Diversification Strategies for Coaches: Turning ICF 2025 Insights into Sustainable Success

By Dr. Lisa Leit, Ph.D., ICF MCC, EMCC Senior Practitioner and Coaching Supervisor Founder, Happy Whole Human® Institute of Holistic Wellness

The Reality Check: What the ICF 2025 Report Reveals

The International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) 2025 Annual Report paints a revealing picture of the coaching profession today.

Despite the industry’s impressive 13% growth in global coach practitioners (now at 122,974 active professionals) and a remarkable 90% engagement rate among active coaches, income levels tell a more sobering story.

• First-year coaches often earn less than $15,000 USD annually.

• The global average annual revenue for active coaches is $49,283 USD, with averages in Western and Northern Europe around $44,712 USD.

• The average hourly rate is $234 USD, but most coaches spend only 11.6 hours per week actively coaching and maintain around 12 active clients.
  

While 59% of coaches are optimistic about future revenue growth, most anticipate earning more through additional clients and sessions—not higher fees.

In short: demand is growing, but competition is fierce. The profession is expanding rapidly, yet many coaches still struggle to earn a sustainable living.

The Opportunity Gap: Tech and Innovation Lag Behind

One of the most striking findings in the ICF 2025 data is the slow adoption of technology across the profession.

• Only 19% of coaches invested in new technology in the past year.

• Just 47% use any form of digital coaching platform, and primarily for scheduling or one-on-one sessions.

• A significant 37% of coaches cite adapting to digital tools as a major concern.
  

And yet, 54% recognize that technology-driven solutions are key to staying competitive and relevant.

This gap is where possibility lives. The coaches who will thrive in the next decade are those who embrace innovation—not in isolation, but in collaboration.

Doing Better Together: The Power of Collective Growth

The future of coaching is co-creative, connected, and tech-empowered. No single coach can do it all alone—nor should we try.

To thrive, we must build ecosystems that support shared visibility, mutual referrals, integrated platforms, and data-driven insights. When coaches pool resources, tools, and audiences, everyone wins—especially the clients we serve.

At Happy Whole Human®, we see this shift every day: coaches partnering through the HWH Coach Collective, collaborating to reach corporate clients, developing programs together, and sharing the AI tools that make scaling possible.

The bottom line? We can do better together.

Five Proven Strategies for Sustainable Success

1. Apply to Coaching Platforms

Apply to be listed on trusted, established digital coaching platforms such as CoachHub, Speexx, BetterUp, or Ezra.

• Access global clients.

• Gain steady work without handling marketing or billing alone.

• Build your experience and credibility faster—especially in your first few years.

  
  

2. List Yourself on Directories

Visibility drives opportunity.Add your profile to ICF, EMCC, Noomii, and Happy Whole Human® directories. Optimize your listings with:

• A professional photo

• A clear niche and audience

• Testimonials and credentials

• A direct booking link
  

A strong online presence helps clients—and collaborators—find you.

3. Create Your Own Signature Program

Stop selling sessions—start selling transformation. Design your own bespoke program to offer a coaching journey with a clear framework, timeline, and outcome.

Include:

• A set number of sessions

• Supporting materials (videos, PDFs, meditations)

• A defined promise of change (e.g., “From Burnout to Balance in 8 Weeks”)
  

Programs give you structure, scalability, and authority—and open opportunities for co-facilitation with peers.

4. Embrace AI and Digital Coaching Tools

AI is not here to replace coaches—it’s here to empower us.

Use technology to:

• Automate scheduling, progress tracking, and follow-ups

• Offer 24/7 reflection tools for clients

• Generate measurable wellness and performance data
  

The Happy Whole Human® AI Coach, for example, complements live sessions with personalized, data-driven insights—extending your impact and creating measurable results.

5. Expand Beyond One-on-One Coaching

Think portfolio career—multiple streams of aligned income:

• Group coaching for teams or organizations

• Workshops and retreats

• Corporate programs and partnerships

• Online courses and memberships

• Collaborative projects and affiliate opportunities
  

When we design offerings that support each other’s success, the profession grows stronger as a whole.

The Bottom Line: The Future Is Collaborative

The ICF 2025 findings highlight both challenge and opportunity. The coaching field is thriving—but it’s time to evolve.

To build sustainable, purpose-driven businesses, coaches must build authority via training, credentialing, and results, diversify, embrace technology, and most importantly, work together to create shared value and systemic change.

The next era of coaching isn’t just about competing for crumbs, charging higher fees, or more obtaining more clients for short term engagements—it’s about connection, innovation, and collaboration.

Because the truth is simple: We can do better together.

Ready to Grow with Us?

At Happy Whole Human®, we’re pioneering a new model of collaboration through our HWH Coach Collective—an accredited, tech-enabled ecosystem where coaches learn, grow, and thrive side by side.

Explore our ICF-accredited trainings, AI tools, and licensing opportunities to future-proof your practice and be part of the next wave of coaching innovation.

👉 Learn more at www.hwhcoachcollective.com