The 3-Part Formula to Find Your Coaching Niche
- Cara Heilmann
- Jul 11
- 14 min read
At some point in their career, nearly every coach faces the question of nicheing.
Usually, it’s because they aren’t getting quite as much business as they’d like, and they’ve heard that nicheing is a good idea.
But they feel resistance to picking a niche.
Most coaches have a wide range of experience and could help many types of clients. So they don’t want to limit who they work with.
And they certainly don’t want to lose out on business because they’re niche is turning people away.
I’m Cara. I work as an executive career coach, and I also train career coaches.
If you feel like you should niche, but aren’t sure how, or feel resistant to doing so, I totally get it.
And you’re in the right place.
In this article, I’ll explain why niching can help you, I’ll give you a 3-part formula for finding your niche, and I’ll share some coaching niche examples to inspire you.
The Biggest Mistake: “I Help Everyone”
It might be true that you have the coaching breadth to help one client get a promotion, another find clarity on their life purpose, and a third improve their marriage.
But the truth is, in coaching, it’s a lot harder to make money as a generalist.
As an example, let’s say you’re a customer looking to hire a coach. You’ve worked in tech for 10 years, but feel sick of it and want to transition to a new industry, but you aren’t sure what.
Which of the following coaches would you hire?
Coach A: “I help people live their best life.”
Coach B: “I help people build the career of their dreams.”
Coach C: “I help burnt-out tech employees find a new career path that fits them.”
Probably Coach C, right?
That’s because Coach C is speaking to the exact problem the customer has. That burnt-out tech employee feels seen and understood in their problem.
Coaches often want to stay general because they think they’ll appeal to more people.
But the problem is, if you stay general, you’ll be Coach A to everyone and Coach C to no one.
When you stay general, you actually don’t appeal to any clients.
And that’s why niching is crucial.
But before we go into the niching formula, let’s dispel some fears around nicheing.
4 Common Fears About Choosing a Coaching Niche
Scan through this list to see if any of these fears ring true for you.
1. If I go too specific, I’ll lose potential clients.
The fear here is that there aren’t enough people out there who need what you do.
But here’s the thing.
There are over 250 million adults in the US alone. Even if your coaching only appeals to one in every 1,000 people, that’s still a pool of 250,000 candidates in just the US who may want to work with you!
2. What if I pick the wrong niche and get stuck?
Here’s the secret about niches—they aren’t permanent.
Your niche is a way to talk about your coaching and market yourself.
But it’s also an evolving process. Over time, you’ll learn more about who is drawn to your coaching and who you love to serve.
And as you get more experience/data, your niche will evolve.
Coaches typically refine their niche over their career.
But you still need to start somewhere.
3. I haven’t worked with enough people to know who I want to serve
I get this. If you’re new to coaching, you don’t want to feel like you’re just picking a niche out of a hat.
We’ll go over more concrete tips in our 3-part formula, but just know that it’s better to pick somewhere specific to start from than somewhere general.
Try out a niche that you have personal experience in, or that you just feel interested in. You might decide to change it in 3 months. That’s fine, but start somewhere.
4. My work is intuitive, so it’s hard to describe it in a niche statement.
I get that when your work feels soulful and deep, the idea of packaging it into a neat little statement might feel like you’re commodifying your calling.
But look, you don’t have to change how you coach. When you niche, all you’re doing is making it easier for the right people to find you.
With that said, let’s help you pick your coaching niche!
The 3-Part Formula for Choosing a Niche
Your niche boils down to the following formula:
Your niche = Who + What + How
More explicitly, it’s
Who you help
What problem you solve
How you help
Who you help
Get specific here.
If you’re a career coach, what career stage is your ideal client in?
If you’re a financial coach, what income level are they at?
One way to get started on your “who” is to think about different categories of clients.
For example, if you were a career coach, you might pick a “who” based on any of the following categories:
Career stage: New grads, mid-career, late-career, career returners
Industry: Tech, healthcare, education, nonprofit, etc.
Role type: Managers, freelancers, product managers, directors, etc.
Identity: Women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, first-gen grads, neurodivergent, first-generation Americans, etc.
Values: Purpose-driven, spiritually curious, people who value balance, etc.
Location: San Francisco, digital nomads, expats, rural professionals, etc.
Picking one or two of those categories gives you a strong enough “who” to attract potential clients. For example, you could serve “women in tech,” or “purpose-driven directors.”
