There's a TON of advice out there for coaches building a business. Matter of fact, I think a lot of coaches suffer from too much of it.
Because, here's the thing: by the time someone has been in business for a while, they’ve learned a lot. They’ve taken programs. They’ve watched trainings. They’ve followed people who sound smart and credible. On paper, they’re doing everything right.
And yet, the business still feels harder to run than it should.
Effort increases. Results don’t stack. Focus slips. Confidence gets shaky. Expectations distort.
I don't mean to say that the advice out there is bad. I'd be throwing myself under the bus if that were the case, lol.
It’s just that good advice without orientation (understanding) creates pressure instead of progress.
Advice is rarely the real problem
Most advice works in isolation.
Post consistently. Clarify your offer. Be visible. Build relationships. Nurture your list. (Heck, I say these things!)
None of that is wrong.
The problem is what happens when advice is absorbed without a clear framework for when, why, or in what order it matters.
Instead of clarity, you get:
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competing priorities
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overlapping strategies
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constant second-guessing
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a sense that you should be doing more
The advice doesn’t fail. The context is missing.
How good advice creates false clarity
False clarity is one of the most damaging states in a business.
It feels like you understand what to do, but you don’t know what to focus on now.
So you try to focus on everything:
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a little visibility
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a little list building
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a little offer refinement
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a little content
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a little outreach
From the outside, it looks responsible.
From the inside, it feels scattered.
Nothing compounds because nothing is being repeated long enough or cleanly enough to build momentum. Progress stalls, even though activity stays high.
This is where coaches start saying: "I just need to be more consistent.” or “ I know what to do, I just need to get it done!”
But getting it done isn’t the issue.
Why more advice increases pressure
When growth slows, the instinct is to learn more.
Maybe the missing piece is:
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a better framework
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a smarter strategy
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a clearer system
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the thing everyone else seems to know
So more advice comes in.
Instead of relief, pressure builds.
Now you’re not just trying to grow a business, you’re trying to reconcile five different opinions/strategies about how that growth should happen. Each one makes sense on its own. Together, they compete for attention and energy.
This is how good advice turns into frustration or even downright resistance.
And I don't mean because it's all wrong, it's not. I mean because it hasn’t been prioritized. To prioritize, you have to understand how it all works (orientation).
Orientation comes before information
What’s missing at this stage isn’t another idea.
It’s orientation.
Orientation answers questions like:
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What actually matters right now?
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What can wait?
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What supports the stage I’m in, not the one I wish I were in?
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What needs to be repeated before anything new is added?
Without orientation, advice stacks horizontally. With orientation, it stacks vertically.
That difference determines whether effort compounds or collapses.
Why this is especially hard for capable coaches
This problem shows up most clearly for thoughtful, capable people.
You can see nuance. You understand context. You don’t blindly follow formulas. (Except that one time when you did.)
So instead of rejecting advice outright, you try to integrate it.
That’s where the overload happens.
The business becomes a collection of “shoulds” instead of a system that reinforces itself. Progress feels dependent on constant attention, constant decision-making, and constant adjustment.
Eventually, something has to give.
What to pay attention to next
If you feel overwhelmed by good ideas instead of supported by them, the next step isn’t finding better advice.
It’s understanding:
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why consistency becomes harder under increasing workload
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why visibility alone doesn’t relieve the pressure
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why confidence shifts when progress stops stacking
Those pieces explain what advice alone can’t.
This explanation is part of a larger overview of how coaching businesses actually grow. Read the full overview → How Coaching Businesses Actually Grow
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About the author
Michelle Sera
Business growth advisor for solo coaches and second-act professionals
Michelle helps coaches understand why growth becomes harder over time even when they’re doing “the right things” and how to restore clarity, capacity, and forward momentum without piling on more advice.
She has spent over 15 years helping coaches grow their businesses, from multi-million dollar brands to the solo coach.
Why Good Advice Makes Things Worse
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nal purposes only. Nothing shared is intended to be — or should be considered — medical, psychological, legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult the appropriate licensed professional for those needs.
By participating in any ElevatedMind® offerings, you agree that you are fully responsible for your own decisions, actions, and results. While I’m here to support and guide you, your results are ultimately your own.
All offerings are designed to support your growth, reconnect you to your inner clarity, and help you create aligned, sustainable momentum — not to diagnose, treat, or guarantee specific outcomes.
nal purposes only. Nothing shared is intended to be — or should be considered — medical, psychological, legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult the appropriate licensed professional for those needs.
By participating in any ElevatedMind® offerings, you agree that you are fully responsible for your own decisions, actions, and results. While I’m here to support and guide you, your results are ultimately your own.
All offerings are designed to support your growth, reconnect you to your inner clarity, and help you create aligned, sustainable momentum — not to diagnose, treat, or guarantee specific outcomes.
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©2022 Vermilion Marketing, LLC - ElevatedMind® All Rights Reserved