How to Get Coaching Clients So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL

The most successful coaches didn't start by building funnels, courses, or $27 ebooks. They started by turning simple conversations into high-paying clients. I'm going to share with you 5 ways to quickly fill your client list, even if you're just getting started and don't have an audience yet. These are strategies that I use to go from years struggling to land clients to running a 6-figure coaching business in just 20 hours a week. I've also helped dozens of other coaches fill their calendars practically overnight using these same strategies. You can start using these today to begin booking clients as soon as this week. The first way to quickly fill your client list is to start a podcast. Podcasting Podcasting is one of the fastest ways to fill your client list and grow your coaching business if you do it right. I podcasted for years without making a dime. Then by making one small tweak, that same show brought in $12,000 in a single month, and it happened by doing this. When most people think of podcasts, they think of a content platform. It's something that you use to grow an audience, build a brand, and maybe someday, if you're lucky, get some clients. But I can tell you from experience that growing a podcast from scratch is like watching paint dry. Unless you're already famous or have a big following, it can take years of consistent posting before you start making any real money. So how is podcasting going to get you clients? Well, when done right, podcasts aren't just about content, they're about relationships. Think about it, when you host a podcast, you get direct access to your dream clients, summit hosts, event organizers, and other influencers with massive audiences. Every episode becomes an open door to someone who can hire you, refer you, guest you on their podcast, or put you on their stage. And a 30-minute podcast interview builds more trust than 30 days of posting. That is why podcasts are one of the fastest ways to land high-paying clients. You're not focusing on building the biggest audience audience as fast as possible. You're shifting your focus to the people who guest on your show. Instead of begging for attention, you are creating opportunities. And starting a podcast is incredibly easy and affordable. My podcast ranks in the top 2.5% globally with over 500 episodes. I don't do video, I don't edit, and I record everything on Zoom, yet it brings in tens of thousands in revenue and only costs $350 per year to run. To start your podcast, just go to creators.spotify.com and within a few minutes you can launch a podcast that instantly distributes to all major platforms. From there, get a decent microphone like the Samsung Q2U or the Rode PodMic and start inviting your dream clients and collaborators as guests. Hit record, have a fun conversation, and when you're done, get curious about how you can help them. Not every conversation is going to lead to a client, but if you do it right, every interview should be generating income and opportunities to grow your business. And if you want to see exactly how I do this step by step, I put together a full training that walks you through the entire process. I'll show you how I turn just one social media post into $10K per month using my podcast. You can watch it right now. Free by clicking the first link down in the description. And once you start podcasting in this way, you'd be surprised at how quickly and consistently clients start showing up. But podcasts aren't the only fast way to land clients. This next strategy is one of the quickest and most effective ways to start filling your client list. Historically, one of the fastest ways that most coaches get their start is by reaching out to the people that they already know. Friends, colleagues, communities, professional networks are all great places to find your first batch of clients because these are people who already know, like, and trust you. And trust is the hardest part of selling coaching. When someone already believes in you, the leap to becoming a client or referring to you one is a lot smaller. I got my first client when I was a 22-year-old spiritual life coach, and it was actually an old family friend. We bumped into each other at the grocery store and they asked me what I was up to. When I told them about my coaching business, they asked if we could sit down and talk more. A few days later, I had my first paid client at $2,400. But here's something important that a lot of people won't tell you about this strategy. If you just say, hey, I'm a coach now, let me know if you know anyone who needs help, don't expect to get flooded with business. People need specifics, and by saying that, you're being way too vague. So instead, be crystal clear and say something like, hey, I'm starting out this coaching business and I'm looking to work with dads who want to lose 15 to 20 pounds in the next 90 days. Do you know anyone who might be interested in that? They're either going to say, no, I know someone, or that's me. You'll be surprised how many referrals you can get just by asking, which is what 90% of coaches are too scared to do. Most people either want help or they want to help you, but they need to know exactly what you're looking for. So start by making a short list of 10 to 15 people in your network. Think about past clients, business contacts, or even supportive family and friends. Send each one a quick, specific message like the example I just gave you. You don't need to beg or be pushy. You're simply planting seeds in the minds of people who already care about you and wanna see you win. And oftentimes those seeds turn into high-paying clients faster than any social media post ever could. But if your network feels too small or not very supportive, don't worry. This next strategy puts you in front of entire rooms of your ideal clients without needing an audience of your own, and that's to speak at virtual or in-person events. You don't need to have a giant audience to position yourself as a go-to expert in your field. You just need a stage. And this is exactly how I started my coaching career. I'd speak at events all over the Bay Area and invite people onto calls with me afterwards. I was just 22 years old and I ended up enrolling the vice president of MassMutual into my coaching program. Crazy story. I'll save it for another day. When you speak at a summit, a local meetup, or a bigger conference, you instantly gain authority. 75% of people are terrified of public speaking. So the very fact that you're even on the stage makes people admire and respect you. And you don't need to do some huge 90-minute keynote. I've done 10-minute talks that led to $5,000 clients. Just because the right people were in the room. Oftentimes those smaller, more intimate groups bring in more money than big keynotes. One short talk can shortcut months of content, and that's what I want you to remember. I mean, think about it. The host already built the audience, and when they hand you the mic, that credibility transfers over to you. It's like being endorsed in front of a roomful of potential clients. Your job is just to get into the right rooms. But how do you do that? Well, first, start by finding the right events. Go to Google and search your niche plus summit meetup, conference, or association, and you'll find a ton of opportunities both in person and online. Then you want to build relationships with the organizers. When you know the people who run the show, getting booked is a whole lot easier. Eventbrite or Meetup are great websites to get into mixers, events, and groups where you can meet these key people. And also, as a pro tip, inviting these people onto your podcast is a great way to build that relationship even quicker. Next, when you pitch your