What if I told you that the key to growing your lifestyle coaching business to $250K or beyond isn’t some secret marketing hack, but your ability to build and maintain unshakable confidence? That’s right—confidence. The kind of confidence that keeps you going when things are tough, that pushes you to take risks, and that allows you to charge what you’re worth without hesitation.*
In today’s episode, we’re going deep into the principles from Dr. Nate Zinsser’s book *The Confident Mind*. I’ll share how confidence played a critical role in my own journey when I had to rebuild my business from scratch during the 2008 recession, and we’ll look at how you can build the confidence you need to grow your coaching business. Plus, I’ll tell you how three of my clients—David, Jim, and Ron—used these same principles to overcome self-doubt and transform their businesses.*
Welcome to The Lifestyle Business Quest Podcast! I’m your host Travis Greenlee, and today we’re exploring one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of building a thriving, sustainable coaching business: *confidence*. Whether you’re just starting out or are already making progress, the level of confidence you bring to your business will determine your ability to scale and achieve your goals.
In this episode, we’re going beyond surface-level mindset talk. We’ll break down practical, real-world strategies for building confidence using lessons from Dr. Nate Zinsser’s *The Confident Mind*. Dr. Zinsser has spent decades coaching elite athletes, military leaders, and high performers, showing them how to develop mental toughness and unshakable self-belief. If it works for NFL quarterbacks and military cadets, it’ll work for us coaches too!
And just so you know this is more than theory, I’ll be sharing my personal journey, especially the period when I had to rebuild my business during the 2008 recession. I’ll also talk about how my clients—David, Jim, and Ron—transformed their businesses by mastering their confidence.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to develop true, lasting confidence. I’ll give you practical steps that you can start applying today, whether you’re looking to get unstuck, charge premium prices, or take your coaching business to the next level.
Let’s dive in.
Let me take you back to one of the toughest periods of my life—2008, the recession. At the time, my coaching business was doing well. I had a steady stream of clients, and revenue was coming in, but then the economy tanked. Practically overnight, clients started canceling, my revenue dried up, and everything I’d worked so hard to build began to fall apart.
To say my confidence took a hit would be an understatement. I started to question everything: *Was I really cut out for this? Was I just lucky before? Could I rebuild?*
That’s when I learned one of the most important lessons of my career: confidence isn’t something that just *happens* to you when things are going well. Confidence is a skill you have to build, especially when things aren’t going your way.
I had two choices. I could wallow in self-doubt and blame the economy, or I could focus on taking small, consistent actions to rebuild my business and, just as importantly, my confidence.
I didn’t start by trying to land huge contracts or make some grand comeback. I focused on *small wins*. Each day, I set aside 30 minutes to systematize my business, whether it was improving my lead generation process, automating client follow-ups, or reaching out to just one potential client.
At the time, these small actions didn’t feel like much, but they were the foundation that helped me rebuild my business from the ground up. And more importantly, every small win built my confidence brick by brick.
This experience reinforced something Dr. Zinsser talks about in *The Confident Mind*: confidence is the product of focusing on your effort, your preparation, and your consistency. I wasn’t trying to control the economy or my clients’ financial situations—I was controlling what I *could* control, and that’s where my confidence came from.
Here’s a key insight that might surprise you: Confidence isn’t built in the “big” moments, like landing a major client or giving a keynote speech. It’s built in the small, quiet moments when you show up for yourself and do the work. It’s built through *consistency*.
Dr. Zinsser explains that confidence is cultivated through small, repeatable actions. Each tiny victory tells your brain, *I can do this.* Over time, these small wins compound into a deep, unshakable confidence that doesn’t waver when things get tough.
During the recession, I wasn’t focused on the big comeback. I was focused on small, consistent actions—actions that I could control. And this is one of the most important lessons I want you to take from today’s episode: confidence is built through action, not through waiting for things to change or for the “right” moment to feel ready.
What small action can you take today to move your business forward? Maybe it’s as simple as reaching out to one potential client, making progress on a project, or posting content that connects with your audience. Celebrate each of these small wins, because they are the foundation of your growing confidence.
Now let’s talk about one of the most powerful concepts from *The Confident Mind*—the role of self-talk in building confidence. Dr. Zinsser emphasizes that how you talk to yourself is critical. Your internal dialogue can either reinforce your confidence or slowly chip away at it.
One of my clients, David, came to me struggling with massive self-doubt. He had been coaching for years, but he always felt like he wasn’t good enough to charge premium prices. His internal dialogue was filled with statements like, “What if my clients don’t see results? What if I’m not worth what I’m charging?”
These thoughts were paralyzing him. Even though he had the skills and the experience, his lack of confidence was holding him back from taking bold actions—like raising his rates or marketing himself to higher-paying clients.
