Stop Coaching Everybody: The Case for a Narrow, Ugly Niche.
Why the niche that actually grows your business is usually the one that feels too small, too weird, or too uncomfortable to say out loud.
They didn't build champions by training everybody who walked into the gym.
They built them by working with the handful who wanted a regional or national title, and being honest with everyone else that this wasn't the room for them.
That felt small at the time. It worked better for me than anything I tried before it.
Most coaches never get there. Revenue is inconsistent, someone says "niche down," and you write something like "I help business owners grow." Safe. Broad. Forgettable.
Here's what the 2026 data shows. Specialists grow roughly 30% faster than generalists. They earn 2 to 3 times more in the same parent category. Niching down justifies a 30-50% fee increase, immediately. The categories winning right now aren't broad. Executive transitions. Startup founders. Women moving into leadership. Narrow, specific, uncomfortable to say out loud.
That discomfort is the tell. If your niche doesn't make you a little nervous to state plainly, it's not narrow enough.
Where this shows up:
1️⃣ Creator ($0-$100K). You take anyone with a pulse and a credit card. Every pitch starts from scratch. Referrals don't compound because nobody can describe what you do in one sentence.
2️⃣ Hustler ($100K-$250K). You've got momentum, no repeatable pattern. You keep saying yes outside your lane because the money feels too good to turn down. This is where an ugly niche gets chosen, or avoided for two more years.
3️⃣ Your own coaching business moves through these same phases. Still generalist at Hustler revenue? You're capping your own growth the same way you'd flag it in a client.
✅ DO pick a niche specific enough to make you uncomfortable saying it out loud.
✅ DO test it in real conversations before it goes on your website.
✅ DO let go of client types that used to pay the bills but don't fit anymore.
✅ DO raise your fee the moment you niche down. Positioning is the price increase.
❌ DON'T pick a "safe" niche broad enough to never lose a prospect.
❌ DON'T niche by industry alone if the real pattern is a transition or outcome.
❌ DON'T wait to feel "ready." Readiness isn't the signal. Discomfort is.
➡️ Broad positioning protects your ego. Narrow positioning grows your business.
✳️ The niche that feels too small is usually the one that's actually big enough.
What's the niche you've been avoiding because it feels too narrow, too specific, or too uncomfortable to claim?
To Your Success,
Eric T. Whitmoyer, Business Growth Strategist
Founder & CEO at MyBizCoaches.com
Host of The Biz Coach Show
From Startup to Exit, We’re There for Your Biggest Decisions
P.S. If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level, then you may find value in getting a copy of our 2026 Business Survival Guide, full of strategies, tactics, and solutions to help move your business forward faster this year.
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