Building a coaching business is genuinely hard. And one of the best ways to get through the hard parts? Find people who’ve already done it and watch how they think.
These 10 female business coaches have each built something real. Not just a following, but an actual body of work: methodologies, businesses, books, and communities that have helped tens of thousands of entrepreneurs figure out what they’re doing and do it better.
They’re not here because they’re famous. They’re here because there’s something specific to learn from each of them.
10 Top Female Business Coaches to Follow
1. Marie Forleo: The “Everything Is Figureoutable” Coach
If you want to understand how to build a coaching brand with genuine reach, Marie Forleo is worth studying closely.
Marie built her business by showing up consistently with real value over years, not overnight. Her weekly show MarieTV, launched before video content was a strategy, became one of the most-watched business coaching resources on the internet.
She is:
- New York Times bestselling author of Everything Is Figureoutable
- Founder of B-School, an online academy that has helped tens of thousands of coaches and entrepreneurs build their businesses
- Named “a thought leader for the next generation” by Oprah
- Host of MarieTV, an award-winning show featuring successful entrepreneurs and leaders
- Listed as one of the “Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs” by Inc. Magazine
The lesson from Marie isn’t just about content. It’s about consistency. She picked a lane, showed up in it for years, and built trust gradually. That’s a playbook every coach can use.
“Perfectionism at its core isn’t about high standards. It’s about fear.” — Marie Forleo
2. Mel Robbins: The 5-Second Rule
Mel Robbins built a business coaching empire by distilling a genuinely useful insight into a simple, memorable framework and teaching it everywhere.
As a business mindset coach, she focuses on getting people to act before their brains can talk them out of it. Simple premise, profound application.
She is:
- Author of the bestselling books The 5-Second Rule and Stop Saying You’re Fine
- Creator of online courses on confidence-building and goal-setting
- Motivational speaker with a TEDx talk, How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over, that received over 31 million views
- Award-winning CNN commentator
- Named one of the “Top 30 Global Gurus” by Leadership Magazine and one of the “Most Powerful Women in Business” by Forbes
What coaches can learn from Mel: your methodology doesn’t need to be complex to be powerful. A clear, teachable framework that solves a real problem is more valuable than a long credentials list.
“Do it anyway. Your life only gets easier when you do the hard things all the time.” — Mel Robbins
3. Amy Porterfield: The Online Marketing Expert
If you want to understand how to build an online coaching business through digital courses and email marketing, Amy Porterfield is required studying.
Amy started as a marketing consultant for brands like Harley Davidson and Tony Robbins before launching her own business teaching coaches and entrepreneurs how to sell digital products profitably.
She is:
- Host of the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast
- Creator of Digital Course Academy and List Builders Society
- Named “Top 50 Online Marketing Influencers to Watch” by Entrepreneur and “Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers” by Forbes
Her approach: break complex marketing strategies into specific, actionable steps that people can actually implement. Subscribe to her email list for a masterclass in how email marketing should look for a coaching business.
“If you’re all in — two legs firmly planted — every tear, every letdown, every exhausted moment is going to be worth it ten times over.” — Amy Porterfield
4. Susan Sly: The Dynamic Business Coach
Susan Sly is one of those coaches who built her credibility through her own story. She overcame significant personal and business setbacks before building multiple successful companies, which gives her advice a weight that pure marketing expertise doesn’t.
She is:
- Host of the podcast Raw and Real Entrepreneurship
- Founder of The Fem Boss Incubator and Step Into Your Power Inc.
- Featured on CNN, CNBC, and Fox Business
- Creator of courses on leadership and productivity
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5. Tara McMullin: The Business Coach You Can’t Ignore
Tara McMullin (previously Tara Gentile) stands out in the business coaching space for one reason: she pushes back on the efficiency obsession that most business coaches promote.
Her argument? Most coaches are building businesses optimized for speed and scale when they’d be better off building something sustainable and meaningful. It’s a contrarian take, and it resonates with coaches who feel like conventional business advice doesn’t quite fit.
She is:
- Founder of CoCommercial, a digital small business community
- Author of Quiet Power Strategy
- Host of the podcast Profit.Power.Pursuit
- Named “Top 10 Most Influential Small Business Experts on Twitter” by Forbes
“While I certainly won’t deny the satisfaction of learning how to do a task faster, I do think it’s worth interrogating the way efficiency comes to shape our lives.” — Tara McMullin
6. Brené Brown: The Queen of Vulnerability
Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston who turned decades of academic research on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy into one of the most influential bodies of work in modern leadership and personal development.
