When I first dipped my toes into coaching, I felt weird about asking people for money.

I remember my first client. He was a business coach who was also a friend. He was already doing well and wanted to scale his business past 6-figures in monthly revenue. 

And while I didn’t have any experience growing a coaching business, I possessed a deep understanding of how to overcome mental blocks and limiting beliefs, which is exactly where he was stuck. 

So I offered to coach him for free in exchange for a case study if it works. I felt weird about asking a friend for money.

And you know what?

He agreed but then Venmo’d me $1,000 right away! 

He said it was only fair to pay me for the energy exchange. 

So that was a big lesson there which helped me find my own blindspot. 

I started to look into my own hang-ups around asking someone for money. And I had to release lingering feelings of unworthiness, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome. 

Then I ran some ads to get as many paid clients as I could just to get more coaching practice. I started with charging $100/hour – which felt very low but I was comfortable with that. 

After about a dozen or so of these clients, I felt really good in my ability to deliver results. Then I started slowly bumping up my rates… to $200/hour, then $250/hour, then $500 per hour all the way up to $850/hour.

Eventually, I stopped 1-on-1 coaching because it was exhausting, and I decided to focus on behind the scenes marketing with hand-selected partners. Now this newsletter is my way of scratching that itch to help people, while build an audience for future business opportunities. 

So the takeaway here is… 

1. Even if you’re great at doing something for others, you might miss it in yourself. Having another perspective to find your blindspots can be a game-changer.
2. If you have a fear of asking clients for money, I recommend you start with a price that doesn’t make you break into a cold sweat. It will feel like a low-ball at first, but make it a goal to keep raising it higher and higher until it feels just right. 

Catch you tomorrow,

Tony