April 12, 2022
The coaching industry is heavily oversaturated with many niches. As a result, a lot of people are confused about what a Lifestyle Coach is? And what a Business Coach is? So what are the main differences between the two? Ultimately, the main differences are:
Robin’s speciality is business coaching. However, like many other coaching companies, he merges some practices of lifestyle coaching. Through hiring his mindset coach, Kate Hunter, clients that work with Robin also get access to ‘Mindset Tuesdays’, which helps them deal with personal stresses that could be impacting their business performance.
Choosing between a lifestyle coach and a business coach often comes down to what you want to work on in your life. Here are some common scenarios to help you decide:
Understanding these distinctions can help you identify which type of coaching aligns best with your current goals and challenges.
It’s common to wonder whether you need a life coach or a therapist, especially since both aim to support personal growth, but they take distinctly different approaches.
Therapists are licensed mental health professionals, like psychologists, counselors, or clinical social workers. Their primary focus is helping individuals navigate emotional challenges, mental health disorders, trauma, and past life events. If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or coping with major life transitions, therapists use evidence-based methods to help you work through these issues, often drawing from well-established practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or psychoanalysis.
Life coaches, in contrast, aren’t licensed medical professionals. Rather, they specialize in helping people clarify goals, identify obstacles, and create actionable plans for improvement in areas like career, relationships, or personal fulfillment. Unlike therapists, life coaches don’t diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Instead, they motivate you to move forward and tap into your potential, focusing on future outcomes rather than unresolved past issues.
Think of therapists as guides when you need to understand and heal from the past, while life coaches cheer you on to achieve practical goals and desired changes.
Although it’s probably straightforward to find all sorts of coaches for every businesses niche, these are the main types of business coaches you’d typically find in an entrepreneurial environment:
Coaches who focus on the more personal aspects of your business, e.g. exploring what could be going on in your personal life that affects performance, such as finding the perfect work-life balance.
A lifestyle coach is all about helping you set goals, create actionable plans, and navigate the challenges that might hold you back, both professionally and personally. They’re not just a sounding board; they come armed with real-life experience and a toolkit of techniques to help you spot patterns, learn from past mistakes, and avoid falling into the same ruts again.
A big part of their process is helping you identify your core values, clarify your goals, and work through your obstacles. This might look like examining:
By getting clear on these, a lifestyle coach can help you work on your weaknesses, build on your strengths, and develop habits that keep you motivated and on track. Ultimately, their aim is to help you enhance your overall well-being while keeping you focused and resilient when life (and business) throws curveballs.
Coaches that help you become more confident and help clear any mental blocks regarding your business. Regardless of their speciality, many coaches incorporate mindset practices into their sessions as it promotes business productivity. For example, within his coaching group, Robin has a weekly mindset call every week so others going through the journey can seek advice for their stresses and frustrations and not feel so alone.
Coaches that work in a more corporate environment. They tend to help company CEO’s or execs develop their communication and management skills.
Sales coaches work with clients to help them negotiate, price and close deals better. This is Robin’s speciality. Helping clients to confidently charge more through knowing their worth.
Typically, with most business coaching companies, clients will notice a merge between most of the types. It’s pretty uncommon for business coaches to be offering solely one service these days as people are looking to get their value for money. This is why researching and comparing business coaches is integral. Robin recommends all wannabe coachees must be thorough when looking for their ideal business coach. Look long and hard at online reviews, network and talk to other business owners about who you should invest in and most importantly, look at their results and how they can help benefit you and your business.
Alongside the different types of business coaches, there are also different styles and approaches. Ultimately, everyone learns differently, and knowing what mentorship you need will be highly influential in your whole coaching experience. See the examples below:
Where the coach makes all the decisions, and the client simply follows suit. It’s great for producing quick results but not so great if you are prone to feeling micromanaged.
Commonly associated with life coaching, coaches that use this style tend to take a more personal and spiritual approach. They encourage their clients to find their balance through a range of holistic techniques that can be utilised in moments of high stress. This is a particularly great approach if clients are seeking solutions for stress management and behaviour.
The coach and the client speak openly and honestly about what they want to achieve, set goals and work towards achieving them. Coaches with this style often set daily objectives and rely upon constructive criticism and feedback.
A life coach focuses on personal aspects of your life, such as well-being, relationships, and achieving a better work-life balance. In contrast, a business coach concentrates on your professional journey, offering strategic advice and mentorship to help grow your business or career.
Absolutely. Many modern business coaches understand that personal challenges can affect professional performance. For instance, Robinwaite incorporates mindset coaching to help clients manage personal stress, ensuring it doesn't hinder their business success.
No, they are quite different. A therapist is a licensed mental health professional who can diagnose and treat conditions by helping you work through past trauma and emotional challenges. A life coach is not a medical professional and instead helps you clarify future goals and create strategies to achieve them.
If you feel stuck in your personal life, want to find your passion, or need support through a major life change, a life coach is likely the right choice. If you're a business owner needing to scale, a professional wanting to advance your career, or a manager looking to improve team performance, a business coach is what you need.
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