About
In 2015, I was living as a Zen monk and contemplating what I was meant to do with my life.
In 2016, I became a coach and built a 6-figure coaching business in 18 months with no prior experience or network.
In 2018, I created the Coaching Dojo which was a highly sought after and revolutionary coach training program. I worked with coaches to help them understand how vital their work is to the world and to help them create the skill and experience they needed to change lives and create thriving practices. We trained hundreds of coaches in the art of mastery without teaching them a single skill or methodology.
In 2020, I created the coachingMBA, which teaches the fundamentals of building a coaching business using the same direct approach, that has helped me be successful.
Everything I build is based on a simple idea . . .
There are no short cuts.
Sometimes people get lucky. Sometimes people find a creative solution at just the right time. And sometimes people make success seem effortless, even when it isn’t.
You wouldn’t take a class on how to win the lottery because you know deep down that luck isn’t predictable. And yet so many coaches go around looking for a golden ticket that will solve all of their problems.
When I was building my coaching practice . . .
I was no different than anyone else.
I hired a marketing coach, I tried to build a slick website, and I tried to make people believe I’d been coaching for years. But I failed. I wasn’t getting many clients, and the ones I did have weren’t the kind of clients I loved working with.
Then I realized my mistake . . .
I was sitting in a Sunday meditation session when I realized I had to do everything differently. So I fired my marketing coach, shut down my Facebook campaign, and started asking myself what I was truly committed to.
I went back to the people I loved to work with, the conversations that inspired me, and the challenges I enjoyed working to resolve.
I slowly began to realize that in my rush to find a solution, I had been missing the bread crumbs to something greater.
So I vowed to give up on shortcuts and instead, dedicated myself to mastery.
Instead of trying to get clients quickly, I practiced each stage of creating clients. I connected with people and listened to them deeply. I learned how to reveal challenges that were hidden in plain sight. I learned how to ask people if they wanted help and how to help them through the power of coaching. And finally, I learned how important it was to have conversations with my clients about what they really wanted and the kind of commitment required to get there.
If you want to hear the whole story, watch the video below.
From there, I went on to build a 6-figure coaching business, not because I was a brilliant marketer and found the perfect niche, or even had an amazing network.
I built my business through learning the fundamentals and practicing them again and again.
But even though I was making a lot of money, that didn’t mean I knew what I was doing in business.
One year I made over $300K, but created over $10,000 in debt.
It was a real wake-up call for me.
I realized that, as good as I was at coaching and creating commitment, I didn’t know how to run my business.
So, just like before, I dedicated myself to changing my relationship to doing projects, creating new things, and leading myself and my small team.
I made a ton of mistakes along the way, but eventually, I found a groove that worked for me. That allowed me to work only 4 days a week and make an income that let me live the lifestyle I want.
Best of all, this journey helped me to become an even better coach, because EVERYTHING I learned about giving my word and sticking to it, prioritizing the things that mattered to me, and creating time for self care and passion projects, helped my clients do the same thing.
When I created the COACHING DOJO . . .
I did it because I wanted other coaches to learn how to become masterful at coaching through the art of deliberate practice and individual inquiry.
But what I noticed was that some of the best coaches continued to struggle with creating a business that supported their best work.
So I applied everything I learned while creating the Coaching Dojo to simplifying the process of building a coaching practice. I knew I didn’t want to teach people how to follow a step-by-step process or just apply a bunch of productivity hacks.
I focused on asking the right questions, laying out the challenges, and trusting my students to solve their own problems.
I did this not because it’s similar to great coaching, but because I knew this one very important thing . . .
Having the right strategy and plan is only half as valuble as having the ability to commit, create, and adapt.
And thats what I bring into the CoachingMBA. This isn’t some other business course, or another ‘get 5 clients in 30 days’ program. I’m not teaching you the 101 of building a coaching practice. I’m teaching you the fundamentals of how to show up with mastery, leadership, and commitment in your business and life.
Because if you step on that path, it will take you much further than your next 6 months or your next 10 clients.
What you learn here will be with you for years to come.
I’m not interested in creating a few coaches with a few clients. I want to create incredible coaches, with thriving practices, that change their clients lives.
Coaches who get better every year and challenge their peers to do the same.
Coaches with the confidence, courage, and curiosity the world so desperately needs.
So if you’re that kind of coach, or you want to be one, I hope you’ll reach out and ask for support. Whether you join me in a future round of the coachingMBA or you simply read a few blog posts.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A COACH!!!
It’s not an easy path, but it’s one worth following.
Love,
Toku
The Coaching MBA Mastermind is about becoming a master at running your business with the same skills and passion you use to coach your clients.
It’s not about tools, tips, and techniques, it’s about a principled approach to mastering 6 core pillars that have an outsized impact on your ability to create a successful coaching business and become an incredible coach.