Why I Refuse to Offer Coaching Services on my Blog

For this post, it’s more than necessary to ask Kermit to help set the tone (and by "the tone" I mean TE—too much?)

Like I've said before (and will keep saying), I love blogging, bloggers, and blog-related content.

I’ve always been a supporter of social media and content creation since I started my own platform(s) in 2015.

To me, creating something that has the potential to help or entertain someone else, directly or indirectly, is a great way to fulfill one’s purpose.

Not only is it selfless to spend time doing for others, but it can be dangerous sacrificing money and (sometimes) sanity to continue creating.

Now, don’t let me get ahead of myself. Although I believe creating content can be a selfless act, I’ve seen selfish people attempt to commit selfless acts which, as you can imagine, doesn’t blow over well.

With the "I want to work from my bed and make $5K per day" movement creeping into beginning blogger's impressionable minds, I feel like most lifestyle platforms I visit have a section for clarity calls.

If I can be blunt, it's unnerving to see lifestyle-based bloggers, with 5-10 different niches on one website, talk about pumpkin carving tips one day and then promote a $200+ clarity call the next.

Since that sounds pretty harsh, let me expose myself as an example.

Around January of 2018, I attempted to create a “coaching call” program for this website. I was spending hours a day learning Acuity in order to offer this program and attempted to bring in pre-sale customers before my sales page was even finished.

I had no clue what this meant for my current and future audience, but I knew what it could mean for me.

What Makayla? What would it “have meant” for you?

Money, my friends. I was impulsively creating a program "for others" because I knew that it could become another viable stream of income for myself.

why this was wrong

So, why was this wrong of me to attempt? Why is it an issue that I thought of a grand idea, that I felt could help others, and acted on those thoughts? Isn’t that what content creators do?

Long story short, I wasn’t wrong for wanting to coach people.

I was wrong because I saw my audience as potential clients that could potentially pay me for potential.

The content that I created for this program had potential and ONLY potential. I hadn’t attempted to see if it could actually help people by asking for testers or offering a free version in a post. I created a workbook and some worksheets because I felt that, in order to get paid, I needed to have “something else" to attract customers.

I never thought about how much my program could change someone’s life because I was too busy thinking about how much it could change my own. I never thought about the trust that it takes to pay someone for help.

I never considered what some people sacrifice in order to see results they're desperate for.

if not coaching, what's next?

Instead of offering a full-out coaching program, I decided to keep things small and create a service that has been requested by both family members, acquaintances, and readers.

This, my friends, is why I created my Blog Audit.

This was the first time I did something that had been requested or abused time and time again. If I wasn’t receiving messages expecting free help (an issue many of us are tired of), I was getting requests from people to visit their blog and give my honest first-impressions to help guide their next steps.

I was not only proud of the content I created for The Blog Audit, but I knew that the impact was on a much smaller scale that I, and many others, could vouch for.

This service is for anyone who needs that extra help with customizing their blog to fit their aesthetic—without sacrificing usability and the potential to attract loyal readers.

If you’re interested, or feel like you need an affordable service like the Blog Audit to help you “get your life,” check it out here or contact me for more information.

tips for those that want to offer coaching

I'm sure you're wondering why I even brought up a coaching-related service in a post about not wanting to coach. Don't roll your eyes yet, my fellow petty friends. I believe, wholeheartedly, that you can still have your cake and eat it too.

If you’ve been itching to offer coaching services on your blog, with or without past clients that can vouch for your range of knowledge, I encourage you to put your foot into a program that showcases your strengths.

For me, I've always been complimented on my blog's aesthetic. It's not on the artsy end, like theparttwo.com (one of my favorite and the most aesthetically pleasing page I've seen in a while), or close to being underwhelmingly simple, either.

With the knowledge of what others admire most about my site, I created something that answers questions they may have when browsing my platforms.

Some of these questions may be:
"How did she ___"
"Where can I do ___"
"Why doesn't my ___ do ___"

Acting on these questions I'm sure many people ask themselves, I created an audit that aims to answer and provide.

Basically, instead of talking to someone about their vision in an hour-long Skype call, I'm recording my initial impressions of their site to provide immediate value that simultaneously helps address their concerns.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with having a vision that you want to see come to life. I’ve always been one to do what I can’t stop thinking about—even if I know, deep down, that I may not be ready.

Just make sure, at the end of the day, that you think about everyone BUT yourself. Here are a few ethical pointers:

Thinking about your content > thinking about your prices.
Thinking about your impact > thinking about your views.
Thinking about your quality > thinking about your quantity.
Thinking about THEIR results > thinking about YOUR success.

I wish you all nothing but the best for your platforms and future / current businesses. I’ve been blogging for nearly three years and STILL can’t think of anything else that would excite me as much as this does.

Even on the days when you feel like nothing is working for your platform(s), continue to consider who you’re helping. Whether you receive 10 views per month or 10,000—the impact you make is what makes you extraordinary.

If you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends and audience to spread the love. Comment below your thoughts on coaching services, and connect with me on social media (@themakaylalynn).

As always,
Live (and create) Intentionally.