Really, really bizarre things are happening in the business coaching world – and even if you’re not a business coach or someone who works with entrepreneurs, you may want to keep reading.
Here’s what I’ve noticed.
All kinds of service-driven entrepreneurs – healers, coaches, artists, you name it – enter the business coaching world because they want to grow their business.
They get very inspired … and next thing you know, THEY want to help entrepreneurs with their business.
Which is fine. When I started making multiple six figures, all I wanted was to help others do the same.
But the whole thing has gotten a bit weird.
Go to any mastermind meeting or conference, and it seems like most people there help entrepreneurs with SOMETHING – branding, purpose, marketing, sales, speaking, you name it.
So now we have a whole bunch of entrepreneurs who are in the business of helping entrepreneurs. Many of whom also help entrepreneurs. And because the whole industry is shouting impressive sales figures from the roof tops of their amazing yacht or villa or something, more and more people are flocking towards helping entrepreneurs … and have been for years now.
The result? An incredibly competitive and weirdly incestuous little fish bowl of an industry. Of course, that’s just my opinion.
It sort of made me wonder … is anyone out there, helping “normal” people with something NOT related to business? There’s a lot of them out there, actually. And loads of them are quietly making buckets of money without every hiring a business coach or attending marketing conferences, or any of the stuff we’re regularly told we must do to invest in ourselves. Don’t get me wrong – a lot of them are also struggling and could really use some business coaching! But my point is … there’s a lot out there beyond this little fish bowl of our industry.
Here’s what else is happening.
Business coaches – even established “names” in the industry – are struggling. Not all of them! But some of them are having trouble keeping up with the competitive aspect of many, many fish in a very small bowl, all competing for the same fish in that same bowl … see how weird this has gotten?
There’s a whole lot of public pretense, while privately there are cash flow issues, along with a lot of stress and disillusionment.
Personally, I’ve been pondering whether it wasn’t time to explore new “bowls.” After all, what I’m really invested in is helping as many people as possible with the recognition of their own Divinity – whether they are entrepreneurs or not! I might be very good at marketing and business, but I’m ever so much better at understanding the human Soul and how it creates its experience.
So I’ve been spending the last few months focusing on my Soul Realignment modality, working on more traffic, more leverage, and ultimately more impact – because the more students learn this system to read the Akashic Records, the more people will receive readings from them, and the more people will get to know their Divinity.
And I discovered, not a bigger bowl … but an entire ocean! At least, that’s what it feels like to me.
An ocean of leads … my list has been growing by 3K a month, and I can scale it much, much further from here.
And an ocean of people who are ready, with over a hundred new students joining my Soul Realignment program in July. They are ready, not necessarily to be entrepreneurs, but to understand what our Divinity truly is, and to share that understanding with others. And I’m so excited by just how many lives they will transform!
It’s been so incredibly joyful!
But whether you want to swim in whatever little industry bowl you may find yourself in OR jump into the ocean of a much, much larger market, one thing is more important now than ever:
You must specialize.
The more specific your niche, the better.
If you’re in a little competitive fish bowl like business coaching, being a specialist will differentiate you.
If you’re in an ocean, being a specialist will hold people’s attention.
I’ll be honest. I’m finding the ocean a bit scary, but exciting for the sense of infinite abundance it holds. So don’t be surprised if you get some different kinds of invitations from me shortly!
What about you? Is it time to swim in new waters? Leave your comments and share!
To your abundance,
Andrrea Hess
Thank you Divine Timing for bringing this in, JUST when I actively asked for it. Amazing. So beautifully written and insightful. Thank you, Andrrea!
Thank you, Rachel!!!
Wow- for years I have been grousing about the online enlightenment business. It seems that everyone is out to make money selling their how-to-get rich system to others wanting to do the same. Always struck me as a pyramid scheme for spiritual snake oil to be avoided at all cost. My calling will always be in bricks and mortar organizations where my light supports others who want to make a difference. Nobody has a marketing system for that. I rely on Spirit to connect me to where my gifts are needed, valued and abundantly compensated. Six figures most years, and a deep sense of contribution. We should be helping more people to succeed in the real world.
