How I signed my first coaching clients (the real story)

Are you sitting there wondering what am I doing wrong because you still haven't signed your first client, even though you've tried the free discovery calls, the Instagram posts, the "I'm ready, book with me" announcement? ✨

I've been exactly there. And in episode 3 of Soul & Strategy, I'm walking you through the honest, unfiltered timeline of how I actually signed my first two clients, including the part I don't usually talk about, the limiting belief that was quietly sabotaging me the whole time.

Listen to the full episode above, or keep reading below, because I think you'll recognise a lot of yourself in this story.

I did over 40 free coaching sessions first

Toward the end of my spiritual life coach training, on the recommendation of the coach who ran it, I started offering free sessions. Friends, friends of friends, some for one session, some for six or ten. In total, I ran more than 40 free coaching sessions before I ever charged anyone.

Here's why that mattered so much. When you're not charging, the pressure to perform falls away, and that gives you room to actually experiment. I had learned so many coaching tools during my training, and those free sessions were how I figured out which ones actually felt like me.

They also did something I didn't expect: they built my confidence, gave me real results and testimonials to point to later, and helped me get clear on who I actually wanted to work with. I even ran a session around body image and weight, and even though it went well, I could feel it wasn't my topic. That's valuable information you can only get by actually doing the work.

If you're building confidence in a new offer or service, free sessions aren't a lesser version of the real thing. They're the research phase.

The "I'm ready" post that didn't work

Once I'd done 40+ free sessions, I felt ready to charge. I built a website, had my Instagram, and posted the classic "I'm ready, here's my website, book a free call" announcement.

Nothing happened.

I also tried signing clients through in-person workshops I co-hosted with other facilitators, sharing my work at the end and inviting people to work with me. That didn't convert into clients either, not once.

From the moment I was ready to take on paid clients to actually signing my first one, it took about five months. Five months of doubt. Five months of wondering if something was wrong with my offer, my positioning, or me. If you're in that exact in-between right now, I see you, and I know how hard it is.

Strategy is not the whole story

Here's something I want you to really sit with: there is no one single strategy that works. Some people sign clients through free workshops, others through tiny offers, others through social media, others swear by staying off social media completely. Just because something worked for me, or for another coach you follow, doesn't mean it's the path for you.

Everything any coach shares, including me, is an invitation to check in with what feels aligned, never a rule you have to follow to succeed.

The belief that was actually holding me back

I kept running workshops with other facilitators because, honestly, I didn't feel confident enough to hold the space by myself. I told myself I needed someone else there, a cacao facilitator, a sound healer, something extra, because what I had wasn't enough on its own.

Then life nudged me. One collaborator moved away. Another cancelled hours after we'd locked in a venue. I spiralled into “What did I do wrong?”, until I realised something underneath it all: I believed what I had to offer wasn't enough. That belief, not my strategy, was the actual thing keeping me from signing clients.

Business really is a bit of a spiritual game like that. If you believe you're not good enough, or that there are already too many people doing what you do, that's exactly what you'll keep experiencing in your reality, no matter how good your strategy is.

Running my first solo workshop

So I finally did the thing I'd been avoiding. I ran my first workshop entirely by myself, called From Fear to Freedom, two hours, pure coaching, no yoga, no co-facilitator. I was terrified.

The strategy hadn't really changed; it was still an in-person workshop. What changed was my belief in myself and my willingness to show up without hiding behind someone else's skills or audience.

At the end of that workshop, I invited everyone to a free call. That's where I signed my first client.

My second client came from showing up with zero strategy

My second client came from something completely different: I went live on Instagram every weekday through December, an "advent calendar" of live meditations and inputs. I'd never gone live before. There was no strategy behind it; I just wanted to share and inspire.

One woman from the original workshop had been following along, loved what she saw, and when I invited her to a free call, she signed up.

This podcast works the same way for me. It's part of my strategy in a broad sense, but it's not designed to sell to you directly. It's a way to express myself and reach the people I actually want to serve. Sometimes that leads to a client relationship, sometimes it doesn't, and that's genuinely okay.

What actually built trust

Nobody finds you on Instagram and immediately books ten sessions with you. There has to be something in between that builds trust first. For me, that was the in-person workshop, being in a room with someone, feeling their energy, letting them ask questions in real time.

What are you currently doing to build trust beyond reels and stories?It doesn't have to be in-person workshops. It could be a podcast, YouTube videos, an online masterclass, anything that creates a longer touchpoint where people can actually get to know you before you ask them to invest.

Key takeaways

• Free sessions aren't wasted time; they're how you build confidence, get testimonials, and get clear on who you actually want to serve.

• There's no single strategy that works for everyone. What worked for me won't necessarily be your path.

• Check your beliefs, not just your strategy. A belief that you're "not enough" can quietly block results no matter how good your offer is.

• Long-form content, whether that's workshops, a podcast, or live videos, builds the trust that turns a follower into a client.

If fear is what's holding you back right now

If you recognised yourself in the part about doubting whether you have enough to offer, that's exactly what my workshop, The Courage to Begin, was created for.

It's based on the very first workshop where I signed my own first client, now shaped for anyone ready to move through fear and take the next step in their business. You'll work through a visualisation, journaling questions, and the theory behind why this actually works, so you leave ready to take action. You'll find the link in the show notes ✨

Listen to the full episode above, and if this resonated, follow the Soul & Strategy Podcast so you catch the next one.

I'd also love to hear from you; come say hi on Instagram @sabinelehnhardt and let me know what you took away from this one.

With love,

Sabine 🤍