It happens to most coaches and holistic practitioners when they first learn they need a niche. They have lots of reasons they don’t want to choose one...

Or they understand that it’s important to choose a niche, but have no idea where to start.

If you think you’re still in a “Niche Crisis,” then you’ll love today’s blog post.

I wanted to shine a little light on this topic because Niche is something I’ve seen discussed and debated in the coaching and holistic practitioner space for over 10 years and there is often quite a bit of angst around it.

Now if you already have a niche that lights you up, then don’t read this article and second-guess yourself.

But if you’re still in a “Niche Crisis,” do any of the following frustrations apply to you?

• You’re afraid that a niche is going to “limit” you
• You have this burning desire to help as many people as possible and don’t want to “turn anyone away”
• You question whether your chosen niche is “the one” and are afraid to commit to it 100%

If you’re answer is Yes, Sharla and I completely understand...

First of all, we see a high percentage of participants at our Client Attraction Summit start out with the same challenges, questions, fears and doubts around niche. It’s a VERY common struggle.

Our Journey to Finding Our Niche

Back in the day when Sharla first started her acupuncture business, she resisted picking a niche for a long time.

You see, Sharla’s heart is so big, that she wanted to help EVERYONE. In fact, the rigorous training she went through to get her acupuncture license set her up to believe she could help anyone with ANYTHING.

So whenever the next well­ meaning person suggested that choosing a niche would help her get more clients, she just felt frustrated. But the more she resisted getting specific about who she helped, the longer she stayed stuck in her business, getting only a few clients here and there.

Even though the clients she did work with loved their time with her, they never sent her any referrals which made her even more confused and disappointed.

Can you relate?

When we finally discovered that choosing a niche actually allows you to serve even more clients rather than limiting them because now you are attracting “your people” to you, everything fell into place.

So, Sharla chose the niche of helping Professional Women lead a much more fulfilling and amazing life.

Even though this niche was still vague, it was more specific than “I help anyone with any problem.”

It was no coincidence that Sharla started getting tons of referrals because her professional women clients happily referred other professional women (because they knew who to refer and had lots of friends who were also professional women).

Suddenly, Sharla knew exactly how to talk about what she did and started getting major downloads for home study courses and high-end group programs for her people.

Months later, she discovered that her true calling was to help not just any professional women, but Coaches and Holistic Practitioners. And she discovered that she had a real gift in helping her clients attract more clients and make more money.

As a synchronicity, I was going on my own niche journey: from working with teens to college students to depressed people, to Coaches and Holistic Practitioners.

In 2005, we joined forces to help Coaches and Holistic Practitioners get more clients. That year, we made $175,000. Since then, we’ve been fortunate enough to help over 25,000 people and make millions of dollars.

The last ten years have shown us, firsthand, that choosing a niche you feel aligned with, that gets you excited and taps into a specific problem you solve for a specific group of people is the fastest way to get clients.

A clear, inspiring niche generates word-of-mouth referrals, builds recognition in your area of expertise, and increases the demand for introductory consultations.

That’s why it’s important you choose one.

At the same time, we know it’s one of the hardest decisions you might make in your business.

Take this case study from one of our Client Attraction Mastery students...

Inspiring Niche Case Study

Carol Benson is a relationship coach who had been struggling with her niche for more than a year when she came to us. During the program, she realized that she’d been in the habit of “niche” due to self­doubt and a scarcity mindset.

When something didn’t work right off the bat, instead of being curious and testing the waters, she would completely switch to another niche. And then maybe she didn’t feel fully aligned with that one, so she would switch to something else. And on and on and on.

Suddenly on the second day of our event, she had a breakthrough and was able to put her finger on just ONE of the key problems she sees her potential clients struggle with, and whoosh...everything fell into place for her.

All of the language for how to explain who she works with and how she helps them just downloaded into her brain. She knew how to tie in her background and expertise, the talks she could deliver at live events, the tools she could create to help clients succeed. Suddenly it all seemed so clear and EASY.

The funny thing is, she had already written a whole book on the topic but she had abandoned it when she moved on to something else in another niche switch. Clearly she was passionate enough about the subject to write and publish a book, but somewhere down the line she began to doubt herself.

Can you relate to this story?

Three Tips on How to Choose Your Inspiring Niche

#1: Ask yourself empowering “niche choosing questions.”

Eben Pagan talks about four mega-niches: Health, Beauty, Money and Relationships. Within each of these mega-niches are smaller niches. For example, within the Relationship niche is helping Single Women find their soulmate, helping couples get their spark back, and several others.

