145 | How Francoise Built a Thriving Niche Coaching Business While Working Full Time

Joanna: 00:01:26

If you've ever wondered how you're going to get the time and space to build your business while juggling real life, maybe full time employment, fears that come up about being visible and real responsibilities, then this conversation will inspire you.

Many of the people I work with have already made that transition from working full time, so it's the first time I've shared a story of someone who is working full time. Francoise has done an amazing job to now reduce her days at work to have space for her coaching clients and her business.

She never wanted to be a full time coach. She enjoys her role, but she wanted to make a business alongside her job and that's exactly what she's done.

Super excited to share this story to show you that having a coaching business can be completely on your terms around all of your commitments. Hi Francois, I am so, so excited to talk to you today.

I've been wanting to have this conversation for ages because I know so many of the people listening will resonate with your story. Please do share a bit about you and who you coach.

Francoise: 00:02:39

I specialize in coaching adult children of alcoholics. It's quite a niche. Niche you. But before I joined the business of coaching with you, I was kind of just doing that coach anyone on any topic.

But yeah, that's my specialism. I love it.

Joanna: 00:02:56

So tell me more about what was going on for you before you joined the business of coaching.

Francoise: 00:03:02

I was working full time and I qualified in 22 and I was coaching quite regularly after I qualified, but as I said, not really knowing which niche to choose. I was feeling a bit conflicted. I'd had this idea that I would like to coach children of alcoholics just because of my background.

I thought that might have been a really wonderful place to be with other people who had similar backgrounds. But I just didn't know whether that would be the right place for me. Newly qualified.

I wanted to invest more in my training and get more experience and really just spend the time making sure before I actually launch that niche. And then I think I joined your program last year and that's when I decided to go all out with that particular niche and launch it on my Instagram.

But before that I was just working full time doing coaching in my evenings and Saturdays. So quite full on.

Joanna: 00:04:11

And how did you feel at the time you joined the program about balancing your job? The program, the coaching. You know, give the honest, give the honest answer. I'm sure it wasn't all rosy.

Francoise: 00:04:25

No, I mean I felt like I could do it, but obviously that was at the Time when I was making that decision, I felt motivated to do it. The reality of it, it was quite full on, but yeah, I was really motivated.

The reality is that you've got to really be quite boundaried with your time, which I did and tried to be as consistent as possible, but it took a bit of adjusting. Yeah, exactly.

Joanna: 00:04:50

You did an amazing job. What would you say was most helpful for you from the programme?

Francoise: 00:04:57

Oh, so much. There was just so much content that was useful. The portal, I mean, I still go in there now and you obviously give that.

You've still got access even though you've left the program, which is just brilliant. The weekly calls were just so useful to stay consistent. The community that was there, the others that were on the calls every week.

Great to connect with people in such a variety of different niches as well.

Even though we're all at different stages and different reasons for coming to the business coaching, we all had similar struggles and reflections and I think that just felt a lovely place to be and comforting in some ways. Yeah. I mean, I'm still using so much of the social media stuff that I learned when I was in the business of coaching.

I think that's probably been the biggest gear shift for me.

Consistent on social media and sort of mindset and the ways to use AI for it and the fact that I showed up a little bit more, you know, doing more videos and talking to camera things that all started while I was in your program. And it certainly was very noticeable, the kind of responses I got back from my followers once I did that and started playing a little bit bigger.

And that's kind of one of the things that I have talked about so much with the people that follow me is to sort of, you know, break through those confidence issues that we might have, or the fear of judgment, all those things that I know a lot of the people that I work with experience. I think being in a structured program like yours and just consistently trying to push yourself each week a little bit more really helped me.

Joanna: 00:06:45

Tell us more about your Instagram growth. I haven't checked it lately, but I know it was huge. Considering you started a brand new account for your new niche.

Francoise: 00:06:52

Yeah, I mean, so a bit of backstory is when I first joined your program, but also when I launched my Instagram, I really wanted to keep that account private for some reason because I thought that that was the way that, I don't know, I was really fearful about showing up. You know, it's obviously a niche very close to my heart. So there's A lot of emotion behind some of the stuff that I'm sharing.

But yeah, I'm over a thousand followers now and it's been slow and steady growth over the year.

As I said, I noticed that when I actually showed up visibly talking to camera or collaborating with other accounts that I've managed to connect to through that page and sharing their audiences again, that was something I learned through the program.

