Raquel Braganca - How to Start and Grow a Life Coaching Business

Raquel Braganca: Life Coaching

Key Takeaways On Choosing the Right Life Coach for Personal Growth

  1. Holistic Approach: Raquel's coaching integrates diverse therapeutic backgrounds (CBT, NLP, hypnotherapy) for comprehensive personal development.
  2. Empowerment Focus: Life coaching is a collaborative partnership designed to empower individuals to achieve personal and professional goals, not just address past issues.
  3. Tangible Benefits: A life coach provides clarity, boosts confidence, develops new skills, and helps overcome obstacles to achieve desired life outcomes.
  4. Personalised Guidance: Raquel offers a compassionate and personalised coaching experience, drawing on her own journey to deeply understand and support clients in achieving their specific aspirations.
  5. Diverse Offerings: Beyond individual sessions, Raquel provides workshops and speaking engagements, catering to both personal and group development needs.

I adore celebration! It is made of aliveness, enthusiasm and passion.

It ignites the fire in YOU and amplifies what really matters.

Overwhelm dismisses celebration because the magnitude of effort required to control our circumstances is exhausting and depleting. I know it well.

I was THAT woman:

  • Focused on everyone’s needs before my own
  • Feeling responsible for everyone & everything 
  • Looking for certainty in controlling the outcome and therefore constantly anticipating potential consequences. 
  • Terrified of loss. 

Busy was my best friend

You never run out of things to do when your sense of achievement is in how much you can give and do. 

Fixing everything for everyone was very much my measure of success. 

The discomfort comes in the emptiness that keeps getting bigger. 

I shushed mine by DOING because the busier I was the less I noticed the FEELING. 

What I ignored was the damaging impact of carrying the weight of the world whilst demanding MORE of myself.

The Oh F*ck Moment!

Then my world imploded in 2017. 

I went from:

  • Married, stay at home Mama to small children, living in a beautiful home just renovated, living in the UK to be with the man I loved.

To

  • Years of nightmare divorce, determined to remain the main carer of my children, no income or career, not allowed to return to Portugal if I wanted to be with my children.

Everything I dismissed before… 

The overwhelm I shushed in so many areas of my life turned up the volume as everything that used to be my life collapsed. 

During that WHOLE time, I craved examples of women – I could identify with – who understood both the devastation and the glory because they had done it. I wanted the reassurance that it was possible to go from chaos to calm because another woman was resourceful and determined enough to find a way and amongst the tears still feel joy. 

I didn’t find it in one place so I collected the puzzle pieces and over time designed my own step-by-step assembly guide so I could make a difference to someone else’s messy times. 

Along the way, I realised the importance of finding my own niche, not just in life, but in how I wanted to help others. In a world overflowing with advice and quick fixes, I discovered that honing in on what I truly knew, my lived experience, my hard-won insights, was what allowed me to really connect, to stand out, and to offer genuine support. If you find that everyone comes to you for a certain kind of help or wisdom, that’s a clue worth following. Your pain, your healing, your messy journey becomes the specialty you can offer, the light you can shine for someone else who’s searching for hope in their own chaos.

The F*ck Yeah Moment!

Today I proudly state that I am a Robbins Madanes trained coach. Every step I took towards making my dream a reality has added up and BOOM! 

I empower my clients and witness them thrive, smiling in their freedom certain that they are more than any circumstances. 

I bring new perspectives which reveal entire new possibilities and celebration becomes a daily experience.

Powered by JOY

Even if things are overwhelming right now, we can find momentum. 

My coaching is powered by JOY because it is in smiles and delight and pleasure that you feel the beauty of being alive and you welcome possibility, with energy and enthusiasm. Dealing with shit does not have to be shitty! So let’s take away the dread and have excitement instead.

Interests 

I am passionate about women’s rights. I am in awe of Mamas parenting solo. I ADORE Portugal, my homeland and I am counting down the years to return home for good. I love the power of words - music, reading, writing, poetry. I love art. I love colour. 

