We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carly Hill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carly, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?
Scaling up my business was far from an overnight success—it was a journey filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments of self-doubt, but also pivotal decisions, intentional strategies, and continuous learning. My journey from a burnt-out therapist to a successful coaching entrepreneur had many twists and turns, each contributing to the eventual growth and success of my business.
The Starting Point
Initially, like many therapists, I found myself working long hours in community mental health. My schedule was packed with clients, but I was burnt out, underpaid, and overworked. At some point, I realized that while I loved helping people, the traditional therapy model wasn’t sustainable for me. I began to think about how I could scale my impact and income without sacrificing my health, and that’s when I started exploring coaching.
The First Major Twist: Embracing Coaching
One of the earliest, and perhaps most significant, turning points was the realization that I was already coaching many of my therapy clients. They weren’t coming to me with deep clinical issues but rather life challenges that required guidance and support more than treatment. It was eye-opening, and it sparked my journey into blending therapy with coaching. Initially, I resisted fully embracing coaching—like many therapists, I thought it might devalue my years of training. But when I saw the immense impact coaching had on my clients, I knew I had to lean into it.
Strategy #1: Investing in Mentorship
Scaling was not a linear process. The first step was investing in mentorship and business programs. I spent upwards of $10,000 to $20,000 on various high-ticket programs to learn about marketing, sales, and business strategy. It was terrifying, especially because my income at that time didn’t justify such an investment. But I knew I needed to crack the code on how to effectively scale my business.
This was one of the scariest decisions I made, but it was also one of the smartest. The programs I joined helped me master online marketing and gave me the foundational business skills I needed to grow.
Strategy #2: Niching Down
A major lesson I learned early on was the power of niching down. Initially, I was trying to help everyone, which diluted my messaging and made it hard to attract the right clients. I realized that to grow, I had to hyper-focus on a specific group of people and a specific set of problems.
Once I got clear on my niche, everything started to shift. I was no longer casting a wide net; instead, I honed in on a smaller, more targeted audience that resonated deeply with my message.
Strategy #3: High-Ticket Offers
Another major change came when I moved away from selling one-off sessions and shifted to offering high-ticket coaching programs. This allowed me to create a more sustainable income while delivering better results to my clients. Creating high-ticket offers forced me to design a comprehensive, transformational coaching program rather than just focusing on session-to-session work. I priced my offer at a premium and learned to sell with conviction—something that took time to master.
Meaningful Moments
One of the most meaningful moments in my business was when I launched the Therapist to Coach Accelerator™ program. I put everything I had learned about scaling and coaching into this program, and when I started seeing therapists from around the world joining and getting real results, it validated everything.
There were moments when I doubted whether people would pay for what I had to offer, but each success story from a client built my confidence and reinforced my belief in the work I was doing.
Obstacles and Setbacks
Like any business, I faced plenty of obstacles. The biggest challenge was dealing with imposter syndrome—especially as I moved from therapy to coaching. There was a constant nagging voice in the back of my head telling me I wasn’t “good enough” or that I didn’t know enough to charge high-ticket prices. It took a lot of mindset work and mentorship to overcome that.
Another challenge was building systems to scale. In the beginning, I was doing everything manually—coaching clients, handling billing, marketing, and customer support. It was exhausting, and I realized that to scale, I needed to automate processes and hire help. This meant bringing on a virtual assistant, investing in systems for client onboarding, and using software to manage my marketing and sales funnels.
Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was underpricing my services. I believed that by making my services affordable, I’d attract more clients. What actually happened was that I attracted clients who weren’t as committed, and I was working way harder than necessary. Once I raised my prices and aligned them with the value I was providing, I started attracting more serious, motivated clients.
Another mistake was trying to do too many things at once. I attempted to create multiple programs, offers, and marketing campaigns all at the same time. It wasn’t until I streamlined my offerings and focused on just one program—the Therapist to Coach Accelerator™—that I saw consistent growth.
