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Learning how to grow to 7-figures in your coaching or consulting business is crucial to quickly scaling your business. Many coaches and consultants have no idea what it takes to grow their business to 7-figures. If you have found yourself questioning why you are stuck at 5 or 6 figures in your business, then these 7 lessons will help you understand the journey to growing to a 7-figure coaching or consulting business.
#1 Get Strong in Your “No”
The first lesson to growing to a 7-figure coaching or consulting business is learning how to say no. You need to be able to say it with a strong intent so you can be very clear on what your boundaries are. The busier you get, the less time you have for things that don’t matter and that do not contribute to your business goals.
You have to get really good at protecting your time and this requires strong boundaries.
When I first started my consulting business, I would run around San Diego and meet anyone in person who was interested in working with me. I did this on my own time and paid for gas out of my own pocket and sometimes they would still say no. I finally reached a point in my business where I set a firm boundary that I would no longer meet with someone unless they were a paying client. That was a game-changer for me early on when I was still at the low 6-figure mark.
Once you set a boundary, you will notice immediately that you are being tested to see if you’re serious about sticking to your boundary or not. I remember being on a sales call with a prospect. She had been referred to me by two of my other existing clients. We had a great call and after the call she sent me an email saying she would love to meet with me and have coffee. She wanted to discuss a few more things before deciding whether or not to work together. I sent an email back saying, “I no longer meet with people who are not paying clients and if you’re ready to work together, here’s the link to pay.” Guess what? She paid and when we met up, she was a paying client. It’s important to remember that once you put a boundary in place, it is up to you to hold yourself to it. I promise, people will respect you for it.
Another boundary that I put in place in my business was that I no longer make myself available for networking calls.
If you are making multiple six-figures and you’re trying to scale to 7 figures, you will not have time for “coffee chats.”
You do not have time to allow someone to sit and pick your brain” either. My boundaries consist of only getting on the phone with potential clients who are interested in working with me, those who are paying clients, or the media for PR opportunities. In order to scale your business to 7-figures, you must protect your time and you must start by saying no.
#2 Own Your Schedule
The second key lesson to scaling your business to 7-figures is that you are going to have to own your schedule. The first part of this you learned in lesson one about how to say no. However, you must go further than that and map out your schedule to include time for strategy, meetings, coaching, and even time to dream. It is so important to take time to dream to prevent overwhelm. If you don’t have control over your time and you are scheduled too tight, you can quickly become overwhelmed. You either control your schedule and allow for what’s most important to you or it will control you.
There are many things you can do to help control your schedule.
Time blocking is one very effective way to get certain projects done.
It’s also important to have ongoing meetings with your team that you can eventually delegate to an operations team member to free up some of your time. Another important factor is to schedule days off. I know for me personally, I don’t work on Fridays and I block an entire week off every month when I do not take calls from anyone including clients, prospects, and my team members. This allows me space to work on other aspects of my business and also to “dream” rather than be on continuous calls.
Another way to own your schedule is to have dedicated days and even times during the day for certain activities. For example, in my business, I only coach on certain days and this allows me to be fully focused on coaching my clients versus allowing people to book a call whenever. This prevents distraction and uses my time in a more efficient manner. From a high performance standpoint and optimizing my brain power and my time, I found that having dedicated coaching blocks is really helpful. It’s the same thing with any other aspect of my business. Focusing on one thing and doing it well eliminates overwhelm, headaches, and stress. Taking control of your schedule in this way will help you step onto the path to becoming a high-performing 7-figure business owner.
#3 The Devil is in the Details
One of the biggest lessons of becoming a 7-figure business owner, is that the devil is in the details. The more you grow, the more complex your business will become even with a more simplified model such as a high-ticket model like I have. This means there are more moving parts, more things that can break, and a greater demand for attention to detail. For example, in my own business, if I was to make one small change such as adding a group call to the schedule, it would create a domino effect that could create hours of work for my team. When you grow bigger, there are more people that are affected by changes, even small ones.
It’s essential to focus on being detail-oriented and to know how to make changes and make the necessary adjustments due to the result of those changes.
