190. Can Coaches Really Make Money? BTS With MY Coach Kelsey Murphy

One of the things I love about my coach Kelsey Murphy is how she talks about how data protects our emotions in the long run. So many coaches cry every day. We love everyone we see and want to save the world all the time. We have these huge hearts that shy away from numbers and data. But Kelsey marries the two in a way that lets us protect our big hearts so we can do more.    Kelsey is a career and business coach for Fortune 500 companies like Twitter and Facebook, along with entrepreneurs like Kelly Leveque (Jessica Alba’s nutritionist). She’s also the host of The Whiskey and Work Podcast and previously worked as the advertising account director.    It’s rare to have a “coach and coachee” conversation that pulls back the curtains. Still, Kelsey is excited to share because she deeply believes in transparency.   “That's why I really like Marie [Forleo], I love Cathy [Heller], and I love Amy [Porterfield]. They're very honest and open, and so even though they have these shiny personas, you get in. You have these real conversations with them, and they're very transparent."   That transparency is echoed when Kelsey talks about her journey. In the beginning, Kelsey needed to freelance to support her business. It wasn't making money, and she didn't have someone in the wings funding her.    She says she had to swallow her pride for the first few years until her business generated enough income to support her, her retirement, and her savings.   She hid behind the curtains for many years, trying to figure out what she loved to do. She knew being an account director for Nintendo wasn't what she wanted to do and wouldn't grant her the freedom she wanted. The question became, what was the intersection between love and money?    What could she do that she would love, put in the world, and be known for that could also bring financial stability. She says sometimes it takes some people longer to figure that out and acknowledges that she wasn’t a “doer.”    She's an over-thinker – so in building a business, her first years were slow as she reflected on all her different passions. She tested things out – from career coaching to massage therapy -- to find the place she could plant her flag, fall in love with and then create that true stream of income that wasn't hard.   Kelsey tried out career coaching for a while, which is how she met Marie Forleo. Marie brought her to coach people on their small businesses. As she started working, she found two niches – podcasts and creating a sustainable coaching business.   She tested out owning a podcast as an expert for a year and, in doing so, garnered referrals and the most money she's made at the time in her business.    "This is why you focus on one thing because that is where the momentum comes," says Kelsey.    However, when she started gaining referrals to speak at podcasting conferences, she realized she wanted to turn them down. It wasn't her passion, but coaching coaches were.   "I could talk about coaching for hours, the empathy behind coaching, the way coaches are built. The fact breaking my heart is that coaches are not successful financially because they're missing the tools to build that business," she says.   Kelsey says whether you're just starting out or you've been in the game but feel like nothing is hitting – remind yourself you're in it for the long game. It doesn't feel fun when you're in the trenches and like you're constantly problem-solving. But if you recognize, “I'm not in this for the next year or six months; I'm in this for the next 10 years,” you start thinking differently.    It takes the pressure off. Look at this as a long-term investment. It shifts the entire experience from the moment. Connect with Kelsey Murphy: https://www.kelseymurphy.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseymurphy/  Other Game On Girlfriend podcast episodes you might want to check out:   The Power of Mastermind Groups: https://sarahwalton.com/mastermind-group-benefits/  What You Really Need from an Intuitive Business Coach: https://sarahwalton.com/need-a-business-coach/  3 Reasons Coaches Don’t Make Money: https://sarahwalton.com/making-money-as-coach/  How Do You Choose the Right Coach?: https://sarahwalton.com/find-the-right-coach/  You can check out our podcast interviews on YouTube, too! http://bit.ly/YouTubeSWalton   Thank you so much for listening. I'm so honored that you're here and would be so grateful if you could leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking "Write a review." Then we'll get to inspire even more people! (If you’re not sure how to leave a review, you can watch this quick tutorial.)  #BecomeALifeCoach #Coaching #LifeCoaching #WomenInBusiness #IntuitiveBusinessCoach #CoachingIndustry #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessCoach #SalesCoach