As a retired lawyer, I never thought I’d find myself diving into the world of online business. Yet here I am, eager to embark on a new adventure that promises both intellectual stimulation and financial rewards. If you’re like me, you might be wondering where to start in this vast digital landscape. That’s where online business coaches come in. These experienced mentors can guide us through the intricacies of building a successful online venture, helping us leverage our years of professional experience in exciting new ways.
In this article, I’ll share my research on the 11 best online business coaches who can help fellow retirees like us transition from the courtroom to the digital marketplace. Whether you’re looking to monetize your legal expertise or explore entirely new horizons, these coaches offer the insights and strategies we need to thrive in our encore careers.
1. Neil Patel
Neil Patel is a renowned figure in the world of digital marketing and SEO. As the co-founder of companies like Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and KISSmetrics, Patel has established himself as a leading authority in the field. His expertise spans various aspects of online marketing, including SEO, content marketing, paid media, and social media strategies. Patel’s approach to teaching is highly practical, offering actionable insights that businesses can implement immediately to improve their online presence and drive traffic.
One of Patel’s notable offerings is his Agency Unlocked course, which provides comprehensive training on traffic generation, conversions, content creation, social media marketing, and paid advertising. While some critics argue that much of his content is available for free on his YouTube channel, his paid courses offer a more structured and in-depth learning experience. Patel’s teaching style is known for being articulate and accessible, making complex SEO concepts understandable even for non-technical audiences.
2. Online Business Coaching by Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith is a successful online entrepreneur and the founder of High Income Source, a platform dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs achieve financial freedom and location independence. With a Business degree from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, Smith has built a remarkable career in the digital business world, leveraging his expertise in various online business models.
Smith’s entrepreneurial journey began during his college years when he first explored dropshipping, which ignited his passion for eCommerce. After graduation, he gained valuable experience working at McKinsey & Company as a business consultant, where he honed his skills in problem-solving, strategy development, and client management. During this time, he also pursued freelance writing, which eventually led him to discover the potential of blogging.
One of Smith’s early successes was creating a dog-focused website, which he later sold for an impressive $100,000. This achievement marked a turning point in his career, demonstrating his ability to build and monetize online properties. Following this success, Smith ventured into other eCommerce models, including Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and print-on-demand services. These endeavors proved so successful that they allowed him to leave his corporate job and become a full-time entrepreneur.
Since embarking on his full-time entrepreneurial journey, Smith has earned over $3 million through his various online ventures. His success has afforded him the lifestyle of a digital nomad, allowing him to travel the world while growing his businesses. This experience has given him a unique perspective on the possibilities of location-independent entrepreneurship.
3. Affiliate Marketing Coaching by Jack Davis
Jack Davis is a seasoned affiliate marketing expert and online business coach who has made a significant impact in the digital marketing space. With over a decade of experience since 2010, Davis has successfully built multiple authority sites that consistently generate six-figure incomes annually. His expertise extends beyond personal success, as he has also founded an SEO agency that works with companies worldwide.
As the creator of the Affiliate Marketing Masterclass, Davis offers a comprehensive and free course that covers all aspects of launching and growing an affiliate marketing business. The course is structured into nine modules, covering topics from niche selection and website building to advanced SEO tactics and email marketing strategies. What sets Davis apart is his commitment to sharing actionable tactics based on his own successful experiences in the field.
Davis’s coaching philosophy is rooted in personalized guidance and hands-on support. He offers one-on-one coaching sessions that cater to affiliate marketers at various stages of their journey, from beginners to advanced practitioners. His coaching packages range from one-off consultations to recurring monthly sessions, allowing clients to choose the level of support that best suits their needs.
One of Davis’s strengths lies in his ability to provide customized SEO strategies. He treats each client’s website as if it were his own, offering personalized SEO guidance, content optimization, and link-building expertise. Davis also emphasizes the importance of leveraging AI in content creation and SEO strategies, keeping his clients at the forefront of industry trends.
Davis’s approach to coaching goes beyond just SEO and content creation. He assists clients with various aspects of running an affiliate marketing business, including ad optimization, technical SEO troubleshooting, and scaling content output. He also helps clients set up efficient processes and standard operating procedures, making their businesses more manageable and scalable.
4. Dropshipping Coaching by James Johnson
James Johnson is a highly accomplished and respected figure in the dropshipping and e-commerce industry. With over a decade of experience since 2008, Johnson has established himself as a successful entrepreneur and mentor in the field. He is the founder of DropshippingCourse.org, a platform dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs build thriving dropshipping businesses.
