Coaching Training from $10M/yr COO
From COO to Coach: How Chris Barry Scaled an 8-Figure Business—and How You Can Too
What does it really take to grow a coaching business from scratch to 8 figures? Chris Barry, former COO of a $10M/year coaching company, breaks it down in this behind-the-scenes interview—from client acquisition to team systems, sales, and scaling.
Whether you’re launching your offer or stuck at 20k/month, the lessons here will help you avoid costly mistakes and move faster toward six-figure months.
Why TD Coach Exists
After leaving his role as COO, Chris realized too many talented coaches were drowning in marketing, delivery, and operations without a clear path. That’s why he built TD Coach—to give coaches the systems, tools, and strategy to succeed long term.
As Chris puts it:
“Our mission is to give coaches the tools they need to grow—and help more people while doing it. This is the new form of education.”
How to Get Clients When You're Starting Out
Even experienced business owners can struggle when launching a coaching offer. The key is identifying where your ideal clients hang out and meeting them there—whether that’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
Chris emphasizes:
Organic works, but it’s slow.
Paid ads are faster and allow you to control the flow of leads.
Whichever method you choose, start simple and don’t overbuild.
Sell Without Feeling Salesy: Use a Framework
Most coaches wing it on sales calls. That’s a mistake.
Chris advises creating a repeatable sales framework that helps you:
Break limiting beliefs
Understand your prospect’s deep desires
Position your offer as the solution
“When you follow a clear framework, your close rate goes way up—because the call is structured around them, not you.”
Common Pitfalls New Coaches Face
One of the biggest mistakes Chris sees: coaches trying to build everything at once—funnels, content, courses—before they’ve made a single sale.
Instead, he recommends this order:
Define your ideal client
Understand their top problems
Outline a program that solves those problems
Sell it before you build it
This approach gives you market validation before wasting time and money on something nobody wants.
How to Scale from $20K to $100K/Month
For coaches stuck at 20k/month, the next level comes down to three things:
Client Results: If your clients aren’t winning, you’ll get negative word of mouth and hit a growth ceiling.
Marketing Ecosystem: Build a real acquisition system, not just referrals.
Sales Infrastructure: Get a full-time closer if you’re not great at sales—and focus your time on what you do best.
“If you can get someone to perform at 70–80% of your level and free up your time, that’s a win.”
Where Should Coaches Spend Their Time?
If you’re the founder and you’re doing everything… stop. Chris says revenue comes from focusing on two core areas:
Acquisition: Get leads and close sales
Delivery: Get client results
If you’re bad at sales, hire a closer. If you’re bad at delivery, bring in a support coach. Your job is to stay in your lane of genius.
How to Use AI to Save Time
AI is powerful—but most coaches overcomplicate it. Chris recommends:
Use ChatGPT to save time writing emails, content, or editing
Start small: automate one task at a time
Focus on ROI, not novelty
Even a 20-minute task cut down to 2 minutes can save hours per week at scale.
What to Fix Before You Scale
For coaches doing $50–80k/month, here’s how to prep for $100k+:
Dial in your product: Are you delivering results consistently?
Build marketing & sales systems: Leads + conversion = scalable revenue
Offload to a team: Stop doing everything. Hire for support, sales, delivery.
“You can’t scale a high-ticket business alone. You need systems and a team to carry the weight.”
The Future of Coaching
Chris believes the coaching industry is replacing traditional education.
“Why spend $100k and 4 years for a degree, when you can learn directly from an expert—for less money and in less time?”
That said, the industry is also flooded with fake gurus. That’s why building trust and delivering real results are more important than ever.
Final Words
If you want to grow a real coaching business—not just sell a few spots—this episode is your blueprint.
📞 Need help implementing these systems? Book a strategy call with TD Coach
🎥 Watch the full interview here
