104 | How Laura built a proven system to win clients and had her highest-earning year
Today, Jo Lott interviews Laura, a maternity return coach who transformed her business from inconsistent client acquisition to a proven, systematic approach that led to her highest-earning year ever. Laur's story highlights the power of community, support, and proven frameworks in building a thriving coaching practice. Join us as we dive into the key steps she took to create a business that is both sustainable and fulfilling!
[00:02:00] - Laura introduces herself as a maternity return coach and shares her background in HR and personal journey into coaching
[00:04:00] - Discussion of Laura's business challenges before joining the Business of Coaching program
[00:08:00] - Key actions Laura implemented:
- Established "Sales Mondays"
- Created systematic approach to client acquisition
- Developed measurable metrics for business growth
[00:12:00] - Laura's results and achievements:
- Highest earning year ever
- Increased business confidence
- Consistent client acquisition
[00:18:00] - Key takeaways and advice:
- The importance of getting support
- Not trying to do everything alone
- Committing fully to business growth
With the guidance of business mentor Jo Lott, Laura overcame self-doubt, implemented structured sales strategies, and achieved her highest-earning year yet.
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Transcript
Hello and welcome to Women in the Coaching arena podcast.
Speaker A:I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker A:I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor and ICF accredited coach and I help coaches to build brilliant businesses.
Speaker A:I know that when you prepare to enter the arena there is fear, self doubt, comparison, anxiety, uncertainty.
Speaker A:You can tend to armor up and protect yourself from vulnerability.
Speaker A:In this podcast I'll be sharing honest, not hype, practical and emotional tools to support you to make the difference that you're here for DARE greatly you belong in this arena.
Speaker A:Hello, welcome to episode 104 of Women in the Coaching Arena.
Speaker A:I'm so glad you are here today.
Speaker A:I'm really excited to share a case study conversation with Laura.
Speaker A:Laura worked with me in three three programs now actually.
Speaker A:Firstly, my offer to market which is a 30 day high intensity program.
Speaker A:I don't run it very often because it is high intensity, but Laura wasn't put off and she joined the business of coaching my core group mentorship program.
Speaker A:And now she has joined my mastermind and we had the most amazing in person day on Friday together.
Speaker A:So I'm so happy to share Laura's story with you.
Speaker A:She has been an inspiration to so many people in my group for committing to find the numbers that have helped her to build her business.
Speaker A:I think it's especially inspiring because Laura is a more emotionally driven rather than numbers driven person.
Speaker A:But she has worked hard to find the stats that she needs to be able to do those hard tasks, those that will gain you clients without it being a drain on your energy.
Speaker A:Laura's also bust through many income ceilings that she previously had, which I find super inspiring and I know you will too.
Speaker A:So here is the case study conversation with Laura.
Speaker B:Hi Laura, thank you so much for agreeing to reflect on your journey with me.
Speaker B:I'm so excited for this conversation because I learned so much in these conversations that I didn't know before about my clients.
Speaker B:So I cannot wait to hear your story.
Speaker B:So please tell me who you are and what you do.
Speaker C:You would know that, Jo.
Speaker B:Yeah, I know that bit.
Speaker B:Tell anyone listening.
Speaker C:I'm Laura.
Speaker C:I'm a maternity return coach and I work with organizations to help them support the parents that they have returning to work after having children.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:And tell me why that's important to you.
Speaker C:Yeah, I guess it's been an evolution of stuff.
Speaker C:So I had my daughter, she was 10 this week, which just blows my mind.
Speaker C:But before I had my daughter I worked in HR and part of my job was managing other people's return to work after Having children yet I hadn't actually had my own children.
Speaker C:And then when I had my daughter, I was just like, oh, my goodness, like, what have I been missing?
Speaker C:Because I realized then that this is a huge.
Speaker C:Well, for me, it was a massive shift.
Speaker C:It was a big transformation in myself.
Speaker C:I literally felt like a completely different person after having her.
Speaker C:The changes that we go through, the priorities that are shifted.
Speaker C:Yeah, I think that was what started that thought.
Speaker C:And then over time, realizing that we're at a point in time where working parents are really important, organizations are looking for ways to support their working parents and their new parents.
Speaker C:I would like to say it's been that easy.
