Dear Health Coach (or consultant or personal trainer or nurse or lawyer or teacher or yoga teacher or massage therapist…)  can we talk about money for a sec?

I love the Health + Wellness profession. I know I am meant to work with people to make their health a priority. But let’s talk about the “making a living” part for a second… I am going to be totally transparent with you because only in truth can we make changes. I set off to work in this industry because I wanted to make a decent living. As a health coach I followed the “fee for service” model, where I charge my clients for my time.

So let’s do some math, if I am charging clients $100 / hr that’s pretty lucrative right? Oh but wait, there is usually an hour of prep time and an hour of follow up per client… So now that $100/ hr that I wanted to charge has dropped down to $33/hr.  Do you have clients lining up to work with you? I’ll be honest, its taken me so much more time to network, get referrals and market my services. I only have so much time in a day! Plus I wanted a flexible career that I could work into my busy life! I’m a mom, let’s face it… i’m busy!! Then clients usually reach their goals and don’t need to meet with them anymore or as frequently. Which is a good thing- that means I did my job, right?

So here-in lies the dilemma I see very often with my friends who work in the wellness profession, my friends who are Personal Trainers, Health Coaches, Massage Therapists, Nurses, Stylists, Educators and Nutritionists are always trading an hour of their time for money. It’s hard work. Some are really doing an awesome job and are truly happy. I commend you. But not me, I went searching for a better way.

First I thought about Corporate Wellness- going in to a company and working for an hour delivering a workshop to a large group… that’s a great idea. Those pay anywhere from $275-$600 per hour (depending on where you live)… Can you book one or two every week? You may need a full time sales/marketing person to help you with that one.

Then I thought about doing my own group coaching… getting 10 people together for a 6 week session. If each person pays $300 for the program I would make $3,000! That’s pretty sweet too! But still, it will take a lot of work to market/ promote. Plus, have you noticed how hard it is to get people to show up / do their homework? I see people spending money on products that will provide a “quick fix” before they invest in a health coach. Also, once people were done with the program there wasn’t a clear path to keep them in my sales pipeline. How could I get them back for more? I almost wished I had invented a product or had an online store that I could just make stuff that people would keep on buying.

Then, light bulb. Ding!! What about my essential oils? I was using Young Living products for the last 3 years. I was a happy customer. I had heard that people worked this as a business but I hadn’t paid much attention before. Now I was on a mission to find out what the scoop was. What is the potential stream of income? My research led me down a path of complete awesomeness… Why hadn’t anyone told me about this business model?

This idea was so different than the “fee for service” model I was used to. This one doesn’t pay you per hour. This one pays in residual commissions. It is the network marketing model and it is awesome. If network marketing scares you for some reason don’t let it… it is the future especially in our connection economy. I love this article in HuffPost…the Brutal truth about “those pyramid schemes”!

In this business model you partner with a company and use the power of a network to grow your organization. It is also called direct sales. You have to find the people to buy the products and then you get commission from the company. It’s that simple. But here’s the beauty of it… your network builds on itself. You harness the power of leverage by successfully growing your organization. If you find people that then decide to start a business and expand the network further you still get a cut of all the business they bring in. As a Health Coach in the “fee for service” model I was already finding the people. If you are going into business for yourself you know that finding customers is 80% of your job. You have to. No one is going to do it for you.

I found a company and a product that is SO versatile, appealing to everyone looking for natural wellness and incredibly fitting in my profession as a Health Coach. I empower people to take their health, happiness and well-being into their own hands and find ways to create a lifestyle that can be sustained. Essential Oils are the perfect tool. There is incredible research available about the efficacy of essential oils in supporting people in relaxation + stress management. Aromatherapy has been well documented in the research as a viable way for people to heal, get motivated, relax and balance.

This product is the perfect fit for my business. The business model is an even better fit. I can double down on my time investment and get paid over and over and over again by the initial groundwork that I did in the beginning.  I am starting to grow my team. I attracted my first two business partners in March and April. That means two awesome people joined me because they want to build something too. We are doing it together. We support each other (and go out for happy hour monthly).  I’m on a mission- I want to team up with 10 more amazing wellness professionals this year. We can do this alongside each other and inspire each other to reach massive goals.

I now have my products paid for by the commissions I have earned back PLUS I am making a profit each month. I spend about 2-4 hours a week working this thing (and by the way working is really me connecting with people to educate about the power of essential oils). My goal is to move up the ranks in Young Living to the level of Gold by the end of this year. People who reach this level in the company make an average of $6,000 every month (here is a link to the income disclosure statement from Young Living). That’s $72,000 annually. Just by investing a little of my time now, being patient + consistent and inspiring others to grow their businesses alongside me!

I can also work with my one-on-one health coaching clients but its not the thing I am depending on to pay my bills. I can have more fun/freedom in health coaching. Work with the people that I want to. I can help more people. I can spend less time hunting for more clients and more time serving them. I can also watch this Young Living thing grow… the groundwork that I lay will continue to pay off and expand when I educate those interested in the business how to do the same. It’s an incredible opportunity.

Here’s some food for thought:

• The Health + Wellness industry is exploding and set to grow over 17% by 2017. Consumers are shopping for and spending billions of dollars on wellness related products.
• Young Living has been in business over 20 years and is the largest + most trusted essential oil company I have researched. Their quality and distillation methods are unmatched. Their rigorous commitment to quality is reflected in the Seed to Seal promise. Not only is Young Living is the world leader in essential oils- but they are truly a “one stop shop” for health + wellness products. They have nutritional supplements, body care products and an entire line of green cleaning products and chemical-free, organic beauty products.
• Willable income. Yes, you can leave the income you have built to your children. This is huge. Once you start making $3,000 / month you create your living will and fill out the paperwork with Young Living. The income your business generates will go to your spouse and kids forever.
• Over 90% of Young Living’s business is happy customers buying products… it’s not wholesale members trying to sell the business. Consumers are searching for natural products. This trend represents a movement toward cleaner, more simple + natural products in our homes and for our families. The toxins in our environment are making us sick. People know this and are demanding safer, more natural products.
• Young Living offers a generous compensation plan. Every time you advance in the company you get more perks + bonuses. The investment to get started is very low, you can get a starter kit with all you need to start your business for $160.
• Access to a Community. I believe in integrity in the wellness profession and only align myself with people and products that truly speak to me. I am looking for like-minded people to join me on this amazing adventure. The time is now. The risk is low. The potential is limitless.Let’s connect. I am happy to answer questions or share more for those looking for an opportunity like this. Please send me a message!