There’s nothing unreal about the online world, Rich. You’re here. I’m here. Just not in the same place at the same time. To me, it’s amazing that I get to teach thousands of people all over the world. It’s a humbling privilege and the lives involved are very real.
And nobody gets into personal or spiritual development to get rich! There certainly ARE a lot of marketing messages out there that irritate me, too – you know, the whole “make six figures doing practically nothing, in a way that’s also meaningful, in these five easy steps.” There IS a lack of integrity in some people’s businesses, unfortunately. But most business coaches I know actually want to do exactly what you do – to help more people succeed.
Great article. Yes, I am new to this world of on-line marketing but after the fifth guy yelling and screeming how much he is making with all the evidence on his bankstatements for all to enjoy, standing beside his expensive cars, I truly think; what is this about? I even left a remark at the top guy, who responded by, ‘do you mean we should not be proud of our achievements?’ The small fishbowl hits the spot. Totally enriching each other untill there is no water left. Where is the integrity, the love for our craft, the knowledge and the willingness to share what we hold dear? I am happy to see you are deepinening the soul re-alignment. I will follow that next because it still is one of the most enchanting events in my life. I will keep going with my paintings.
Jacobina, actually there’s a LOT of love for our craft, knowledge, and the willingness to share in the business coaching industry. Business coaches love business and marketing so much, we can’t shut up about it even when we’re just talking with friends. All the truly successful people I know are exactly the same in private as they are in public (obviously, I don’t know people that yell and scream in their marketing , lol). It’s just that the “fishbowl” has gotten too crowded, and too many people ARE getting into it for the wrong reasons. Which is a shame, really.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being open about our income, either (grandstanding is surely a matter of interpretation). I certainly needed to hear people’s income levels to know what could be possible at one time. We can take offense, or we can be inspired … that’s the polarity of it all! 🙂
Great timing, Andrrea, although a little, well… scary.
I’ve been in online business for awhile, but due to lots of work around money blocks, have never been able to do much with it. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with both money and Spirit at this point and have been working my online business, while also working a job.
I’m in a rural area that’s pretty much backward thinking and feeling like a fish OUT of water. About to move 800 miles away – back to civilization so I can promote my business off AND online. Next week is my last week at the J.O.B. and off I go. I do teach lots more than just business, my niche is actually Self-Discovery, Self-Acceptance and Authenticity and connection. Since I’ve learned so much about building websites, creating lead magnets and all that happy stuff, it only seems logical to teach it along with the other stuff.
I could easily do relationship coaching too, that’s where it all started back in 2010, but my heart’s not really in it. I could approach it more as building connection and communicating, but I’m not sure about switching boats mid-stream. I DO know that if I’m not on path – and this does feel light to me – coaching women fresh out or wanting out of Corporate America to start their own business. Eek!
Guess I need to sit down and do some soul-searching and figure out where I stand on all this. Thank you for your insight!
xoxox,
Merry
I have felt overburdened by the “entrepreneurial helping community” for some time. I recently had to leave three high profile on line marketers because they were blowing up my mailbox with two to three posts a day. Then there are the affiliate marketing promotions where several get together and market for each other over and over the same message from three or four. . I understand the concepts of network marketing. But it has become one big frenzied mess. It is message after message and my clarity slips more each day. I am so great full that you see it and so eloquently stated the problem. I look forward to your solutions. You are my voice of reason always at the perfect time. Thank you Andrea!
So true, Andrrea! I’ve been having a lot of “the fishbowl conversation” over the past year or so. So easy to think that the business coaching industry is the end-all, be-all. But as my friend Justin points out… the personal growth industry is TEN TIMES the size of the business coaching industry.
So many of my clients reach for “entrepreneurs” because they think it’s a market that will pay. Really, ANYONE will pay… when you are speaking their language and truly helping them solve a pressing problem.
It’s time for us all to spread our wings, in and OUT of the fishbowl, and make the commitment to truly being of service to who we’re here to help.
