Every successful coach starts with what sometimes feels like an uncomfortable truth: your personality is your magic.

Not your certifications. Not your perfect website. Not even your methodologies!

In a sea of cookie-cutter coaching promises, authenticity cuts through the noise like a lighthouse beam through fog. It strips away the masks we think we need to wear.

Your best clients don’t want another polished professional. They want you – with all your beautiful imperfections, passions, hobbies, quirks, experiences, and hard-won wisdom.

Hence, learning how to build a personal brand as a coach​ is about uncovering what makes you you.

Let’s talk about how to make that personality — aka, “brand” — easier to live in. 🛌

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Your Personal Brand Should Feel Like Your Sanctuary

How to build a personal brand as a coach​ starts with recognizing that your most truthful self is your greatest business asset.

When we talk about your brand feeling like “coming home,” we’re not just being poetic (though we do love a good metaphor!). We’re talking about creating a brand that feels like your sanctuary — a place where you can fully be yourself while serving your clients from a place of complete authenticity.

There’s a lot of pressure in the marketing and branding world to adhere to a certain set of rules. We challenge that, and believe that your coaching brand identity should reflect who you truly are, not who you think the market wants you to be. Being truthful will always be right.

Think about how you feel when you walk through your front door after a long day. That exhale. That sense of “I can be completely myself here.” That’s what your personal brand should feel like every time you show up online, speak to potential clients, or create content.

Why does this matter so much? Because:

♡ When your brand feels like home, you’ll consistently show up as yourself rather than an exhausting “professional coach” persona that you probably feel pressured to be from the content you consume

♡ You’ll attract clients who are drawn to your authentic energy, not a manufactured image

♡ Content creation becomes an extension of your natural work and lifestyle, not something you dread

♡ You make decisions from a place of alignment rather than constantly questioning what you “should” do

But how do you know if your current brand feels like home? Let’s explore some telltale signs that it might be time for a little internal brand refresh.

Signs Your Current Brand Doesn’t Feel Like Home

You’re Stiff When Sharing Your Content Because It Doesn’t Feel Like You

Be honest — do you feel that pit in your stomach when you hit “post” on social media? Do you hesitate to share your website with potential clients?

That physical reaction is your body’s wisdom telling you something important: something about this content doesn’t feel like you.

Maybe you’ve been writing captions in a voice that feels stiff and formal because you think that’s what “professional coaches” should sound like. Or perhaps your website copy focuses on pain points that, while common in your industry, don’t align with how you actually support your clients.

“Leveraging holistic methodologies to facilitate transformational outcomes.”

If reading that made you roll your eyes a little, we’re with you! Yet so many coaches find themselves using industry jargon that feels completely foreign to how they actually speak.

Your messaging has come disconnected from your true self when:

🙈 You use phrases in your marketing that would never naturally come out of your mouth in conversation

🙈 You feel like you need to “perform” a certain way in your videos or content

🙈 You focus on aspects of coaching that you think will sell, rather than what lights you up

🙈 You avoid talking about the spiritual, intuitive, or heart-centered aspects of your work because they don’t seem “professional” enough

This doesn’t come from being the unique and magical human you are! It comes from when you’re not feeling authentic to yourself. You feel a sense of “should,” rather than a sense of “why not?”

In this same sense, there’s a difference between cringing at your own content because you’re in a nice state of discomfort, pushing yourself to put yourself out there and growing with every piece you release, and genuinely creating something that feels… wrong. You’ll know the difference.

You’re Attracting Clients That Drain Your Energy

Perhaps the most telling sign that your brand doesn’t feel like home is when you consistently attract clients who leave you feeling depleted rather than energized!

Authentic coach marketing naturally attracts clients who resonate with your approach, saving you from the exhaustion of working with misaligned people.

When your brand authentically represents you, it naturally filters out people who aren’t aligned with your approach and values. But when your brand is disconnected from your true essence, you end up working with clients who are attracted to a version of you that doesn’t actually exist.

This leads to:

🙈 Constantly explaining your approach because expectations are misaligned

🙈 Feeling like you need to shrink or modify aspects of your personality

🙈 Dreading client sessions instead of looking forward to them

🙈 Questioning if coaching is even the right path for you (when really, it’s just the misaligned client relationships)

If any of these signs resonate with you, don’t worry! Bringing your brand back home is a beautiful journey of self-discovery.

How to Uncover Your Brand’s True Essence

The journey of how to build a personal brand as a coach​ begins with identifying what truly matters to you.

Know Your Values (And Your Non-Values)

At the foundation of any authentic brand are values that genuinely guide your decisions — not just pretty words on your about page.

The foundation of coaching business growth is a brand that can scale without losing the essence of what makes your approach special.

But here’s where many coaches go wrong: they choose values that sound good rather than values that actually drive their behavior. “Excellence” and “integrity” might be true for you, but they’re probably true for every coach. What values make YOUR approach distinct?

Even more powerful than identifying what you stand for is getting crystal clear on what you stand against. We call these your “non-values” — the approaches or philosophies in your industry that you actively reject.

For example, you might value “gentle transformation” and stand against “hustle culture coaching.” Or you might value “practical spirituality” and stand against “manifestation without action.”

To uncover your true values, reflect on client success stories that felt most aligned. What values were you honoring in those relationships?

Think about times you’ve felt frustrated or drained in your business. What values were being violated?

And finally, consider what aspects of the coaching industry make you roll your eyes or feel resistant. What alternatives do you offer?

Once you have your values identified, create a hierarchy — which ones are non-negotiable guiding principles, and which ones are important but secondary? This hierarchy will help you make aligned decisions as your brand evolves.

