The coaching industry doesn't need another perfectly polished brand.
It needs more messy, complicated, brilliant humans.
As a keen observer of business, marketing and cultural trends, I’m happy to share that we’re seeing a reversal of certain trends.
1 – We’re craving real.
There was a time when our Instagram feeds were filled with nothing but perfectly posed airbrushed portraits, carefully curated content, safe messaging, and aspirational lifestyle images.
It culminated in the rise of influencers and ‘personal brands’ until people caught on that they were being sold to, and found out that the reality behind that glossy surface wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
Today, when people like Meghan Markle present themselves and their life and work in this perfect way, there’s fierce backlash. And it not only seems fake, it feels outdated… from a different time.
The other major development of course is AI. Pretty quickly, our feeds got flooded with AI Slop. And once again, people feel tricked when consuming content.
But there’s good news and opportunities here for us too, as small business owners.
now, authentic content and messaging stands out even more
and lo-fi content messy content builds trust more than highly produced and stylized content
Plus, let’s not forget, perfect is boring and not relatable. People are not drawn to perfection – they’re drawn to your unique ideas, values and genuine vibe.
2 – We’re craving substance.
After years of short-form snackable content, this trend is reversing now too. (And no, I’m not gonna say short-form is dead, heh.) But like anything that works, and then is done to death, people get tired of it, the effectiveness wanes, and the pendulum eventually swings the other way.
So now we’re seeing a reassurance of thoughtful, long form content like blogs, email newsletters, Substack, and longer videos on YouTube.
Authenticity, depth, and storytelling are taking center stage.
The good news here?
now, we can create a deeper connection with people through longer, more complex content and messaging
the time and effort we put into it feels more worthwhile; we’re creating something meaningful, valuable, insightful… and not trying to optimize the first 6 seconds
Ultimately, we can build a more human-centered brand with real substance versus staying surface-level or relying on style alone.
Revolutionary, right? Except it shouldn't be.
Remember, your unfiltered perspective, unique way of working, personal quirks, and specific struggles are what make you incomparable. It’s what draws people in.
Our work together will gently bring out that quiet certainty inside you, the part that knows:
You're not meant to sound like everyone else
How you think and approach your work has real value
There's a way to share your work that feels natural, not performative
If you're reading this and thinking ‘finally, someone who gets it’ – we should talk.