Just be careful not to pick too many overlapping categories. Because if you try to serve “late-career freelancers in tech who are LGBTQ and spiritually curious,” then that’s too specific.
What problem you solve
The “what” is crucial; it’s why people hire coaches at all. To solve their problems.
As a rule of thumb, the more urgent a problem is, the more people are willing to pay to solve it.
For example, someone who’s been unemployed for six months and has bills piling up is far more likely to invest in coaching than someone who’s just feeling vaguely unfulfilled at work.
And just like we did with the who, get specific with your what.
Let’s say you’re a career coach who helps mid-career professionals (that’s your “who). What do you help them do? Land a job? Get promoted? Recover from burnout?
Or maybe you’re a health coach who works with post-menopausal women. Do you help your clients manage hormonal changes? Rebuild energy and strength? Age healthily?
If you can clearly name the specific problem you solve, then when your ideal client is reading your website, they’ll immediately perk up and think “Ooh! They’re describing me!”
In general, your “what” will probably help clients with one of the following:
Emotional pain: “I feel stuck,” “I’ve lost my sense of self,” “I’m burned out,” etc.
Inner growth: Become more confident, develop a stronger sense of purpose, build executive presence, become more resilient, etc.
Measurable goals: Land a job, get promoted, find a partner, pay off debt, start a business, etc.
Behavioral change: Build consistent sleep habits, stop procrastinating, and improve work-life balance, etc.
Life transitions: Start dating after a divorce, return to work after a sabbatical, get back into working out after having a kid, etc.
Pro tip if you’re just getting started: Pick a problem your audience already knows they have.
Otherwise, you need to convince them that there is even a problem, and then convince them that they should care about solving it. And then they still need to pick you as the right coach for the job.
Whereas if you choose a clear problem that your audience already knows they have, you can focus your energy on building trust with people who already know they need support. If you’re not sure whether your “what” is understood by your “who,” try it out for 2–3 months. If it’s not gaining traction, tweak it and try again.
How you help
After you name your “who” and “what,” it’s time to articulate what’s unique about your approach. Whether that’s your training, your values, or the method you use.
Your “how” will differentiate you from other coaches who serve have a similar “who” and “what.”
For example, two coaches might both help burned-out professionals pivot careers, but one uses a structured, 8-week goal-setting framework, while the other uses a somatic, intuition-based process.
Same client demographic. Same problem. Totally different approach and vibe. And each of those coaches will draw in different clientele who match their offering.
Your “how” attracts the right people who resonate with your style of work.
Bring it all together
Once you have your “who,” “what,” and “how,” you can add them together to form your niche.
Here are a few examples of niche statements:
I help mid-career women in tech gain the confidence to move into leadership roles using a strengths-based coaching process. (Career Coaching)
I help overwhelmed professionals recover from burnout and rebuild sustainable energy through holistic lifestyle and nutrition coaching. (Health Coaching)
I help anxious attachers build secure, satisfying relationships by teaching nervous system regulation and communication skills. (Relationship Coaching)
💡 Pro tip: Your niche might be bigger than you think.
For example, the phrase “anxious attachers” might seem obscure, but there are thousands of people Googling things like “how to fix anxious attachment” every month.
If you’re not sure whether your niche has enough demand, you can check tools like Google Trends or Ahrefs to validate whether interest is rising or shrinking, and to confirm that you pick the right words that your niche identifies with.
Now that you know the niche formula, the million-dollar question becomes, how should you pick your “who,” “what,” and “how?”
How to Pick Your Niche
Here are three tools to help you pick your niche.
🧩 Look at your past wins
Who have your favorite clients been?
Which clients of your’s got the best results?
If you’ve had even one client who felt like just the right fit, then you can extrapolate that into your niche.
Similarly, let’s say you’re a life coach. You’ve worked with 20 clients, and 10 of them have been creative professionals trying to overcome perfectionism and finish big projects. That might be an indicator to make performance coaching for creatives your niche.
🪞 Coach your younger self
If you haven’t worked with enough coaching clients to find a pattern, then try making your niche your younger self.
No matter how old you are, there is some challenge in your life that you’ve had to overcome. That means you’ve got the skills and knowledge to help others overcome that challenge too.
For example, if you’re a woman who has healed your relationship with food after years of diet guilt, you might coach other women who want eating to feel less stressful.
💡Follow the spark
Is there a problem that lights you up? A topic area you find fascinating and compelling?
You can pick your niche based on what you want to become proficient in, and learn as you go.
