How to Choose Your Coaching Niche Without Boxing Yourself In
Let’s talk about something that makes a lot of coaches—especially the soulful, intuitive ones—cringe a little.
The word niche.
It’s one of those terms that gets tossed around constantly in business spaces. And the advice is always the same: “Pick a niche. Get clear on your niche. Niche down or die.” It’s loud. It’s rigid. And frankly, it’s a little exhausting.
If you’re multi-passionate, empathetic, or just trying to figure out what your work even is right now, hearing “just pick a niche” can feel like someone asking you to choose a favorite child. Or like trying to buy clothes when your size keeps changing. It feels too tight, too final, and way too soon.
So let’s shift the conversation.
Niching doesn’t have to be a box you force yourself into. It’s a focus. A lens. A way to help people understand what you do—so they can confidently say yes to working with you.
And in this post, I want to help you see how finding the right niche (for you) can be both freeing and foundational. We’re going to explore two powerful ways to think about niching—vertical and horizontal—plus why it matters, what happens when you avoid it, and how to start even if you’re resistant, unsure, or afraid of getting it “wrong.”
Why “Niche” Gets a Bad Rap (and Why It Still Matters)
The problem isn’t with niching. The problem is how it’s taught.
Too often, it’s framed like this urgent branding decision you have to make before you even really know who you are as a coach. Like it’s a business tattoo you’re stuck with forever. So people freeze. Or pick something random. Or try to do everything for everyone and end up overwhelmed.
Recently, I talked to a health coach who just finished her Ph.D. Brilliant with, actually, a very specific specialty and expertise. It was clear to me that she wasn’t ready to pick a niche. Even though she was telling me the types of people she wanted to work with and the unique health challenges that lit her up. All she kept saying to me is “But I want to help everyone.”
Here’s the truth: you already have a niche. It’s showing up in the people you’re drawn to, the types of problems you love solving, the way your energy lights up in certain conversations and flatlines in others.
Niching just helps you name it.
And when you do? That clarity becomes rocket fuel for your business.
What Happens When You Avoid Choosing a Niche
Let’s pause here. Because I’ve seen what happens—again and again—when coaches skip this part or try to “stay open” to everyone.
Their content feels vague. They write posts that sound lovely but land flat because no one knows who it’s really for.
They start second-guessing everything: their offers, their pricing, their Instagram bio. They get caught in the loop of tweaking things constantly, hoping this time the message will finally click.
They attract the wrong people—clients who aren’t ready, don’t really understand the value, or drain their energy.
And eventually, they start to wonder: Is it me? Am I just bad at this?
But no. It’s not you. It’s your focus.
One of my clients was not intentionally skipping niching, but he was trying to skip straight to creating his offer. The problem was he kept getting stuck. He didn’t have enough clarity around who he wanted to work with and the transformation he helped them create. When I helped him work through this process and get crystal clear, suddenly the offer and how he talked about it felt so much easier.
Because when your niche is unclear, your message is unclear. And when your message is unclear, people don’t know how to say yes—even if they need exactly what you offer.
What’s Actually Blocking You From Picking a Niche
Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t avoid niching because we’re lazy or clueless. We avoid it because it feels scary.
Sometimes it’s fear of missing out. You don’t want to lock yourself into one path and lose the chance to help other kinds of clients. Totally valid.
Sometimes it’s fear of getting bored. You’re creative. You evolve quickly. What if you pick a niche and then outgrow it in six months?
Other times it’s visibility fear. If you name something specific—like “I help newly divorced women rebuild their identity”—now you’re on the hook. You’ve declared something. You might be judged. You might feel exposed.
And sometimes? You’re not even sure what you like doing yet. You’ve done a few practice sessions. Maybe worked with a friend or two. But it still feels like you're trying to find your rhythm.
I get all of that. Truly.
But here’s the reframe: your niche isn’t a prison. It’s a starting place.
And when chosen well, it can actually give you more freedom, not less.
Vertical Niching: Focus on a Specific Person
One way to find clarity is through vertical niching. This is when you narrow your focus based on who you help.
It could be:
Women navigating career transitions
Neurodivergent creatives
Men dealing with relationship challenges
New coaches trying to find their first clients
This kind of niching is rooted in identity, community, or life stage. You speak directly to a specific type of person and get to know them really well. You understand their language, their mindset, their daily struggles. And that builds trust fast.
For example, if your content starts with “I help overwhelmed moms who feel like they’ve lost themselves,” there’s an immediate click for the right person.
Vertical niching can be powerful if you find yourself constantly drawn to one group of people—or if you're already part of that group. You don’t have to manufacture empathy or insight. You’re living it.
The only caveat? If you're someone who resists labels or gets bored easily, this kind of niching can feel limiting over time. That doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just means you need to check in regularly and evolve as you go.
