Leaving The Corporate World To Start A $40K/Year Coaching Business
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hi, my name is Carly Kay and I’m the founder and owner of Blue Sky Coaching.
Blue Sky Coaching is a personal and professional coaching practice that started in March of 2020… just in time for the level 5 lockdown due to the Covid pandemic. This unexpected turn was a blessing in disguise for my coaching practice. Not many people can say that, but coaching, usually done in person, suddenly became available to people in the comfort of their own homes via online sessions.
My passion for coaching developed in 2015 on the back of receiving a coaching session at work. I was looking for a career move and this engagement surfaced a long-held interest in people development which I subsequently investigated. My research ended up sending me on the learning journey of a lifetime!
My own personal and professional growth inspired me to take a leap of faith and leave my corporate safety net to get my practice up and running.
I work with individuals and teams focusing on effective goal setting, employee engagement, performance management, and agility in the workplace. This particular area of interest comes from my years in corporate and working with various individuals and teams spanning across project management, technical sales, and human resources.
My clients are mostly in the corporate space, but I often get individuals who find me online and ask for life coaching.
When I decided to leave corporate and start my coaching practice, I gave myself a timeline to make things work. This gave me focus, clarity, and drive.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
2015 was a big year for me. My husband at the time asked me for a divorce 14 days after our house transfer went through. I had to move back in with my Mom and Dad at the age of 30 and I wasn’t happy at work. I knew things had to change and I had to take an active role in that decision.
I started yoga as a way to connect my mind and body and found myself on the receiving end of a work recognition program that involved doing an Enneagram Personality Typing followed by a feedback session. I wanted a career change and was looking into going back to university to study psychology, but coaching was also an area of interest.
I moved into sales as a Technical Sales Specialist for the Dimension Data End User Computing business unit and survived 3 years of sales stress. I have HUGE respect for all salespeople! It was stressful, but the commission I earned went towards my studies at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate Business School’s Centre for Coaching. It was a commitment, both personally and financially.
This was a very intense program, but I knew I wanted to go into coaching full-time and needed an internationally recognized course. I was certified as an Internationally Certified Integral Coach at the beginning of 2019 after a 2-year part-time certification course.
Taking you back to September 2015, after a rocky start to that year, I agreed to a blind date through a mutual friend. My head and heart were in a good place, so I agreed to have one introductory drink. We hit it off and as they say, the rest is history. Having completed my coaching certification in February 2019, I gave birth to my son on the 12th of May 2019. I was on maternity leave, having moved from sales into HR, and my husband and I both agreed that it was time to get out of corporate. I had good relationships at work, my husband’s financial support, and a name for my business. My coaching work had been to overcome crippling self-doubt, and so this momentous decision was deeply personal.
And so, while on maternity leave from July 2019 to October 2019 and beyond, I worked with a digital agency to bring my idea to life. I was anxious, but it just felt right, and I knew I would make it work.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
The words that stand out for me as I started and ended my certification journey came about in a conversation with one of the Directors from UTC’s Centre for Coaching.
Day 1 - March 2017: “Carly, trust the process.”
Final day - February 2019: “Carly, a coaching engagement is a bit like the weather. There may be storm clouds, but above the clouds you know there is blue sky.”
And there it was, at that moment, I knew I wanted to open a coaching practice one day and call it Blue Sky Coaching.
In July 2019, on a cold winter evening, while suffering from sleep deprivation with my 6-week-old son, I was suddenly very clear about what I needed to do. I had approached my HR executive about moving into a purely coaching role but that wasn’t available at the time. And so, after working off my maternity leave, I resigned in February 2020 and Blue Sky Coaching was up and running as of March 2020.
I had some incredible help in the build-up to and progression of my practice. As a sole practitioner, you are your brand and so I had to create my story and narrative which was such a fun process!
In 2016, before I’d even started my coaching certification, I attended a friend and colleague’s business workshop. Julia Kerr Henkel has been a mentor, supervisor, and friend throughout my coaching journey.
In July 2019, I partnered with my agency, Digital Butter, to get the ball rolling on the website and social media development. I then had to run the business and social media side on my own because I couldn’t afford outside help.
In August 2019, I did a photoshoot with a photographer I’d met on the business course, Noami Estment, who helped with some great profile pictures for the website and social media presence.
Startup costs:
- Business workshop: R3000,00 = $176
- Digital agency: R10 000,00 (website & social media assistance) = $590
- Photographer package: R5 000,00 = $290
- Business registration: R2000,00 = $120
- Coaching Certification: R250 000,00 (every cent from being in sales) = $14 700
- Enneagram certification: R16 000,00 = $940
- International Coaching Federation certification and membership: R5000,00 annually = $290 (to be a member, you have to maintain your Continued Coaching Education Units every 3 years via online submission of various requirements to support continual learning)
I focused on investing in my education and then found great people to support me in making my dream a reality. The startup costs and business education all came through friends and referrals.
