A Coaching Business Built With Authenticity
Amy Kaye is a Narrative Coach and founder of Write On.
Her coaching is all about helping people to become unstuck and to find their voices. She believes that we all have a story to tell, and to share and shouldn’t be held back from doing that.
Write On creates bespoke expressive non-fiction writing courses, classes and workshops for adults and teenagers using elements of narrative therapy and coaching. Available both in-person and online.
Key Insights
Know Your "Why"
Your motivation for coaching will sustain you through challenges. If your "why" is strong, you’ll find ways to overcome obstacles and stay committed to your business.Set Boundaries and Honour Your Energy
Structure your schedule around when you perform best rather than trying to accommodate everyone. Set clear working hours and trust that the right clients will respect them. This ensures you can show up fully present and energised for your coaching sessions, leading to better results for both you and your clients.Hold Space, Don’t Fix
Clients often have their own answers; they just need a safe space to process them. Coaching is about guiding, not solving everything for them.Embrace the Long Game
Success doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient, trust the process, and focus on building meaningful relationships with clients over time.
The Interview
Can you tell me a little bit about how you became a coach and who you coach?
I have a background in storytelling and documentary filmmaking, and I was also a secret writer for years. I attended writing courses, but they were all very technical and focused on grammar and critique, rather than the psychology of storytelling. A friend suggested I run a workshop to help people tell their stories. That workshop turned into a course, then another, and eventually led me into narrative coaching. I later discovered that narrative coaching is an established field, but I had been doing it instinctively for years.
My work helps people take ownership of their stories, change perspectives, and empower themselves through the process.
What has surprised you the most about running your own coaching business?
That I’m still doing it 12 years later!
I’ve done a lot of different things in my career, but coaching is the one I’ve stuck with. Every time I think I’ve heard every story possible, someone shares something new that reminds me why I love this work. People are incredibly complex, and when you hold space for them, amazing things happen.
What is one of the biggest challenges of running your business?
The ever-changing landscape of social media and the rise of AI. It’s difficult to capture attention in a saturated market, and AI has made some people question whether they even need to write their own stories.
Marketing is also a struggle—social media algorithms constantly change, making it exhausting to keep up. Most coaches don’t want to focus on business operations; they just want to coach, but marketing is necessary to keep the business running.
What is the most rewarding part of doing what you do?
I get to hear and witness people’s stories. Many of them will never be shared outside of our sessions, and it’s a huge privilege to be trusted with them. People just want to be heard and acknowledged, and that in itself is powerful.
What advice would you give yourself 12 years ago before starting your business?
There’s no blueprint, and things will constantly evolve. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, something will change, and you’ll have to start over again. Trust the process and yourself—you already know more than you think you do. Also, don’t buy into the idea that there’s a magic formula or shortcut to success. Coaching is about relationships and long-term growth, not quick fixes.
What are some key tips for new coaches who are hesitant about going full-time?
Don’t worry about the "how"—focus on your "why." Are you coaching because it’s your passion, or is it just a hobby? Understanding your purpose will guide you through the tough moments.
Listen more than you try to fix. Many people just need to be heard, not "fixed." Your role as a coach is to hold space and help them find their own answers.
Accept that building a coaching business is a long game. There’s no overnight success. Trust that the right clients will find you and that growth takes time.
How do you manage running your business as a solo entrepreneur?
Discipline and structure are key. I’ve been freelancing for years, so I have a set schedule where I coach during my peak energy times.
I used to adjust my availability to fit everyone else’s needs, but I’ve learned to set boundaries and trust that the right clients will work within them.
What tools do you use to manage your business?
I use Zoom for coaching sessions, Substack for my newsletter, Canva for design, and ChatGPT for brainstorming. I also use an African-based platform for digital downloads because international tools like Teachable are too expensive for South African businesses.
