7 profitable life coaching niches that make a difference

Want to build a successful life coaching business? Here are 7 tried & tested coaching niches that will help you make a difference and make a living.

Since The Good Alliance was founded we’ve had the pleasure of working with a huge variety of life coaches. Our team are always surprised by just how unique, creative and different our client’s businesses are from each other.

Although many of our clients would call themselves a ‘life coach’ we’ve found that no two are alike. Over the years we’ve helped life coaches from all walks of life create their brand and grow their business.

Profit + Purpose = Success

To make a difference and make a living you need to choose a profitable niche that you believe in. If you have a vision of the change you want to create then you will find purpose in your work and, when it comes to running a successful business, finding purpose in your work is essential.

So don’t just choose a niche because it is profitable, really consider what you care about and how you can make an impact. When people believe in you and your vision they will want to work with you and clients will seek you out.

This list has been put together through our own experience working with life coaches and watching their businesses grow. We’ve focused on the ones which we have seen become profitable whilst making an impact time and time again. If you know of a profitable coaching niche that we haven’t included let us know in the comments below.

What is a life coach?

We like to think of life coaching as an umbrella term for some amazing coaching niches. The 7 coaching niches we mention below all fall under the life coach umbrella and they all require similar skillsets.

All life coaches help their clients to be happier, more well-rounded and healthy. Whether their clients are looking to build their confidence, improve their relationships or achieve a life-goal – a life coach can help make it happen.

We could wax on about how great we think life coaches are (if you’re into that sort of thing then check out our blog for more) but let’s get right to it: here’s our list of 7 profitable life coaching niches that make a difference.

1. Mindset and accountability coach

We kick off our list with our mindset and accountability niche. When Joe Public hears the words ‘life coach’ they often picture someone who can help take them to the next level. Someone who can break down their barriers and give them the courage, motivation and inspiration to achieve their dreams.

This kind of coaching is very results-focused and regular client check-ins are a must. This means more sessions booked for you, more accountability for your client, and more chance of them achieving their goals.

When thinking about mindset coaching it’s best to try and niche down even further. You could try to help everyone achieve their goals but you’ll find more success if you have a strong vision of the difference you want to make and who you want to help. Think about who you want to help (their age, gender, their unique needs) and why you want to help them (what do you get out of it and what will keep you going when things get tough?)

Some examples of mindset coaches are:

Brooke Castillo

The Life Coach School
thelifecoachschool.com

Craig White

High performance coach for men
craigwhitecoaching.com

Trish Blackwell

Confidence and accountability coach
trishblackwell.com

2. Health and fitness coach

Health, fitness and wellness coaches are another strong contender for “who do you think of when you think of life coaches?” and for good reason. For many people, their health is incredibly important to them – not just their mental health but their physical health too – but it can be a challenge.

Health coaches can improve lives in a whole number of ways, from helping to transform their physique to managing stress and anxiety. It’s a profitable coaching niche because people often embark on a health journey, making small improvements and learning more over a period of time. Your client may start out knowing nothing about diet and fitness but over time achieve their ideal weight and nutritional goals. Improving your client’s health will take time but you’ll be there to support them along the way.

Making a lifestyle change doesn’t come easy so your clients will need guidance and help to stay motivated.

Here are some ways to niche down further and help people as a health coach:

  • Help them achieve their fitness and exercise goals.
  • Help them follow a balanced diet and improve their nutrition.
  • Help them to change their diet or lifestyle, e.g. if they want to follow a plant-based diet or follow a vegan lifestyle.
  • Help them navigate a specific health issue.
  • Help them improve their health through excercise.

Some examples of health coaches are:

    Rochelle Pagano

    Personalized wellness coaching
    rochellepagano.com

    Mel Noakes

    The self-care coach
    melnoakes.com / view case study

    Annie Rosenthal

    Eating psychology coach
    annierosenthal.net

    3. Small business coach

    Perhaps our first controversion addition to this list of profitable life coach niches, you might be wondering how a business coach could be considered a life coach?

    While some businesses coaches probably don’t consider themselves a life coach we’ve worked with many coaches who do. The difference we’ve found is that it has to do with size.
    Where many business coaches work with large organisations to help improve productivity, create a culture or tighten up the processes, small businesses coaches are faced with some very different challenges.

    There are thousands of small businesses out there that are run by individuals who are trying their best to go it alone (you might even be one of them). When it comes to serving businesses at this size you may find that your clients business and personal life are one and the same. Cash flow problems and the day to day running of their businesses can negatively impact their health. Meanwhile any problems they have in their personal life may cause them to not be as focused on their business. As a one-person business, any personal issues or shortfalls could directly be affecting their business.

    For small business coaches, part of the challenge is figuring out where the issues are and then creating a programme to work through them. Sure, they might help improve the technical aspects of the business, but they also have to make sure that the person running it isn’t burning themselves out too.

