brand strategist vs business coach

what’s the difference, and which is better?

Investing in experts is crucial for both business growth and self-development. But what are the benefits to working with a strategist vs a coach? Is brand strategy just a fancy way of saying “glorified business coaching?” And which one will help you reach your goals? Let’s go over the differences so you feel equipped when it comes to getting support!

A business coach focuses on internal development to help you build the self-trust needed to make empowered decisions. If you ask a coach a question, they’ll probably reply with another question in a way that allows you to answer your original question yourself. A business coach can absolutely help you reach your goals as an entrepreneur, and many are skilled in areas beyond just coaching. A good business coach will pull from multiple modalities to support you in the most holistic way possible, but the focus will always be on pulling out the answers from within yourself.

A brand strategist focuses on external actions to position your expertise in a way that allows your audience to easily understand how you can help them solve specific problems. If you ask a strategist a question, they’ll probably tell you the answer. A strategist focuses on reverse-engineering your goals to create an actionable, step-by-step plan for reaching them – all through the lens of your brand. If you’re ready to take external action, working with a strategist vs a coach is probably a better choice. Click here for an in-depth post on what a brand strategist actually does!

In my opinion, BOTH coaching & strategy are needed in any business relationship whose end result is a transformation.

Humans are humans even when they’re business owners, which means there’s always going to be a level of experiences and thoughts and beliefs and emotions that need to be addressed before you can actually get shit done. On the other hand, if you want something different than you have right now, you HAVE to take action!

So while there while there will inevitably a smidge of coaching involved in the work I do as a brand strategist, the bulk of support I give you​ is focused on guiding your actions – developing your unique brand strategy and then actually putting that strategy to work by DOING things.

So how do you choose between a strategist vs coach?

If you’re struggling with mindset blocks and unhelpful beliefs, processing your way through the emotions of entrepreneurship, holding yourself back from being visible because you have a fear of being seen, frustrated that you’re not making progress like you feel you should be, or not taking action and unsure why, a business coach is probably a great option for you right now.

But do you feel really solid about the fact that you’re an expert and more people should be paying attention because you know you can help them in huge ways? Are you frustrated that people don’t seem to understand what exactly you do? Does it seem like you should have WAY more clients with how much you’re marketing? If you’re chomping at the bit to take action but just don’t know WHICH actions will actually propel your business forward, brand strategy is your next best step!

If you’re still having a hard time deciding between a strategist vs coach, click here to book a totally free brand audit with yours truly. We’ll spend 30 minutes determining whether your brand is clearly communicating your expertise, brainstorm new ways to leverage what makes you unique, and decide on three practical changes you can make to grab the attention of your ideal clients. Yes, they’re really free!

Not ready to choose a strategist vs coach? Learn more about what brand strategy can do for you by downloading your free guide: