20 Career Coaching Business Success Stories [2024]
A career coaching business involves providing personalized guidance, support, and strategy services to help clients navigate professional transitions and growth opportunities.
As a career coach, you design custom sessions to assist with resume building, interview prep, and workplace advancement goals tailored to each client’s aspirations.
With flexibility for in-person or virtual meetings, building a client base lets you empower breakthroughs through specialized advice and accountability.
Launching a coaching practice can be a great opportunity for those with speaking talents and human resources expertise to monetize their natural motivational abilities while setting their own schedule.
In this list, you'll find real-world career coaching business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a career coaching business that makes money.
1. Vizio Makeup Academy ($2.82M/year)
Anastasia Andreani, the founder of Vizio Makeup Academy, had a passion for beauty and a desire to help others feel confident. After years of working as a makeup artist and esthetician, she realized she could reach more people by offering online makeup courses. With very little capital and a lot of hard work, Anastasia and her partner built the academy from the ground up, enrolling over 3,300 students and generating $2.4 million in revenue. Their success led them to design and create their own cosmetic line, including custom vegan makeup brushes and highly pigmented eyeshadows. With plans to double and triple their earnings in the years to come, Anastasia aims to franchise Vizio Makeup Academy and continue making dreams come true.
How much money it makes: $2.82M/year
How much did it cost to start: $4K
How many people on the team: 15
Online makeup academy, Vizio Makeup Academy, founded in 2011 by Anastasia Andreani and her partner, has enrolled over 3,300 students and generated $2.4M in revenue this year, by offering professional makeup courses online and creating their own cosmetic line.
2. Wall Street Oasis ($2.4M/year)
Patrick Curtis, the founder of Wall Street Oasis, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing a career setback in the finance industry. After being fired and blackballed from private equity in Boston, Curtis recognized the importance of building a strong network and decided to create a community for young finance professionals. With a focus on providing entertaining and educational content, Wall Street Oasis has grown to attract over 100 million visitors and generate $140k in monthly revenue.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How many people on the team: 10
Wall Street Oasis, the largest online community focused on careers in finance, has over 100 million visitors during its 14-year history and is currently receiving over 2 million visits per month, offering interview courses and mentorship services, in addition to building and investing in a thriving online community.
4. Rejoin Media ($1.2M/year)
Michael Gardon, the CEO of Rejoin Media, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that he wanted to break out of the 9-5 job and create a more flexible and balanced lifestyle. With capital to acquire sites and expertise in SEO and content marketing, Gardon launched Rejoin as a portfolio of web-based businesses, generating around $100,000 per month in revenue and growing at a rate of 20% per month. Today, he is focused on diversifying his business and building new products and marketing channels.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 5
Rejoin Media's CEO, Michael Gardon, shares how he built his business portfolio, which generates $100,000 in monthly revenue, without the use of venture capital, and offers insight into achieving business success through resiliency.
5. EF Specialists ($688K/year)
Sean G. McCormick came up with the idea for his online executive functioning coaching business after realizing the high demand for support in managing school for students with ADHD and other learning disabilities. By niching down into executive function coaching and leveraging his expertise in special education, McCormick was able to quickly grow his business and establish himself as valuable in the education community.
How much money it makes: $688K/year
How many people on the team: 10
How Sean McCormick's online executive functioning coaching business went from $0 to over $100k per month in revenue in just a few years, with an average monthly revenue of around $57k, and grew from a sole proprietorship to an S-Corp with 16 employees and 125 active clients, serving parents and school districts mainly in California.
6. Project 9 Life ($480K/year)
After losing 100 lbs and turning his life around, Todd was inspired by his own journey and the low success rates of typical resolutions. He founded Project9LIFE, a coaching program now generating $40k/month, to help others achieve lasting lifestyle changes.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $40K
How many people on the team: 1
This case study is about Todd, a former athlete who transformed his own life by becoming active and losing weight, inspiring him to start Project9LIFE, an 8-week group coaching program that focuses on mindset and helping professionals aged 35-55 make progress in their lives, currently making about $40k/m on his way to $500k/m+.
7. MentorCruise ($480K/year)
Dominic Monn came up with the idea for MentorCruise while facing the challenge of finding a mentor during his own career development. He realized that mentorship was a major problem for many professionals, so he built a coaching marketplace where career professionals could turn their knowledge into a marketable coaching business and mentees could easily find a mentor. Despite the challenges of building the platform while balancing his studies and a full-time job, MentorCruise now makes around $24,000 per month in commissions and processes over $120,000 every month for its mentors.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 5
MentorCruise is a career coaching marketplace generating $24k MRR and processing $1M annually for mentors, with most traffic and sales coming from SEO and organic sources, currently looking to expand to the B2B market.
8. Catalyst Growth Advisors ($240K/year)
Bill Flynn, a serial entrepreneur and former VP and GM of a division of a $100MM IT services company, came up with the idea for his business coaching venture after successfully leading a turnaround during the 2008 financial crisis. He realized his passion for teaching and guiding others to achieve growth and impact, leading him to start Catalyst Growth Advisors. With his revenue doubling every year and a book published, Flynn has positioned himself as an expert in helping business owners predict and plan for the future.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 1
Bill Flynn's coaching business, Catalyst Growth Advisors, has doubled its revenue every year since starting (until COVID), with Flynn earning $250k last year and set to reach a seven-figure practice within three years through his focus on being exceptional and providing like-minded, thoughtful content.
9. Social Media Manager Society ($240K/year)
In her previous career as a social media manager, Amanda Shepherd developed a strong reputation in her niche and realized there was a gap in the market for aspiring social media managers who needed guidance on starting their own businesses. After conducting extensive market research, Amanda created the Social Media Manager Society, offering a program that teaches women how to run successful social media businesses. In just one year, she made nearly $100,000 while working an average of four hours per day, and continues to attract new students to her program.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 1
A social media manager turned entrepreneur created a program that has brought in almost $100,000 in one year, designed to teach women how to run successful social media businesses in less than 30 days.
10. Cultivated Culture ($240K/year)
Austin Belcak came up with the idea for Cultivated Culture after struggling to find a job in tech. He realized that the traditional job search process was broken and decided to create his own system based on building relationships with hiring managers and adding value. After using these strategies to successfully land job offers from Google, Microsoft, and Twitter, Belcak wrote an article detailing his process, which gained 60,000 views in the first month and inspired him to start Cultivated Culture.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Austin Belcak's Cultivated Culture teaches people how to land jobs at top tech companies, with 50,000+ graduates having landed roles at Google, Microsoft, and other leading firms.
11. AiApply ($180K/year)
Aidan Cramer co-founded AiApply after drawing from his HR tech experience and leveraging the viral success of his previous AI-driven venture, PetVet.ai. Their platform, which now generates $25K in monthly revenue, revolutionizes job applications using personalized AI to streamline the process.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
AiApply case study showcases the journey from $0 to $25K in monthly revenue, highlighting the power of AI-driven solutions to revolutionize the job application process through personalized tools, viral content, and sustainable growth strategies for SaaS founders.
12. Loopcv ($180K/year)
George Avgenakis, the founder of Loopcv, came up with the idea for his business when he was struggling to find a job while pursuing his master's thesis in Belgium. He noticed a lack of tools for job seekers and decided to create a platform that would automate the job search process. His idea gained traction on Reddit and he quickly found co-founders to help bring it to life. Loopcv now offers solutions for job seekers, bootcamps, universities, career coaches, developers, recruiters, job boards, and more. The business is growing at a rate of 15% MoM and continues to improve its offerings for businesses supporting job seekers.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 2
Loopcv is a job search automation platform experiencing 15% monthly growth, offering solutions for bootcamps, universities, career coaches, developers, recruitment companies, job boards, affiliates, and companies looking to perform internal restructuring.
13. Metamorphosis Group ($132K/year)
Danica Octa, the founder of Metamorphosis Group, was inspired by her own experiences of not receiving the support she needed throughout her academic life. After encountering life coaching, she realized the power of helping others build confidence and skills for their careers. This led her to start Metamorphosis Group, initially offering resume building and interview coaching, and later expanding to a career coaching program called CHECKPOINT for Job Seekers.
How much money it makes: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 5
Filipino entrepreneur Danica Octa built her coaching business, Metamorphosis Group, from scratch and now offers a 3-month career coaching program to over 15,000 individuals as well as an internship program, virtual career fairs, and a variety of payment schemes to attract and retain clients.