    Some examples of small business coaches are:

      Matthew Kimberley

      The Entrepreneur’s Secret Weapon
      matthewkimberley.com

      Katrina Widener

      Entrepreneur coach
      katrinawidener.com

      Melissa Dawn

      CEO of your life
      ceoofyour.life

      4. Relationship coach

      When it comes to life coaching niches we think that relationship coaches can be overlooked. Relationship coaches are heroes who help people when they are often at their most fragile. Although they may not have many long-term clients’s the work that they do might be considered far more intense.

      Offering support in a safe and welcoming space these heroes make a huge impact on their clients as they work on improving or repairing their relationships.

      On TV we see relationship coaches helping couples going through a tough time or navigating divorce, but they can also do much more. They can help people deal with the loss of a loved one, come to terms with their sexuality, or improve their marriage or sex lives.

      Some examples of relationship coaches are:

        Laura Doyle

        Relationship coach
        lauradoyle.org

        Corinne Blum

        Connecting with your true self
        corinneblum.com

        Elizabeth Sullivan

        Dating coach for women
        lovementor.com

        5. Career coach

        How do you stand out, ask for a pay rise or find your dream job? With a large part of our lives taken up by our work it’s no surprise that career coaching can be a highly profitable coaching niche. Feeling valued at work and being fairly compensated can be life-changing, both financially and in terms of your own feeling of self-worth.

        Career coaches are experts at building up their clients confidence and helping them carve out their career path. Their advice can be invaluable, helping their clients to figure out when to ask for a raise or when to look elsewhere.

        More than just helping them climb the ladder, it’s often about helping clients who have become stuck in their jobs and feel trapped by their lifestyle. Career coaches must first get to know their clients to better understand their motivations, what makes them get out of bed each day and what excites them.

        The proof for these coaches can often be seen in the glowing testimonials they receive – it seems that landing your dream job or getting a big pay rise makes clients pretty happy. When you have clients who are singing your praises it’s not too farfetched to think that there will be more clients to come.

        Some examples of career coaches are:

          Wies Bratby

          Negotiation coach for high-achieving women
          womeninnegotiation.org

          Julia Carter

          Coaching for busy professional women
          zestforbalance.com

          Hannah Beko

          Coaching for the career superhero
          authenticallyspeaking.co.uk

          6. Parenting and family coach

          For many people, parenthood can feel like uncharted territory. What should be a thrilling and joyful time in their lives can feel overwhelming and scary without the right support.

          Parenting and family coaches can provide advice at all stages of family life. Whether someone wants to start a family, or they have children already, an experienced coach can make all the difference when there is uncertainty.

          Coaches in this niche might draw on their own experiences and combine them with tried-and-tested coaching practises to create a programme for their clients.

          Leaning more into the family aspect, coaches could find their niche in helping families who have moved overseas, help adults to reconnect with parents/siblings, or help those who have recently become stay-at-home parents.

          Some examples of family coaches are:

            Andrew Loosley

            The natural fertility expert
            naturalfertilityexpert.com

            Zita West

            Fertility coach and midwife
            hughealth.co

            Katia Vlachos

            The overseas transition coach
            katiavlachos.com

            7. Executive coach

            Aiming to change work culture and lives from the top-down, executive coaches work with upper-management to transform organisations. They work with leaders to improve the performance of the business and make it a more harmonious place for employees.

            This top-down approach to change means that executive coaches can create huge ripples with their work – small change at the top could have huge implications for the entire organisation. While some life coaches prefer a more intimate setting, executive coaches need to be able to deal with the pressure that company executives face and utilise their coaching tools effectively.

            Some examples of executive coaches are:

              Dominique Ara

              Transformational leadership coach
              dominique-ara.com

              Marika Messager

              Elevating business through humanity.
              consciousleadership.org

              Shereen Hoban

              Executive mindfulness coaching
              shereenhobancoaching.com

              Over to you…

              We love hearing about coaches who are making a difference in their niche. So, if you have an interesting niche be sure to share it with us in the comments below.

              Are you making a difference whilst making a living? If so, we’d love to hear from you and feature you on our recurring blog segment called change makers. Get in touch with your story.

              And finally, if you haven’t found your profitable niche or purpose yet then don’t worry. With time, patience and a helping hand there’s no reason why you can’t achieve success with your coaching business. Be sure to check out our free training and resources to help find your way.

               

              Brett Worth

              Project Success Manager

              With a background in web design and development, Brett guides our clients through all aspects of our done-for-you branding experiences.

              2 Comments

              1. Olivia

                I’m sure there is more of a variety of coaches out there.

                Reply
                • brettworth

                  Hi Olivia, you are absolutely right. Do you have any suggestions to improve this post?

                  Reply

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