What My Best Clients Have in Common (It's Not What You Think)
I looked at my best client experiences. The pattern surprised me.
Not for marketing. Not to update my website. Just to see if I could find a pattern.
What makes someone transform through coaching?
Is it their industry? Their experience level? How much they invest?
I looked at filmmakers, designers, writers, photographers, entrepreneurs. People who hired me at different price points, at different life stages, in different decades of their lives.
And here’s what I found.
The Pattern I Didn’t Expect
Every client who had a breakthrough—the kind that ripples out into their whole life—had one thing in common:
They were willing to see what was really holding them back.
Not the surface stuff. Not “I need better systems” or “I need more time.”
The deep stuff. The uncomfortable stuff.
Let me show you what I mean.
Pattern #1: Willing to See What’s Really Wrong
Kerri: The Writer Who Thought She Knew What Was Wrong
Kerri came to me as a writer, producer, and photographer. Multi-hyphenate creative. Hustling hard.
She thought she knew what was holding her back: time management.
If she could just be more productive, more organized, more disciplined... then everything would work.
But here’s what she wrote after our work together:
“You believe you understand what’s holding you back until you have a few coaching sessions with Kate and suddenly you see things more clearly.”
Turns out, it wasn’t time management.
It was fear.
Fear of putting herself out there as a parent, as a creative, as an entrepreneur. Fear of being seen fully.
Once we addressed the real block, everything else fell into place.
She stopped plodding through mud. She started moving with clarity.
That’s the pattern: The clients who transform are the ones willing to go beneath the surface.
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Katerina: The Designer Who Was Playing Small
Katerina is an international award-winning designer. When she came to me, she was launching a new business in a new industry.
On paper, she had everything figured out. Strategy. Credentials. Talent.
But something was off.
She wrote: “What previously seemed a vague feeling, internal contradiction, deep personal pain—this program transformed it into constructive goals that produce inspiring results.”
That vague feeling. That internal contradiction. That’s what we worked on.
Not her business plan. Her relationship to her business.
Because here’s what I’ve learned: You can’t build a sustainable business on top of unresolved internal conflict.
Katerina didn’t need more strategy. She needed to reconcile the parts of herself that felt contradictory—the artist and the entrepreneur, the bold vision and the practical execution.
Once we did that? She didn’t just launch her business.
She stepped into ruling her life, not letting her circumstances rule her.
Lyle: The Director Who Delayed the Hard Decision
Lyle came to me while he was in an unworkable marriage. He’d been delaying the decision to leave for nearly a decade.
He didn’t hire me to work on his marriage. He hired me to work on his career.
But here’s what he learned: You can’t compartmentalize your life.
When you’re stuck in one area, you’re stuck everywhere.
He wrote: “My life went from ordinary to extraordinary with Kate’s coaching. I ended an unworkable marriage... and found the love of my life in the process.”
But that’s not all. He also started eating healthier, exercising consistently, and embracing a new version of himself with purpose.
Because when you address the real issue, everything shifts.
Not just the thing you came to fix. Everything.
What These Stories Reveal
Here’s what Kerri, Katerina, and Lyle have in common:
They didn’t come to me knowing what the real problem was.
Kerri thought it was time management. It was fear.
Katerina thought it was a strategy. It was internal conflict.
Lyle thought it was a career. It was his whole life.
The clients who transform are the ones who are willing to discover what’s actually going on.
Not what they think is going on. What’s actually there when you dig deeper.
Pattern #2: They Were Willing to Be Uncomfortable
Matt, a filmmaker, wrote something that stuck with me:
“I have taken away confidence, clarity, and connection to myself. Her dedication and drive for me to succeed is more than I even had for myself. And it’s a push, but a gentle push.”
“A push, but a gentle push.”
That’s the sweet spot.
Transformation isn’t comfortable. If it were, you’d have already done it.
But it doesn’t have to be brutal either.
The clients who get the best results are the ones who are willing to be gently pushed into discomfort—and stay there long enough to see what’s on the other side.
Pattern #3: They Let Themselves
Jeanne came to me after retiring. She wanted to be more creative and open without compromising her faith.
But here’s what she discovered:
“I found out it wasn’t a selfish thing to make time for ME. I like myself a lot more and I really look forward to it every day.”
She let herself.
That’s the phrase that gets me every time.
She let herself laugh with her daughters. Let herself stop trying to control everyone else’s life. Let herself enjoy her own life.
The clients who transform are the ones who give themselves permission.
Permission to rest. Permission to change. Permission to want something different.
Permission to let go of who they thought they had to be.
Pattern #4: They Wanted Life, Not Just Business
Here’s what surprised me most in reading these testimonials:
Almost no one talks about their business metrics.
They talk about their lives.
Jim wrote: “What I valued most was Kate’s non-judgmental listening for the greatest version of myself.”
The clients who succeed in my programs aren’t just looking to grow their business.
They’re looking to grow their life.
And when your life expands, your business follows.
So What Do My Best Clients Have in Common?
After reading these testimonials, here’s what I know:
My best clients:
Are willing to see what’s really holding them back (not just the surface stuff)
Are willing to be uncomfortable (in a gentle, supported way)
Give themselves permission (to change, to rest, to want more)
Want life transformation, not just business strategy
They don’t come to me with all the answers. They come ready to discover the real questions.
They don’t come knowing what’s wrong. They come willing to find out.
They don’t come perfect. They show up ready and willing.
And that’s what makes all the difference.
What This Means for You
If you’re reading this and thinking, I don’t know if I’m ready...
Let me tell you what Kerri said:
“What are you waiting for? If you feel like you’re in a rut or just plain stuck, this is for you.”
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to dig deeper.
You don’t have to know what the real problem is. You just have to be willing to find out.
You don’t have to be comfortable with change. You just have to be willing to try.
The clients who transform aren’t the ones who come with all the answers.
They’re the ones who come with the willingness to ask questions.
A Personal Note
Reading these testimonials made me cry.
Not because they’re flattering (though they are).
But because they remind me why I do this work.
Kerri stopped walking through the mud.
Katerina started ruling her life instead of being ruled by circumstances.
Lyle found love after a decade of delay.
Jeanne learned to love herself.
Jim found his life purpose and the words to hold strength for himself.
This is why I coach.
Not to help people make more money (though that happens).
Not to help people be more productive (though that happens too).
To help people become the version of themselves they’ve been waiting to meet.
And if you’re ready for that—even if you’re not sure what “that” is yet, I’m here.
If you’re reading this and not sure where you’re stuck or what’s really holding you back, I made something that might help. It’s a Business Health Reset™ Quiz.
Takes about 10 minutes. It’ll show you where your nervous system is maxed out and where you’re actually ready to shift.
Because here’s what I’ve learned after many years of coaching:
The clients who transform aren’t the ones who have it all figured out.
They’re the ones willing to find out what they don’t know yet.
P.S. If something here resonated, hit reply and tell me. 💚
With gratitude + healthy strategies, Kate