The Scaling Breakthrough
The real breakthrough came when I shifted from chasing clients to having clients come to me through inbound marketing. I implemented an organic social media strategy, started running free challenges and webinars, and built an email list. This funnel consistently brought leads into my business and allowed me to scale without constantly hustling.
By creating an ecosystem—using social media content, free trainings, and lead magnets—I was able to nurture relationships with potential clients before they ever got on a sales call with me. This automation freed up my time and helped me scale.
Where We Are Today
Today, my business looks very different. I’ve built a team, scaled my impact, and now have multiple streams of income. I have time freedom, financial security, and more importantly, I’m able to help thousands of therapists make the same transition I did—out of burnout and into a sustainable, thriving coaching business.
Scaling up took intentional strategies, massive investments, and a willingness to take risks, but every step of the way was a valuable learning experience. It wasn’t an overnight success—it was years of grit, mindset work, and smart business decisions. And I’m grateful for every twist, turn, and challenge along the way.
This is the realistic, actionable part of scaling up: get clear on your niche, create a high-value offer, invest in yourself, automate, and never stop learning. That’s the foundation that allowed me to grow, and it’s something any entrepreneur can replicate.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Carly Hill, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), certified NLP practitioner, Reiki master, and hypnotherapist, but I’m also a business mentor, coach, and bestselling author of Therapreneur™. My journey into this industry has been anything but straightforward, and like many therapists, it started with a deep passion for helping others. I grew up in a small town outside of Orlando, Florida, and from a young age, I knew I wanted to be in a role where I could make a difference in people’s lives. Initially, I thought that would be through therapy, but my path took a turn when I became overwhelmed by the realities of working in traditional therapy settings.
While working in community mental health, I experienced burnout firsthand—long hours, low pay, and constant administrative work, which left me drained and questioning my career. I loved working with clients but felt stuck in a system that wasn’t sustainable. Over time, I realized that many of my therapy clients needed guidance that went beyond traditional mental health treatment. They wanted help navigating life’s challenges, building confidence, and achieving personal growth, which are all more aligned with coaching than therapy. That’s when the light bulb went off for me: I didn’t have to limit myself to therapy. I could help people on a larger scale by transitioning into coaching.
What I Provide
I founded Carly Hill Coaching to help therapists and healers transition into successful coaching careers. My flagship program, Therapist to Coach Accelerator™, is designed for clinicians who are tired of the burnout and are ready to step into a new business model that provides freedom, financial stability, and impact. I also help therapists ethically add coaching to their practice while protecting their licenses.
I provide services such as:
Business coaching for therapists transitioning into coaching: I help therapists develop a niche, create a signature coaching program, and implement marketing strategies to attract and convert clients.
Marketing, sales, and mindset training: Many therapists and coaches struggle with the business side of things. My programs focus on modern marketing strategies, including organic social media growth, creating high-ticket offers, and mastering sales calls with confidence.
Public speaking and workshops: I offer group coaching, workshops, and live trainings to help therapists not only grow their coaching businesses but also step into public speaking and online authority.
What sets my approach apart is that I’m not just a business coach. I’m a therapist who has walked the same path as my clients. I understand the emotional, professional, and financial struggles that come with building a practice because I’ve lived through them. I combine my clinical expertise with proven business strategies to help therapists create sustainable, scalable coaching businesses. I also bring in a mix of energy work, mindset coaching, and practical business tools to help my clients achieve success.
The Problems I Solve
The core problem I solve for my clients is helping them create a more sustainable, profitable business model. Many therapists feel trapped by traditional therapy structures—where they are tied to insurance, paperwork, and the pressure to see more clients in order to make ends meet. My coaching programs teach them how to break free from these constraints by adding coaching as an additional service or transitioning entirely into coaching.
Some of the common problems I help my clients solve include:
Burnout: Many therapists are overworked and underpaid. I help them transition into a business model that gives them freedom and flexibility.
