⚠️ How to Pick a Business Coach (and Not Get Burned)

Let’s start here:

Most people don’t buy business courses—they buy hope.

And the more desperate you are for clarity, certainty, or scale, the easier it is to be sold a system that doesn’t actually fit you.

I learned this the hard way.

Yes, I asked questions.

Yes, I did research.

Yes, the company looked like it had runs on the board.

And yes—I still got dudded.

Not just for the $10K+ price tag.

But for the structural damage it did to my actual business.

Revenue lost, client trust broken, reputation knocked.

All because I followed advice that wasn’t built for my context—and was told that my resistance was a mindset issue.

So if you’ve ever felt uneasy about a course or a coach—but signed up anyway because “they’ve helped thousands”—this post is for you.

👇 Here’s what I wish I knew earlier:

1.

Sales Call ≠ Evidence.

Most course creators are good at sales.

That doesn’t mean they’re good at outcomes.

Especially your outcome.

If you ask a question like, “Will this help me grow my business as a PT with no extra availability and a loyal base of long-term clients?” and their answer sounds like:

“Absolutely, we work with busy PTs all the time!”

…that’s not an answer. That’s bait.

Ask for specifics.

• How do you adapt this system for people with limited capacity?

• What’s the average lead quality for this strategy?

• How many clients drop off after implementation?

And: Don’t confuse energy for integrity. The more hype, the more you should ask to see the bones.

2.

You Need to Know the Method, Not Just the Promise.

Most people market the destination.

Very few show you the vehicle.

In my case, I was promised “support to scale,” which sounded great. But the vehicle?

• No 1:1 calls

• Group chats dominated by one personality

• Systems that assumed I had 20 hours of admin time per week

• Strategies that actively pushed away long-term clients

None of that was obvious in the onboarding.

What to ask:

• Is the delivery 1:1 or group-based?

• Are group calls curated, facilitated, or free-for-all?

• Can I preview the method map before signing up?

3.

If It Only Works One Way, It Doesn’t Work.

The strategy I was given was all-or-nothing.

Either I launched the whole thing in one hit (with my timetable fully blocked off) or I wasn’t “serious.”

When I added client-sensitive modifications, I got told:

“You’re either in or you’re not. Decide if you’re serious.”

This isn’t accountability.

This is coercion disguised as coaching.

And when my clients didn’t respond well to the changes, the advice was:

“They’re just not your tribe.”

No effort to troubleshoot. No nuance. Just… gaslight and move on.

Reminder: A good coach helps you think better, not just obey faster.

4.

Pay Attention to the “Free Stuff.”

You can tell a lot about the operational hygiene of a business from their public content:

• Is it clear?

• Is it consistent?

• Are links working?

• Do the blogs say anything useful?

If their “free value” is mostly surface-level, vague, or self-promoting—assume the paid content is just a more polished version of the same.

Also, ask what you’ll receive: Templates? Scripts? Swipe files? Real case studies?

If they promise a member portal, test the login before launch day.

(Yes, I’ve been burned here too.)

5.

Leads Are Not Gold.

A lot of courses promise “more leads.”

But that doesn’t mean those leads will convert—or stay.

There’s a huge difference between:

• Generating curiosity

• Converting aligned buyers

• Retaining humans who trust your work

And if their sales advice is built around pressure tactics or FOMO funnels? You’re not building trust—you’re just building refunds.

6.

Check Their Refund Policy—And Their Backbone.

A confident coach doesn’t panic when you ask for clarity.

They welcome it.

If there’s no money-back guarantee?

Fine—just be aware that what you’re paying for is final.

But if they market themselves as transformational but won’t back their delivery, that’s worth noticing.

TL;DR:

The worst-case scenario isn’t just wasting money.

It’s accidentally torching the part of your business that was already working.

I still believe in learning from others.

I still take courses.

But now I ask better questions—before signing a contract that impacts my team, my schedule, or my clients.

And if you’re a coach, PT, or educator looking to grow?

Make sure the person you’re learning from has:

✅ Skin in the game

✅ A flexible brain

✅ Real infrastructure

✅ A method that can scale with integrity

I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes insights in my 7th book on business longevity, skillset stacking, and model design for PTs. If this post saved you even one headache, let me know—and stay tuned.

Because sometimes the best course…

is learning how to vet the next one.

— Dr. Suz

Let me know if this has been helpful. Stay tuned as I'm writing my 7th book helping personal trainers to succeed in skillset, business models and have longevity in the industry.