That really just moved the dial for me because I think as you teach on the program, people want to spend time with you if they warm to you and feel safe in your company. And if you're showing up visibly through videos, they get to know you a lot more before they want to come and have coaching with you, for example.

Yeah.

Joanna: 00:08:01

And can you pinpoint any particular turning point that helped you with this mindset shift that you've had to show up in such a nerve wracking niche initially for you?

Francoise: 00:08:15

I think that when you make a commitment to come and join a program like yours, obviously there's a money investment so you've got to make that work and you want to get that return on that investment.

Then there's all the people that you're surrounded by who are doing the same and you want to be involved in that and show up and have comments and share the wins that you have.

So I think that was a big part of it is also, as I say, some of the things that I talk about doing, you know, I know will help others, is pushing through that. Even just today, coming on a podcast, I still get nervous, but it's about pushing through the nerves and doing it anyway that helps.

And I think that I've just now been doing that so consistently for the last year that it just feels less petrifying. Yeah, I love that.

Joanna: 00:09:08

And I really do think that there's that phrase, isn't there, that says you can only take someone as far as you're prepared to go yourself. So I love that you therefore are able now to take your clients there because you're willing to go there yourself.

Francoise: 00:09:24

Yeah, I mean I still, I'm very honest about my own development and growth and again because of the niche I'm sharing a lot of vulnerable stories which I think helps them. But I hope that in that showing them that success can come and feelings can change by pushing through the fear. I hope that they get a lot from that.

Joanna: 00:09:47

Yeah, totally. So tell us what's changed since you joined the program?

Francoise: 00:09:51

Quite a lot has changed. I've now not working full time. I've reduced my hours so I'VE now got a dedicated business day.

On that day, I'm either coaching or I'm working on social medias or doing podcasts. It gives me the opportunity to do extra training. I'm currently doing internal family system training.

So it's just about investing more time and spending more time doing what I love.

But also I have done a retreat earlier on this year I facilitated, which was a really beautiful retreat in Bedford through a connection that I've made from my Instagram, which would never have had if I'd kept myself private, for example. So some really great opportunities had come from that Instagram page. But also I've had a regular stream of clients, which has just been brilliant.

Gosh, what else has changed? I mean, just my whole mindset as well, my approach to it. I always felt like a coach. Even when I was working full time.

I had my day job, but then I also did my coaching on the side, but I would never call it a side hustle because I didn't feel that that really was appropriate wording for what I was actually doing. It still felt like a career to me, but now I feel like, you know, one of the things you do on the program is getting into that CEO mindset.

You know, that's. That's how I feel about my business now.

Joanna: 00:11:17

Amazing. That's so, so interesting to hear. What I'm curious about is were you selling like one off session coaching before for like, lower cost? I'm wondering.

In other words, I know a lot of people resist selling a program. I prefer to just try and sell one off coaching. I think that was your position before you joined, is that right?

Francoise: 00:11:39

So I've definitely created more of a specialized program for children of alcoholics. So there's now a package. But I've also created a group coaching thing which is only just about to launch. So that's different.

Actually, that's one of the things that has changed since joining the program.

And another thing that I did, which I hadn't done before, was create a lead magnet and have that as a sort of a freebie that I can offer people all of that knowledge and how to get the email marketing. And Lisa, you.

York was just joining when I was in the program and she helped a lot with that email marketing information, which was just brilliant to have. I found that really valuable. But yes. So I've sort of moved away from just offering the one to one sessions.

There's more options for people to work with me. Yeah. Different price points. Exactly.

Joanna: 00:12:32

And if someone is listening who is in your situation, maybe they're working full time or feel like they're working full time even if they've got some reduced hours.

Francoise: 00:12:41

So I think one of the things that I did, I mean, everyone's different and in different scenarios and earns different amounts and need to earn different amounts to pay the mortgage or whatever it might be.

I mean, one of the things that helped me to join your program was I was in the middle of selling a flat just before, I don't know if you remember, I was emailing you and I was saying, I am going to join, I am going to join, but I've just got to wait and wait and wait and then, and then finally the flat sold and that gave me a little bit of money to invest. But I was also really super clear that I didn't necessarily want to be a full time coach. My other day job is also in the coaching industry.

It feels all very aligned and I really enjoy that and I help people to decide whether they want to be coaches and there's still sort of very much coaching conversations that happen.

