When passion isn't enough: How to build a sustainable Kids Life Coaching Practice

I remember the days I used to feel so overwhelmed by the everyday admin of running my very own Kids Life Coaching practice. It was way back in 2003 when I was still teaching and supporting children as a school counsellor.

I had this HUGE dream...it was to transform children's minds and to support families to navigate the ups and downs of life. I had seen it for too long in my classroom.

Children struggling to learn, parents not knowing what to do and teachers almost always referring them to psychologists for therapy. 

I knew there was a better way, which led to me launching my kids life coaching practice part-time while still hanging onto my job that I loved. I had just finished my Honours Degree in Education and I piloted a family programme that I had designed as one of my assignments. The uptake was so positive and the results so profound that parents started asking me for individual coaching sessions. 

So I built what the parents asked for. A Play Based Coaching System® that was fun and light hearted but backed by the latest in research and science so that it got measurable results. 

Then the reality hit! 

My passion was not going to be enough!

When the clients started coming, I didn't have any solid systems in place. I was winging it and it was HARD! So I appointed a business coach, attended finance trainings and learnt all there was to know about running a business. Yet...I still felt there was something missing. I was getting soooo. much wrong when it came to the nuts and bolts of running a business but the one area I was getting it right was the results I was seeing in the children I coached!

So I reached out to local service providers in the child industry and that is when the magic happened! I realised that I wasn't meant to do it alone! I wasn't meant to figure things out without having a team of people surrounding me who had already done it. I learnt to ask for help and it was transformational.

It was then that I realised that I didn’t become a children’s coach to spend hours creating content, late at night, wondering if my next session would land. I started my work to make a real difference in children’s lives and I didn't want to do it alone...so in 2009 I started training others to use my proven system to launch their own thriving kids life coaching practices. 

After 6 years of struggle and figuring things out as the first Kids Life Coach in South Africa...(I am not sure there were any coaches for children anywhere in the world at that time.) Coaching for children back then  was unheard of and in fact I didn't even like calling myself a coach. There was so much stigma surrounding the coaching industry.

Which is why I now breath a sigh of relief now that I get to offer everything that I learnt (the hard way and the long way) in a neat package for children's change makers who want to launch their coaching practice in just 90 days! Yes it is possible...because the best way to do this as I figured out early on in my coaching career, is to surround yourself with people already making a success! Not just people who are driven by money and marketing and sales but people who truly care about children like you and I!

I knew back then from my studies that children’s minds are complex. In fact, having completed a Masters in Clinical Child Psychology and being enrolled as a DPhil student in Psychiatry at Oxford, my knowledge in this area is not only expansive, but grounded in what really works on the ground! I have been doing this work myself for over two decades and have trained coaches around the world who are running their own thriving kids life coaching practices based not only on passion but also on a solid foundational structure that guarantees success. 

Children respond best when learning is grounded in neuroscience and evidence-informed approaches that are fun and play based, not just trends, stories or mindfulness exercises. That’s why I developed a package and a Kids Life Coach Certification programme that is:

• Developed using insights from brain science and child development. 

• Tested with real children in diverse settings globally on what works and what doesn't.

• Designed to use a fun, play based approach to build mindset, resilience, self-esteem, and communication skills. 

•  A robust toolbox of lifelong tools to support children to manage their emotions, relationships, and challenges.
• Easily tailor made to suit the needs of every individual child. No cookie cutter methods based on woo woo unproven methods. 
• Ethical, sustainable and proven! The evidence is there and it works!
• A business in a box with everything needed to launch a successful kids life coaching practice in only 90 days! (Sorry...if you are looking for a weekend quick fix certification...we might not be for you!)

I know first hand that coaching time is precious. This is the part that I love...working with children on the ground BUT the other things count too! If only I had known enough about having good systems in place when I started. That’s why through our Kids Life Studio® Coach Academy, we provide:

• Complete, ready-to-use session frameworks that save hours of planning.

• Hands-on toolkits that make sessions fun, interactive, engaging, and memorable.

• Flexible integration into your existing programmes or brand, with no restrictions.

• A Website listing as an Alumni of our organisation once certified. 
• Ongoing mentorship and support as part of our global network of Play Based Coaches. 

This means you can focus on the part of coaching you love most: connecting with children and witnessing transformation.

From London classrooms to nurseries across continents, Kids Life Studio® has been trusted for over two decades. Our programmes reflect both international research and real-world experience, making them practical, reliable, and effective for every child and every Kids Life Coach.

When your sessions are well-designed and research-backed, you don’t just keep children engaged, you help them thrive. Coaches stay inspired, parents see results, and schools value the impact. It’s wellbeing that works for children and the Kids Life Coaches guiding them.

You bring the heart; we bring the solid foundation so that your passion stays intact and you don't lose yourself to overwhelm! Building a sustainable coaching practice is not about figuring things out on your own. We have your back and we can help you. Want to talk? Let's connect!