Last week, over 150 coaches joined us live for a powerful and practical webinar led by board-certified coach Sonja Ecklund. She tackled one of the most critical, and often misunderstood aspects of growing a successful coaching business: your coaching brand.
If you missed the session or want to revisit the highlights, this post breaks down the key takeaways, including how to build a coaching brand from the ground up, the three systems every coach needs to scale, and how Vibly can support your growth.
Why Your Coaching Brand Matters
Let’s face it! Branding gets a bad rap. For many purpose-driven coaches, the word “brand” feels more like influencer jargon than a business strategy. But if you’re building a sustainable coaching business, you need more than just skills. You need a coaching brand that helps people connect, trust, and choose you.
As Sonja put it:
“Branding isn’t about curating a perfect online persona. It’s about showing up as your most authentic self, so the right people can find and trust you.”
A strong coaching brand is more than a logo or website. It’s the feeling someone gets when they land on your profile, read your words, or show up to a session. It’s how your ideal clients know they’re in the right place.
The Coaching Brand Garden Framework
A beautiful metaphor for building a coaching brand: your business is a garden, and your clients are the flowers. To grow a healthy, thriving garden, you need five key elements:
Seeds → Know your ideal client. What are they struggling with? What makes them stop and listen?
Soil → Choose where to plant your message. Are your clients on Instagram? LinkedIn? In-person events?
Water → Show up consistently with valuable, generous content.
Sunlight → Share your unique perspective. Your “why” is what helps others trust you.
Fertilizer → Optional but helpful. Paid ads, webinars, and collaborations can speed growth, but only if the other elements are already in place.
“Don’t wait for pollinators (aka referrals) to come first. Focus on showing up consistently and clearly first.” – Sonja Ecklund
If you want to build a coaching brand that attracts, connects, and converts. This is your foundation!
Build Your Coaching Brand with Vibly Pro
In the webinar, Sonja walked through Vibly’s streamlined platform. Here’s what you can expect with Vibly Pro:
- A fully customizable coaching profile
- Unlimited services (1:1, workshops, and soon: group coaching & online courses)
- E-signed agreements, forms, and resources, all in one place
- Secure client messaging and a private dashboard
- Access to a growing network of certified coaches
Special offer: Vibly is offering 30% off the Pro Tier for life, before the full launch of all pro features.
The 7 Systems Behind a Successful Coaching Brand by Sonja Ecklund
Want a peek behind the curtain of Sonja’s business? Download “The 7 Systems I Use to Run My Coaching Practice”. A free guide that walks through the tools, templates, and systems she uses to keep everything running smoothly.
Your coaching brand doesn’t need to be flashy or fake. It just needs to be you. When your systems and your message align, you create a coaching business that’s both authentic and scalable.
Ready to build a coaching brand that actually grows your business? You’ve got the framework, the tools, and the support. Now it’s time to grow.