I get that somebody who maybe works in the corporate world and is desperate to get out is putting all their eggs in the coaching basket and that motivation to be a full time coach might be different from me and my scenario. I would say in terms of advice, getting really clear on your finances, it always takes longer than you think to build the business.

And when you think you might have a buffer of four months, I would stretch it out to say nine months. Because I remember one of the people that I met on your program, Lena, the finance coach, said it always takes longer than you think.

I really resonated with that. Get really clear on your motivations as well on why you want to be doing it.

For my specific niche, I'm not in the corporate world coaching leaders and being paid by big businesses.

omething I've got planned for: 2026

I mean for the group stuff, my intention with that is just I know how much it helped me to be part of your group. I want that for the people that are connected to me.

I want that kind of community and sharing ideas and having different perspectives and a group offering gives the opportunity to have a different price point.

Joanna: 00:14:48

So yeah, yeah, totally. Would you recommend the program and if.

Francoise: 00:14:52

So, who too, oh, 100% would recommend the program to anyone who is just hovering over that decision or feeling like they can build a bigger business than they currently have.

But I would say anyone who is working, as I said, in the kind of question about giving them advice, I would say just be really honest with yourself about the time frame that it might take. But I think anyone. One of the great things is that your program gives such specific business advice.

Sounds like a very obvious thing to say, but so many coach training providers just don't give that. And there's so many gaps in our knowledge when we first qualify. I would 100% recommend. And also just, you know, you.

And you're so generous with the information that you give away. And I know you go off and do big investments with coaches, yourself and programs and other things, and then you come back.

I remember the amount of times you would come back and go, right, I've just learned this, I'm going to share it all with you. And we were like, oh, yeah, brilliant. You know, and that again, was unexpected. I didn't know that that kind of stuff would be coming.

I was very focused on the portal and the information about business that you'd be giving. But, you know, all the other in the moment stuff that you gave away was brilliant.

Joanna: 00:16:09

That's great to know. Yeah.

I think things change so quickly, especially at the moment with AI that, like, fine, we can have the portal as the standard knowledge, but we also need to keep updating ourselves, constantly improving what we do and there's new trends and new things to be aware of. That's really, really good to know. Yeah.

Francoise: 00:16:30

And I didn't expect to learn so much from the other people in the program as well, like Lena, the finance coach, but also Colin, who is the expert in AI. He did a talk that was so useful. So for anyone listening or considering joining. Absolutely.

Joanna: 00:16:49

Thank you so, so much. Francois, it's been a joy and I'm so happy to have had you on the podcast because I think you're my first person that's been working.

I've interviewed on the podcast and I know that loads of people are in their job wondering how to make it work, and the way you've done it in terms of gradually reducing your days is such a sensible thing for your own nervous system.

Like you've talked about, things take time and therefore, I just think it's so inspiring how you've managed to create the space and show others now what's possible for them if they are committed and want to make it work. I hope you loved hearing Francoise's story as much as I did and that it's inspired you to play bigger in your business.

I think so many of the things Francoise mentioned is the mindset involved in taking the action and also being surrounded by the right people and having the right guidance to take that action from a solid container. If you want to join the business of coaching, you can join now and your official six month support period won't start until January.

So you gain your full six months from January.

But you also can literally start right away and get support immediately from me, the community, the step by step Training we have such an exciting few weeks coming up, so this week we have a digital sales strategist doing a talk on creating a great lead magnet and the sign up page for that. In two weeks time we have an AI expert who will be helping you to build your own AI bots.

If you want them as lead magnets, maybe you want to use them to supplement your work.

Maybe build in a decision making framework, a values framework, an actual supportive coach like version of you so you can literally train it with all of your type of questions. Make sure it asks one question at a time. Make sure it has your humor.

There are so many things you can do to complement your business with AI so people get quicker results but in that secure place of your frameworks, your guidance, not generic chatgpt which will send them round in circles.

If you want to get started right away, you will find the link to the Business of Coaching program in the show notes and I look forward to supporting you in this next phase of your business growth. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

I have a mass of free resources for on my website joannalottcoaching.com that's Joanna with an A and Lott with two Ts. Joannalottcoaching.com and I'll also put links in the show notes below. 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. Remember to trust yourself, believe in yourself and be the wise gardener who keeps on watering the seed. Get into the arena, dare greatly and try.