Bi-weekly classes
Your class meets live, bi-weekly, with the facilitator. Between classes, meet your group members to maximize support and accountability.
Since2016
Coaching is a calling. And a business.
Cohorts start in April and September
Business Start-Up Workshops
Workshop series for coaches · 8 modules · Live virtual
ICF Continuing Coach EducationA Certificate Program
Welcome
Nothing starts, until you do.
Build your business, step by measurable step.
The Business Start-Up Workshop Series is a live virtual program of 8 bi-weekly workshops over 16 weeks, for coaches and anyone launching a business. You'll learn what it takes to build a business, and grow your confidence along the way. Mindset is the first hurdle to overcome. Join a community of people driven to build something of their own, who know the highs and lows of starting up.
Each module walks you through practical foundations of launching: from designing your packages and pricing, defining your target market, creating content, understanding your sales funnel, to learning how to use AI as a tool to support your growth. Workbooks keep you on track, and your peer circle meets between classes to brainstorm and work through challenges.
Earn 15 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits while you build your dream.
Your dream business IS possible.
15
CCE credits (ICF)
16
Weeks
- How to beat imposter syndrome and cultivate a mindset of success.
- How to profile your ideal clients, and start attracting them.
- How to establish your brand, and connect to your market.
- How to package, price, stage and funnel your offers.
- How to use AI as a tool to support the growth of your business.
You'll meet bi-weekly, with workbooks between classes, an accountability circle that keeps you moving, and a business plan you'll begin to action before the series ends.
A closer look
Business Start-Up Workshops, in two minutes
Course video · Coming soonThe details
Program at a glance
| Course | Business Start-Up Workshops |
|---|---|
| Format | Live, virtual, bi-weekly, on Zoom |
| Length | 8 modules over 16 weeks |
| Attendance | 80% live attendance required for full credit |
| Classroom access | Course duration plus 3 months* |
| Workshops | Bi-weekly live workshop |
| Coursework | Workbooks, classes, group meetings + Business Plan |
| CCE credits | 15 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits |
| Prerequisite | None. Open to coaches, and anyone launching a business |
| Start dates | Bi-annually, in April and September |
| Tuition | $2,400 plus applicable taxes |
| CA returning student price | $2,100 plus applicable taxes |
| Bundle offer | Bundle and save $500. Add this course for $1,900 plus applicable taxes when you register at time of enrolment in an ICF Certification. |
* Classroom access ends 3 months after the last day of the course, with no extensions beyond that date. Every class is recorded, and 80% live attendance is required for full credit. Bundle price valid only at time of enrolment in an ICF Certification. Tuition is valid for 2026 and subject to change.
Successful completion
- Attend live, 80% of the time
- Post in the classroom each week
- Complete all assignments
- Submit your business plan
What you achieve
- 15 CCE credits, applicable to your ICF credential renewal
- A business plan that captures your initiatives for growth
- Confidence to launch or scale your coaching practice
- Progress, strategies, peer insights, and support
The curriculum
What you'll learn
In 8 bi-weekly workshops, you'll build the foundations of a thriving practice. You'll learn how to:
- Establish your differentiators and competitive advantage
- Turn ideas into opportunities
- Build your client avatar and value model
- Design a coaching package and client experience
- Create content that markets, promotes and adds value
- Fill your leads pipeline and know your sales cycle
- Craft your elevator pitch
- Write a business plan that captures your plan for growth
Leave with a community around you, and a plan already in motion.
How you learn
Weekly workbooks
Workbooks keep you on track. Each week you tackle one aspect of your business growth, then bring it to your group.
Your accountability circle
A mentoring and accountability circle helps you take measurable steps to launch or scale your business, week to week.
Your business plan
By the end, you'll have a business plan that captures your initiatives for growth from every module.
You'll leave with a plan, a pipeline, and momentum. That is how dreams come true.
The program flow
From orientation to a lifetime of learning
8 modules, every other week over 16 weeks. The full module-by-module outline is in the course overview.
Step 1 · Get Ready
Orientation
CA team members will set you up for success.
Step 2 · Settle in
Classroom access
Student orientation begins! Prep for your first class.
Step 3 · Modules 1 to 3
Purpose, value and offer
Your differentiators and competitive advantage, your client avatar and value model, and an offer that sells: package, pricing, client experience.