Love & magic
Elizabeth
Andrrea,
This is a great article Andrrea and I agree. It’s nice to have the integrity in the offerings
and not everybody needs to be a business coach. Divinity, Transformation, Health, Healing
is as valuable and offers so much. Love your work!
Jane
Thank you so much for this post Andrrea! Thank you for articulating so well exactly how I have been feeling. And I’m excited at the possibility of a whole ocean of leads that I’ve not even considered. I love the work that I do, helping people tell their story in powerful ways. I love helping people see their own brilliance and that’s worth so much more than the typical “find more money and clients” aspect. There are so many ways we can teach and share and in a much more soulful and expansive way. I’m excited to hear more about what you are doing!
Hi Andrrea – thank you so much for all your guidance and upliftment – i look forward to reading it each time. Im a healer – I can remember when i was 2 and a half giving my aunt healing on her shoulder – allowing her to lift her arm again. Well my mom was so embarrassed that i was taken to the bedroom and received a hiding for it. It was so natural to me i couldnt understand why i was punished for helping someone. Along the years ive done different ways of healing as it is a part of me. Anyway for the last 7 months i havent done any and have missed it so much, that i decided to leave this job and the money to re-open my healing sanctuary but to start doing a modality that is different and yet works so easily and quickly. Yes ive had a few ‘wobblies’ if im doing the right thing as i would have to start looking for clients etc. Ive taken the first step and resigned. Im excited about starting up with it and reading this message of yours today made me realise that yes im doing the right thing. Bless you for your commitment to help others like me. I, in turn , can help others too. I look forward to your next message of advice and encouragement.
Great article Andrrea, it’s very timely for me as I’ve been focusing the whole month of July on my Animal Energy modality as I wanted a refreshing break from exactly what you speak of. Thumbs up to you for nailing it on the head so accurately!
LOL, Lynn … sounds like we’ve both been focusing on our intuitive work! 🙂
Wow! I’ve been thinking the SAME thing but in reference to spiritual readings. Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted from taking your course other than the fact that I knew I wanted to help people. My spirit was like “just take the course already!” Then as you know my egoic resistance kicked in and was like “ok why are you taking this course, you could be doing blah blah…” Then it hit me (well just now)… I think we tend to forget we are still unique individuals and that even though the intention for the course is to read the akashic records, that may not be why I or others may be led to taking the course. That in fact, there was something totally different in the course that was unique to me in which I needed to take from it. Your course delivered exactly what it was supposed to. Although the course content is the same for everyone, the teachings speak to who we are at soul level differently. I know now that I don’t want to be a reader because for me that is one fish bowl. Ironically even though I know I’m not supposed to be a reader, the course revealed a way in which I can help people physically express their divinity…which indirectly, is just as spiritually and entrepreneurially related. Funny how these things work!
Much Love!
Leann, SO many people take my Soul Realignment course and discover exactly what you did – that the reason they consciously took the course is not the value and benefit they receive from it, but that they get EXACTLY what they need! I’m thrilled that it delivered what served you! And yes, ANY industry can become a “fish bowl.” 🙂
Fantastic article, Andrrea, you really nailed something I’d been sensing for the past couple of months: that there are many successful spiritual/service entrepreneurs who have shifted their focus away from their original modalities and into showing other healers (and online businesses) how to be more successful. It’s such a paradoxical topic, because there’s nothing wrong with success or wanting to coach others, but sometimes it seems that the original desire to help and heal people just vanishes. Is it because the focal point of their passion has changed? Is it because of the pervasive idea that the biggest money is to be made in the business to business community? You’re right, there are a lot of ‘bowls’ out there, and it’s up to each of us to choose where we want to be, but some places sure are more joyful – and just a lucrative – than others! Thanks for opening up the topic!
You know, Elle, I think the entrepreneurial world is just exciting!!! And people confusing having knowledge of how to make money with having EXPERIENCE of how to make money. And yes, they have the perception of their mentors making a ton of money and quite naturally want to emulate them. But I think it ALL comes from a place of service and a desire to help and heal. But you know – sometimes we try to heal in others what we most need to heal in ourselves. And I think a lot of people try to heal their money issues by helping others make more money … it doesn’t work for anyone, but I think that’s where all this is coming from.
