Navigating Coaching & Running a Coaching Business
This interview features Liz Pretorius, founder of Leap.
Take the Leap helps entrepreneurs and leaders break through their professional plateaus without burning out is what Leap is all about. The skills, strengths, mindset, and experience that got you to where you are now may not be developed enough for your next phase, so Liz helps her clients fast-track their efforts by finding their key focus areas and tackling work-life balance challenges head-on.
Key Insights
The Difference Between Coaching & Running a Coaching Business
Coaching and business operations require completely different skill sets—coaching is about transformation, while running a business involves marketing, sales, and operations.
Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of constantly learning (taking courses, researching strategies) rather than trusting themselves and implementing what works for them.
Automation and delegation can improve efficiency, but processes must be understood manually first to ensure they serve the business effectively.
A smart way to approach marketing is doing what feels authentic to you, and creating a sustainable marketing plan rather than trying to do everything at once.
Creating structured workflows helps improve client retention and engagement.
The Interview
Tell me a bit about you. How did you become a coach?
My journey into coaching is definitely not a straight line. It’s a relatively new industry, so I didn’t grow up thinking, “I want to be a coach.” My path was shaped by my experiences with burnout, growth, and transformation.
After university, I took my first big leap—I moved to South Korea to teach English. That was my first time on a plane and living abroad. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for how people learn, adapt, and build confidence. Looking back, it planted the early seeds for coaching, though I didn’t realize it then.
From there, I returned to South Africa and spent eight years as a business operations manager, working with startups. I loved solving problems, optimizing workflows, and helping teams function at their best. But I also saw how easy it was for founders, professionals, and high achievers—including myself—to run themselves into the ground. At a certain point, I realized that success at the cost of my well-being wasn’t sustainable.
I started asking deeper questions: What actually creates balance? How do I build capacity for what I truly want? How do I move forward without burning out? Those questions led me to coaching. Now, I help entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals break through professional plateaus without burning out. I’ve been running Leap full-time for about two and a half years.
When it comes to running your own business, what has surprised you the most?
The biggest surprise—even coming from a business operations background—was how different it is between coaching people and running a coaching business. I love working with people and helping them gain clarity, but building a business around it is a completely different skill set.
I expected there would be marketing, sales, and operations, but I didn’t realize how much time and energy those would require—especially as a solopreneur. Wearing all the hats, even with my experience behind the scenes, was eye-opening.
Another surprise was the challenge of balancing client work with running the business. It’s a constant dance. I had to start applying the same principles I teach—balance, capacity, and sustainability—to my own business. And finally, I underestimated the depth of transformation that clients experience when they commit to coaching. Seeing small mindset shifts create big impacts has been incredibly rewarding.
What’s been one of your biggest challenges?
Figuring out what works for me. When starting out, you’re bombarded with advice—“Do these top five things to get clients.” It’s easy to get caught in learning mode, signing up for courses instead of trusting yourself. That took up a lot of time, and if you don’t see results, it can be discouraging.
Another major challenge was navigating the ups and downs of client flow. Unlike a traditional job with a steady paycheck, coaching businesses bring unpredictable income—especially in the early stages. I had to get comfortable with uncertainty, which required a lot of inner work around resilience. Instead of getting stuck in the highs and lows, I’ve learned to roll with them more.
What’s been your approach to marketing?
The focus for me at the start of this year was creating a sustainable marketing plan. It’s my first time committing to a plan that works even when I’m busy.
Instead of trying to be everywhere for everyone, I’ve narrowed it down to two things I can stick to. I also got clear on where my audience is and what resonates with them. Simplifying my strategy has been key.
What’s the easiest part of running your business?
The coaching itself. It feels natural—I love talking to clients, helping them work through challenges, and seeing their breakthroughs. I’ve heard many coaches say, “If only I could just coach,” and I relate to that.
Surprisingly, I’ve also come to enjoy networking. Before starting my business, I was more of a behind-the-scenes person. Now, I’ve found communities that resonate with me, and showing up authentically has made networking enjoyable.
What advice would you give to a new coach starting their own business?
Experiment early, especially with niches. One of the first pieces of advice you hear is, “Find your niche.” It makes marketing easier because you know who you’re talking to and what problem you’re solving. But when you’re starting out, that question feels impossible.
Talking to people is the only way to test your assumptions. You don’t have to have your final niche figured out—just explore. Ask yourself: Do I like working with these types of people? Is this industry interesting to me? Does the problem I think they have actually exist?
Building a network early on also makes a huge difference. My first client came from a previous connection. If you’re starting with zero, it’s hard for people to find and trust you. Sales only happen once people know who you are.
What’s one thing you enjoy the least about running your business?
Admin. I initially set up a coaching platform, automations, and a website because I had scaling in mind. But now, I don’t enjoy managing those things—it’s not the best use of my time.
I’d also love to outsource marketing tasks. Ideally, I’d have someone take my ideas, turn them into LinkedIn posts, newsletters, and other content. That would save me so much time and allow me to focus on connections and serving clients.
Thank you for sharing your insights—it’s fascinating to hear about the operational side of coaching businesses.
