When you first start coaching or consulting, landing a one-hour paid session feels incredible. Someone is paying you for your expertise. You show up, help them, and get paid. You did it. You have a real business.
And for a while, it works.
But one-hour consults are where you START. They are not a business model. They're a starting point that most coaches settle into because it feels safe — and then they get stuck.
I've been there myself, and I've watched dozens of clients go through this same cycle.
But three things start breaking down:
The ceiling. There are only so many hours in your day. If you're charging $75 or $100 an hour and you can realistically do 15–20 sessions a week before burning out, that's your income. That's it. You can't grow without working more hours, and you're already maxed out.
The dependency. Your entire revenue depends on people showing up this week. No bookings, no money. One client gets busy and stops scheduling, your income drops.
The exhaustion. Being "on" for every single client, session after session, with no breathing room in between — it drains you in a way that's hard to explain to people who haven't done it.
I'm not going to tell you to stop doing 1:1 work. But I am going to tell you to stop selling it by the hour with no commitment.
Here's what I've found works — both in my own business and with the coaches I work with:
Move people into a program or retainer after two sessions, max.
After one or two sessions, you know if you can help someone. And they know if they like working with you. So why leave it open-ended? Ask them to commit to three months. A retainer. A coaching program. Whatever you want to call it — the point is, you're working together toward a meaningful result, not just having one-off conversations.
Hourly consults don't create enough continuity to get real results.
I can't count how many times I'd get something started with a client — a strategy, a plan — and then they'd get busy, not book another session for three weeks, and we'd lose everything we built. When a client commits to three months, you can actually take them somewhere. Your impact gets bigger. Their results get better.
Offer support between sessions.
Most people want more than an hour every other week. They get stuck on Tuesday, their next session isn't until Thursday of the following week, and by then, the moment has passed.
So build between-session support into your offer. Email access, a Slack channel, or even text messaging. Let clients know they can reach out when they need help. This isn't more work for you — it's usually a quick reply, a voice memo, a "try this instead." Five minutes that saves them a week of spinning.
It completely changes how clients experience working with you. They feel supported, not abandoned between appointments. That's what makes them stay and refer you.
Write down your offers.
Create a clear version of what you do —clear enough to send someone without explaining it on a call. A 3-month coaching program with weekly calls and between-session support. Or a focused 4-session package for someone who needs help with one specific thing.
When it's written down, it stops being this vague thing you're afraid to ask for. It becomes something real that you can hand to someone and say: This is how I work.
YOUR ONE THING THIS WEEK
Write down one version of a coaching offer that goes beyond a single session. It doesn't need to be perfect. Just answer these questions on paper:
How often would you meet? (Weekly? Twice a month?) For how long? (3 months? 6 sessions?) Is there between-session support? (Email? Slack? Text?) What does it cost?
That's your offer. You don't need a fancy sales page. You need four answers on a piece of paper that you can share with the next person who books an hourly session with you.
Reply and tell me what you came up with. Even if it feels rough. Especially if it feels rough.
How do you currently sell your services?
If this email made you realize your offer structure needs work, I'm offering a limited number of spots for a 3-Hour Strategy Deep Dive — three focused hours where we audit your offers, fix your pricing, and build a structure you can actually sell. Use code SUMMER for $100 off the regular price of $675.
From the vault
This week's email is about building offers that create stability. If you missed Issue #3 on why giving away too much on client calls is costing you clients, it's worth a read.
Enjoying Ready to Run? Help other vegan coaches and consultants find it — add us to your recommendations with one click.
HIT PLAY:
Tired of reading? Listen to a fellow vegan entrepreneur talk about how they structured their service offerings.
Your clients want more. Give yourself permission to offer it.
— Stephanie
P.S. Last issue, I shared my Saturday Learning Sessions — how I built an annual training plan for myself. If you started building yours, I'd love to hear what categories you chose. Reply and tell me. If you haven't started yet, this weekend would be a great time.