Procrastination, self-doubt, and that inner critic can be idea killers.
Describe the process of launching the business.
The real starting point for me was getting in touch with Robyn from Digital Butter because I needed to put a ‘face’ to my name and create a business brand. I’d registered my business and opened up a bank account but I had no clue when it came to brand development. Up until this point, I’d only worked in small agencies and corporate so my focus was always on product or project execution and sales.
I got two quotes and decided to work with Digital Butter because of price, relationship (my husband is the anesthetist for Richard’s Dad whose an orthopedic surgeon), and gut feeling. They just seemed like down-to-earth people who genuinely wanted to help me.
Digital Butter was also a startup agency and so they used the work they did for Blue Sky Coaching to put towards their portfolio which meant I got really good prices for brand strategy, overall execution, and website launch.
Richard and Robyn were encouraging, worked with a great process, and helped me bring my story to life. We started working together in July 2019 and continue to work together to this day! But the overall brand strategy and business launch happened from July 2019 to February 2020.
We have just kept adding content, building the website, and creating an online presence over the past 2,5 years. Every time I’ve had some money to invest, Robyn has directed me from a strategy, SEO, and brand awareness space.
My husband has been a huge support over the years and encouraged me as he’s seen my potential and my passion for what I do. It was a partnership decision as we knew we’d initially have to take a financial knock. Moving from a salaried job to running your own business, doing the admin, marketing, finance and coaching clients was a big step!
Financially, I had been extremely diligent about putting money away each month as part of my savings and investment portfolio. My Dad has always encouraged that! So I used some of that money to see me through the first few months and invest in the business. I use WAVE to run the finances and have just learned something new every single day.
The biggest lessons learned - find good people to help you!!
- My Sales Ops team at Dimension Data supported me throughout my work life.
- Julia, who was so generous with her time and knowledge to support my growth
- My coaches and study group during my certification course.
- Digital Butter, who helped me design and launch my brand & business, and Robyn in particular who took extra time and effort to teach me how to run my social media (using Unsplash, Canva, Buffer Publish, LinkedIn, Google Business, etc)
- My hubby cheers me on and is my sounding board.
- My current clients, who are old work colleagues, gave me a chance to deliver my coaching and training services.
- Diann, who I met on the business course and asked to be my coaching supervisor and mentor. She told me to get my practice up and running because she needed extra hands for an upcoming coaching project. She was the final push!
Lastly, be open to learning!! You are never too old to learn something new.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
The coaching partnership is based on trust. You have to build a container of trust with your clients to develop a positive and sustainable relationship. Trust starts with authenticity, consistency, and continuity. My online messaging and presence encourage connection, collaboration, and online learning. I am always looking to share interesting information, tips & tricks, and resources that I believe will help people grow and develop. My online presence and in-person presence are the same, so there is brand consistency.
On the back of Simon Sinek’s research, people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. The ‘why’ links to your belief system, purpose, or cause, and people need to believe what you believe to connect. This was true in my sales role and it’s true for my coaching practice. People want to connect authentically, but they need to be given a safe space to open up.
I believe every single one of us has potential. There are often barriers, be they internal or external, real or imagined, that get in the way of our personal and professional performance. My messaging and online presence, my communication with clients, my delivery, and my commitment to potential are consistent. I feel clients are drawn to my authenticity and promise of delivery.
I am a big believer in nurturing and maintaining relationships. I have always moved on in my career with solid friendships and support for my growth and development. It is wise not to burn bridges because those relationships are a good starting point for potential clients.
I use my online presence to build brand awareness because that is good for new clients, but I use my sales background to connect with old clients, follow up with existing clients, check in to find out how people are doing, and offer support where I can. Consistent communication means you are top of mind when someone does need help. I am not an aggressive salesperson, but I do recognize the importance of human relationships, reliability, and accountability. These three things are very important and bring existing clients back time and time again.
I am also a big believer in continual learning. I try to find really interesting, topical, and useful information to post about, blog about, and share with my followers! I am always hopeful that someone, somewhere will be positively impacted by my brand!
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Blue Sky Coaching will turn 3 in March 2023!
I am proud that my business has not only survived a global pandemic but also found space to thrive as the need for coaching increases! I made the best decision the day I enrolled for my certification. It was a huge amount of work but the dividends are paying off! I have a decent amount of followers but my biggest source of income comes from the corporate coaching that I offer. My monthly income is never the same as it depends on the workload, but I am finally seeing a more upward trend in the numbers.
Life as we know it is being disrupted. Agile ways of working, huge technology shifts, and changes in business models have significantly changed the way people and organizations work.
Coaching has become a big budget item for organizations to help them with employee engagement, performance management, effective goal setting, and team effectiveness - all areas that I’m hugely passionate about.
I work from home, so continue to invest in my learning and development as well as the business and client reach. I have had some wonderful opportunities come my way which have pushed me to research, develop and deliver new material for my clients to accommodate their ever-changing needs. My self-development is very important and my coaching goal is to certify as a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (minimum 500 coaching hours). I have been coaching for 5 years now and had two children in between so I’m sitting at 300 hours!
