Anyone else stalk Fitness Influencers and Coaches on Instagram wondering how the eff they do it? They are always traveling, working out, and hanging out with their tribe, but what do they actually do for a living?! If you have ever considered becoming a health coach online, read this first to learn why you should and shouldn't!
Before you become a health coach there are numerous things to consider just like any other job! I am going to be sharing real life experiences of how I went from nutrition graduate to online fitness coach to now what I call lifestyle coach and what I wish I really knew before becoming a health coach. My hope is that this will help you decide if you should become an online health coach too!
What is Lifestyle Coaching?
I have been asked this a lot by friends, family, and readers of this blog and my Instagram since I began in this field almost two years ago. It seems many are intrigued on how I went straight from graduating with my BS in Nutrition (which btw TOTALLY is not required to be a lifestyle coach) to owning an online business with no education in marketing or entrepreneurship!
Even though the flexibility to work for yourself anywhere and any time seems glamorous to some, there is a lot of work behind the scenes to become a successful health coach! I'm not gonna lie, this job is extremely rewarding, but also takes massive amounts of work at first to get it off the ground.
3 Reasons You Should Become A Health Coach
1. You want to improve your health and your families!
Honesty time...I learned more about nutrition as a lifestyle coach than during my 4 year degree. Constantly learning more to pour into my clients and researching answers to their questions taught me so much more than a text book ever did! Also I did not lose the freshman 15 until I became a lifestyle coach because I needed that added accountability of my health being part of my job. So if you want to become a health coach just to benefit yourself that is totally fine!
Tons of the ladies I mentor to start their own coaching business originally get into the field looking to improve their own health or that of their family. Like I mentioned, I learned so much about nutrition, fitness, mindset, and overall wellbeing when I became a lifestyle coach. You do not have to actually coach others, but can use the information you learn as a coach to branch out into a million different things such as blogging, food photography, author, life coach, influencer, and more just to name a few! (PS. this is why I call myself a lifestyle coach because it has branched into so much more than just fitness and nutrition for me)
2. You want to impact others positively and create a career out of helping people
There is nothing that puts a smile on my face more than hearing my client lost the 25lbs she has been struggling with for years! The fact I get paid to do help others AND never have to leave my house is INSANE. The community we are able to make for our clients and the results they see is the most rewarding part of this job. Seriously, I've had people tell me what I do for a living is "to good to be true" and it feels like that majority of the time! (we will get into the not so fun stuff in a minute)
If you love helping others and want to get paid to do it, lifestyle coaching may be for you! Of course, there are tons of other routes to take such as nursing, dietitian, personal trainer, therapist, ect. But the reason I, and a lot of the ladies I mentor, went the coach route is simply because there is no degree required so it is extremely cheap to start! My business only cost $200 initially and has paid me 100x that and is on track to make 7 figures in the next 5 years! (disclaimer: income is not guaranteed and based on skill, diligence, and work ethic of every coach!)
3. You love fitness and want to make some money on the side
This is probably the second most popular reason people become lifestyle coaches! Since you can operate this business completely online and create your own schedule, many lifestyle coach as a side hustle to their main job or use it as a path to freedom from their 9-5. It is as easy as getting on Instagram to market yourself or into our free coaching app to check in on your clients.
As I mentioned above the income will be dependent on the time and effort you invest into your business as well as what you charge your clients, but many of the coaches I mentor make an additional few hundred a month only working 2 hours a day and still going to school or work full time.
1 Reason You Shouldn't Become A Lifestyle Coach
Just like any job, do NOT do it for the money! I have seen so many people enter this field thinking they will make thousands their first month and then 3 months later close their business cause they did not make any money. The truth is, just like any job, it takes work!
A typical day for me can be 10 hours long by the time I do my own workout, share a post on my Instagram, write this blog, create graphics for it, update my website, check in with my clients, create exclusive content for those clients, do business trainings to expand my network, and innovate new ways to bring clients in! But remember I do this full time now and not every day is 10 hours long. On average I work 40 hours a week as a coach and take half days Thursday-Sunday. Also I am in PJs cuddling my dog so 10 hours is not as awful as it sounds!
The other thing to consider is how small the investment and overhead is in your business. As I mentioned, it can be extremely cheap to start an online lifestyle coaching business. On average my overhead each month is around $200 after fees paid for my websites and marketing costs. Keep in mind I only spent $200 to get started with my mentor, access to trainings, and materials to get myself up and running.
(there are certifications to become a health coach that can cost thousands, but are not required to start your own business. I do recommend either partnering with a company or getting certified to avoid liability as well as understanding what your scoop of practice is. Becoming a lifestyle coach does not mean you are now a dietitian or personal trainer. If you wish to create custom meal plans and workouts, lifestyle coaching is NOT for you and I highly recommend getting certified as a personal trainer or going to school for 4 years to become a Registered Dietitian.)
Since the investment is so small to start an online business and there are multiple opportunities available to lifestyle coaches, it is very easy for many to get a return on their investment IF they put the work in. But do not expect to make millions your first year because you created a website with the tag line "lifestyle coach". Trust me, it takes a lot of work!
Still thinking of becoming a lifestyle coach? GOOD! Because it changed my life and I've seen it change countless others! Lifestyle coaching has evolved from a side hustle I started in college to a full time career that fuels my soul and allows me to live my life by my design!
For more information on how I got into the field simply click here to read all about it and possibly be personally mentored by me!
Also as always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need a nudge in the right direction!
Comments