Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Toyah Brooks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Toyah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment

As I was completing my coaching certification program and beginning to coach, I decided it was time to start looking into how I was going to actually turn this into a business. I googled “how to market a coaching business” and came across a blog that grabbed my attention. I read, clicked for more, and kept reading and reading and reading. When there was information to join the “Build a Real Business” program, I knew I needed to sign up. I learned so many things and processes that would have been difficult to uncover on my own. And by sharing my ideas and work within the community, I was able to get feedback (including invaluable advisement from the founder). Participating in this group taught me how important it was to not just read how to’s, but to also seek out opportunities to engage with others who have done or are doing what I am trying to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After getting completely burned out in a corporate retail job, I stepped away to focus on my physical and mental health. During that time, I realized that I did not have to go back and could craft a new life for myself. As I considered consulting, I stumbled across coaching and fell in love with the possibility of aiding others to create the best life possible for themselves. I received formal certification as a professional and whole person life coach, which became the foundation for how I began working with clients. I am passionate about gaining as many tools as possible to better serve my clients, so some of the additional life coaching certifications I received were in Goal Success, Confidence, and Self-Care. I love helping my clients zone in on specific goals that will improve their happiness, and then being there to help them take meaningful action. The most rewarding moments have been when clients have expressed to me what a difference they are experiencing in their lives after working together. It is just a joy to see how our partnership led to them feeling more empowered to take control and improve their lives.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Initially my best source of gaining new clients was through sharing my authentic self on instagram, which allowed me to grow a small following (VERY small). Through my videos and captions, my audience could see how passionate I was and feel how much I cared. I was once told that even when you are not seeing the “likes” and comments, there is always someone watching. This was confirmed every time a follower contacted me offline to express their interest, ask for advice, and share actions they took as a result of one of my posts or videos. At the time, ALL of my traction could be traced back to what I was doing on instagram.

There was a lot going on with our world and nation in 2020 and I decided that, as much as I loved working with clients, I was no longer energized by having a social media presence. I knew this would stifle my growth, but I chose not to force myself to do things I no longer enjoyed. I allowed myself to step back and trust that the work I have done with clients would speak for itself. I have now enjoyed the referrals that have come from the relationships I built.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Using The High Performance Planner (by Brendon Burchard) was a game changer for me. I began each day answering questions that were in service to myself (what could I get excited about? what could I do outside my comfort zone?) and in service to my clients (who needed my A game that day? how could I connect well?). This was a shift from not just jumping into the day, but facing each day with intention to be my best for myself and others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: toyahbrooks
• Other: t[email protected]