Why Coaching Isn’t Cheap
Buying luxurious flowers. Photo by Quinn Corte, 2022.
As I make my coaching practice more public and people browse my rates, I sometimes hear the question, “How do you set your rates?” I think what they really want to know is, “What’s the value of coaching?”
The truth is—coaching rates vary wildly (anywhere from $50 to $10,000 per session). And so do people’s perceptions of the rates. I’ve had people tell me my rates are way too low, way too high, and just right. A client recently told me my rates are 100% “worth it.”
I love talking openly about money, so this is a very transparent post about the investment of coaching, how I set my rates, and my core value that we should all be well-rested and well-paid.
Coaching with me isn’t cheap. Here are 6 (really good) reasons why.
1. Coaching is an investment.
I charge higher rates because I believe coaching is one of the smartest, worthiest, and most fun + magical investments you can make. Coaching has tangibly changed my life:
A career coach helped me quit a job that was sucking me dry and walk out feeling like a million bucks
Nine months of coach training helped me shed lifelong insecurities and overthinking that were making me miserable
Working with coaches has helped me break patterns of people-pleasing and make progress on my biggest dreams
I believe in the HIGH value of feeling more supported, aligned, and alive everyday. Coaching is an investment in making your life feel amazing. It’s an investment in your wellbeing, your career, your relationships, your state of mind, and your bliss. What’s a better way to spend your money?!
2. Coaching isn’t a salaried job.
As a self-employed coach, I’m not paid for my invisible labor. That’s why I don’t charge by the hour.
My rates for one session or a package of sessions take into account hundreds of hours of unpaid training, practice, and certification. They factor in my limit of scheduling only 3 or 4 sessions per day in order to be a well-resourced, super centered, incredible coach. They allow me to cap the number of long-term clients I take on so I can give them highly personalized attention. And my rates include all my time marketing, writing my email newsletter, improving my skills, and taking off for holidays, vacation, and sickness—which is all unpaid.
3. I invest many hours behind-the-scenes.
You might not know this yet, but boy, do I show up for my clients! My rates include all the time I spend before, after, and in between sessions on YOU and your goals.
Before your session, I take time and care to energetically center myself in the role of your coaching partner, and I prepare ideas and notes that we might use to support your growth and desired changes. After sessions, I lovingly craft a rich and highly personalized follow-up email with key takeaways to remember, next steps (chosen by you!), and resources. Very often, I get so inspired by sessions that I end up creating custom resources or personalized teachings for clients.
On average, I spend 2 hours prepping for and following up after each coaching session. I’m a generous, personal, and highly attuned coach, so I charge accordingly.
4. My clients get more than coaching.
If you book a higher price coaching package, you get way more than coaching sessions. In addition to being a life coach and career advisor, I’m also a writer and teacher about how to navigate life, revolutionize your work, and nourish your soul. I’ve developed dozens of audio lessons drawing on my 16-year career in art museum leadership, 5 years running The Retreat Space, and 41 years being a whole-hearted human on this crazy planet.
In addition to personalized coaching, long-term clients get lifetime access to the Ignite-Your-Life Vault and the Work-Your-Magic Vault. These two digital treasure troves are full of courses, tools, and resources I’ve created to support your life and career. The vaults are an ongoing project: I’m constantly adding to them, and long-term clients get everything I’ve already created and everything I add to it in the future—long after we’re done with our sessions. If I were more sales-y, I might say it’s a $2,000 value (?)…but it’s hard to put a value on my life’s work and hard-earned wisdom.
Just trust me, these resources will serve you for the rest of your life.
5. Spending money means we both show up.
An interesting thing happens when we pay a good price for something: we often respect it more. For example, when I pre-pay for yoga, I actually go to class and reap the benefits.
If a coaching session was $25, neither you nor I would value it as much. But when it’s $225, you and I both SHOW UP. We set aside time to prepare and set intentions, we don’t cancel if something better comes up, and we come on time, fully present, curious, and ready for magic. We’re both bringing our A-game, because we’ve invested in this transformational partnership. That’s the power of intentionally committing to something financially and logistically.
6. I believe in being paid well.
Lastly, I believe we should all be paid well for our sacred labor and gifts.
It’s possible to live and work from a place of abundant wealth, rest, and joy. It’s possible for work to feel like play. It’s possible to do work that lights you up, doesn’t drain you, and pays the bills. I know, because I’m doing it, and I’ve helped others do it too.
Thank you for supporting a vision where we’re all well-paid and deliciously valued for our unique service to the world. I want to shine brightly without burning out, and that’s what I want for you, too.
Are you ready to transform your life, your work, or your relationship with yourself?
I would be delighted to be your personal coach. Let’s chat!