Usually, we find that finding a niche is as simple as looking in the mirror. Often, the best niche comes from asking yourself, ”Who am I and what have I overcome in my life (that I’d like to help others overcome)?”

Sometimes when you do a lot of niche switching it’s because you doubt what’s already in front of you. It might seem too obvious or too simple and like it can’t possibly be a viable niche. Once you get clear about a possible problem area you can help people solve, it’s a great idea to ask the following 3 Empowering Niche Questions. They will help give you clarity as to whether this is a good niche for you.

1. When people come to me, asking for help in this area, do I get excited?
2. Would helping people get results in this area be fulfilling for me? 
3. Is this an area I want to master or heal in my own life (if you don’t already have mastery with it)?

If you get 3 Yeses, you are well on your path to discovering a great niche.

#2: Have the courage to claim your niche, even if you’re just trying it on for size. 

If you don’t fully commit to a niche, it can cause you to show up in a lukewarm way so that even potential clients sense your hesitation and doubt.

When you try on a niche, even if it’s just in that immediate moment when you’re talking to someone, claim it 100% and watch what happens. How does the listener react? How do you feel when you say it? What feels right? What doesn’t quite resonate with you? Be curious and gentle with yourself here. You don’t have to marry the first niche that comes along but at least embrace it fully before you decide to release it.

#3: You don’t have to master your niche to claim it.

If you feel unsure about your chosen niche because it’s related to a problem or challenge that you feel you haven’t completely mastered yourself yet, remember that you only have to be two steps ahead of your clients.

In fact, very often clients will feel more at ease with you if they know you have been through something similar and that you know what it feels like to be in their shoes.

Most of all, be kind to yourself and have fun with it. The right niche should bring you joy and won’t feel like work. Continue to explore and open yourself up to possibility.

Post a comment below and ask a question or share a story.

Sometimes just shining a light on a topic like this can lead to a breakthrough moment.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

At our recent Client Attraction Summit, I was once again inspired by the courage of many of the attendees who show up despite the fact that they don’t feel like they have “made it” yet in their business.

Many of them are brand new to business and feel like they are the only ones who don’t have the faintest idea of what they’re doing. Others have been in business for years and have had some success… but they have yet to get enough breathing room to relax.

Many operate on a “month-to-month” basis and feel frustrated that while some of their colleagues seem to have surpassed them, making way more money and showing up everywhere as an expert, they themselves can’t seem to get any traction.

There are even coaches and holistic practitioners who have experienced a lot of successes, but when it comes to raising their game up to the next level, they feel like it’s the first day of school all over again.

I can completely identify with that...

I remember going to my first event back in the early days where I walked in feeling like I must be the youngest, most insecure and least likely to succeed person in the room.  And, even though we’ve mentored thousands of people, there are still times when my insecurities creep in and I suddenly feel young and small.

And so I can relate to when people show up to the Summit feeling excited about being there and scared at the same time.

Scared of being seen as a fraud or a nobody.

Scared of getting validation that the little voice inside their head is right when it whispers they don’t have what it takes to succeed.

Scared of failing yet again.

I can see the fear and lack of confidence in their body language during breaks, in the way they try to become invisible, in the quiver in their voice when they ask a question.

But this inspires me! Why?

Because I know I’m about to witness a major transformation…

I know that the same people who walk in scared to death to be there, leave our programs with a completely different mindset.

When they move from being someone who struggles to get 1-2 clients to earning more than $10K a month in their business, they start to speak, act, and in some cases, even dress differently.

Let me tell you, when you begin to build up your confidence, the world responds.

You start attracting more ideal clients, joint venture opportunities and speaking gigs which allows you to shine even more brightly.

Here’s something we like to say at Thrive, “Confidence goes both ways.”

Confidence comes from the inside, but it also comes from the outside.

When you build the skill set to grow your business, you start showing up differently in the world. And when you get results like enrolling new clients for higher rates, getting booked for multiple interviews, or filling your group program, that feedback sends your confidence through the roof!

And so again you show up differently in the world...and the world responds in an even bigger way.

It becomes this cycle that lifts you up.

The trick is to start.

How do you do that? 

Here are a couple of strategies to get you started:

#1: I’m going to encourage you to take some advice from my mentor which is to take a complete break from talking poorly about yourself.  Even if it seems like something tiny or insignificant. Basically anything that begins with the phrases, “I can’t” or “I’m not”. These aren’t words that inspire confidence!

By the way, I’m not just talking to the newbies here. ANY time you start to play a bigger game in life or in business, insecurities and old negative thoughts can come knocking. (Ask me how I know.) 🙂

Next, start to talk about yourself in the best possible light. Imagine you were consistently having $10,000 months. What would you say about yourself? What would you say about your business?  

