Running a coaching business today means more than helping people. It means leading a company. If you’re still thinking like a freelancer, you’re already behind. Here I’ll give you the Top 10 books every coaching business needs if you want to actually run your business like a CEO.
Why Coaches Must Think Like CEOs in 2025
More coaches are offering multiple types of coaching services from business coaching, to executive coaching, to leadership coaching, life coaching, and more. These services come with bigger expectations. Clients want results, and they want them fast.
This is especially true in the new economy. Inflation, debt, and digital competition have changed what clients look for. They’re not just hiring coaches. They’re investing in outcomes. They want systems, data, and trust. That means you need to think and act like a CEO.
And now, AI tools are raising the bar. Automation, personalization, and fast response times are the new standard. Coaches who ignore this will struggle to compete. But coaches who use it wisely can grow faster, stay lean, and spend more time coaching instead of chasing leads.
Coaching Certification Programs Don’t Teach Growth
Getting certified is a step. But it won’t teach you how to run a business. That’s the trap many coaches fall into.
Katie Bishop, from New York Times, made this clear. Coaches are spending thousands—sometimes tens of thousands—on programs that promise prestige but deliver little in terms of revenue. The idea is that if you’re certified, the clients will come. But they won’t.
Most coaching certification programs focus on theory. They teach you how to coach but not how to sell, market, or operate. They rarely show you how to package your offer, create demand, or follow up.
This is why so many coaches end up stuck. They’ve spent their savings trying to look legitimate, but have no way to get clients.
If you’re not careful, certifications become a $10K business card. No leads, systems, clients, and revenue. Ouch.
Here’s the truth: certifications don’t bring clients. Offers, strategy, and visibility do.
How to Get New Life Coach Clients — Without Cold DMs or Ads
You don’t need to spam inboxes or buy more ads. You need a process.
Start with a clear offer. Know exactly what problem you solve and who you solve it for. Then build a simple funnel that guides people from curious to ready.
Follow-ups matter. Use automated messages, but write them like a human. Keep it focused on the client’s problem, not your credentials.
To get new coaching clients, use these three things:
- Identify a real problem that you solve (this is called your undeniable authority)
- Create YOUR unique program and way of solving that problem
- Master how to sell your coaching services (not through word of mouth but to strangers)
AI can help. It can sort leads, answer common questions, and send reminders. That means more time for real coaching and less time chasing responses. But AI will never replace sales.
The 10 Books Every Coach Should Read
These 10 books have shaped how we build, sell, and serve at Accountability Now. They aren’t fluff. They’re part of our playbook.
- The Prosperous Coach
This book changed how we do sales. It’s not about pushy tactics. It’s about building real relationships. Every coach should read it. - Building a StoryBrand
It helped us clarify our messaging. We stopped talking about what we do and started talking about how we help. That’s when people started listening. - The Coaching Habit
A great reminder to ask more, talk less. It made our team better coaches—and better leaders. - DotCom Secrets
This book gave us the blueprint for our first lead gen funnel. It’s simple. And it works. - Coaching Resource Kit 2.0
The number guide for scaling your coaching practice in 2025. SMS templates. Sales scripts. The works. All for free. - AI 2041
Helped us understand what’s coming. It gave us a head start on using AI in operations, marketing, and even coaching delivery. - Atomic Habits
The best playbook for building consistency. Great coaching businesses are built on habits, not hype. - Influence
This taught us the psychology of decision-making. If you want clients to say yes, you need to understand how they think. - Tools of Titans
We found real tactics in this book. From pricing to productivity, it’s full of things you can try today. - The Next Conversation
This one hits home. It’s about leading with meaning and clarity. It helped us reshape our internal culture and client messaging.
If you’re a coach or trying to become one, these books will give you frameworks to think bigger, sell smarter, and serve better.
Use These Books to Build a Real Coaching Business
Reading is easy. Action is harder.
Start small. Pick two or three books. Try one tactic from each for 30 days. Track what happens. Adjust. Keep going.
Here’s how we do it at Accountability Now:
- We turn each book’s core idea into a play or a checklist
- We test it on ourselves before rolling it out to clients
- We talk about it during team coaching to share what’s working
Want results? Don’t read more. Apply more.
2025 will reward those who think like business owners, not freelancers.
Start reading, building, and growing.
Want help applying these ideas in your business? Watch our latest webinar on how to implement these into your practice today.