When I first started my journey as a coach, I resisted using the term "life coach." It felt too broad, too cliché — as though I was trying to be everything to everyone without real expertise in anything. For years, I struggled to define my niche, to carve out my space in the world of coaching. It took me over three years to finally settle into my brand and truly own who I was as a coach. Most of that time was spent in fear: fear of being too general, fear of not being seen as an expert, fear of the dreaded label, “jack of all trades, master of none.”
But then something shifted. A conversation with a colleague and dear friend who asked about my new training course I developed, Sex and Intimacy (S&I) Coaching certification which changed my perspective. She asked me was I planning to market myself as an S&I coach. My response was, "I don’t see myself as just an S&I coach." In that moment, I realized that the reason I struggled with branding myself wasn’t because I lacked clarity; it was because I had depth. I wasn’t simply coaching one aspect of people’s lives — I was helping them navigate multiple areas. I was coaching the whole person.
This revelation brought me face to face with a well-known phrase that had always made me uncomfortable: "Jack of all trades, master of none." I used to think this meant I needed to specialize, to hone in on one thing and ignore the rest. But that’s not the full quote. The real saying is: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” It dawned on me that being well-rounded — being versatile — is a greater asset than specialization alone. Life coaching is about coaching every part of the person, even if you specialize in one area.
Life isn’t siloed. Our personal, professional, spiritual, and emotional lives are all interconnected. When I coach someone, I don’t just focus on their career, executive presence, or their intimate relationships. I look at how every aspect of their life impacts the whole. This broader understanding allows me to be adaptable, insightful, and highly effective in helping clients achieve their goals. I’m not a “jack of all trades” in the negative sense — I’m someone who has mastered the ability to see how different areas of life interact with each other, which is often more valuable than a narrow focus on one aspect alone. That means, for one client, I can be a leadership coach, another a dating coach. Sometimes, a client wants to navigate multiple life areas, and I have mastered my craft to be agile and support where the client is in that moment.
What is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is fundamentally a collaborative process aimed at helping clients tap into and enhance their personal and professional potential. It focuses on future goals and is driven by purposeful questioning, accountability, and strategic action planning. While life coaches do not provide therapy or medical guidance, they serve as facilitators, empowering clients to gain clarity, make progress, and achieve meaningful results that resonate with their core values and aspirations--as a whole (International Coach Federation, 2023).
Gestalt Coaching and the Whole Person
A critical part of my journey was integrating Gestalt coaching into my practice. Gestalt coaching, rooted in Gestalt psychology, emphasizes the importance of awareness and the present moment, encouraging individuals to view their lives holistically. Just as life coaching focuses on the whole person, Gestalt coaching teaches us to see clients as dynamic systems — every part of their experience impacts the totality of who they are (Perls, Hefferline, & Goodman, 1951).
This approach has been a game-changer for me. Gestalt coaching helped me understand that no single issue or goal exists in isolation. It’s not just about helping clients with one problem or goal; it’s about understanding how their environment, relationships, emotions, and beliefs influence that problem. With this deeper understanding, I could see how interconnected my clients’ challenges were and coach them more effectively, moving beyond surface-level solutions to lasting, transformational change.
The Power of Pluralistic Coaching
What I’ve come to realize is that my coaching approach aligns with pluralistic coaching — a framework that values the complexity and uniqueness of each individual client. Pluralistic coaching recognizes that no one method or tool will work for every client or every situation. Instead, it adapts to meet the needs of the client, utilizing various approaches and techniques from different coaching styles (Cooper & McLeod, 2011). It’s holistic and flexible, which fits perfectly with my belief in addressing the whole person.
This is where life coaching truly shines. The flexibility of pluralistic coaching allows me to blend my expertise in areas like mindfulness, sex and intimacy, leadership, and spirituality to help clients break through limiting beliefs, identify their goals, and move toward success.
The Value of Being a Versatile Life Coach
Over time, I’ve come to fully embrace my identity as a life coach and the versatility it offers. It wasn’t about being a specialist in one area, but rather, being a master at understanding how different areas of a person’s life interconnect and influence each other. My ability to help clients navigate multiple aspects of their lives, from personal relationships to career challenges, is what makes me effective.
In my coaching, I am able to see both the forest and the trees, from the roots to the leaves. The ability to view the whole person, to understand how various life systems interact, is what gives me a unique advantage. And this broader perspective is not something to fear — it’s a strength. Embracing versatility, rather than resisting it, has allowed me to fully step into my calling as a life coach.
The Journey to Finding Your Niche
It wasn’t until I embraced my superpower — my ability to see the interconnection of life’s systems — that I found my true niche. And if you’re a new coach struggling with how to define yourself, take it from me: it’s okay not to have it all figured out at first. It’s okay to evolve. What’s important is that you remain curious, open, and authentic.
Here are five tips to help you define yourself as a life coach or refine your niche:
Understand Your Passions: What are you truly passionate about? Start by identifying the areas of life or work that light you up. Your niche will emerge from a deep understanding of what excites you and aligns with your values.
Embrace Your Journey: Remember that your coaching path will likely evolve. Don’t be afraid to start broad and then narrow your focus as you gain more experience. Your niche will find you as you discover the clients and work that resonate most.
Be Open to Synergy: Like me, you might discover that you can help clients in multiple areas of their lives. This doesn’t make you a jack-of-all-trades. Instead, it highlights your ability to see how interconnected people’s lives are. Embrace the synergy and use it to your advantage.
Seek Continuous Learning: Invest in your education. Whether it’s certifications in different coaching modalities or deepening your understanding of human behavior, continuous learning will help you refine your expertise and build confidence in your brand.
Get Support: Don’t do this alone! Surround yourself with a network of peers, mentors, and coaches who can help you refine your approach, push past fears, and offer insights that move you forward.
Are You Embracing Your Coaching Niche, Fully?
If you're a coach struggling to define your niche or brand, or if you simply want to enhance your coaching skills, I'm here to help. My training programs, coaching community of practice, and coach mentoring services are designed to guide you in becoming a confident and impactful coach, helping you define your brand and understand how to leverage your unique gifts.
Whether you're new to coaching or looking to scale your coaching practice, my training and coach mentoring programs will help you align with your passion, hone your niche, and fully embrace your role as a life coach. Sign up today and let’s unlock your potential together!
Dr. Dawn C. Davis-Reid, PCC
Professional Life Coach & MIND Jedi
References
Cooper, M., & McLeod, J. (2011). Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy. SAGE Publications.
Perls, F., Hefferline, R., & Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality. Julian Press.
International Coach Federation (ICF). (2023). What is Professional Coaching?
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