Speaker C:It hasn't been that easy, but I think there's something in the timing of what's happened for me at this moment in time.
Speaker B:Love it.
Speaker B:Totally.
Speaker B:And think back to when you decided to join the business of coaching.
Speaker B:Can you remember what was going on.
Speaker A:For you at that time?
Speaker C:Yeah, so I have been working as a coach for a while.
Speaker C:Like I said, My daughter's 10 this week and I probably started coaching when she was about two or three, so.
Speaker C:So about seven years.
Speaker C:And I'd done various coaching programs with other people, some of which was really useful.
Speaker C:But I always.
Speaker C:I always felt a bit like I was just sort of playing at it a bit, like it didn't really matter or just, I don't know, like there was no real structure.
Speaker C:So I was winning business.
Speaker C:But I suppose that was it.
Speaker C:I was winning business.
Speaker C:I didn't really know how.
Speaker C:So there was no system, There was no kind of, if you do this, you get this.
Speaker C:It was just like, just keep showing up on LinkedIn and post and post and post and post and post and eventually somebody will be in touch with you.
Speaker C:But there was no real understanding of how that worked.
Speaker C:So I was winning business, but inconsistently, like, very inconsistently.
Speaker C:And with feeling of no real control over how that was happening.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:And what was the impact of that for you?
Speaker C:It just builds into that feeling of, this isn't something that I'm really doing.
Speaker C:This isn't a real thing.
Speaker C:This could all end tomorrow.
Speaker C:Where will my next client come from?
Speaker C:I don't know.
Speaker C:So that sort of uncertainty.
Speaker B:Oh, total, total sense.
Speaker B:What was most helpful from the programme in terms of any frameworks you used or things like that?
Speaker C:Because with your programme, you've got different elements to it that I found really useful.
Speaker C:So you've obviously got your platform with all the training videos and worksheets, which I really loved and got really stuck into in the beginning, but equally can feel, really, I've done programming before, you know, where there's so much information and you can.
Speaker C:It can feel quite overwhelming.
Speaker C:And I remember talking to you right at the beginning where I don't think I'm going to get all of this done and it feels too much.
Speaker C:And you were just like, just do what feels right.
Speaker C:Just do it at your own.
Speaker C:You know, you've got lifetime access to the platform.
Speaker C:So that bit of pressure of, oh, I've got to get it all done was taken away.
Speaker C:And because you do it in steps, don't you?
Speaker C:But because I've been doing it for seven years, some of it I had done and I went to just sort of refresh myself and some of it wasn't applicable.
Speaker C:So I sort of went in and just decided, right, this is important.
Speaker C:This year, for instance, updating my website was what I wanted to get done.
Speaker C:It'd been on my list for like five years or something.
Speaker C:So having a framework that was flexible to where I was at was really useful.
Speaker C:And having something that was a focus.
Speaker C:So it's like, right, I'm going to focus on my website.
Speaker C:These are the steps that I need to take to do it.
Speaker C:Whereas before, on my own, I'd be like, right, I need to focus on my website.
Speaker C:What do I need to do?
Speaker C:What does it.
Speaker C:How do I need to do all the research, first of all, about what that even means, Whereas it was just condensed in your platform.
Speaker C:So there's the information.
Speaker C:I hadn't realized how important being part of a group is to me.
Speaker C:I'm really sociable and I work on my own at home.
Speaker C:And I think that feeling of being part of something and having regular calls and also having not just the call, which are weekly, but also having like the Slack platform.
Speaker C:So when something happens, you've got a group to go into and say, oh, my goodness, this has happened.
Speaker C:And I think I was trolled one day on LinkedIn and being able to go into the group and just go, oh, my goodness, somebody has written something awful on my LinkedIn.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then people were like, oh, you know, we'll go and say this.
Speaker C:Or, you know, it's just like, oh, good.
Speaker C:It's almost like that office.
Speaker C:I do miss that office environment of being with other people.
Speaker C:So creating something like that was really useful for me.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You really thrived in it.
Speaker B:And you were such a contributor to the community by hosting things like co working calls, which I know work really well for you, but they also work well, for so many other people.
Speaker B:So thank you so much for taking what you need and also giving, you know, to the community.