talk, pitch a focused topic. Don't offer to talk about mindset. Pick something specific like 3 mental shifts to double your sales without working longer hours. Specificity is what sells. Just make sure that your topic is benefit-driven and positioned to truly serve the group that you're trying to speak for. And lastly, end with a clear invitation every time. When you speak, don't just thank people and then leave. Say something like, if you'd like help applying this to your own life or business, I'd love to offer you a private session with me totally free. Come see me after this, or you can grab a spot on my calendar. And then you could even have a QR code to your calendar link on a slide in front of everybody so they can pull out their phone and book a time right there. You don't need to be a polished or professional speaker to make this work. I was able to do it when I was 23 years old. You just need to deliver real value, share a simple framework, and invite people to take the next step. One stage, one clear message, one offer is all it takes to walk away with high-paying clients. And even if you're not speaking, you can still get clients by just going to these events where your ideal clients are likely to be. Paid events are usually better because the people attending already are investing in themselves, so they tend to take things more seriously. And when you're networking, keep it intentional. Share what you know, let your expertise come through, but don't force anything. Just have fun, be curious, and connect with people. And if you're in a conversation that feels like a good fit, invite them into a session with you. They can either book it right there or just follow up with them once the event is over. Speaking on stages is incredibly powerful, but it can take time to line up the right events. So if you want to see faster results, the easiest win usually comes from the people that you've already talked to. One of the simplest and most overlooked ways to land high-paying clients fast is to follow up with people you've already talked to or worked with. Think about it. Most of us have people sitting in our DMs or on our email list or past calls that we've had where the timing just wasn't right. They said no, or maybe they ghosted you, and we assume that they are gone forever. The work you do today doesn't always pay today, so that's why you need to follow up. What was a no 6 months ago could be a yes today. You just have to check in. I can't tell you how many times I've sent a 2-line message like, hey, name, I was thinking about you and wanted to check in. Are you still looking for help with specific challenge? And that tiny nudge has turned into thousands of dollars in coaching sales without hunting a single new lead. This works so well because these people already know you. They've already shown you some level of interest, and sometimes life just got in the way the first time. The real problem here is that most coaches and thought leaders are too scared to simply reach out. Go back through your old leads, past clients, DMs, podcast guests, and even people who've grabbed a freebie but they never booked a call with you. Make a list of 10 to 20 names and then send each one a short personal check-in this week. It's good practice to have a simple spreadsheet or system to keep track of people who were interested in your work, but it just wasn't the right time. That way you know you can follow up with them so you're not thinking, was this person actually interested? Because that'd be kind of awkward. You'll be surprised at how many people say, actually, yeah, I'd love some help. When can we talk? Sometimes the fastest way to new clients isn't in finding new people. It's reconnecting with the ones you've already met. Now, following up with leads is incredibly simple and very powerful, but it's not enough on its own. If you want an audience that no algorithm can take away, then you need to start implementing this next strategy. I see so many coaches make the mistake of building their following on Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, But the problem is that you are on rented land. You don't own any of it. When the algorithm shifts, your posts stop getting the same reach and suddenly you are invisible to the people that you work so hard to attract. That's why building an email list is so powerful. It's the one audience that you truly own. Nobody can take it away from you. Even if you're storing your list on ActiveCampaign, MailChimp, or ConvertKit, they legally need to give you all of your contacts back if they went out of business. Social media platforms aren't going to do that. When done right, an email list becomes a consistent client-generating machine. And you don't need thousands of subscribers to start making a solid income. Even a targeted list of 200 to 300 people can be more valuable than 10,000 random followers because those people raised their hand and they said, I want to hear from you. Take my client Wendy, for example. She was running ads to book coaching calls and they were working very well. But one day her ads just stopped working. Suddenly she was struggling to find clients and wondering how she was going to pay her bills. But what Wendy had completely forgotten was that she had an email list of 5,000 targeted leads that she built with those ads. And like most people, She completely neglected her list and was too focused on building a list rather than nurturing it. So we started sending some regular emails to warm up her list, and then we used one of my plug-and-play templates inviting people to book a call. The very next day, she sent me this. In the 24 hours since I emailed my list, 24 moms emailed me their interest in booking a session with me. That one simple action turned into thousands of dollars in sales practically overnight for Wendy. So how can you do this even if you don't have an email list yet? Well, first, you want to create a freebie that solves one very specific problem that your ideal client is struggling with. Dealing with. Not some 30 to 50 page ebook, just a short punchy resource that gets them a quick win in 10 pages or less. Then you want to set up a simple landing page where those people can opt in to join your list and then get their freebie. From there, it's your job to email these people 1 to 3 times a week with tips, stories, or insights to help them move closer to their goals. Make invites to work with you regularly and blend them with value because you never know when someone's ready to sign up. The email that you send that doesn't have a CTA to work with you could have been the one where somebody says, I wish that I could just work with them. Most coaches spend so much time and money building an email list, but then they never email it, or they only email when they want something. But that's like only calling your friend when you need a favor. So instead, treat your list like an ongoing conversation and focus on building a relationship with it. Share value consistently, and when you make an offer, people will already know you, like you, and trust you. Even when I only had a couple hundred people on my list, I was still able to make $5,000 sending a single email. That is the power of email. Now, I mentioned before, the first thing to do when you start building your list is to create a really good lead magnet or freebie. But most people's freebies suck, which is why they don't get any opt-ins or they get the wrong people opting in. So watch this video next and I'll show you exactly how to create a lead magnet that actually converts. If you have any questions from this, please leave a comment below. Like this, share it with someone that you think it would benefit. And as always, take what you learned here, get out there, make something happen. I'll see you in the next one.