There is no magical algorithm
Today’s the day you’ve been waiting for (at least since early Jan 😉) ...I’m finally answering the question of what to do with my life?! Or really what the next stage of my business is.
This has turned into quite the mini business case study (catch-up here) – does HBS need a new case on how to scale a coaching business?! I’m available…
Before we dive in, a quick reminder on WHY I’m scaling my business:
I want to increase my impact - empowering more women to create careers and lives they love, while feeling more true and connected to themselves - in a way that aligns with my Operating Principles (OPs) and harnesses my Strengths.
As I ran this mini-strategic planning / career exploration exercise on myself, I scanned the industry for inspiration of how others have scaled their work.
With the caveat that my inner consultant is worried that a fierce Partner is going to swoop in and ask if I’ve really thought about all of the strategic options…
Here are the options I considered and how I evaluated them:
(Hint: this is exactly what I do with my 1x1 coaching and Accelerator clients to help them identify the right career path)
Premium 1x1 Coaching: Serve clients 1x1, much as I have been over the past 5 years.
>> 1x1 coaching will always be my core, but not sole, offering. As I tell my clients, all strengths are a double-edged sword and my Relator strength makes it hard to serve a lot of clients 1x1 at the level of depth I want. It also doesn’t fully utilize my public-facing OPs and strengths.
Coaching Agency: Hire other coaches to coach clients under my brand name.
>> While I love leading teams, this was a pretty quick and easy “no” for me as it would be a lot of extra administration (i.e., payroll, benefits) without any of the satisfaction of getting to know my team’s clients. Doesn’t fit with my ‘Quality > Quantity’ OP or relationship-building strengths.
Scaled Digital Product or Course: Create async content that customers consume on their own.
>> This was also a pretty quick “no” for me (at least until I’m able to invest in a larger team), as the core competencies required to do this well are product development / management and adult learning. Neither align with my strengths or OPs and I question the depth of impact, leaving me feeling “meh” about both.
Scaled Group Coaching w. VIP 1x1: Focus on group coaching, with a limited number of 1x1 clients.
>> This is exciting to me, as it amplifies the impact of coaching with the power of a community (Community is also one of my personal OPs) and preserves the option of 1x1 coaching for clients who need it. But I need to make this model my own - there are so many career coaching group programs. I need to know that my groups offer women guidance they can’t get elsewhere.
Speaking + Public Platform: Distribute messages through scaled channels such as content, speaking, events, etc.
>> There are elements of this that are a big “yes” for me as I would love to write a book one day and genuinely love the energy of public speaking. It’s also a way to have my cake and eat it too - scale my impact, while continuing to serve clients deeply. I also need to make sure I do it in line with my Stillness + Spaciousness OP - no more flying all over the country!
Here’s what all this means for my business and how I’ll serve you in depth and more accessibly:
**For at least the next 18 months, as my business and interests will continue to evolve!
>> The Aligned + Ambitious Career Accelerator: three-week live bootcamp to share my proven career FWs and help women get clarity on what’s next in an accessible format
>> CalmOS: eight-week group coaching program to help women change the way they operate so they can work (and live) with ease, confidence and balance
>> 1x1 Career Coaching: deep, wraparound support to help women discover what they were meant to do and fully transform their careers (and lives!) over 4-5 months
>> On Purpose Together: membership with lite-touch coaching, community and accountability for coaching alums 3-4 years post-grad school or equivalent
>> Speaking + Writing: More content creation here and on LinkedIn, more speaking to women’s networks and corporate groups, podcasts, etc!
I am thrilled to keep doing this work for you - and to continue to expand and refine these offers - all to create a larger and larger movement of millennial women living on purpose.
If you’ve been following along for a while - this career exploration process is familiar and you know the steps (and hopefully applying them to your own career!) - I wrote an in-depth guide this spring.
Identify your Operating Principles and Strengths, define your purpose (in this instance, I knew mine - to empower women), ideate different options and evaluate until you find the right path.
Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
>> Think as expansively about what you want to do as possible. You can source ideas from everywhere - pay attention to what your network is doing, note what gives you a ping of excitement as you’re scrolling instagram or substack, tap AI for ideas. The right idea for you might not be the most obvious.
>> Focus on what you want to do, not what you should do. We have been conditioned to think the “best” jobs are in strategy, product or client services for big tech or top professional services firms. These are the right jobs for someone, but they may not be for you. You’ll excel when you flourish, not where you force.
>> There is no magical algorithm, so you have to decide. As rigorous as this process is – a ton of introspection, research and frameworks - it is not going to spit out a single, definitive answer (i.e., your OPs + Strengths = X). The right answer is a combination of what you’re seeing on paper and what feels 100% totally aligned.
