Thank you to our sponsors who keep this newsletter free to the reader:
Learn how to become an Executive Function Coach by downloading our comprehensive framework to start your coaching business. Learn more.
You've developed your skills as an executive function coach and are wanting to really make a career out of this.
You're wanting to create an income that serves you and your family, but if no one knows about your services, it's not going to happen.
Too many coaches struggle to get clients—not because they aren’t skilled, but because they don’t know how to market themselves.
If you’ve been relying on:
Word of mouth (WOM)
The occasional social media post,
Answering every question on local Facebook groups
Sharing solution after solution on Linkedin
Paying for Facebook ads
Or something else...
It's time to slow down and build a real strategy.
In this article, you’ll learn techniques that I've taught hundreds of coaches in my certification course — what marketing strategies works, what doesn’t, and how to position yourself so that the right clients find you.
Why You Need to Market Yourself as an Executive Function Coach
If you don’t know how to market yourself, you won’t have a business—you’ll have a hobby.
Marketing helps attract clients, but it also helps to:
Create financial freedom for yourself and your family
Grow your business while you sleep, giving you control over your time
Establish yourself as a trusted expert in executive function coaching
Without a marketing system in place, you’ll constantly feel like you’re scrambling for clients, unsure where your next referral will come from.
With the right approach, you can create a steady stream of leads that turns coaching into a full-time, sustainable career.
Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Yourself
Mistake 1: Targeting the Wrong Audience
Your content and messaging should be directed at the decision-makers—not just the people you serve.
If you work with students, remember that parents are the ones researching executive function coaching and making the financial decision.
Too many coaches create content that speaks only to students, missing the real audience that needs to hear their message.
Mistake 2: Focusing on Solutions Instead of Problems
People don’t Google solutions—they Google problems.
If a parent is searching for help, they aren’t typing “executive function coaching strategies".
They’re searching:
“Why does my child always forget assignments?”
“How can I help my teen get organized?”
Your marketing should speak to the problems your ideal clients are experiencing, not just list the solutions you offer.
Mistake 3: Relying on Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is not a strategy.
It’s great when it happens, but it’s unpredictable.
You need a repeatable way to bring in new clients—whether that’s through a strong referral network, a content strategy, or targeted outreach.
Hoping that people will just “find you” will leave you frustrated and struggling to fill your client list.
How to Market Yourself as an Executive Function Coach for Students
Step 1: Identify Who Is Searching for Your Services
Parents and other professionals (like neuropsychologists and educational therapists) are the ones actively looking for EF coaching.
Speak directly to them.
Make sure the front page of your website clearly explains the problems you solve for parents so they instantly know you understand their struggles.
Here is my guide to building your website.
Step 2: Address Their Pain Points
Your marketing should address the pain points your potential clients are experiencing.
Instead of saying, “I teach students executive function skills,” say:
“I help middle and high school students who constantly forget assignments, lose materials, and feel overwhelmed with school get back on track with a simple, repeatable system.”
This way, parents reading it will immediately think, “That sounds like my kid".
Step 3: Build a Simple Funnel to Bring in Clients
A marketing funnel is just a system that moves people from discovering you to booking a call.
Here’s a basic example:
You speak at a local parent group or write articles that answer common EF questions.
You offer a free resource (like a Student Dashboard template) in exchange for an email address.
You send a few helpful emails, then invite them to book a discovery call with you.
On the call, you show them how coaching can support their child’s needs.
Instead of randomly hoping for leads, this structured approach ensures that people who are interested in EF coaching actually connect with you.
If you want a ready-made guide to help you visually create your funnel, grab my What is a Funnel? Workbook.
Step 4: Track What’s Working (And Stop Doing What’s Not)
If you don’t know where your clients are coming from, you can’t improve your marketing.
Use TutorBird, or your intake forms, to ask every new client how they found you.
For example, you can add a "How did you find us?" to your signup form.
If most of your leads come from one strategy, double down on that instead of wasting time on things that aren’t bringing in clients.
The Bottom Line
Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be intentional.
Here’s how to get started:
Speak to decision-makers (parents and professionals), not just students.
Frame your messaging around problems your clients are experiencing.
Create a marketing funnel that guides people from discovery to booking a call.
Track what’s working and stop doing things that aren’t bringing in leads.
Making sure the right people can find you is crucial to building a successful EF coaching business.
Hope this helps 🤙🏻
Want support in marketing yourself?
Consider joining hundreds of educators and professionals who have completed our executive function coaching certification.
You'll gain all the tools, templates, and techniques you'll need as a coach, plus you'll make new friends and have a community you can rely on to grow and learn. Learn more.
Here is one of our favorite reviews. You can read all recent reviews on this page.
If you're not sure now, that's ok. You can subscribe and get our weekly newsletter at no cost by entering your email below 👇
About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.