marketing.
Consequence: Leads to overwhelm and burnout, as coaches get bogged down in areas outside their expertise, delaying business growth.
The Fix: Start by outsourcing just one task, such as social media scheduling or graphic design. This can be surprisingly affordable and you typically only need a few hours/month; but will free up so many more hours and frustration for you.
6. Overcomplicating Their Offer
Mistake: Offering too many services, programs, or packages, which can confuse potential clients.
Consequence: Instead of simplifying the decision process for clients, it overwhelms them, leading to indecision and fewer conversions. So when you’re tempted to offer all these personalized services and all.the.things for your multiple niches, you’ll actually make less sales because you’re creating confusion and overwhelm; and a confused or overwhelmed mind doesn’t buy.
The Fix: Simplify your offers and services to 2: a mini-offer and a high ticket offer; once you clearly have those in place and have made some sales, you can always re-evaluate if you need a middle of the road offer. If you want the step by step process for how to create your mini-offer, craft a compelling sales page, and beta launch it to your audience, grab Make Money Now: Add $1k to Your Coaching Biz While Creating Your Signature System.
7. Ignoring Mindset Work
Mistake: Focusing solely on business strategy without addressing mindset.
Consequence: Doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs will sabotage progress, making it hard to take bold steps and grow the business confidently. Research shows mindset is 80% of your business success, so unless you’re continually addressing and working through these, you’ll stagnate and feel frustrated and stuck.
The Fix: Work with a business or mindset coach or a mental health therapist, to help you overcome mental blocks and gain clarity. As a Business Coach and Licensed Mental Health Therapist, I understand personally and professionally the underlying fears and subconscious thoughts that plague entrepreneurs, especially when we’re first starting out in business. Grab a no cost, no obligation call if you’re struggling with getting your coaching business off the ground or scaling it to the next level.
8. Failing to Invest in Business Education
Mistake: Not investing in learning business fundamentals like marketing, sales, and operations.
Consequence: Coaches may have great expertise in wellness, but without business knowledge, they struggle to grow and scale their coaching practice effectively. If you’re already certified as a Coach, I promise you, you don’t need more wellness coaching certification or knowledge to get clients. You need to have a clear niche, compelling offers, understand your messaging, and a clear marketing strategy.
The Fix: Immerse yourself in learning the business side of your business; whether that be through hiring a Business Coach, listening to business and marketing podcasts, or joining an entrepreneurial mastermind, getting support in your business is absolutely essential to sustained business success.
9. Not Defining Clear Client Boundaries
Mistake: Being overly available to clients or not setting clear boundaries on communication and time.
Consequence: This can lead to burnout, as coaches may feel overwhelmed and exhausted by constant client demands without appropriate boundaries in place.
The Fix: Use contracts or agreements that outline the scope of work, response times, types of acceptable communication, and boundaries from the beginning. Then be sure to iterate these during your initial client session and as needed. A couple specific fixes to consider: 1. Adding that you respond to emails within 24 to 48 hours (or whatever your response time is) as part of your signature, so email senders will know what to expect when they reach out. 2. Add to your business voicemail your response time. 3. If I’m emailing clients outside of my communication hours, I will schedule the email to go out the following business day during my regular business hours so I’m keeping with my boundaries.
10. Ignoring the Power of Networking
Mistake: Overlooking the importance of networking with other professionals, mentors, or even potential clients.
Consequence: Coaches miss out on invaluable collaborations, referrals, and opportunities to expand their visibility and credibility in their niche. Around 70% of my coaching clients come from people, places, and agencies I’ve networked with. It’s far easier (and much quicker) to get in front of others’ already established audience than it is to build your own from scratch.
The Fix: Set a networking goal each week or month; for example, your goal is to reach out to 3 new connections (or reconnections) each week to talk about potential collaborations. Then track your progress, and don’t forget the follow up!
11. Not Tracking Metrics and Business Performance
Mistake: Failing to track key performance metrics, such as conversion rates, client retention, or marketing effectiveness.
Consequence: Coaches may not understand what's working and what's not, making it difficult to make data-driven decisions that lead to growth.
What also frequently happens is a new Coach will get little to no attendees for a webinar or no sales on a launch and think something’s wrong with them, or that they aren’t cut out to be an entrepreneur; but often the problem is just needing to get it in front of more eyeballs or a simple tweak in messaging, like changing the title of the webinar or program so it speaks to their ideal client’s pain points and solution.
The Fix: Set up a simple tracking system for key metrics, such as leads, conversions, and revenue. Then at least monthly, look at these key metrics and see what’s working and what’s not from a more unbiased perspective.
12. Lack of Consistency in Content Creation
Mistake: Being inconsistent with content creation and marketing efforts (e.g., posting sporadically on social media or blogs).
Consequence: This makes it harder to build an engaged audience and maintain visibility, leading to slower business growth and missed opportunities to gain clients.
The Fix: As I mentioned in mistake # 4, Batch-create content to stay ahead and avoid last-minute scrambling. Stick to a manageable posting schedule—whether that’s weekly or bi-weekly—rather than aiming for daily content if it feels overwhelming. Consider creating a monthly content theme where all your content focuses on that topic. Be sure to repurpose your content!
13. Not Having a Signature Offer
Mistake: Lacking a signature program or offering that clearly defines what the coach specializes in.
Consequence: Without a standout offer, clients may not understand how the coach can help them, making it harder to sell coaching services or establish a unique brand identity.
The Fix: While I love having a mini-offer, you’re never gonna hit your revenue goals with only mini programs. Develop one core offer that's a higher ticket and solves a significant problem for your ideal client. Then Focus your marketing on this offer to build recognition and consistency around what you provide. Test and refine your offer over time based on client feedback to ensure it meets their needs.
There you have it: 13 Costly Errors Wellness Coaches Make! Hit reply: Which mistake(s) are you guilty of?
I’ll kick us off: I’ve been guilty of #’s 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11…See? No shame!
We all make mistakes and learn pivotal lessons along our business building journey!
So if you’ve made 1, 5, or all 13 mistakes here, you’re not alone!
Every wellness coach faces challenges on their journey to building a thriving business, but the key to success isn’t about avoiding challenges altogether—it's about learning from them.
By recognizing and addressing these 13 common mistakes, you’re already ahead of the game.
Remember, your passion for helping others is your greatest asset. With the right focus, strategy, and mindset, your coaching business can become everything you’ve dreamed of and more.
So, whether it's refining your niche, simplifying your offer, or investing in the right tools, each small step will move you closer to building a business that not only serves your clients but also supports your personal and financial goals.
You’ve got this! But in case you wanna get expert guidance and support from a Business Coach & Copywriter for Wellness Coaches to get clients more quickly and easily, Grab your Complimentary Clarifying Call Today and let’s chat and see if it’s a fit to work together. No obligation, just clarity on your specific next steps forward towards business success.
