In 2025, the coaching industry faced some hard truths. Women of color coaches navigated noisy trends, industry burnout, and identity-shifting decisions. But the ones who stood strong leaned into presence, clarity, and radical honesty. In this candid podcast episode with Tomasha Suber, we unpack what truly worked in sales and leadership, why sabbaticals might be a band-aid, and how the industry is shifting toward simplicity, sustainability, and connection.

The Power of Presence-Infused Sales

Tomasha shared that her favorite way to sell is through “presence-infused conversations.” For her, presence, language, and leadership aren’t optional. They’re essential. When coaches lack these, conversion rates suffer. Without authority or emotional connection, it takes longer for clients to trust you, to choose you.

Instead of trying to “close” clients, Tomasha believes in helping them choose. She describes sales as welcoming someone into your home—they knock, you invite them in, but it’s their choice to sit and stay. This shift in mindset builds deeper trust and longer-lasting client relationships.

Follow-Up Framework: The 2-2-2 Rule

Tomasha introduced her simple follow-up method: follow up after 2 days, then 2 weeks, then 2 months. After that? Let them come back to you. Why? Because truly high-caliber clients know how to make decisions. You shouldn’t need to chase them endlessly.

2025 Trends in Leadership

The leadership trends in 2025 were revealing:

• Sabbatical Obsession: Many coaches took sabbaticals believing rest would solve their business problems. But without training their audience for absence, some watched their businesses decline.
• Surface-Level Rebrands: Coaches swapped colors and logos without changing the substance of their offers or leadership. The result? Confused audiences and no real conversion shift.
• Radical Honesty: The best leaders finally admitted they didn’t want to do what it takes to hit seven figures—and that’s okay. Aligning your goals with your actual desires created more freedom and success.

Buyers Want Clarity, Not Clutter

In 2025, buyers didn’t want the kitchen sink. They wanted one clear outcome. The “all-in-one” programs lost their appeal. Instead, buyers paid premium prices for simpler, more focused offers.

Buyers also became more discerning. They weren’t just looking for emotional pull; they wanted clarity. What is the result? How long will it take? Who is this really for? If you couldn’t answer that, you lost the sale.

Offer Structure > Offer Stuffing

One of Tomasha’s best pivots? Cutting her private coaching calls down to 30 minutes and going mostly asynchronous. The result: higher performance and easier conversions. Sometimes it’s not the price or the promise—it’s the structure that needs adjusting.

Sabbatical vs. Pseudo-Vacation: The Real Rest Conversation

Tomasha warns against using rest as a way to avoid. Real rest isn’t disappearing. It’s being intentional. Her “pseudo-vacations” keep her present for clients while eliminating what feels heavy. The truth? Often, it’s not the business that needs fixing—it’s your stability as a woman and leader.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Expect to see:

• More intentional, lean teams.
• Surge in high-ticket referral programs.
• The return of the sales call.
• Buyers demanding specificity and proof of client results.
• A shift from “community” to real connection.

And most of all, a desire to chase dreams again. But not the hustle-hard kind. The intentional, impact-driven kind.

Final Takeaway:

If you’re a woman of color navigating this industry, remember: your presence, clarity, and leadership are your most powerful sales tools. You don’t need to rebrand or retreat to prove you’re evolving. You need to stand in your truth and structure your business around what actually works—for you and your people.

Join the Everything Scaling Mastermind: https://forthe23percent.com/everything-scaling

Connect With: Tomasha Suber

Website:
tomashasuber.com

Instagram:
@tomashasuber

LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/tomashasuber

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