I have to preface by saying coaches are important. Especially in certain areas of our lives, like a fitness coach or financial coach... they help us overcome blocks that are preventing us from achieving our own greatness. I have a couple friends that are these kinds of coaches. And they are great at what they do. I hope that adds context to my next comment. 

I cannot wrap my mind around the current marketing industry trend. Pay a coach to teach you what to do to be a digital marketer. 

Being in marketing, there are so many people, "marketers", that are in this "pay me to teach you" game, i.e. "buy my course". The problem is many people are struggling to pay the bills. How can one sleep knowing they took money off someone's table to feed their family, or pay their rent. 

Do I feel this way because I struggle with "imposter syndrome", working in the industry for many years? I can create websites, sales funnels, and various marketing materials. I can use all the tools. And I know a lot about business development. But, I do not feel like an "expert" and am even repelled by that word as a self-descriptor. I haven't had hundreds let alone thousands of clients that I can use as testimonials of success. I attribute part of my digital marketing failure on the real imposters. They have made many business owners wary of marketing companies.

This is not "blame". I hold myself accountable for not doing more. For not trying harder and proving myself (probably because I do not believe in myself enough). But I am not going to play the same game and "fake it till I make it" as so many others do. I will not lie about my success to trick you into buying from me. That is not me. It's like buying a knock-off brand watch from a random guy on the street corner. Or do you go into a jewelry store to buy the real deal? I could not sell hundreds of fake-branded watches until I could open a real jewelry store. And then sell the real deal. But this is what happens in marketing. 

Paying a "marketing coach" isn't the same as paying to learn a musical instrument. Or how to play tennis better. It isn't like health and nutrition coaching. Or financial literacy coaching, or any self-improvement, or life coaching programs. "Marketing coaching" is a type of snake oil... I don't mean it doesn't work. I mean some people will find success with it, but most won't.

The sales pitch inevitably talks about investing in yourself... Is it an investment? You can sell it that way. But would you tell someone to spend their last $1000 on a stock in a volatile market? I wouldn't. 

There is a lot of false hope sold in these programs. The disclaimer is always: "results vary", and rightfully so. There is also a lot of "fake value". But that's a different conversation about the psychology of selling.  

Even the "free" programs have an upsell sales pitch to get "deeper coaching". Or 1-on-1 coaching, or "group coaching". 

I get that information is a currency in today's world. But so is one's character and ethics, which leads to purpose. If your purpose is to lead more people to financial security, how is taking their "last dollar" ethical? You might have an iron-clad 100% guarantee (but there is always a loophole that exploits the customer). There are very few marketers that will give a refund for the only reason the customer asked for their money back. I literally know of only one person that does that (maybe there are others... )

A lot of marketers sell their "knowledge" because they are either: 

1. lazy (don't want to keep working on their business)

2. fearful they cannot duplicate their own success

3. do not know how to invest to exponentially multiply their money

So I want to flip the script. I want to change the world. I want to change the way the way people help each other.