Free resource hub for coaches

Your first client starts here.

You got certified. Now what? This page holds everything I've written about going from certified to paid, sorted into four milestones. Start where you're stuck. Skip what you've already done.

Milestone 1 · Get Set Up

What do I need to set up before my first client?

Less than you think. You need a way for someone to book a call with you, a way to get paid, and the confidence to call yourself a coach out loud. You don't need a logo, a ten-page website or a finished program.

Still in training? Working a full-time job? That's fine. Plenty of coaches build while they work. The goal of this milestone is simple: be ready to say yes when someone asks how to work with you.

Milestone 2 · Get Clear

How do I pick a niche and an offer as a new coach?

Start with the people you already understand and a problem you've lived or solved. Your niche doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be clear enough that someone hears it and thinks of a friend who needs you.

Then build one offer around one result. Give it a price you can say without flinching. You can change all of it later, once real clients tell you what they need.

Milestone 3 · Get Seen

Where do I find potential coaching clients online?

Pick one or two places where your people already spend time, and show up there on purpose. You don't need every platform. You need a plan for the month, a few posts that prove you understand their problem, and an easy way for people to raise their hand.

Social media isn't the only door. Podcasts, speaking and Facebook groups count too.

Milestone 4 · Get Clients

How do I turn a conversation into a paying client?

Clients come from conversations. Your posts start them. From there, you invite the person to a call, listen more than you talk, and make the offer with a clear price and a clear next step.

If good conversations keep going nowhere, the people you talk to may not know you're a coach. Or you may be skipping the invitation. Both are fixable this week.

Milestone 5 · Keep Them

Got your first client? Build a program they don't want to leave.

Meet your guide

Hi, I'm Michelle Kuei.

I'm a business and marketing coach for coaches. I make getting clients simple, whether you just got certified or you've been coaching for years.

I was a full-time pharmacist before I became a Certified Professional Coach through an ICF-accredited program. I've spent a decade in marketing and teaching coaches how to market their business. I was named a Top 15 Coach in Los Angeles, I host the Make It Visible podcast, and I wrote The Coaching Business Blueprint.