Speaker B:I think it makes a huge difference.
Speaker B:So if you are thinking about the actions that you took as a result from the program, what would you say were the types of actions that you took?
Speaker B:You mentioned your website, which is exciting.
Speaker C:Was about having structure.
Speaker C:So I put in Sales Mondays.
Speaker C:That was an action that I took.
Speaker C:Where I'd been doing sales activity, like I say previously, but hadn't really understood what I was doing.
Speaker C:I worked out what my sales activity was and then I blocked time in my diary on a Monday.
Speaker C:So I'm just getting it done at the beginning of the week.
Speaker C:That's a sales day.
Speaker C:So something about just having that structure and focus and also inviting other people and saying, I'm doing this on Monday if anyone wants to join me, and having the accountability of other people being there, working out a system, working out that if I do X amount of this, that brings in X amount of business.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Which I hadn't.
Speaker C:I just hadn't got.
Speaker C:I was nowhere near that before in terms of understanding what I was doing.
Speaker C:And I think having come out the other end, I was really in the program for almost a year in the end.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And I think having that time, I've got figures now that I can look at to go, right, if I do this, that brings me that.
Speaker C:And that means that I'll probably end up with so many clients.
Speaker C:It makes it easier to do the bit that maybe isn't as much fun or it's a bit boring.
Speaker C:It makes it easier to just be like, right, I've got to just crack on and write this LinkedIn post or do this thing, because it means that that's moving me forward, which really means that more people know about me, which really means that more people get to have some support.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I'll never forget you saying on one of the group calls, and I think everyone else was like, open mouth, something like, I have a proven process now to bring me clients.
Speaker B:Everyone's like, tell us your secret.
Speaker B:You know.
Speaker B:But it was just that you had broken it down into a mathematical format formula, not an emotional formula, which is obviously how most of us live our lives and our businesses.
Speaker B:And that's so, so powerful.
Speaker C:And everyone's different, aren't they?
Speaker C:And me things in a different way.
Speaker C:I am an emotional person, but I really, really respond well to structure.
Speaker C:And I think that's when you're working for yourself.
Speaker C:It's so difficult to create, to even Know what structure you need.
Speaker C:So that's one of the things from the program is that I created a structure that works for me.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's, you know, as I'm saying that that's probably one of the biggest things is that everything I did was working for me.
Speaker C:It wasn't like you were saying, we all need to do is have a sales Monday.
Speaker C:And it was like, okay, that's what Monday might not work for some people.
Speaker C:So it was like, what do I need?
Speaker C:I need this.
Speaker C:So you could take what you needed and really flex it and make it work for what your life looks like.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:Still lobby.
Speaker B:What was your experience of working with me like?
Speaker C:I found you to be very responsive.
Speaker C:So posting something in Slack.
Speaker C:My experience has been that you are very quick to come back because the experience that you've got, having done this with so many people now, you see things a lot quicker than I might see it or then somebody else in the group might see it.
Speaker C:So I really appreciated your insights on stuff.
Speaker C:I love the Little Loom videos that you do.
Speaker C:I think when I did my website, I sent you a message saying, I've done my website and you sent me a message back 10 minutes later saying, oh, I'm just looking at it now and why don't you do this naturally, that great, but change it.
Speaker C:And it was just like, wow, having that sort of.
Speaker C:That feedback.
Speaker C:Not to set any pressure for you, Jo, that I think also, you know, it must depend on when you're available as well.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:I've really enjoyed working with you and I'm still, still enjoying working with you now because I think of everything that I've mentioned.
Speaker C:It's that kind of.
Speaker C:You're not trying to say this is the only way of doing something.
Speaker C:You're saying, what's worked so far for you?
Speaker C:What else can you do with that?
Speaker C:So it feels right for me.
Speaker B:Yeah, love it.
Speaker B:Thank you so much.
Speaker B:And what was the result for you then, from the program?
Speaker C:So I've won more business last year than I'd won consistently previously.
Speaker C:I earned more money last year than I've ever earned actually, as a coach and being employed as well, my highest earning year.
Speaker C:So there's these sort of tangible outcomes, if you like.
Speaker C:But I remember saying to you at the beginning when I set out my goals, and one of them was, I want to just really feel like I'm really.