For example, if you’re obsessed with habit change, you might focus on productivity coaching for entrepreneurs.
If you’d like some more ideas for your niche, below is a comprehensive list of some of the top coaching niches out there.
Pay attention to which of these niches catches your attention.
💼 Career Coaching Niches
Land the job
Being unemployed and struggling to find a job can be a difficult emotional experience. That’s why there’s a market demand for helping people find work.
Job search coaching for recent grads: Many new grads feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to enter the workforce. This coaching is often funded by parents.
Job search coaching for professionals out of work: Help people get back on their feet after long-term unemployment or layoffs.
Pivot or rebuild
Most people don’t stick with the same career their whole life. And if someone does decide to change careers, it’s a big deal, and many will be inclined to seek support.
Career transition coaching for mid-career professionals: If someone wants to venture into an entirely new career, you might be the helping hand they need to take the leap.
Return-to-work coaching for parents, caregivers, or sabbatical-takers: Coming back into the workforce after a break can be disorienting, so a career coach can help clients figure out what they want.
Burnout recovery coaching for purpose-driven workers: Burnout is notoriously slow and difficult to come back from. So, as a coach, you can help clients take the steps to recover and return to work with an approach that better guards their energy.
Career advancement
There are plenty of ambitious professionals who will hire career coaches to help them achieve their career goals.
Leadership development for underrepresented professionals: Women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, and other marginalized groups often face systemic barriers to advancement. Coaches who share those lived experiences often find fulfilment in helping others lead with confidence.
Career advancement coaching: If an individual is right on the cusp of breaking into a leadership role, they may seek a career coach to help them find that extra push.
🧠 Life Coaching Niches
Navigating major life transitions
Life is an endless series of transitions. And many of us find big transitions to be destabilizing and identity-shaking. So if you can help people move through times of great change, then you’ve got a niche.
Quarter-life crisis coaching: for 20-somethings facing identity confusion
Empty nester coaching: for parents rediscovering themselves after the kids leave
Retirement coaching: for high-achievers adjusting to life after work
Building confidence
Who doesn’t want to be more confident? Confidence is something you can sell; you just have to find the right group to pitch it to.
Confidence coaching for people pleasers: helping people pleasers practice boundaries and ask for what they want
Confidence for creatives struggling with doubt: All creative people face self-doubt. Take a note from Julia Cameron’s book and help people find confidence in their creativity.
Finding life purpose
We all need purpose and meaning in our lives. And in modern society, that’s not always easy to find.
Life purpose coaching for midlife professionals: Supporting people who feel successful but not fulfilled
Purpose coaching after major loss: If someone’s gone through a divorce, death, or career collapse, they may need help finding who they are again.
🧑💼 Executive & Leadership Coaching Niches
New and aspiring leaders
Executive coaches can help draw the leadership skills and potential out of leaders without much experience.
New leaders. Oftentimes when someone finds themself in a leadership position, they may feel wobbly and could benefit from a coach to start off on the right foot.
Career advancement coaching: For directors and VPs preparing to step into the C-suite
High-potential talent coaching: Some companies will invest in executive coaching for promising employees who might make a big splash in a few years.
Execs and founders
Those at the top often face unique challenges, like decision fatigue, loneliness, and overwhelming responsibility. Coaching can offer a rare space for honest reflection.
C-suite coaching: Coaches will act as thought partners, sounding boards, and confidantes.
Executive presence coaching: Help leaders communicate with clarity, exude authority, and command respect.
Founder coaching: Between visioning, execution, team dynamics, investor pressure, and marketing, founders have their hands full. Coaches can help founders prioritize, navigate conflicts with co-founders, and grow into the leaders their company needs.
❤️ Dating and Relationship Coaching Niches
Dating
Dating can be confusing, vulnerable, and, frankly, exhausting. As a coach, you can help people date with authenticity and find partners without settling.
If you’re going to be a dating coach, it’s usually helpful to narrow your niche to just women, men, or non-binary folks, because each demographic requires a different marketing message.
Dating coaching for people re-entering the scene: Folks coming back into dating after a long relationship often feel overwhelmed and out of their depth.
Identity-based dating: This might be helping spiritual people find a partner with shared values, or Jewish women seeking a Jewish partner, or gay men seeking love. Many people want to date within a specific community, and if you can speak their language, they’d probably rather work with you than a generic dating coach.
Helping Couples
Long-term relationships take work. Plain and simple! Here are two of the best niches for relationship coaches.