Lack of direction: I work with therapists who don’t know how to market themselves or who struggle with imposter syndrome. I teach them how to own their expertise, create a niche, and confidently market their services.
Scaling their business: Many therapists are stuck trading time for money. I help them develop high-ticket offers and group coaching programs, which allow them to scale their income without sacrificing their personal time.
What Sets Me Apart
What sets me apart is my deep understanding of both the therapy and coaching worlds. I’ve lived through the struggles of being a therapist, and I’ve cracked the code on how to build a thriving coaching business. Unlike other business coaches, I combine practical business strategies with mindset work and energy healing. I’m also deeply passionate about making sure therapists add coaching ethically and legally, so they can feel confident and secure in their transitions.
I’m proud of the fact that I’ve helped hundreds of therapists successfully move into coaching and triple their income. I’ve built a seven-figure business doing what I love, and I’m equally passionate about helping others do the same. My program, Therapist to Coach Accelerator™, has been a game changer for many clinicians who were once struggling to make ends meet and now have thriving coaching businesses.
What I’m Most Proud Of
One of the things I’m most proud of is the community I’ve built. Through my Therapist to Coach Accelerator™ program, I’ve created a sisterhood of women who support one another, cheer each other on, and collaborate in meaningful ways. It’s not just about the money or the business success—it’s about creating a ripple effect of impact. By helping therapists become coaches, I’m indirectly helping more people receive life-changing support through the ripple effect my clients create with their clients.
What I Want People to Know
If there’s one thing I want potential clients and followers to know, it’s that you don’t have to choose between doing meaningful work and having a profitable business. You can have both. You can help people, make an impact, and still create a business that provides you with freedom, flexibility, and financial security.
My business is rooted in authenticity and a genuine desire to help others succeed. I’m transparent about my journey, including the hard lessons, mistakes, and triumphs, because I want others to know that it’s possible to create a life and business you love—even if it feels impossible at the start.
If you’re a therapist who’s feeling stuck or burnt out, or if you’re ready to make a bigger impact and scale your income, I’d love to help you. My mission is to empower therapists to step into their next chapter with confidence and to help them create businesses that align with their values, provide freedom, and allow them to impact more lives.
In the end, it’s about leaving a legacy—one that not only supports my family but also creates a lasting impact in the lives of my clients and the people they go on to help. That’s what drives me, and that’s what I want my business to stand for.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the biggest pivots in my career came when I transitioned from being a full-time therapist to a coach. I was working in community mental health, seeing over 25 clients a week, and feeling completely burnt out. I loved helping people, but the traditional therapy model was draining me. I realized that many of my clients didn’t need therapy—they needed guidance, support, and actionable strategies, which aligned more with coaching.
The real pivot happened during the pandemic when my job at a brain performance center was suddenly eliminated. Instead of searching for another therapy job, I took a leap of faith and went all-in on building my coaching business.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been leveraging organic social media marketing and free value-driven events, such as webinars and challenges. I consistently create content that speaks directly to the pain points and desires of my ideal clients—therapists looking to transition into coaching—and offer them practical, actionable advice through posts, stories, and videos on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
But the real game changer has been running free 5-day challenges and live webinars. These events allow me to build trust, showcase my expertise, and deliver high-value content before asking for any commitment. I focus on providing results-driven value upfront, which helps potential clients experience a transformation before we even work together. By the time they finish the challenge or webinar, many are ready to invest in my Therapist to Coach Accelerator™ program because they’ve already seen the potential impact of my coaching.
Another key strategy has been consistently nurturing relationships through email marketing. I build my email list through lead magnets like free guides or resources and then I stay connected with valuable content and updates, which helps convert leads into paying clients over time.
The combination of showing up consistently on social media, delivering free high-value content, and nurturing leads through email marketing has helped me grow a loyal, engaged clientele.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carlyhillcoaching.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyhillcoaching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/carlyhillcoaching
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4AIH3-g1wW3i-eudJ7oNnQ
- Other: https://thethrivingtherapreneurpodcast.com/