Speaker C:This is what I do now.
Speaker C:Which felt like a bit of a weird thing to say, but because of all the little parts of it coming together I'd feel much more now like if I met somebody previously, like on the school run or something, and they'd say, what do you do?
Speaker C:And I'd be like, oh, well, you know, I.
Speaker C:I'm a coach and I do.
Speaker C:You know, I haven't quite really.
Speaker C:I wasn't really feeling like I was really doing it, but now I feel more like, no, this is what I do and it's a real service and it's really useful and valuable and this is what I do now.
Speaker C:So actually it sounds like a.
Speaker C:Sounds like a strange outcome and might not be sort of what you want to put on your sales page or whatever, but that for me is huge.
Speaker C:To really feel like this is who I am and it's what I do.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:And I love the limiting beliefs that you've overcome and the levels that you've built bust through and continue to bust through.
Speaker B:And that motivation you've got of like, gosh, I got further than I thought.
Speaker B:Maybe I can do this next thing.
Speaker B:This next thing.
Speaker B:Been super inspiring.
Speaker C:Just as you're saying that, it's also.
Speaker C:I feel that I've come a long way, but I haven't completed every module in the program.
Speaker C:It's sort of like actually by just focusing on the little things that make a big difference.
Speaker C:So it's not kind of like I've got to finish all the modules.
Speaker C:I will, but I haven't got there yet.
Speaker C:So, yeah, it's focusing on the bit that's really important that might get you a bit further.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:And it's not really about the modules.
Speaker B:There's plenty of people that have done amazing in the program by just showing up at the live calls.
Speaker B:Because obviously on the live calls we pretty much do bits from the module, don't we?
Speaker B:So the modules are like, great as a backup and step by step, if you get lost along the way.
Speaker B:But I think the way you.
Speaker B:I don't think you ever missed a call.
Speaker A:There you are.
Speaker B:But honestly, it's the people that show up every single time that I'm like, oh, when I do that, their case study call, I'm like, oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Like, I've seen you every single week and you've really engaged.
Speaker B:And that's why we're here celebrating your amazing success.
Speaker B:So your biggest takeaway from the program?
Speaker C:My biggest takeaway is that I can't do it on my own.
Speaker C:And I thought I could.
Speaker C:I think that's what I was sort of seven or eight years.
Speaker C:I was like, I'll be fine.
Speaker C:I'LL work it out.
Speaker C:And I think that's my biggest takeaway is you don't have to do it on your own.
Speaker C:There's plenty of other people out there who are doing the same thing that you're doing.
Speaker C:Find what work?
Speaker C:You know, find the group, find the coach, find the place where you feel supported, that like, yeah, I don't need to do it on my own.
Speaker B:Amazing learning.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally, totally.
Speaker B:And it's so powerful for us all to hear because we can think that a lot.
Speaker B:And especially I had a feedback form last week which was similar, which was like, I already know all this stuff.
Speaker B:So that's why I want to make sure people know it's not about the portal.
Speaker B:It's not just, like, information.
Speaker B:Information is everywhere.
Speaker B:It's about the community, the structure, the accountability and all the things that you've enjoyed from the programme.
Speaker C:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:So what's next for you, Laura?
Speaker C:Well, what.
Speaker C:Yeah, what next for me?
Speaker C:So I've joined your next level mastermind, and then this year my focus is more of the same with what I've been doing, and now that I have my process and know how to win more of that business, to continue with that, I want to create something that's a group program and I really want to work with more men this year because it's acknowledged now that women go through this big transformation, this big change when they have children, they have a longer period of time off work, potentially.
Speaker C:So then there's sort of support kicking in.
Speaker C:I think men need some support as well.
Speaker C:So that's on my radar of, I'd like to grow my business by working with more men as well.
Speaker B:Yeah, love it.
Speaker B:I got a message just yesterday from a man on LinkedIn saying, I really loved your post about flexible working because I've given up work to be with my children.
Speaker B:I was like, wow.
Speaker B:You know, And I felt really guilty going, I've got a great podcast called Women in the Coaching Arena.
Speaker B:I'm really sorry about the title.
Speaker B:It's fine.
Speaker B:I'll still listen.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:And that's it, isn't it?