A natural coaching offering expansion has occurred over the years. I have progressed from coaching individuals to being asked to develop and deliver a coaching methodology for a global Sales Management Development Program, to facilitating team effectiveness programs. I just never say no. I have the foundational knowledge and then do lots of research to deliver for my clients. They give me the opportunity based on relationship, reliability, and accountability and I deliver.
The coaching space is great because we have a strong associate network so we can scale up or down depending on client needs without having to worry about paying salaries.
My expansion plans might be in partnerships where I feel there is a good fit and our belief system is the same. I have recently connected with someone in the United States about their technology platform to assist my clients with agile team performance. Watch this space.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
When I decided to leave corporate and start my coaching practice, I gave myself a timeline to make things work. This gave me focus, clarity, and drive.
The whole process was a steep learning curve! I knew what my strengths were and what I needed to outsource. Asking questions and connecting with different people helped me progress, both intellectually and systematically. It was just about putting one foot in front of the other.
I might have shed a few tears along the way but that was my anxiety and self-doubt telling me I couldn’t do it. I remember getting the course overview at the end of 2016 to commence my studies in 2017 and I was completely overwhelmed. But I started, and I just kept on going. Often, the starting point and the decision to move forward is the hardest, but once you have momentum and you begin to see results it motivates you!
Having a learning mindset, a great support system (especially my husband), and a resilient nature have helped me over the years. I have felt despondent, I’ve wanted to give up, and I’ve felt overwhelmed but every time I’ve felt this way, I’ve gone back to my purpose and it’s given me the will to continue. I’ve suffered from performance anxiety my entire life and if it couldn’t be done perfectly then why bother at all. The willingness to fail, to feel, and to trust in me has been a huge stepping stone.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
I am incredibly proud of the website I’ve built over the last 3 years! What started as one page is now a very professional platform. I couldn’t have done it without my team from Digital Butter! I love the website because it’s an easy way for potential clients to gather information and get in touch with me. I have a ‘call to action button on each page where clients can schedule a free call if they are interested in coaching.
I try to write a monthly blog post that links back to my website to draw traffic and interest to the page.
To boost my SEO, I’m always encouraged to keep up with my online presence. I try to be consistent with posting on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. I love doing research, attending webinars, reading books, and listening to podcasts across a variety of leadership and development themes which I then summarize and share with my audience.
I use Unsplash for picture content, Canva to design and create my posts, and Buffer to schedule and publish my content. I like apps and tools that are user-friendly, have options in terms of subscription and cost, and make my content creation and posting process as easy as possible. My to-do lists are usually hand-written because I’m a bit old-school that way and love to use stationery. I’ll spoil myself with a nice notebook and pens to jot down ideas, design training content, or take down information for posting online.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
I belong to several coaching and HR sites that post content, host webinars, and offer courses that focus on leadership development. I use these platforms for personal growth and development and content creation.
- Coaches Rising
- Coaching.com / Accelerating Coach Excellence
- HCI Institute
- New Ventures West
- International Coaching Federation
Some great books I’ve read include:
- The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
- The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella
- Mindset by Carol Dweck
- Leading Change by John P. Kotter
- Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
- Measure What Matters by John Doerr
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
The authors are inspiring, they have great perspectives, and they offer challenging ideas backed by research, data as well as personal experience.
I enjoy listening to podcasts and love watching or listening to TED Talks. A book is sometimes a big commitment and so I often stumble across great talks and ideas on these two platforms. Some that are worth a listen to include:
- Whitney Johnson - Disrupt Yourself
- Matt Abrahams - Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
- Amit Snood - How to overcome our neural predisposition to suffering
- Simon Sinek - Start with Why
- Glen Rolfsen - How to start changing an unhealthy work environment
- Amy Edmondson - Building a psychologically safe workplace
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Start somewhere!
“Ideas are of themselves extraordinarily valuable, but an idea is just an idea. Almost anyone can think up an idea. The thing that counts is developing it into a practical product.” Henry Ford
Any action is better than inaction:
- Write your idea down.
- Upskill or reskill yourself.
- Reach out to people.
- Do research.
- Start saving.
There are several things that will make a difference, but procrastination, self-doubt, and that inner critic can be idea-killers.
You cannot wait for someone else to solve your problems. Luck is part of the equation, but I believe it all starts with that little fire burning inside that tells you it’s time for a change. We often have to hit rock bottom before we find the inner strength to take conscious action. I also look at other people’s success and think, ‘how did they get there most of the time those individuals will tell you their success can be attributed to hard work and self-belief.
Things don’t happen overnight. My career path has been a squiggly line from A-B but I’ve just taken various opportunities as and when they’ve presented themselves. I’ve invested in upskilling myself and following my passion to help others.
I wanted to have flexibility with work and family life, and even though it’s a juggle, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
