What does it really take to transition from corporate success to a thriving coaching business? Antonia Watson's journey reveals the surprising gap most newly qualified coaches don't see coming.
The Monday Morning Reality
After 20+ years in tech consulting as COO and Global Head of Workforce Strategy, Antonia discovered coaching during a post-pandemic career break. She loved her training at Henley Business School and felt confident in her coaching abilities. Then Monday morning arrived: "I need paying clients. Now what?"
Despite her corporate background, Antonia discovered that marketing a global consultancy bears no resemblance to marketing yourself as a coach. She tried online research and mentoring, but was missing the practical steps to actually implement what she was learning.
The Game-Changing Question
Everything shifted during Sarah's Nail Your Niche Challenge with one powerful insight: "It's one thing identifying your ideal client, but how are you going to find them on LinkedIn?"
This exposed her fundamental flaw – starting too broadly with "I'll coach professional women." You can't find all professional women on LinkedIn and message them personally. The practicality simply doesn't work.
Going Deep for Real Results
Antonia learned that effective marketing requires understanding your ideal client at an impossible depth. She now works specifically with senior women in STEM navigating change who want to advance their careers with clarity and confidence.
This specificity transformed everything. She developed structured daily LinkedIn content, runs targeted webinars, built her website, and works with both individual and corporate clients. Many come from her former network who now understand exactly how she helps.
The Unexpected Truth
Building her coaching business became as much personal development as her coaching training. The skills are completely complementary – the deeper she understands her ideal client for marketing, the better coach she becomes.
Through the Coaching Revolution's Advance Programme, Antonia gained practical tools from proposal writing to client sequences. The supportive community provides ongoing collaboration without competition, since everyone serves different niches.
Her transformation from a qualified coach wondering "what now?" to confidently building a thriving business proves that with practical guidance and community support, the gap between qualification and success can be bridged.
Ready to Nail Your Niche?
Join Sarah's Nail Your Niche Challenge – the only challenge designed specifically for qualified coaches who want to stop marketing to everyone and start attracting ideal clients.
🎯 Register for Nail Your Niche Challenge
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