Speaker C:You create what you need at the time.
Speaker C:And then, because I've gone like, maternity return coach, and then it's.
Speaker C:It sort of brings down a shutter to any men and I don't want that to be the case.
Speaker C:So it's trying to think of how to frame it so it's nailing your niche, but also not excluding the audience that you really want to work with as well.
Speaker B:Yeah, totally.
Speaker B:So would you recommend the program and if so who too.
Speaker C:I would recommend the programme.
Speaker C:I'm just thinking about where I was before.
Speaker C:I would recommend it to anybody who is sitting on their own at home trying to figure out how to do all this stuff and you might be making some progress but just not, not near where you want to be.
Speaker C:I think it was.
Speaker C:I was feeling really frustrated, like there must be a way but I just can't figure it out.
Speaker C:So that's who I recommend it to.
Speaker C:So it's not necessarily that you have to be.
Speaker C:I'm just got my qualification and I'm just starting out and now this is the next thing which I think it's really.
Speaker C:I wish I'd done it seven years ago but I think equally if you're a coach who's been doing the coaching.
Speaker C:But may that's where I sort of feel like I've been doing all the coaching, done all the coach training, got at my hours doing all of that and I needed the business side of it.
Speaker C:So it was.
Speaker C:That's who I'd recommend it to.
Speaker B:Thank you so, so much.
Speaker B:And if you were to give one piece of advice to your former self maybe 12 months ago, what would that advice be?
Speaker C:Get some support and get stuck in.
Speaker C:Commit and get stuck in.
Speaker B:Love it.
Speaker B:Thank you so, so much Laura.
Speaker B:I'm so happy you are part of the mastermind and I cannot wait to have another call like this after that to see where it takes you next.
Speaker C:Thanks Jo.
Speaker C:Yeah, me too.
Speaker A:I hope you found this conversation as inspiring as I did.
Speaker A:I also have so much to learn from Laura so I know you will do too.
Speaker A:Her resilience, finding what works for her, really utilizing all of the support that was personally useful for her within the program and to be honest, not giving up like eight years is a long time in business so it's so, so wonderful that she has allowed herself the support to make it enjoyable as well as profitable.
Speaker A:If you are like Laura and want to get the support you need to grow your business to show up to do the hard things to build that proven for yourself on how to consistently gain clients into your business, then you will find the link to the business of coaching program in the show notes.
Speaker A:I take on a maximum of five people each month and it sells out pretty much every month.
Speaker A:So if you know you want to get that support then get in now the next start date for those five people who are going to join the core program and also have a small group accelerator to work super closely on your business.
Speaker A:We start on the 11th of of March so you will want to reserve your space and the moment you sign up you will gain access to the portal, the community, our calls.
Speaker A:Even though your four week small group accelerator calls won't start until the 11th of March, so you'll essentially grab yourself a few weeks for free.
Speaker A:Tuning into Laura's words again what one piece of advice would you give to your former self?
Speaker A:Get some support.
Speaker A:I find it really interesting when you can ask people what is their priority right now and usually it's get clients, but investing in the marketing and sales skills to get those clients is usually not on their radar.
Speaker A:In my experience, the way to reach your goal is investing time and money into it.
Speaker A:For example, I'm doing a LinkedIn accelerator at the moment which cost me £5,000 for a 10 week program but what it has given me already is 2,000 new followers in two months.
Speaker A:So many opportunities to speak on podcasts, to really step into the authority that I've had but haven't really prioritized sharing.
Speaker A:So every time for me how I up level is invest in something to make me step up, learn the skills and make it a priority.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening to today's episode and like I always say, trust yourself, believe in yourself and be the wise gardener who keeps on watering the seed.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.
Speaker A:I have a mass of free resources on my website.
Speaker A:JoannaLottCoaching.com that's Joanna with an A and Lot with two Ts.
Speaker A:Joanna Lot coaching.com and I'll also put links in the show notes below.
Speaker A:Let me know if you found this episode useful, share it with a friend and leave me a review and I will personally thank you for that.
Speaker A:Remember to trust yourself, believe in yourself and be the wise gardener who keeps on watering the seed.
Speaker A:Get into the arena, dare greatly and try.
