We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Jacobson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

“Perfect practices does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” – Vince Lombardi, NFL Coach

We can spend hours and hours – months and even years of time – working on our business, and still not make any money, get any clients, or have any impact. All too often, those who are starting out in the online coaching business fall prey to this mistake. They are working – and working hard – but they are doing the wrong work.

Listening to the cacophony of voices telling them what to do. Downloading endless freebies and watching a million webinars, hoping that someone will give them the key to unlocking the right door to success.

Success in the coaching space – and starting any business, comes down to doing the right work. This means focusing in on the unique God-given skills and abilities you have and leveraging them for your business. Doing the right work also means spending time in your business every day on revenue-generating tasks. This process of becoming a business owner, also means being forged into a new person. You are going somewhere you’ve never been before – and you can’t be who you used to be if you are going to be successful.

My great-grandparents are German and Swedish – and I spent many years in Germany in my childhood. I get a strong sense of efficiency from this – and it’s what I want for my clients – to do the right work, see results, and enjoy the process along the way. My business model is all about doing the right work.

Sarah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At the age of 6, sitting at my desk in first grade, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Everything I did for the next 15 years led me to becoming a teacher in the fall of 2001. I loved it – I was called to it. A few years in, I realized I could have even more impact in education by moving into coaching and then eventually a school administrative position. I was even on track to becoming a school principal – a career- long dream.

But in my quest to realizing this dream, I ignored the cost to my own health and my family. I was spending time raising other people’s children, but neglecting my own. In 2020, my health was suffering – I was forging a new relationship with anxiety, and I was missing out on being fully present with my family. God was calling me to not only do something new, but to be someone new.

In June of 2021, I walked away from my job, my career, and my dream, in obedience to what God was inviting me into. And over the next 3 years, I went on a long journey – through the wilderness – to learn about who I am apart from my work, how I can use my story to help others, and how trusting God is really the best place to be.

I’ve learned in the process, that whether it’s for myself or for others, my life call is igniting action. I love to help others do the work God has called them to do by fully stepping into the person he has called us to be! I now love helping other passionate, faith-driven women say yes to God’s invitation to them to uncover their purpose and activate their calling so they can use their God-given skills + abilities to build an online coaching business of their own.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best new source of clients for me has been Instagram, podcasts, and summits. I’m a talker – so I love platforms that allow me to talk. I also love to leverage other people’s audiences to help build my own. These leads are already warmed up – and now I just need to bring them into my brand and let them get to know me.

But these sources of new clients might not be right for everyone – knowing who you are, what you love to do, what unique skills + abilities you have is the best way to discover the best source of new clients for you. Following what other gurus or “experts” say is the hottest new platform might leave you feeling more discourage and disconnected with your audience. You have to be the expert of your business and go where you can showcase yourself and your brand best!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I love to talk with my clients – either on our bi-monthly Q+A Coaching calls or via Voxer. I do use email, but there’s something about at least hearing their voice (like on Voxer) or hearing their voice + seeing their face on Zoom that allows me to know more about how they are actually doing. There are no non-verbal cues in email.

It takes more work and more effort, but I believe the ROI is much higher when I have regular conversations with my clients. They get to know me – I can pray with them and for them, I can continue to share my knowledge with them and encourage them. Doing group coaching calls also allows my clients to get to know each other – and everything is better when we’re in community.

This has taken a lot of effort on my part because even though I love to talk – I am also more introverted, so it does take a lot of energy for me. But in the end – I’d rather be pouring into my clients and be exhausted at the end of the day because I know that I am serving them well. And I just love what I do!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahajacobson.com
• Instagram: @dotherightwork

Image Credits
Lisa Lord