Business Coach Regret and What I Learned From a $4,788 Mistake

Business decision regret… We’ve all had it. The coach we said yes to, but the proof was not in the pudding. The software we HAD to have, but it just made things more complex. The new shiny logo that came before the brand was ready.

I have a few prime examples, but I’m going to start with the one that shaped the business owner I am today by learning the hard way.

The year was 2020. One of the most precarious years in my life. Just six months prior, I had been interpreting a course on infectious diseases. We were talking about how they come into being, how our bodies react to them (or get overrun by them), and how mRNA vaccines have been a key development in scientific research over the last decade.

Well, then comes COVID. I knew enough to be terrified and not enough to be terrified. The era of “unprecedented times” had arrived. My interpreting career spiraled down the toilet as I did what everyone else on the planet was doing. I asked myself, “What else am I good at?”

I didn’t need 10 quizzes to tell me the answer. I knew in my gut. The answer was money. The amount of people who asked me for budgeting help, figuring out invoicing, or how to prep for tax season was bountiful. And I’d like the record to reflect that understanding money hasn’t always been easy for me, but that’s a story for another day. I had my next path, now I needed to make it happen.

I had a bit of money from PPP loans, and I was on a mission to hire someone who could help me build the structure of a brand-new business. I have no idea how I came across the company I hired, but I liked what they stood for. They wanted small businesses to make it out there.

Quick caveat: Had I run a small business for the last 12 years? Yes. But it wasn’t an online business. And I was a fish out of water! 

I booked a “discovery call” with them, and honestly, I had NO IDEA what that meant. I thought I was just hopping on a call to learn more about them, and let me tell you… I did not come prepared. The woman who greeted me on the other end of Zoom is the one they call “their closer.” Their words, not mine. Could you imagine going up against the greatest pitcher on the team when you didn’t even have your uniform on?! Mind you—she wasn't even going to be my coach. She was just there to close the deal.

She seemed kind at first, with pleasantries and questions to get to know me and my business. Then, out of nowhere, she told me to ditch the gold color in my branding. Branding… ha! I used Canva to pop something together for fun. Nonetheless, gold is my favorite color, and it wasn’t going anywhere, no matter what the closer had to say about it.

Then she comes in with a curveball, out of nowhere: “We need you to make a decision today. Now. For a year-long commitment.” The price was $399/month. A total of $4,788. Just shy of what I got from PPP loans. I attempted to explain that their price point was more than I could afford and that I always discuss money decisions with my husband. The response I got on the other end was, “So, you don’t get to make decisions for yourself?” The closer knew what she was doing. She viewed me as an independent woman, and she wanted me to feel gross about having to ask for permission. 

And no, it’s not in a weird ask for permission kind of thing in our household. I’m the one who takes care of all the finances for crying out loud. It’s a mutual respect thing. 

But she still got under my skin. “I AM a feminist, I don’t need my husband’s permission,” I thought. All while getting a pit in my stomach that I was IGNORING. I signed that 12-month contract on the spot.

I almost threw up after that call ended. 

I attended the training sessions, met with my coach each month, and was VERY studious. I recall a seminar on how to start over. I was excited for this one. My notebook was out. Then he puts it on the whiteboard. 

5 Clients + 1k Each = 5k Months

Like, no shit, Sherlock. I know math. The burning question that I was ready to document was… HOW?! But alas, the only how that arrived was to hire their team to help you create a mini-course + website. The cost for that was $6k. I wasn’t going to fall for that again.

After that training, I reached out to my coach to express my concern about the program and about the sales process. This is how I learned about “the closer.” She was their top agent, and they were proud of her. When month 12 finally arrived, I got this email: “... plus there is the additional benefit and bonus for renewing for 12 months, which is lifetime access to all of your recordings from both the events and the monthly trainings. And this is for a 12-month renewal at your current rate of $399 a month! (Our prices are $499 a month for anyone joining now.)”

Not. A. Chance. I thought. I’m pretty sure I just ignored the email.

My time with that organization felt gross the entire time. However, I want to be clear… I don’t feel like a victim. I feel like I was meant to learn a lesson about how NOT to sell my services. The lesson was learned. Burned. Engrained into my brain. That experience shaped everything about how I work with clients now—no pressure tactics, no right-this-minute decisions, no guilt trips.

And that, my friends, is my first business decision regret. 

Looking for a judgment-free space to chat money? That's exactly why I created the "Getting Comfy with Money" newsletter. Click here to join!