Johnson’s journey in e-commerce began with a modest $500 investment in his first online store. Through dedication and continuous learning, he achieved remarkable success, generating over $500,000 in sales during the first year. His business continued to grow exponentially, reaching $1 million in sales by the second year and $1.5 million by the third. This early success not only provided Johnson with financial freedom but also ignited his passion for helping others achieve similar results in the dropshipping industry.
As an educator and coach, Johnson offers a comprehensive free dropshipping course that covers every aspect of building and scaling a successful dropshipping business. The course is structured into eight modules, addressing crucial topics such as niche selection, market research, store creation, supplier management, conversion optimization, traffic generation, automation, and scaling strategies. Johnson’s teaching approach is rooted in practical, actionable insights gained from his years of hands-on experience in the field.
In addition to his free course, Johnson provides personalized one-on-one coaching services for entrepreneurs at various stages of their dropshipping journey. His coaching packages range from single consultations to intensive three-month programs, offering flexible options to suit different needs and budgets. Johnson’s coaching focuses on overcoming common challenges in dropshipping, such as finding reliable suppliers, managing inventory, building brand awareness, handling customer returns, and implementing effective marketing strategies.
5. Stu McLaren
Stu McLaren, on the other hand, is a leading expert in the realm of membership sites and online courses. Since 2008, McLaren has been working with thousands of authors, speakers, coaches, consultants, and business owners to transform their knowledge and expertise into recurring revenue streams. His signature program, The Membership Experience, is a comprehensive guide to creating, launching, and scaling profitable membership sites.
McLaren’s approach focuses on not just the technical aspects of setting up a membership site, but also on crucial elements like member retention and community building. His course is structured into seven modules, covering everything from foundational concepts to advanced strategies for scaling and optimizing membership sites. One of the standout features of McLaren’s program is the strong emphasis on community support, with a private Facebook group and regular live Q&A sessions providing ongoing guidance and motivation.
Both Patel and McLaren have made significant impacts in their respective niches, helping countless entrepreneurs and businesses grow their online presence and revenue. While Patel’s expertise lies in driving traffic and optimizing online marketing strategies, McLaren’s focus is on creating sustainable, community-driven business models through memberships and online courses. Their contrasting yet complementary skill sets make them valuable resources for anyone looking to build and grow an online business.
6. Jeb Blount
Jeb Blount is a highly respected figure in the world of sales training and customer experience. As the founder of Sales Gravy, Inc., Blount has established himself as a leading authority in sales, leadership, and customer service. His expertise spans a wide range of topics, including prospecting, sales performance, and building high-performing teams. Blount’s approach to sales training is comprehensive and systematic, covering all customer-facing roles and creating a common language and learning path for organizations.
One of Blount’s key strengths is his ability to deliver dynamic and impactful keynote speeches. His presentations are known for providing practical tools and strategies that empower sales teams to overcome challenges and exceed expectations. Blount’s training programs are highly customizable, allowing organizations to tailor the content to their specific industry, culture, and sales processes. This flexibility has made him a sought-after trainer for companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 corporations.
Blount is also a prolific author, having written 15 bestselling books on sales and leadership. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including being named a Top 50 Sales and Marketing Influencer by Top Sales Magazine and a Top 30 Social Selling Influencer by Forbes. His book “Fanatical Prospecting” was even voted the #1 Sales Book of All Time in a competition held by RingDNA. These achievements underscore Blount’s significant influence in the sales training industry.
7. Natalie Sisson
Natalie Sisson, known as the “Suitcase Entrepreneur,” is a prominent figure in the world of location-independent business strategies. With over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, Sisson has become a key influencer in the realms of digital nomadism and the future of work. Her journey began in 2008 when she co-founded a technology company in Vancouver, and she later transitioned to building her own education business in 2010, focusing on helping entrepreneurs create lifestyle businesses they love.
Sisson’s approach to business coaching is holistic, emphasizing the intersection of human potential, behavioral change, and work-life integration. She believes in helping individuals monetize their unique skills and experiences, encouraging them to leverage their “unfair advantage” – their personality, life experiences, and innate talents. Her teachings often focus on creating multiple revenue streams and making a meaningful impact while maintaining the freedom to work from anywhere in the world.
As a two-time #1 bestselling author, podcaster, and speaker, Sisson has developed a range of resources to support aspiring and established entrepreneurs. Her expertise spans various areas, including online business development, mindset coaching, systems creation, and digital marketing. In 2017, she founded LifePilot.co, a strategic life planning tool designed to help busy individuals turn their big life visions into achievable goals and intentions.
