#248: Substack For Coaches: My Honest Take After 30 Days

Posting more isn’t getting you more clients.If you’re writing captions, making graphics, and brainstorming with ChatGPT all day... and still hearing crickets, this one’s for you.In this episode, I walk you through the 5 steps I still use to find coaching clients on Facebook. No funnels. No cold DMs. No dropping your calendar link in the comments.In this episode:Why one post can’t build trust on its own (especially now that AI can write a smart caption in five seconds)The 4 things that have to be in place before anyone signs up with youWhy your clients describe their problem differently than you do (“I hate my job, but I’m scared to leave”)Why the leaders and executives you want aren’t hanging out on LinkedIn waiting for your postMy Coffee Shop Rule for DMs and friend requestsPersonal profile or business page? My honest answerDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

You worked hard on your content. Someone finally booked a discovery call.The call goes great. Forty minutes of real coaching. Then it’s time to talk about price…And you freeze.In this episode, I answer a question from a coach in my community: how do you go from coaching someone to inviting them to work with you, without it feeling awkward or salesy?The good news is you already have the three skills you need. You use them every day with clients. You just forget to use them when money comes up.Want me to look at your discovery call process? Book a free strategy callHave a question you want me to answer on the show? Send me a voicemail and say "Hey Michelle!" Want to learn the full Client Enrollment Method? It’s inside the Coach With Clients Academy. Email me at [email protected] and I’ll walk you through it.Want weekly support while you build? Join me inside the Builder RoomDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

You’re great at conversations. You talk to people all week. That’s literally your job.So why is nobody booking a call?In this episode, I take one coach’s question and dig into what’s really happening. A lot of the time, the people you’re talking to have no idea you’re a coach. You never said it, or you said it in a way that was so fuzzy they forgot by the time they got to their car.I’ll walk you through the three reasons coaches hold back from saying “I’m a coach.” Then I’ll give you a simple way to start those conversations and end them so they lead somewhere.Want me to answer your question live? Office Hours with Michelle is every Saturday at 9 AM PT on YouTube. One coach, one question, three action steps. Save your spot: coachwithclients.co/office-hoursNot sure what’s actually holding your business back? Take the free Find Your Missing Piece assessment. It’s 7 questions and takes 10 minutes. coachwithclients.co/find-one-thingReady to build with support every week? Join me inside the Builder Room: builderroomforcoaches.comDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

Substack was the answer a few months ago. Now it’s YouTube. Next month it’ll be something else.If you’ve been bouncing between platforms, hoping the next one finally brings clients, this episode gives you a simpler way to decide.I walk you through the three categories every social platform falls into: search, feed, and conversation. You’ll hear what each one does for your coaching business and the two I want every coach to have. The real goal behind all of it is getting your dream client comfortable enough to talk to you.In this episode:Why a quiet audience doesn’t mean you picked the wrong platformSearch, feed, and conversation platforms, with examples of eachThe free listing ICF members should set up this afternoonHow a clear message helps the algorithm show your content to the right peopleWhy you don’t need a paid community platform to build a communityThe two-platform rule: one search, one conversationWant to build this out week by week with me? Come join the Builder Room: builderroomforcoaches.comGot a question of your own? Office Hours is free and live every Saturday at 9 AM PT: coachwithclients.co/office-hoursDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

You built a coaching package. Maybe you priced it with a lucky guess. And when the 12 weeks ended, your client said thank you... and disappeared.In this Office Hours replay, I answer one coach's question: how do you keep clients coming back after the program ends? To get there, we start at the beginning. How to build your package, how to price it based on the transformation you deliver instead of the hour you spend, and how to plant the seed so the end of your program isn't the end of the relationship.Plus the one-line message to send a past client this week.In this episodeWhy most coaching packages are designed to end (and why that's no judgment, we all start there)The 3 elements of a coaching package: the container, the steps, and what to cut and what to keepWhy the restaurant appetizer is the right model for a new coach's first offerHow to decide between weekly and every-other-week sessionsThe "fire hose" problem: when too much value turns into overwhelmWhy pricing by the session keeps you comparing yourself to the coach charging $100The 3 things to weigh when you name your priceWhy to test your package with 5 to 10 clients before building something newHow to plant the seed around week 10 so clients know what comes nextWhy she needs you more in month four than in month oneThis week's action step: the past-client check-inLinks Mentioned In This Episode:Office Hours with Michelle (free, Saturdays at 9 AM PT on YouTube; send your question): coachwithclients.co/office-hoursThe Builder Room ($27/month, weekly live Q&A plus 3 action steps; bring your package for feedback): builderroomforcoaches.comLast week's Office Hours episode on getting your ICF coaching hours: https://youtu.be/XChQQZimBTs?si=Ovcdir906ZKj4mkV ICF Global Coaching Study (the coaching rate data mentioned in the episode): coachingfederation.org/resources/research/global-coaching-studyKnow Exactly What To Fix To Get Your Next Paying Client: coachwithclients.co/find-one-thingBook a strategy call (to talk about 1:1 or the Academy): coachwithclients.co/strategycallDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

