I had coffee with an old friend recently — a therapist I’ve known for years. He won’t appreciate me calling him “old”, but we go way back.
Over time, he’s made a huge shift in the way he works. In the past, he was someone who took on a high volume of clients and had his hands in lots of projects — from therapy sessions to developing websites. These days, he’s honed his focus. He works just three days a week in his practice, seeing clients back‑to‑back. The other two days? He spends them playing golf.
Not bad, right?
So what changed?
He started doing exactly what I tell all of our **coaching franchisees** to do.
**Build the foundations that do the heavy lifting**
First — deliver great work. That might sound obvious, but truly going above and beyond in your sessions creates something incredibly powerful: word‑of‑mouth. Over time, this becomes your strongest marketing force. But in the beginning, that takes work — building your website, getting your ads out, setting a marketing budget, and protecting time in your calendar to make it happen.
And then you do great work again. So great that even if your clients don’t come back themselves, they send their friends, family, colleagues, or even the person standing next to them at the gym.
*“You’ll only need to see 50 % of the people you saw before on your new rate — and you’ll make exactly the same money.”*
**Raise your value, and your diary changes**
Here’s where people get stuck. They worry that putting up their prices will scare people away. But that’s kind of the point. When you raise your rates, some people *will* drop off. But the rest will be enough to cover your earnings — and you’ve just reclaimed hours, days, even *weeks* of your life.
And what happens next?
Those gaps in your diary start to fill again. But this time, with clients who see your fees as fair. You’re no longer trying to convince people of your value — they already believe in it.
This cycle continues: you get busier again, you adjust your fees again. And each time, you’re fine‑tuning not just your income, but your lifestyle — building a business that works for *you*, not the other way around.
**There are no more excuses**
Some people complicate things unnecessarily. They convince themselves they can’t write well enough for their website. That they can’t advertise effectively. That they can’t structure their business like a real coaching franchise.
But here’s the truth: the tools exist — and many are free.
Free tools that tell you how to design a great website layout.
Free tools that help you write compelling ads.
Free tools to help you market on a budget — or for no cost at all.
*“What separates the fully booked from the forever busy isn’t luck — it’s structure, strategy, and the refusal to stay stuck.”*
**Your next move is waiting**
If you’re still running your business like you’re waiting for permission to step into the next level, it’s time to stop.
Think about what would change if you doubled your price and halved your hours.
Think about the quality of your clients.
Think about the energy you’d get back — for yourself, your family, your life.
That’s not just theory. It’s the reality for those who take their coaching franchise seriously.
Your practice can be full.
Your value can be recognised.
And your time can finally feel like it’s yours again.
🎯
by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai)