Communication coaching: Some couples get into nasty conflicts year after year, until it finally hits a breaking point and they need some third-party support.
Intimacy coaching: It’s pretty typical for couples to lose the spark after a few years. Especially when kids are in the picture. So if you can help couples find their desire again, you’ll have plenty of clients.
Solo work in love and identity
Attachment style awareness coaching: Many people struggle with relationships because they keep recreating the same dynamics over and over again. When you can help someone learn about their attachment style, everything can change.
Exploring sexual identity coaching: Asking yourself who and what you’re attracted to can be a scary inquiry for lots of people. That’s why people pay coaches to be their anchor to keep them grounded in their self-discovery process.
🌱 Health & Wellness Coaching Niches
Behavior change
Behavior change is extremely difficult. That’s why people will pay coaches for the structure and accountability to work on their health habits.
Fitness coaching: Some people want to gain muscle, others want to lose weight. And while a personal trainer helps, some clients may want more accountability and philosophy.
Healthy eating for people who hate dieting: Many folks are done with crash diets and calorie counting. They want to eat healthy and to feel less stressed about food.
Recovery & healing
If you can help a client solve a body-based problem they’ve been struggling with, then you’ll be extremely valuable.
Menstrual cycle coaching: Many people grow up disconnected from their cycles. Period coaching helps clients better understand their hormonal rhythms, reduce painful symptoms, and align their energy and productivity with the different phases of their cycle.
Gut health coaching: This is a rising niche. Clients with IBS, food sensitivities, or chronic bloating often struggle to get their gut health on track and need a knowledgeable guide.
💸 Financial Coaching Niches
Personal relationship with money
Often, helping people with money means helping them with their mindset and emotions.
Money mindset coaching for creatives: It’s fairly common for coaches, creatives, and freelancers to undercharge because they feel guilty or unworthy. If you can help them shift their beliefs and look at their worth differently, you can immediately increase their income.
Coaching your emotional relationship with money: We all have a unique history with money based on how much we had growing up and what our parents and caretakers taught us about money. These coaches can help clients resolve fear, anger, guilt, shame, and scarcity related to money.
Financial skill-building & goal support
Some clients need help developing the concrete skills and habits to manage money well, especially if they didn’t grow up learning how.
Financial goals coach. Plenty of people need help budgeting, saving money, or could use the extra accountability to hit a financial goal.
Financial literacy coaching for young adults: Schools don’t teach money skills. Many 20- and 30-somethings want guidance on saving, investing, and managing their income wisely.
Giving money away
Clients with financial privilege often want to use their money in a way that aligns with their ethics and purpose.
Values-aligned investing coaching: Help clients figure out how to invest or donate their money in ways that reflect their deeper values and identity.
🚀 Business Coaching Niches
Get more clients
Many solo business owners offer a great service, but they struggle to consistently find new clients. If you specialize in marketing, messaging, or visibility, you can help a lot of struggling solopreneurs.
Helping service businesses find clients: Freelancers, coaches, consultants, and creatives often need help clarifying their niche, pricing their offer, and generating consistent leads.
Marketing strategy coaching for solo entrepreneurs: Some coaches have mastered a single marketing channel (SEO, social media, podcasting) and help business owners find clients using it.
Scaling and systems
Once a business has steady income, the founder often hits a wall and struggles to scale up without burning out.
Small business scaling coach: Help clients go from solopreneur to CEO. You’ll support with systems, SOPs, hiring, and managing a team.
Business systems coaching: There are lots of small businesses and solopreneurs who are bringing in clients, but are drowning in admin tasks. They need someone to come in, overhaul their organization, and help them delegate.
Close more sales
A business only makes money if it sells its services and products. This niche has a huge ROI because every sale you help with puts money directly back into the business’s wallet.
Sales coaching for small business owners: Help coaches, consultants, or service professionals master discovery calls and follow-ups.
Corporate sales training: Some coaches get hired to train sales teams inside companies. This is a fun role if you like to teach.
Want Support Finding Your Niche?
I hope some of those examples gave you ideas for your own niche.
Remember to start by drafting a preliminary niche statement.
I help [who] with [what] using [how].
Easy as that!
Though if you would like additional support, and you’re a career coach, you might be interested in our Business and Marketing Foundations Course.
It’s a 12-week, cohort-based program that’ll help you confidently grow your coaching business without selling your soul.
In the course, you’ll outline your niche, write your core copy, and develop your marketing strategy.
If that sounds like something you’d love support with, we’d love to have you in the next cohort.
