“I’m still trying to figure out what to call myself. I’m a certified wellness coach but that sounds boring. I help women with weight loss but my message is so much bigger than weight loss and I want to get my message out in a big way“
“I’m a coach that helps businesses with their online program and personal brand. Content marketing and social media strategy are only part of what I do with my clients, so I don’t want to say I’m a Social Media Coach. I’m just trying to think of what to call myself as a coach.“
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CALL MYSELF! CAN YOU HELP?“
Ugh, the age-old Business Card Title decision: Exactly what do you call yourself as a coach?
It’s enough to pull your hair out.
“Insert-Industry-Here” Coach? Boring. Limiting. Blah.
“Industry” Holistic Ninja Guru? Vague and trying way too hard.
This question gets asked a lot by coaches who want to stand out without being vague, bland, or misunderstood, so here are 5 mental shifts to help you stop wasting time on this frustrating question and finally decide on a super-official title:
1. The question isn’t “What do I call myself?”, it’s “What are my people looking for?”
We worry so much about finding the perfect title. One that will tell the world exactly what we do and how amazing we are at it, and put away our laundry in the process.
NEWSFLASH: If your clients are googling for a “weight loss coach”, they are going to have a bit of a harder time finding you as a “body shrinking guru ninja”
2. Take it easy. Your title doesn’t have to cover everything about you.
We go nuts expecting a 2-3 word description to encompass all of our multi-faceted selves and how we work with people. That’s a crazy high standard to meet. Take it easy!
Your title is just the beginning. An invitation. A small part of the decision making process. If your title is “weight loss coach”, then people who are interested in weight loss might take a look at what you have to offer. Then, they’ll see your profile/site/social media/blog/podcast/carrier pigeon and find out if you might be the right fit for them. Not everything about you needs to fit into a 2-3 word title.
3. Your title is not your message.
Yes, your message is so much bigger than any title you could come up with. That’s why your message goes in your profile header, your bio, your instagram, and everywhere else. People will spread your message. They won’t spread your title. Your title and your message are two separate things.
4. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter what your title is if you consistently build your brand.
Nikki Elledge Brown is a “communication stylist”, which is unique, fun, and descriptive. And she can be unique because she’s put in the work to build a consistent brand.
Danielle LaPorte no longer even has a title on her site, because everything she posts is all about helping people find their Core Desired Feelings
Everyone used to think Amazon was just a rainforest until they started showing up and doing their thing every day.
You wanna be a social media sparkle princess? Go on and do your thing.
This could be a bit of navel-gazing. And that’s okay.
Let’s get real here.
A lot of times when we’re stuck on nitpicky questions like this, it’s just our brains freaking out about being one step closer to showing up and launching. So totally normal.
If that last mental shift rings true for you, I’m giving you permission to feel like a badass, pick something and move on to the next thing.
Cuz we’ve got people to serve.
Did any of these ring true for you? Tell me all about it in the comments.