Here’s what we did: I had David start tracking his daily *wins*. Every day, he wrote down three small victories. This practice shifted his focus from what might go wrong to what was going *right* in his business.
Over time, his internal dialogue began to shift. Instead of focusing on his fears and insecurities, he started seeing his wins as proof of his abilities. His confidence grew, and soon, David was raising his prices and working with premium clients who valued his expertise.
This is where the science of confidence really kicks in. Dr. Zinsser explains that our brains are naturally wired to focus on the negative. It’s a survival mechanism that kept us safe thousands of years ago, but it doesn’t serve us in today’s business world.
By intentionally focusing on your *wins*, you begin to rewire your brain. You start to create a new, more empowering narrative for yourself—one that’s built on your strengths and your progress, rather than your fears or perceived shortcomings.
Action Step: Start a Wins Journal
Write down three wins every day. These can be as small as making a sales call or getting positive feedback from a client. The more you focus on what’s going well, the more your confidence will grow.
One of the things Dr. Zinsser emphasizes is that confidence isn’t just a mindset—it’s the result of preparation. This is especially true when you’re facing high-pressure situations, like pitching your services to potential clients.
Jim, another one of my clients, struggled with his sales calls. He knew his coaching inside and out, but when it came time to pitch his services, he would freeze. His lack of confidence in these conversations was costing him clients.
We decided to take a tactical approach. Jim and I worked together to create a simple sales script, and he practiced it every day. He rehearsed different client scenarios, visualized successful outcomes, and prepared himself mentally and practically.
The more he practiced, the more confident he became. When it came time for real sales calls, he wasn’t guessing or winging it—he had *prepared*.
The result? Jim’s close rate went from about 10% to over 50%. His confidence came not just from positive thinking, but from knowing that he had done the work and was ready to handle whatever came his way.
The deeper lesson here is that confidence is earned through *consistent preparation*. It’s not about being naturally good at something—it’s about putting in the reps, day after day, until you master it.
As Dr. Zinsser teaches, confidence is rooted in the actions you take to prepare. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes, and that’s where true confidence comes from.
What’s one area of your business where you can improve through preparation? Whether it’s sales calls, client onboarding, or public speaking, dedicate time each day to practice. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel.
Another powerful tool Dr. Zinsser teaches is *visualization*. This involves mentally rehearsing success before it happens. Athletes use this technique all the time, and it’s just as effective for entrepreneurs.
Ron, one of my clients, struggled with imposter syndrome. Even though he was a talented coach, he didn’t believe he was “good enough” to charge premium prices or work with high-end clients. His lack of confidence was keeping him stuck in a cycle of undercharging and overdelivering.
We implemented a daily visualization practice. Every morning, Ron spent 5-10 minutes visualizing himself as a confident, premium coach. He imagined himself leading group coaching sessions, signing high-ticket clients, and delivering incredible results. The more vivid his visualizations, the more his brain started to normalize that level of success.
After weeks of consistent visualization, Ron’s confidence grew. He started taking action as if he were already the premium coach he envisioned. He raised his prices, attracted high-end clients, and finally stepped into the role he had been holding himself back from for so long.
Visualization works because it helps your brain rehearse success. When you mentally see yourself achieving your goals, your brain starts to *expect* those outcomes in real life. This makes it easier to act with confidence when the opportunity arises.
Spend 5-10 minutes each morning visualizing your success in vivid detail. Picture yourself confidently signing new clients, leading a coaching session, or achieving your income goals. The more you practice this, the more confident you’ll feel when it’s time to take action.
One of the most important lessons from *The Confident Mind* is that confidence isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you build through action. You can’t sit around waiting to feel confident before you act. Confidence comes *through* taking action, even when you’re scared or unsure.
This was true for me during the 2008 recession, and it was true for David, Jim, and Ron. None of us waited until we felt 100% confident before taking bold steps in our businesses. We built our confidence by stepping out, taking risks, and learning from the process.
What’s one thing you’ve been holding back on because you didn’t feel ready? Whether it’s launching a new offer, raising your prices, or reaching out to a potential client—take action today. Don’t wait for confidence to show up—build it through bold, imperfect action.
As we’ve explored today, confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build. It’s developed through small wins, positive self-talk, preparation, visualization, and, most importantly, action.
Whether you’re struggling with self-doubt like David, preparing like Jim, or using visualization like Ron, you now have the tools to start building unshakable confidence. And with that confidence, there’s no limit to what you can achieve in your coaching business.
If you’re ready to build the confidence you need to scale your coaching business to $250K, grab your free Masterclass at lifestylebusinessquest.com. I’ll walk you through our 5-step system for growing a thriving coaching business while living the lifestyle you deserve.
Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of The Lifestyle Business Quest Podcast! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow coach who could use a confidence boost. Until next time, take bold action, build your confidence, and watch your business grow.