I hadn’t looked at it that way, I’ve been trying to assign motives to other people’s desire to make money, when really, I have no idea – oops! And I agree, the entrepreneurial world is really exciting – I’m in love with the idea of being able to play with a business model, and know that the results are both my doing and under my control – fun! I just wish ‘entrepreneurial’ were easier to spell 🙂
For the past few years I have wondered how long before the coaching field implodes. It seemed to be me like it was cannibalizing itself–because the same money was just changing hands. And I have been feeling an energy of desperation in the marketing I’ve been paying attention to for the past year or 2. And I see a lot of big names still selling the same old products–which won’t work! The energy behind it is off. It makes me sad.
My niche is corporate women because I’ve worked in large corporations for the majority of my life–still do. So I understand what’s going on for these women because I am one of them. I think it’s great that things are changing because we have new opportunities that we might otherwise ignore. Change can be good!
Andrrea,
I can’t seem to find it now, but after reading this post, I read a couple more posts and somehow landed on your Akashic Records site. There I found a post re: how many times we don’t have money blocks written into our records, but rather “create them” (LOA style) by being convinced we have them.
Is this accurate? Did I find the article on your site.
If so, is there any chance you could direct me to it again? I would love to read and absorb it again, but can’t seem to find it now.
Thanks,
Merry
Hi Merry,
I have no idea what article you’re referencing, I’m afraid. But I don’t typically write about money on my Soul Realignment website. AND we create ALL “money blocks” including those that are in our Records. I doubt that I would have written about money blocks in our Records vs. those that we create … that makes ZERO sense. Of course we create ALL our blocks. Where else would they come from??
I actually found that i had printed it out to put on my vision board as a reminder and you’re right. It doesn’t speak specifically to money blocks, but it does speak to the fact that sometimes we actually are affected by negative influences within our Akashic Records.
“These are patterns of choice against our own Divine self-expression that we ourselves set into motion many lifetimes ago… and then never actually resolved. For example, we may have in a past life gotten married to someone we did not even life, all to help our family out financially. This choice of continuously sacrificing our own happiness for the sake of others is now a part of who we are. And who do we attract? That’s right, people who expect us to always put THEM first, whether they are friends or family members or our own kids.
I guess because money blocks are really the only blocks I’ve put serious time into creating for myself, and the reference to marrying someone you don’t like for financial reasons, I associated it with money blocks. Which is really neither here nor there.
Mainly I wanted to thank you for sharing this information so freely, because this made a gigantic difference in my energy. This, especially was profound for me:
(The spiritual realm acknowledges you as the authority of your experience. So if you go looking for negative blocks and restrictions (or for that matter, limiting beliefs, or cords of attachment, or ANY energetic issue you may have heard of and know how to solve through healing and clearing work)… you’ll be sure to find them!!”
The whole thing is quote-worthy and was very meaningful and helpful to me. So… in short,
Thank you!
Thank you for doing what you do and for sharing your knowledge with us so freely!
Aaaah, glad you found it. And VERY glad that I talk about patterns of choice that “we ourselves set into motion” … 🙂 The idea that we are affected by negative influence from our Akashic Records is a terrible one, unless we realize that WE created that “negative influence” lol.
I’m thrilled it served you – yay!!!
Yes, yay! 😀
I’ve been thinking about this “everyone is a business consultant these days” issue for a while, and the question you pose it’s interesting.
I seriously have no idea what it would take to open the possibility of B2C in my business. I’ve been a designer working in B2B since the beginning of my career… Which started way before the online coaching industry even existed.
The little money I’ve earned from “regular” people is through art prints.
Would I love to create more of my original art and live from selling paintings, products, art books..? Of course I would. But I’ve been discouraged by the mild reception of my offers every time I made an announcement to my community.
Should I persist? Yes, I probably should.
Would my Soul love to grow in this direction? Yes, it probably would.
Am I resisting it? I sure as hell am 🙂