You can also use AI to help you with this! Remember that AI is a constant back and forth conversation. If they give you an answer that you don’t align with, let them know what you don’t like and why so you can work together to find what best makes sense.

Figure Out Your Best Brainstorming Style

One of the biggest challenges in uncovering your authentic brand is that traditional brainstorming methods don’t work for everyone. Many of us can’t just sit down on a designated date and timeframe and batch our work.

Some of us need movement, others need conversation, and still others need visual inspiration. Here are some ideas you can use other than the traditional, rigid, homework-like ways that many of us are told we “should” do —

VOICE MEMOS

If you’re someone who thinks best while talking, voice memos can be magical for brand discovery. You can input voice memos into Claude or ChatGPT, where you can talk about really anything you want and ask for what you need in return.

Some ideas to get you started when springboarding your content —

1. Why did you become a coach? What’s your backstory?
2. What makes your approach different?
3. Who do you love working with and why?

Don’t edit yourself, just let the words flow naturally. AI is smarter than you think, and can offer some amazing ideas on how you can turn this into content.

BRAIN DUMPS IN NOTES

For those who process through writing, set a timer for 15 minutes and write continuously in your Notes app without editing. Try prompts like:

1. If my brand was a home, what would it feel like when someone walks through the door?
2. What aspects of my personality do clients consistently comment on?
3. If I could only be known for one thing as a coach, what would I want it to be?

The key is to write without judgment or editing — let your stream of consciousness reveal what matters most to you.

MOOD BOARDS

Visual thinkers often connect with their brand essence through images before words. Try:

1. Collecting images on Pinterest that resonate with how you want clients to feel
2. Identifying color palettes that match your coaching energy
3. Saving examples of designs, websites, or brands that feel aligned (even if they’re not in your industry)

Look for patterns in what you’re drawn to — are the images bright and vibrant or soft and nurturing? Modern and minimal or warm and layered? These visual preferences offer clues about your brand’s true nature and how you can make content moving forward.

CHATTING WITH A FRIEND

Sometimes we need a mirror to see ourselves clearly. Find a friend who truly gets you and:

1. Ask them what they see as your unique gifts as a coach
2. Discuss what makes your approach different from others they know
3. Record the conversation (with permission) to capture your natural language and expressions

Often, we speak most authentically when in conversation with someone who makes us feel safe to be ourselves.

Ask Others What Your Adjectives Are

While you’re on this journey of self-discovery, don’t forget to gather insights from the people who already experience your authentic brand: your clients, friends, and colleagues!

Since we’re on the topic of talking to trusted friends, you can ask them the question:

“If you had to describe me in 3-5 adjectives, what would they be?”

Find the patterns and consistencies in their responses.

You might be surprised by what others consistently notice about you that you take for granted! These adjectives become powerful building blocks for your authentic brand language.

Also review testimonials and feedback you’ve received, looking specifically for descriptive language clients use about you and your approach. Are there certain phrases or themes that consistently appear?

Translating Your Essence Into Brand Elements

Understanding how to build a personal brand as a coach​ means translating your inner values into external expressions.

Now that you’ve uncovered the true essence of your brand, it’s time to translate that essence into tangible brand elements that you can use across your coaching business.

There’s Nothing Quite Like Getting Professional Branding Done — But If You Can’t, DIY it With Grace!

While there’s much you can do yourself, sometimes investing in professional brand design makes sense — especially if visual design isn’t your zone of genius!

When looking for a designer, look through their portfolio and see if their styles are something you’d want for your brand. I think the best designers have a very specific type of style and client that they work with.

When I work with clients who I know need a brand, I’ll include some of my hand-picked favorite brand designers that are included in the package, just so they get a one-stop shop for everything all in one. There are a lot of amazing creative gals out there, but it’s so nice to have a select few to pull from that I know will just do an amazing job. 🥹

If your budget is a little limited, I’d prioritize a few of your favorite colors (draw inspiration from colors that you’ve used in your homes, as your phone background, and/or in your interior design), a Serif Font for your titles, and a Sans Serif font for your paragraphs.

Don’t overthink it. I can’t tell you how much time I wasted on changing my colors and fonts every time I posted on IG before getting my branding done. Your message is what’s important, not having all the visuals perfect.

Knowing Your Messaging and Language

Your brand voice is perhaps the most important element of your coach brand — it’s how you communicate your essence in every interaction!

And guess what? I believe your brand voice is the voice you use every day.

Developing your coach brand voice starts with recognizing the natural patterns in how you communicate when you’re most comfortable!

What are the words and phrases that naturally show up in your speaking and writing? Go head over to your texts with friends right now so you can see how you most organically communicate.

What are some industry terms you might be able to use in a unique way?

What metaphors would you love to use to narrate concepts?

Clear coach brand messaging helps potential clients instantly understand what makes your approach different — and helps you better realize how you show up in your space.

Build Your Personal Brand Without Getting Drained — Let’s Chat!

The most sustainable approach to how to build a personal brand as a coach​ is creating systems that make authentic content creation effortless.

And a big part of that? Knowing that content creation is about self-discovery, not marketing!

Creating your own personal brand while you’re still in the makeshift era of your biz where you haven’t quite invested in branding yet can be effortless, pulling from what you’re saying, speaking, looking at, and feeling every single day.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the process or unsure how to translate these concepts into actual content for your coaching business, we would absolutely love to help. ♡

BOOK A 15-MIN CALL TO SEE IF WE’RE A FIT ♡

Your authentic coaching brand is something that’s already alive and breathing in your life. You have everything you need to start.