Horizontal Niching: Focus on a Specific Problem
The second option is horizontal niching—and this one’s all about what you help people do.
Here, you’re not narrowing based on audience. You’re getting clear on your specialty.
For example:
Confidence coaching
Burnout recovery
Nervous system regulation
Business offer strategy (yep, that’s me)
This approach is amazing for coaches who are obsessed with a particular transformation. You love helping people overcome fear. Or heal trauma. Or get clarity on their next steps. It doesn’t matter if your client is 24 or 64, entrepreneur or artist—the problem is the common thread.
Horizontal niches are great because they give you flexibility across audiences. But the messaging has to be sharp. Saying “I help people feel more empowered” is vague. Saying “I help anxious overachievers quiet their inner critic and feel at peace in their own mind”? Now we’re talking.
One tip: the more concrete your result is, the easier it is to sell. Even if you’re working with deeply emotional or spiritual work, naming the shift clearly helps people recognize themselves in your message.
Hybrid Niching: The Sweet Spot for Many Coaches
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
You don’t have to choose one or the other.
Hybrid niching is when you combine a person and a result. You get the best of both worlds—clear audience and clear outcome.
Think:
Empowered dating for late-blooming queer women
Nervous system healing for high-performing athletes
Career clarity for sensitive, ambitious women
Visibility coaching for healers who hate social media
For example, a coach might blend identity and outcome like: ‘I help introverted women entrepreneurs sell with confidence without becoming someone they’re not.’ That’s vertical (introverted women) and horizontal (sales confidence). Boom—clear, compelling, and emotionally grounded.
Hybrid niching is often the sweet spot for coaches who want both connection and flexibility. You can tailor your content to real-life people and highlight your core genius.
It also makes your messaging way more compelling. You’re not just saying “I help people heal” or “I work with women.” You’re saying something specific enough that your ideal client feels seen, understood, and curious to learn more.
If You’re Still Unsure, Try a “Bridge Niche”
Still don’t know which way to go?
Try this: pick a bridge niche.
It’s like a draft version of your niche—something you can use to get momentum while you’re still figuring things out. It’s not forever. It’s just for now.
Maybe you start by offering clarity coaching to new grads, and later you realize you’re more interested in helping women in midlife transitions. Great. You’ve learned something. You’ve evolved. Now you can pivot with purpose.
Your niche isn’t permanent. It’s a tool to help you focus your message and attract the right people. And the faster you start experimenting, the faster you’ll refine it.
How to Choose Your Best-Fit Niche
Here are a few questions to sit with (or journal on):
Who are you naturally drawn to?
What kinds of problems do people always come to you for?
When do you feel most confident in your work?
Which clients or sessions give you energy instead of draining it?
If you could only offer one transformation for the next year, what would it be?
Don’t force it. Don’t overthink it. Just notice what themes keep showing up.
Sometimes, the niche is already there—you just haven’t named it yet.
Final Thought: Niche Is Just Clarity
Anything you’re feeling right now, I’ve been through myself.
When I first started as a business coach, I brought in everything I knew—branding, marketing, launches, systems, operations. I focused on coaches, yes, but I was still trying to help with all the things. The result? I was stretched thin. My content felt scattered. And as the online space got noisier, I noticed people weren’t hiring generalists—they were looking for specialists.
Once I narrowed in on offer strategy and development, everything changed. My message got sharper. People started calling me “The Offer Magician.” They finally got what I did. And more importantly, I did too. Now I support coaches and wellness experts who want to build transformational offers they can scale with confidence—and that hybrid niche has given me clarity, consistency, and space to grow.
At the end of the day, niching isn’t about limiting your magic.
It’s about helping your people find you faster—and trust you more deeply.
It’s about building momentum instead of chasing random opportunities.
It’s about stepping into your expertise, so you can build a business that actually feels good to run.
So no, you don’t need to box yourself in.
But you do need to get clear enough that people can say:
“Ah. That’s who she helps. That’s what she does. I want in.”
Ready to Clarify Your Niche Without the Overthinking Spiral?
If this conversation is hitting home, you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Inside the Aligned Offer Accelerator, we walk step-by-step through choosing your niche, clarifying your message, and building a signature offer that feels like a full-body yes.
Because your work matters.
And your offer deserves to shine.
▶ Join the Aligned Offer Accelerator and finally get clear on what you're here to do.
Not sure if you’re ready? Book a free consultation and let’s chat.
About Lori:
Lori Young is a certified business coach and offer strategist who helps coaches, healers, and wellness entrepreneurs build offers that sell—and businesses that feel aligned. With a heart for clarity and a gift for simplifying strategy, she guides six-figure service providers toward sustainable growth, aligned visibility, and full-body yes offers. When she's not mapping out lead magnet ecosystems, she's probably journaling, voice-noting her next big idea, or sipping something warm with her dog nearby.