75 paid hours. That's what ICF asks for before you can get your ACC.And most coaches try to get there one barter session at a time. Or $60 at a time through a matching company.Honestly? That's a slow way to get certified. And it's an even slower way to build a coaching business.Here's the thing. Getting your hours and getting paying clients can be the SAME path.In this episode of the Make It Visible Podcast, I walk you through how I did it. I bartered for one round, just 12 hours, and said "Wait, I am not doing this." Then I started running paid workshops at a local women's club. Time management. Stress management. Slides, projector, the whole thing.Some days, 2 people showed up. Some days, zero. I kept going anyway.In this episode, you'll hear:Why $60 matching companies make it harder to build a real coaching businessWhere your dream clients already gather: Meetup, gyms, libraries, hospitals, and even your workplaceHow to plant the seed so your pro bono clients want to keep working with youWhy you need a renewal package before your first package even endsThe exact question to ask at the end of every session: "What feels right for you?"Why a 4-week package is easier to say yes to than a 3-month commitmentYour homework Pick ONE place where your dream clients already hang out. Find out who plans their events. Reach out before Friday.Not next month. Before Friday.Resources mentionedFree strategy callNiche & Avatar Builder (inside The Builder)Coach With Clients AcademySave your seat for live Office Hours for FREEMeetupEventbriteICF ACC requirementsQuick ICF note: For your ACC, you need 100 coaching hours with at least 8 clients. At least 75 of those hours must be paid. Always check ICF's site for the latest rules.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michellekueispeakLoved this episode? Share it with a coach friend who's still bartering hours.Drop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

Posting is not marketing. If you're posting five times a week and still not getting paying clients, the problem isn't your frequency. It's that you don't have a plan.In this episode, I walk you through the exact 30-day plan to get your first and next paying client. Week by week. No new tools, no rebrand, no fixing your Instagram bio for the third time this week.Here's the thing. Coach A posts five times a week and hears crickets. Coach B posts twice a week and signs three clients. Same platform. Same effort. Different result.The difference is that every post has a job.Without a plan, every post becomes a brand new decision you're asking your audience to make. And confused people don't sign up. They don't even know what you're offering.What you'll walk away with:Why posting more isn't the fix. Twice a week with a plan beats daily with none.The full 30-day plan, week by week. One problem and one offer, then conversations, then proof your offer solves it, then the ask.The red carpet rule. Why jumping from one-on-one to workshop to masterclass every week kills all three.Resource mention in this episode: Free Diagnostic ToolJoin the free 3 Part training to start your coaching biz HereDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

A coach friend called me about a friend of his. She'd written a book. A marketer emailed offering to make it more visible. Keywords. SEO. New pages. All of it with a price tag on the end.He wanted to know if she was getting ripped off.So I read the email. And I thought about you.Most coaches don't know much about marketing. That's not a character flaw. Nobody taught you. But when somebody shows up using words you've never heard, you get that little feeling of "hmm, maybe this person is right." And that feeling is the product. That's what they're selling you.A real marketer sells you a result. A rip-off sells you the feeling of doing something.In this episode I walk through the 10 red flags I see all the time, and I give you 4 questions to send back to anyone before you hand over a dollar.Ready to stop being the coach who can't tell the difference?Come to Start Small, Start Right, my free three-part training. You don't have to become a marketer. You just need to know enough to check the work.We kick off Tuesday, September 8th, and on the 12th we're live building page one of your business plan together.Register free: https://mycoachingbizplan.comDrop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

Everyone is telling you to get on Substack. Gary Vee. The big-name coaches. All of them.But should you?Here's the thing. Most coaches hear "get on Substack" and think it's the answer to getting clients. It's not.Substack is a place to get found. That's it. It's not where you keep people. It's where they meet you.I spent 30 days on it. This episode is what I learned.You'll hear why there's no algorithm fighting you like on Instagram. Why you don't really own your Substack list (and where to send people so you don't lose them). And the one mistake that keeps coaches busy, liked, and still broke.Drop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall

A while back I told overwhelmed coaches to make a task list, delegate, and automate. Work smarter, not harder. I still believe that. But lately I had a different thought, and a client email this weekend made it click. You're not missing a system. You're not missing another program. You're missing the one thing a regular job always gave you: a deadline and a job description.No boss. No clock. No order of operations. Just you, wearing every hat at once. Of course it feels like chaos.In this episode I break down what a real system actually is, why "be more visible" is incomplete advice, and the one-line routine that cuts through the noise.In this episode:A system is a routine, not a tool you download and installWhy visibility does not equal clients (visibility sparks conversation, conversation gets clients)What an overwhelmed coach's day really looks like, and why doing a little of everything keeps you stuckHow to reverse-engineer your routine from the only goal that mattersThe one metric to measure, and it's not downloads or followersYour homework this week: write your routine in one single line. How do I get clients? Which really means: how do I start conversations? Then give yourself the deadline nobody else will. Three conversations by Friday.Resources & links: 🔗 Free 7-Step Roadmap to build your coaching business and get paying clients 🔗 Coaching Biz Lounge, ongoing marketing support for coaches, built by a coach ($197/month)Enjoying the show? Follow so you don't miss next week's honest hot take on Substack, and if this one landed, a quick rating and review helps another coach find it.I'd love to hear it: what kind of conversation have you been having this week? Message me and tell me. You never know who needs to hear exactly what you do.Drop me a line and share your thoughts!About the host:I’m Michelle Kuei, a business and marketing coach for coaches. I’m a former pharmacist, a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program, a certified copywriter, and a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you’ve been coaching for years.Subscribe & review:If this episode helped you, the best thank-you is a quick rating and review wherever you listen. 🐦 SOCIAL STUFF:Substack ➔   / dearcoach.substack.comInstagram ➔ /@coachmichellekueiFacebook ➔   / coachmichellekueiLinkedin ➔   / michellekueiWebsite ➔ michellekuei.comBook a strategy call with Michelle ➔ http://coachwithclients.co/strategycall