Solopreneur Journey: From Going Solo to First Customers – Part I

Before launching my coaching business, I spent two decades working in impact-driven organizations, with the last ten years focused on the People space, building talent strategies, leading executive searches, and creating learning and development programs. I led the People function at a national education nonprofit, where I often found myself supporting others through deeply complex and confidential challenges around performance and organizational change.

After working with my own coach, I experienced firsthand the power of slowing down, reflecting, and making decisions based not on what I should do, but on what I truly wanted. I realized I wanted to create a career and a life that aligned with my own priorities: meaningful work, being present for my family, and working at a more sustainable pace. That clarity inspired me to invest in my coach certification and eventually go solo – to support leaders as they design careers and leadership paths that align with who they are and what they most want next.

I started my business at the end of 2019 with big plans for 2020. We all know what happened next with the Covid-19 pandemic! I found myself juggling remote school with my six-year-old, caring for my three-year-old, and trying to build momentum in a brand-new business. There were many days when I questioned whether I could keep it going.

But that season taught me resilience and empathy in a way nothing else could. Coaching through the pandemic, while navigating my own uncertainty, made me a more grounded and compassionate coach. I learned how to leave my worries at the door and be fully present for my clients, even when my own world felt chaotic.

In 2019, I was invited to lead a women’s leadership program in New Jersey—a formative experience that helped me bridge my background in People and leadership development with my emerging work as a coach. To build the cohort, I began reaching out across my network to connect with women who were eager to invest in their personal and professional growth.

What started as a series of exploratory conversations turned into a vibrant community of a dozen phenomenal leaders. That experience not only reaffirmed my love of facilitating groups, but also opened the door to my first paid coaching engagement. Someone from that network introduced me to a client who was looking for one-on-one coaching support, and that introduction led to my first formal coaching contract.

In the beginning, I charged modest rates while completing my certification and gaining experience. My focus was on building confidence, refining my coaching approach, and truly learning what my clients needed most. Over time, as my practice evolved and I earned my PCC (Professional Certified Coach) credential, I standardized my pricing while also offering a sliding scale, ensuring access to a wider range of clients.

Now, my business model includes a mix of individual and group coaching, with steady referrals and partnerships that keep my pipeline strong.

Editor’s note: This kind of “then vs. now” pricing evolution shows up consistently in solopreneur journeys. Early pricing decisions are often driven by uncertainty or market signals, and gradually give way to more intentional choices. We break these patterns down in our guide to pricing strategies for solopreneurs.

Over time, many solopreneurs also begin using pricing more deliberately—not just as a number, but as a way to signal confidence and value. That shift is explored further in pricing as positioning for solopreneurs.

I wasted money trying to figure everything out on my own. I thought that if I just worked harder, I could bootstrap my way through every challenge—from branding to systems to business strategy. In hindsight, not investing early in a business coach or even basic systems set me back. 

Had I prioritized tools to track my clients, referrals, and coaching resources from the start, I would have saved hours of effort. It took time (and some frustration!) to learn that investing in structure isn’t about perfection – it’s about freeing up mental space for the work that truly matters.