You have to understand the details and document any new ideas or changes you would like to implement so you know how it will affect your business and the demand it will place on your team. It’s mind blowing how interconnected everything becomes as you grow your business and how even a simple change can create hours of work and touch on many other aspects of the business.
#4 Get Organized with Technology
Lesson number four focuses on using technology to help you get organized. This includes automating tasks whenever possible. Even if you are a service-based coach or consultant, you can automate simple tasks that allow you to get more done and set you up for success to grow your business to 7-figures.
I highly recommend using a project management tool in your business. Some of my recommendations include Click Up, Asana, Trello, or AirTable. Using technology will help you manage projects, ensure things get done, and help you operate your business much easier. This will ensure that you are getting all the necessary tasks of running a business done. This will also help you understand all the steps needed to launch a new program. When you start documenting all the details that go into launching a new program, you may find it’s more complicated than you thought. By using technology and especially a project management system, you will understand clearly the time lines and how each team member or outside contractor will help you get the project done quickly. Using technology and systems is essential to growing your 7-figure coaching or consulting business.
#5 Uplevel Your Self-Care
Taking great care of yourself and upleveling your self care is absolutely key to growing a 7-figure coaching or consulting business. It may seem odd to add this in here after discussing the previous business lessons, however focusing on self care is just as important. I know many coaches and consultants who became a successful 7-figure business owner, however it cost them everything. They may have made 7-figures, but maybe they gained 100 pounds or had a heart attack. It is not worth having a major health crisis just to make a lot of money.
In fact, the more money you make, the more emphasis you should put on your self-care.
Becoming a 7-figure business owner will mean more stress. Yes, you have more money and can have a better lifestyle, but you now have more responsibility and a new level of stress. As you grow your coaching or consulting business to 7-figures, it’s important that you learn how to manage stress.
The number one way to do that is through self-care.
It’s essential to get adequate sleep, eat healthy foods, get regular exercise, and meditate. Self care could also include spending time in nature, taking high-grade supplements, and getting regular massages. This is on my list for a self-care routine. You will find what works for you, but remember the essentials are for everyone to keep you balanced. When you level up your self-care, you’re going to feel better. When you feel better, you show up as a better leader in your life for your clients, your team, and for your family.
#6 Invest in the Help you Need Sooner
The sixth lesson for growing your coaching or consulting business to 7-figures is to invest in the help and support you need sooner. If I could go back, I would have invested in help sooner than I did. My background is in marketing so I put off hiring the next-level coach that I needed. Once I made the investment, everything changed. I continue to invest in myself in so many ways spending multiple six-figures on self-development and personal growth.
Many people are stuck at the 6-figure mark and they have fear around investing in themselves. This keeps them stuck for years. By investing in help, you can grow your coaching or consulting business to 7-figures. Hiring an experienced coach who has worked with others and helped them grow their business to 7-figures will help you get there too.
#7 Make Time for Things that Matter
The final lesson to growing a coaching or consulting business to 7 figures is to make time for the things that matter. You learned how important it is to say no, to take control of your calendar, and make time for self-care. There is also another level which is when you take time for other things that are important to you. For me and most of my clients, family is everything. I know of several colleagues who were so focused on their business and reaching the 7-figure mark, that they became ill. Some even wound up divorced or with a ruined relationship with their kids. It is not worth it to grow your business at the expense of what’s most important in your life.
You can grow your business to 7-figures and still have time for family, friends, and hobbies. You may still have to sacrifice some things, but you can choose to grow your business sustainably. This means you can grow at your own pace and still allocate time for the things that are important to you. You can still go to your kids sporting events, volunteer at a local charity, take vacations, or be involved at your church.
You are more than your work and when you make space for these other things in your life, you are going to feel much more fulfilled.
There is a direct positive effect on how much revenue I make when I am in a good place and taking time to recharge, go on vacation, and spend time with those I love. Remember to take time for the important things in your life as you grow your coaching or consulting business to 7-figures.
Let me know in the comments which of these seven lessons you are struggling with. If you are ready to apply these lessons to your business, apply to book a call with me so we can discuss how you can grow your business to high six or even seven figures.
