16 Ways to Make Money as a Health Coach
There are multiple ways to earn income as a Health Coach, and I encourage my Bootcamp students to set up multiple income streams.
I always suggest choosing at least three, and have a mix of income streams that do and don’t require your time (active vs passive).
Active Income Streams for Health Coaches
Active income streams are ones that require your time. When you’re first starting out, these are important, so you get to sharpen your skills and also better understand your client and their needs.
One-on-one health coaching can be done in person or virtually. You can do this on your own, or as part of a doctors office or wellness center.
Group health coaching done live in person or virtually. When I first started coaching, I did live group coaching programs for a couple years, and it was my favorite offering.
One-off classes/workshops are a great way for potential clients to get to know you better before signing up to work with you. You could do cooking demos, cooking classes, or simply a talk. I did a ton of these when I first started out.
Sponsored posts are an easy income stream, but must be used wisely and judiciously. It goes without saying, only partner with brands you actually use and love, because your followers can smell inauthenticity a mile away! As you grow your social following brands will start reaching out to you, although you can reach out and pitch brands directly, too.
Corporate wellness seminars are becoming more and more sought after. While you could do them in person, companies are now hiring coaches to do them virtually since many employees are working at home. Consider doing recurring seminars, or setting up a wellness program or challenge for employees to impart a more significant impact and also ensure recurring income.
Recipe development for brands is a fun way to get your name out there. If you enjoy creating and photographing recipes, you can reach out to brands and pitch creating regular content for their blog or social media. It’s a stable, recurring income stream, plus, you get the clout of being associated with a bigger brand.
Writing for media outlets or brands is another way to share your expertise with a wider audience. If you don’t want to make recipes, share your wellness tips by writing articles for other publications, whether in print or online. Some online media outlets pay a fixed fee, plus a bonus dependent on the number of people who read or click on the article.
Speak at wellness events if you're into public speaking. You could get paid to speak at consumer-focused events, such as conferences, wellness festivals, health expos, or trade shows. Now that live events are on hold for the time being, many of these events are moving online, which makes them even better, as you can do them from home and reach an even larger audience.
Grocery tours were a big part of my business when I first started out, and were one of the most popular offerings. You could also include a pantry or kitchen restock as an add on. In fact, they are what inspired my first book, The Real Food Grocery Guide.
Passive Income Streams for Health Coaches
Passive income streams don’t require your active involvement or time. Usually you create something once, and sell it many times over, creating leverage and freeing up your time to do more.
PDF programs/ books are the simplest way to start earning money without selling your time. Create the PDF once, and sell it for ever. I bet you’ve bought one at some point! You could create a meal plan, like my Paleo Meal Plan, a short challenge or guide book, a workout plan (if you’re a trainer) or really anything you can think of. They should be inexpensive.
An online course is a fantastic way to reach more people, without limits of location. I advise my Bootcamp students to turn their one-on-one or group coaching programs into an online course. Again, you make it once, but are able to sell it over and over again to multiple students.
An online membership will require more of your time than an evergreen course, but still provides leverage and scale. You’ll typically want to update the content of a membership either weekly or monthly, and have some live component to it. But the bulk of it can be pre-made.
An app is the most modern way to share your content. There are many companies now that will help you turn your content into an app. While you don’t necessarily need to do anything live with an app, you will have to update it and add new content to it regularly, so it’s not a completely hands-off option, like say, the PDF which is made once.
Affiliate programs allow you to get paid for promoting products you love. If paired with a killer content marketing strategy, as I teach in my Bootcamp, one posts can generate thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars for years to come. (Even with a small social media following!)
Writing a book is a fabulous way to get your name on a national stage and help introduce people to you and your philosophy. It's also a great tool to leverage media opportunities and speaking events.
Sell your own wellness products if you have an idea for a physical product that you can bring to life! Many health coaches have gone on to sell physical products such as food or supplements. You could start selling it on your own site or local stores, but think big! Many IIN graduates, for example Elizabeth of Purely Elizabeth or Whitney and Danielle of Sakara, have went on to sell their products nationwide in the top retailers like Whole Foods, Costco, and more.
Need help figuring out how to make income as a Health Coach? I’ve got you covered. Enroll in my Health Coach Business Bootcamp, and in just 8 weeks, you’ll have laser clarity and focus on your niche, programs, offerings, and income streams.
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