Why Certification Matters in Life Coaching

So, why bother with a certification, anyway? I hear this question often, especially from women ready to flip the script on their own story. Here’s the deal: while anyone can technically call themselves a life coach (there’s no secret handshake or velvet rope), pursuing formal training isn’t about ticking a box. It’s about real, grounded confidence, yours and your clients’.

Think of certification as fuel for your mission. Here’s how it lights up your path:

  • Credibility and Trust: Clients want to know you’ve done the work, not just lived the story. Credentials from organisations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) act as a beacon, they tell people, “I’ve invested in learning, growth, and ethics.”
  • Professional Tools: Certification programs give you practical, tested methods, active listening, asking transformative questions, strategies to set steady goals and hold clients accountable, even in tough times.
  • Standing Out in the Crowd: Let’s be honest, the field is bursting at the seams. Qualifications help you rise above the noise and signal that you bring more than inspiration; you bring expertise.
  • Confidence (That’s Contagious!): The more you invest in your skills, the more your self-belief grows. And that’s what clients feel, your empowered presence.

It’s not about perfection, or proving yourself to some invisible jury. It’s about equipping yourself to serve wholeheartedly so your clients know they’re in exceptionally caring, highly capable hands.

Where Can You Train to Become a Life Coach?

If you’re reading this and feeling the call to empower others, you might be wondering, “Where do I even start?” Let me show you the route, you don’t need a magic passport or a permission slip. There are so many ways to get started on this transformative path.

  • Universities: Some offer brilliant programs in coaching, counselling, psychology, or even performance management. If you crave structure and depth, this could be an exciting avenue.
  • Colleges: Perfect if you want something practical and accessible. There are shorter diplomas and certificates focused on coaching or mentoring, often delivered in-person or online to fit your jam-packed life.
  • Professional Certifications: (My personal favourite!) Organisations like the International Coaching Federation or the Association for Coaching offer internationally recognised training. These programmes blend theory, practice, and mentorship, plus, you’ll find a tribe of fellow trailblazers.
  • Apprenticeships & Mentoring: Hands-on learning is gold. Some places offer apprenticeships, internships, or opportunities to shadow an established coach. There’s nothing like stepping into real situations with real people.

Whatever path you choose, the heart of coaching is experience and empathy. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back! The world needs more people daring to lift others up, especially those willing to bring celebration and joy to the journey.

So, What Does It Actually Cost to Launch a Life Coaching Business?

Spoiler alert: it depends. If you’re envisioning yourself in a dedicated office space, picture comfy chairs, kettle on hand, and, let’s be honest, a few candles or a potted plant (or ten). You’ll need to budget for rent, decorating your sanctuary, and all those practical things like insurance.

If you’re a road warrior, traveling to see clients, there’s petrol to consider, car maintenance (because breakdowns only happen on the busiest days, right?), and maybe even the occasional parking ticket.

Is your vibe more “digital nomad”? Then your essentials are a solid laptop, a headset that doesn’t cut out mid-breakthrough, and WiFi sturdy enough to power both you and your clients through those big aha moments.

And no matter where or how you coach, here are the other must-haves:

  • Registering your business (yes, paperwork, but so worth it!)
  • Insurance for peace of mind
  • A website that’s both beautiful and functional (think: your online front porch)
  • Marketing, because the world needs to know you exist!
  • Ongoing learning, whether that’s certifications, workshops, or masterminds
  • Memberships with professional organisations to plug you into the coaching world

A little bonus: many of these investments can be claimed as business expenses, so keep your receipts and remember, some of what you put in comes right back in tax time.

I built my business step-by-step, with a lot of heart and hustle, and these are the essential things I wish someone had told me to expect. Don’t let the admin side intimidate you; it’s all just the foundation for the joy, connection, and celebration that comes next.