14. Instamentor ($120K/year)
Leon Wei, the founder of instamentor, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing issues with LinkedIn's career coaching platform. He realized that there was a demand for personalized job interview coaching and career consulting, so he created instamentor to connect young professionals and fresh college graduates with experienced industry mentors. Since its launch in January 2021, instamentor has helped hundreds of customers land their dream job offers and has reached an annual revenue of $120K.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 1
instamentor is a job interview coaching platform launched in Jan 2021 with $120K annual revenue, helping young professionals and fresh college graduates break into the tech industry by offering 1:1 paid coaching sessions with experienced industry mentors and career consulting.
15. Screw The Cubicle ($120K/year)
Lydia Lee started Screw The Cubicle as a blog to document her own transition from employee to entrepreneur. After receiving a message from a reader asking about coaching services, she decided to explore coaching as a way to help others navigate career transitions. Through beta testing and refining her coaching process, Lydia was able to create self-guided courses and build a successful business, generating approximately $10,000 per month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 1
Screw The Cubicle's Lydia Lee started a location-independent coaching business that generates an average monthly revenue of $10,000, helping corporate professionals transition to independent careers by offering self-guided courses and personalized coaching programs.
16. Blue Sky Coaching ($72K/year)
Carly Kay, the founder of Blue Sky Coaching, came up with the idea to start her coaching practice after receiving a coaching session at work, which sparked her interest in people development. After going through a certification program and experiencing personal and professional growth, Carly decided to leave her corporate job and start her own coaching business. The Covid-19 pandemic actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her, as it allowed her to offer coaching sessions online and reach a wider audience.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 0
Blue Sky Coaching is a personal and professional coaching practice that launched in March 2020 and has built a sustainable business through consistency in branding, nurturing relationships, and offering effective coaching services in areas such as agile working and employee engagement.
17. Gabriel Neuman ($72K/year)
Gabriel Neuman, a successful WordPress developer, realized the need for individuals and enterprises to create and monetize their personal brands. He decided to productize his expertise and create a Personal Brand OS, aiming to double his monthly recurring revenue and grow his consulting and affiliate income. With his innovative approach, Gabriel plans to attract more customers by providing value-added services and content.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 3
Gabriel Neuman founded a Personal Brand Marketing Agency in 2020, earning around $15k per month at present, with plans to double the MRR in 2021 through the creation of his new product “Personal Brand OS,” having validated his idea by creating small examples for 3 actual customers.
18. CareerMetis.com ($36K/year)
Nissar Ahamed, the founder of CareerMetis.com, started the business after experiencing the challenges and successes of his own job search and career journey. After successfully navigating the corporate world and sharing his strategies with friends and family, he decided to start a blog to share his career advice with a wider audience. Since its launch in 2015, CareerMetis.com has grown to publish thousands of articles and generate an average monthly revenue of $1,000, all while being run as a part-time side hustle by Nissar.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 1
CareerMetis.com is a successful online publication geared towards freelancers and job seekers, boasting 1300 unique contributors, close to 3000+ pieces of content published and a monthly revenue of $1000.
19. MentorDial ($12K/year)
Naisa Scott, co-founder of MentorDial, came up with the idea for the platform after realizing the importance of having a mentor throughout his entrepreneurial journey. After selling his first company and seeing success with subsequent ventures, Naisa wanted to give back and help others by providing a platform where professionals and entrepreneurs could connect with top-level mentors in their industries. Since launching six months ago, MentorDial has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and professionals achieve their goals and continues to grow with over 1000 bookings per month.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
MentorDial, a six-month-old platform connecting entrepreneurs with top-level professionals from leading companies globally, has helped thousands of entrepreneurs scale their businesses, raise money, and grow their team while landing jobs or growing their skills, with 1000 bookings per month, 150+ top mentors from companies like Amazon and Google, while bootstrapping business for now and soon transitioning to a freemium model to grow community.
20. FVA Business Consultancy ($12K/year)
Julmar Grace Locsin, founder of Filipino Virtual Assistance, came up with the idea after experiencing the challenges of transitioning from office jobs to freelancing. Recognizing the potential for freelancing to improve the lives of individuals and families, Locsin and her husband launched FVA to provide training, coaching, and services to empower freelancers. Since its inception, FVA has trained over 25,000 students and aims to become the top online academy in the world.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 14
Filipino Virtual Assistance by FVA Business Consultancy, founded by Julmar Grace Locsin, offers online and offline training to empower marketers, enable businesses, and equip freelancers which has trained 25,000 students from their 31 courses, has 16 coaches assigned from different territories, and fifteen in the FVA team for global digital leadership that will impact the world through digitalization, one life at a time.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