Start today.  We dare you to share something truly great about yourself with someone you trust.  If you’re already in the Thrive Community, post something great about yourself in the Thrive Membership Facebook Group.  

Sometimes even saying one great thing about yourself takes tremendous courage.  Will you do it?  Will you build this muscle today?

And then simply notice how others act around you. 

#2: Pick just one little piece about building your business that you feel less than confident about and become a master.

For instance, if you struggle to explain what you do at networking events or have a website that leaves people confused about what you have to offer, coming up with an amazing positioning statement can be a game changer.

This alone can be the boost to your confidence that allows others to engage with you in a completely different way.

Not sure how to create your own positioning statement? Read how to do it right here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

Recently, one of our Thrive Members courageously posted in our private Facebook group that she was both inspired and saddened by the financial successes that some of our members had just posted about.
She wrote: “Why not me? What’s wrong with me?”

Have you ever seen other people’s financial success and asked yourself these questions?

If so, you’re not alone.

No matter how successful you are, there will always be others who are more successful. And when you compare yourself to them, it’s painful.

But you don’t know the Full Story…

In the comments below her post, one Thrive Member shared:
“Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable! This was the first time I have really openly shared a financial success and in the 7 years I've been self employed, I felt the same way, "why not me? What's wrong with me?" It has taken a lot of soul searching and exploration, lots of professional development and coaching to get me, first, in the right mindset and energy wavelength, and second, teach me the strategies I was missing.”

When you see other people’s successes and compare them to your struggles, it’s SO easy to make up that these other people never struggle and they have it so easy. But everyone struggles at times, including me and Sharla.

We’ve grown through our tougher times, and while they were very uncomfortable, we would not trade them for the world, as they’ve made us who we are today.

Instead, we recommend you ask yourself, “How is my struggle making me stronger, wiser and more compassionate?”

Can you have compassion for yourself?

Our member who posted about her jealousy went on to share that she had been grieving the loss of her mother for the last 3 months...

And so I commented, “There is a time to crawl up in your shell, do your healing work, and slowly move your business along like a tortoise. And there is a time to sprint in your business and create HUGE momentum in a short period of time, like a hare.

The problem is that many people tell themselves they should be a hare when everything inside of you is telling you to be a tortoise. Losing your mother is a BIG deal and it’s important to give yourself time to heal so that when you do move back into “hare mode” you have been transformed by this event and have a deeper well of wisdom, love, compassion and safety to draw from and to give to your clients.

Honor Your Successes (no matter how big or small)

It’s so easy, when you see someone else’s success to feel like your own successes are insignificant in comparison.
Later in the post, she shared that she had three workshops and one speaking gig lined up for the summer.

This is HUGE! These 4 speaking events, when coupled with the templates that we provide in our Six Figure Speaker program, are enough to generate tens of thousands of dollars in new clients.

Can You Turn Your Jealousy into Desire?

When most people are faced with the extremely uncomfortable feeling of jealousy, they try to numb it with food or drugs or work or alcohol. Or they try to talk themselves out of it or try to think spiritual thoughts...
Instead, breathe into it and FEEL it. Feel the power. Feel the desire. Feel the longing. Feel the strength that is inside of you. Feel your desire to have the life you think they have... or to be the person you think they are.

And then, turn that desire into a deeper commitment to fulfilling your deepest commitments. This is a time to ask yourself what are you most committed to? And how important is it to you? And what are you willing to sacrifice for that commitment?

You may find that you want to experience what you think the person you are comparing yourself to is experiencing. Or you might discover that you’re actually not committed to the kind of life that that person has... and that there is a deeper truth to what you want.

For example, we have friends who are making $5 million, $10 million, $20 million per year... when we compare ourselves to them, we can start to feel bad about not being there yet.

But when we get really honest with ourselves (and remember that our boys are almost 4 and almost 7), what we want more than a HUGE amount of money is the freedom to vacation on houseboats, and ride ATV’s, and go swimming, and sit courtside at the NBA finals. We want afternoons with our kids instead of shipping them off with nannies. We want to have NO REGRETS and want to fully enjoy this time... rather than storing away millions of dollars to spend after our kids are teenagers and want to have nothing to do with us because we were not present for their lives.

My friend, Peter Sol, recently passed away. He posted this on Facebook, about two weeks before he passed:
“The most dangerous risk of all- Spending your life not doing what you want on the bet that you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.”

So I have to ask you…
What would you do with your life if you never compared your struggle to someone else’s success ever again?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

Yesterday, in our private Facebook Group, one of our Thrivers posted about how he was frustrated that he was only able to get 3 people to attend his first group program and felt drained and disappointed. 