Sisson’s background in corporate marketing, combined with her entrepreneurial success, gives her a unique perspective on building and scaling online businesses. Her global experiences, having traveled to 63 countries and lived on 5 continents, inform her teachings on creating a truly location-independent lifestyle. Through her various platforms and programs, Sisson continues to inspire and guide thousands of entrepreneurs in designing profitable businesses that align with their ideal lifestyles.
8. Pat Flynn
Pat Flynn is a highly respected figure in the world of affiliate marketing and passive income strategies. Known for his popular blog and podcast “Smart Passive Income,” Flynn has built a reputation for transparency and authenticity in the online business world. He began his entrepreneurial journey after being laid off from his architecture job in 2008, which led him to create his first successful website focused on helping people pass an architectural exam.
Flynn’s approach to online business is centered around creating value for his audience and building genuine relationships. He is known for his “be everywhere” strategy, which involves leveraging multiple platforms and media types to reach and engage with his audience. His teachings cover a wide range of topics, including affiliate marketing, email marketing, podcasting, and product creation. One of Flynn’s key principles is the importance of diversifying income streams, which he demonstrates through his own business model that includes affiliate marketing, course sales, book royalties, and speaking engagements.
What sets Flynn apart is his commitment to ethical marketing practices and his willingness to share both his successes and failures with his audience. He regularly publishes detailed income reports, providing a level of transparency that is rare in the industry. This openness has helped him build a loyal following and establish himself as a trusted authority in the online business space.
9. Yaro Starak
Yaro Starak is a pioneering figure in the world of blogging and online business development. With over two decades of experience in the digital space, Starak has established himself as a leading authority on building profitable blogs and information product businesses. His journey began in the late 1990s when he started his first online venture, and he has since built multiple successful online businesses, including his flagship blog, Entrepreneurs-Journey.com.
Starak’s approach to blogging and online business is rooted in the concept of creating valuable content and building a loyal audience. He emphasizes the importance of developing a personal brand and leveraging one’s unique experiences and expertise to create a successful online presence. His teachings cover a wide range of topics, including content creation, email marketing, product development, and sales funnel optimization.
One of Starak’s key contributions to the online business world is his “Blog Sales Funnel” concept, which outlines a systematic approach to monetizing a blog through strategic content creation and product offerings. This model has been successfully implemented by many of his students, some of whom have gone on to build six-figure online businesses.
Starak is also known for his flagship course, Blog Mastermind, which has helped over 2,000 students learn the ins and outs of building a profitable blog. The course, now in its 2.0 version, has been completely updated to reflect the current digital landscape and includes comprehensive training on content creation, traffic generation, and monetization strategies.
10. Danny Iny
Danny Iny is a prominent figure in the world of online education and course development. Known as the “Course Builder’s Laboratory,” Iny has established himself as a leading authority in creating and marketing online courses. His journey began after the failure of his first startup, which led him to discover the power of online education and leverage his skills to build a thriving business.
Iny’s approach to course creation is rooted in the belief that effective online education should be engaging, impactful, and results-driven. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s audience and creating courses that address their specific needs and pain points. His methodology, often referred to as the “Leveraged Learning” model, focuses on delivering high-value content in a format that is easily digestible and actionable for students.
One of Iny’s key strengths is his ability to help entrepreneurs and experts transform their knowledge into profitable online courses. His teachings cover various aspects of course creation, including curriculum design, student engagement strategies, and effective marketing techniques. Iny is also the author of several books, including “Teach and Grow Rich” and “Leveraged Learning,” which further solidify his expertise in the online education space.
11. Adrian Morrison
Adrian Morrison is a renowned expert in the fields of dropshipping and e-commerce strategies. With over a decade of experience in online business, Morrison has become a go-to resource for entrepreneurs looking to build successful e-commerce ventures. His journey began in affiliate marketing before he discovered the potential of dropshipping and e-commerce, which became the focus of his business and teachings.
Morrison’s approach to dropshipping and e-commerce is characterized by his emphasis on leveraging social media platforms, particularly Facebook, for advertising and customer acquisition. He is known for his innovative strategies in product selection, store design, and ad campaign optimization. His teachings often focus on helping entrepreneurs identify profitable niches, set up efficient store operations, and scale their businesses through effective marketing techniques.
One of Morrison’s signature programs is the “eCom Success Academy,” which provides comprehensive training on building and scaling dropshipping businesses. The course covers everything from store setup and product selection to advanced advertising strategies and business automation. Morrison’s teaching style is known for being practical and results-oriented, with a focus on providing actionable strategies that students can implement immediately.
