Let me start by saying this: If you’re thinking about starting your own coaching or counselling practice, you are about to step into one of the most beautiful and chaotic journeys of your life.

I’m not here to sugarcoat it. As someone who’s launched three startups, worked with hundreds of coaches, and lived through the “I-know-what-I’m-doing” phases (spoiler: I didn’t😶🌫️), let me give you a little truth bomb:

💥 Starting your own practice will be one of the best decisions you ever make.

And the hardest.

And the most confusing.

And the most rewarding.

Here’s why:

𝟭. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼

When you launch your own practice, it’s like looking in the mirror but being handed a magnifying glass at the same time. You’ll see your strengths, sure, but you’ll also see your flaws 🤢 And sometimes those flaws will stare back at you like a glaring neon sign.

• “Oh, so you’ve been procrastinating because you’re afraid of failure?”

• “Hey, why are you avoiding those marketing emails? Oh, right, because you don’t know what you’re doing.”

• “Wait, did you just say you were too busy to schedule your own self-care? Oh, you must be hilarious.”

The first year? It’s a self-discovery marathon. You’ll get to know your boundaries (and where you need to set them), your strengths (like running your own social media for 2 weeks straight), and how much caffeine you need to function without actually being too productive.

𝟮. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

This one’s for the newbies: Being a coach or counsellor is only part of the equation. The real fun begins when you need to manage the business side.

Suddenly, you’re juggling:

• Marketing: “Wait, I’m not just helping people? I have to sell myself too?!”

• Client Acquisition: “Oh, you mean they don’t just magically find me in the forest, singing ‘I’m a coach, come hire me’?”

• Website Development: “What do you mean I need a ‘Call to Action’? I thought that was just an email signature.”

Trust me, those first few months (maybe years) will feel like you’re walking through the wildest obstacle course, armed with nothing but Google and a 3 am existential crisis.

The beauty of it all is: You’ll learn the skills you never thought you needed. You’ll become your own marketer, tech support, financial advisor, and, let’s face it, your own therapist some days too. And the best part? It’s all worth it 😜

𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹 (𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝘁)

I get it. No one likes to fail. But guess what? Failure is just another word for learning.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought, “I’m going to nail this launch,” only for it to flop. Or when I’ve spent hours crafting the perfect recommendation plan for clients that gets zero replies. But then there’s this little win – that first “yes” email from a client you’ve been nurturing for weeks, or the first time someone shares your post and says, “This really spoke to me.” Those small wins? They keep you going.

You have to embrace failure like you embrace a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning.

It’s inevitable.

It’s uncomfortable.

It’s also a sign that you’re pushing yourself beyond your limits.

And that’s how you grow.

𝟰. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 ‘𝗡𝗼’

This one is hard.

You’ll want to help everyone, take on every client, and be all things to all people.

But you can’t.

In the early days, I tried saying “yes” to every opportunity. I thought that’s what would get me the business success I was aiming for.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘆.

Boundaries are your best friend in this journey. You’ll learn to say no to clients who aren’t the right fit (and who drain your energy), you’ll turn down projects that aren’t aligned with your values, and you’ll learn to say no to your inner people-pleaser that’s always telling you to do more.

My comfort for you is that you’ll still succeed. In fact, by saying no to the wrong things, you’re making space for the right ones 🫡

𝟱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗔 𝗟𝗼𝘁. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆.

Starting a practice, especially in the early days, can feel isolating. You’re the one calling the shots, making all the decisions, and figuring it out alone (unless you have a business partner).

Solitude doesn’t mean loneliness. It means growth.

Those quiet mornings when you’re working by yourself? You’ll learn how to be your own cheerleader.

You’ll become comfortable with sitting in silence, thinking through challenges, and making decisions without a 5-person team to bounce ideas off of.

And when those really hard days hit (and trust me, they will), you’ll realise that you’re stronger than you think.

Because you’re the one in charge, and you have the power to turn things around.

𝗦𝗼, 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁?

Starting your practice will change you.

It will stretch you, challenge you, and at times, break you down.

But it will also make you a better coach, a better counsellor, and a better human.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just remember: Everyone feels that way.

Everyone has the “why am I doing this” moment. But on the other side of all the mess, the hustle, and the tears is a version of yourself you wouldn’t trade for anything.

Keep going. You’re doing great. Even when it doesn’t feel like it. Because the journey?

It’s worth every step.

Now go take a nap. You deserve it. 😴

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