He mentioned that maybe he priced it too low ($500) and perhaps people didn’t value it. 

Here was my response:

First, I want to acknowledge you for creating a group program, and doing your very best to fill it. I also appreciate your courage in sharing what you describe as draining and disappointing. 

I'd like to speak to both the Outer Game and the Inner Game when it comes to filling programs:

Outer Game

My first question is less about the price of your program (although being aligned with your price is very important). I want to know how you went about filling the program. We've found that, by far, the easiest ways to fill your first few group programs is by delivering free consultations and/or speaking to groups. 

When you master the art of delivering Free Consultations, you can expect about 50% of your people to say Yes. So if you want 10 people in your program, you need to do at least 20 free consults. 

(Some of our clients consistently get 90% conversion, but 50% is pretty typical for having mastered free consultations.)

And when you become amaster at speaking to groups, if 25% of the people say YES to your program, you're doing amazing. So you would need to speak in front of 40 people to get 10 YES's. 

(25% is pretty conservative... Sharla and I have been getting 40-45% conversion for our high end programs when we speak to groups live.)

If these numbers are not happening, there's nothing wrong with you... it just means you need to practice and get more mastery in delivering free consultations and speaking to groups. 

And once you master filling programs through free consults and speaking to groups, you can start to look at other ways to fill your group programs, such as teleseminars, webinars, and/or videos, which is a more advanced skill we teach in our Get Leverage Program. 

Inner Game

I believe that the biggest mistake most coaches and holistic practitioners make when they create their first group program is expecting to hit a home run on their first or second time at bat. 

I've found that without exception, group programs take LOTS of energy to launch. Because you have to create the program AND fill the program. It's a little bit like birthing a baby... the baby doesn't always come out when you want it to come out, at the size you want, and with the disposition you were hoping for.

The people who get GREAT results the first time out, almost always put in a TON of energy into launching their program. 

Not everyone has the time and energy to hit a home run on their first time at bat, and it's easy to make up that if your program doesn't effortlessly fill, that you're failing... 

What you're really doing when you launch your first group program is gathering momentum. 

For example, we put a TON of energy into our very first Client Attraction Summit more than a decade ago and had 88 people show up. 14 of these people signed up for our Client Attraction Mastery program which we offered for $1,000 at the time. We were pretty excited. 

The second time we led the Client Attraction Mastery program, we didn't put in as much energy into filling it, and only 6 people signed up. We were disappointed and embarrassed. How could we teach client attraction when our attendance dropped by more than half??? 

But we didn't cancel the program and we didn't quit. We just kept building momentum. 

It's now been more than 10 years and we've had well over 1,000 people go through our Client Attraction Mastery Program (the live event version). And with all of the energy we put into our recent launch, it feels like our momentum has greatly increased again. 

I believe a good portion of our success is due to the fact that we have never cancelled a program, no matter how many people were enrolled in it (and we could have cancelled many programs over the years). 

Now, I will say that every once in a great while, cancelling a program is the most compassionate thing you can do for yourself. For example, you may recognize that by running a program you might end up putting yourself in a dangerous health or financial position. Or you may just get a clear no to running the program, and realize that it was the wrong niche or needs to be majorly restructured before you introduce it again. In this case, do what you need to do to cancel the program with impeccable integrity. 

But most of the time, I believe that cancelling your program for lack of attendance is an act of self-sabotage and three things happen:

1) You send a message to the Universe that you're not that serious about bringing this program out into the world. 

2) You break the momentum of your program. There are people who need to hear about your program a few times... and might "coincidentally" hear about your program from people who have taken your program and loved it... You lose out on this momentum when you cancel the program and give in to defeat. 

3) When you are willing to cancel a program because of lack of attendance, you are at best 99% committed to the program. And when you're 99% committed, your people will feel it, and will be more likely to waffle in their commitment to you. 

So, I recommend you don't give yourself a back door by saying: "if I only get ____ people, I will cancel the program." 

Instead, shut the back door and lock it by declaring: "I'm leading this program NO MATTER WHAT. So UNIVERSE, send me the CLIENTS who will most benefit from my work. I am willing to do the inner and outer work to get the clients... Show me the way." 

If nobody signs up for your program, then lead the program to yourself. While you're leading it to yourself or 1 person or 2, or 5 or 10, ask yourself continually "how can I make this better?" 

And visualize leading this program to dozens or hundreds or thousands of people. It's amazing how much momentum you will create through your unstoppable commitment. 

In any case, I honor you for what you have done. You are on the right track and the Universe is on your side. I look forward to hearing about your soul-rejoicing success.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.