Step 4 · Modules 4 to 5
Content and pipeline
Content that markets, promotes and adds value, money models, prospecting for success, and knowing your sales cycle.
Step 5 · Modules 6 to 8
Your business plan and the abundant coach
Executive summary, vision board and plan for growth, your marketing checklist, and cultivating a success mindset.
Step 6 · Module 8
Your certificate
Your series ends with a business plan in hand, and 15 CCEs for your ICF renewal.
Step 7 · A lifetime of learning
Keep growing
More specializations, community, and membership carry you forward.
Beyond the classroom
Join your peers in the community
Learning continues between and beyond classes with 10+ live events every month in the Coach Academy community.
- Clubs and keynotes
- Unlimited coaching exchange
- Live coach demos
- Case study clinics
- Coaching skills labs
- Q&A with Coach Academy Founder
- Upgrade to Mastermind for mini-courses, leadership circles, business strategies and advanced skills
Membership is open to all students. Ask an Admissions Coach about member rates.
Keep learning
Why Coach Academy
We are different
Grounded in research
Every specialization is built on empirical research and evidence-informed practice, backed by 50,000+ hours of curriculum design since 2016. When the science of coaching moves, our curriculum moves with it.
The pulse of the profession
We study where coaching is heading: new ICF competencies, emerging frameworks, and the skills teams and organizations ask for. You learn what the coaching trends predict.
Learning beyond certification
Our mission is to multiply the impact of coaching in every conversation, and that doesn't stop with certification. Specializations, CCEs, and a community of practice keep you growing.
Here to serve
Peer insights, stimulating conversations and the care you would expect from a world-class institute. We are here to serve the coaches who serve everyone else.
The founder
Nathalie Blais, MCC
Founder & CEO, Coach Academy
Nathalie Blais is the Founder and CEO of Coach Academy and an ICF Master Certified Coach whose work focuses on how people think, connect, and lead. Her central idea is both simple and disruptive: connection is a skill.
Blais holds a Master's degree in Psychology from Harvard and has logged more than 50,000 hours in facilitation, learning design, research, and education development. She is the architect of multiple ICF-accredited coach education programs, a TEDx speaker, and has trained thousands of leaders and coaches worldwide.
Watch her TEDx talk: Connection matters more than curriculumQuestions
What people ask before they call
What are CCE credits, and why do they matter?
Continuing Coach Education credits are how the ICF keeps credentials current: credential holders renew every 3 years with 40 CCE units. This series earns you 15 CCEs (resource hours) over 8 bi-weekly workshops, applicable to your renewal.
Is this a certification?
This is a workshop series. You'll graduate with 15 CCE credits and a business plan in hand. For ICF credentials, see our certification programs.
What is the prerequisite?
None. The series is open to coaches, and anyone launching a business for the first time. An Admissions Coach will help you decide if it's the right fit.
Is this for coaches only?
No. Coaches, consultants and first-time founders are all welcome. The frameworks apply to any service business, and the peer accountability works for everyone.
How does attendance work?
Attend live: 80% attendance is required for full credit. You'll also post in the classroom, complete the workbooks, and submit your business plan.
What is the business plan?
A working document that captures your initiatives for growth from every module. You'll begin actioning it before the series ends.
Can I do this while working full-time?
Yes. One live class every other week, workbooks to keep you on track, and group meetings you schedule with your accountability circle, all designed for working professionals.
When does the course start?
Twice a year, in April and September.
Do I have to be a Coach Academy graduate to join?
No! Coaches trained elsewhere, and entrepreneurs from any field, are welcome. We would love your perspective in the classroom.
How long do I keep classroom access?
Course duration plus 3 months, with no extensions beyond that date. Every class is recorded, so you can revisit lessons during that window. You have 3 months after the program ends to complete and download all assignments.
Start with a conversation
What happens when I fill out this form?
Fill out the form to set up a call with an Admissions Coach, or view program overviews and get more information. Either way, no pressure. All of our Admissions Coaches are graduates of our programs. They will be able to answer all your questions from first-hand experience as alumni of Coach Academy.
Starts bi-annually in April and September · All classes live and online
| Program | Business Start-Up Workshops |
|---|---|
| Next cohorts | Wednesdays at 6:00 PM ET, starting September 9, 2026Wednesdays at 6:00 PM ET, starting March 17, 2027 |
| Format | Live, virtual |
The first life to change is yours.