She is:
- A five-time #1 New York Times bestselling author
- Host of the podcast Unlocking Us
- Creator of online courses on bravery, leadership, and authenticity
- Author of Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection
Her TED Talk on The Power of Vulnerability is one of the most-watched in TED history. Start there if you haven’t already.
“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” — Brené Brown
7. Diane Helbig: Role Model to Small Business Owners
Diane Helbig has spent over two decades helping small business owners grow without compromising what makes their businesses worth having. Her focus is on sustainable growth through better selling, stronger leadership, and smarter strategy. Not chasing scale for its own sake.
She is:
- Named one of the “Top Sales Influencers” by OpenView Partners
- Featured in Entrepreneur, HuffPost, and Sales World Magazine
- Author of Succeed Without Selling
- Host of the podcast Accelerate Your Business Growth
“Successful prospecting depends on selecting methods that you can effectively use. If something makes you uncomfortable, please don’t do it.” — Diane Helbig
8. Ali Brown: The Entrepreneurial Guru for Women
Ali Brown has been coaching women entrepreneurs to think bigger for well over a decade. Her focus is on high-level strategy and mindset for coaches and consultants who are ready to stop playing small.
She is:
- Founder and CEO of Ali International and We Lead
- Named one of Forbes’ “Women to Watch” and Inc.’s “Top 10 Entrepreneurs”
- Featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and CNN
- Host of the podcast Glambition Radio
“Make decisions not from where you are, but from where you want to be.” — Ali Brown
9. Rachel Rodgers: Helping Entrepreneurs Build Real Wealth
Rachel Rodgers is the CEO of Hello Seven and the author of We Should All Be Millionaires. Her coaching work centers on one specific outcome: helping women build seven-figure businesses on their own terms.
What sets Rachel apart is that she’s done it herself, and she’s genuinely direct about the systemic and mindset barriers that keep women from building real financial independence.
She is:
- Founder of the We Should All Be Millionaires Club
- Featured in Forbes, NBC News, Entrepreneur, Cosmopolitan, and The Washington Post
- Author of We Should All Be Millionaires
“Sixty percent of women never negotiate for higher pay — not even once in their entire career. If you are serious about building wealth, you must stop leaving money on the table.” — Rachel Rodgers
10. Selena Soo: Helping Coaches Become Visible
Selena Soo helps coaches and experts go from “hidden gem” to “household name.” Her specialty is visibility and PR strategy: the specific mechanics of getting your work in front of the right media, publications, and audiences.
She has helped her clients and students land features in Oprah Magazine, Forbes, and major podcasts. If you’re doing good work and feel like your best-kept secret, Selena is worth following.
She is:
- Creator of business masterminds and done-for-you publicity services
- Featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and HuffPost
Check out her Free Publicity Checklist. It’s a good lead magnet and a solid piece of value in its own right.
Why Learning From These Coaches Matters
Here’s the honest answer: business coaching is full of generic advice. “Be consistent.” “Niche down.” “Know your audience.” The coaches on this list go deeper than that.
They’ve Each Built Something Real
Every coach on this list has a track record, not just a following. They’ve created programs that produced actual client results, published books that changed how people think, and built businesses that kept working after the initial buzz wore off. Studying what they built tells you more than any “how I made my first $100K” post.
They Model Different Paths
Marie Forleo built on content. Amy Porterfield built on email. Rachel Rodgers built on community. Brené Brown built on research. There’s no single right way. Following multiple coaches lets you see which path actually fits your strengths and your clients.
They Demonstrate Coaching Business Models
Beyond what they teach, watch how they run their businesses. Most have diversified: one-to-one, group programs, online courses, books, speaking. That’s not accidental. Understanding how they’ve layered their income streams helps you think about how to structure your own.
They Offer Genuine Resources
Between them, these coaches have produced thousands of hours of free content: podcasts, blogs, YouTube channels, webinars. Most coaches learning from them will get substantial value before spending a dollar on a paid program.
FAQs About Top Female Business Coaches
Is Mel Robbins related to Tony Robbins?
No. Despite sharing the same last name, Mel and Tony Robbins aren’t related. They’re two separate public figures: one focused on mindset and daily action, the other on peak performance and business strategy.
How does Marie Forleo make money?
Marie’s income comes from multiple streams: B-School (her flagship online business program), book royalties, speaking, and digital products. B-School is her biggest revenue driver, an online training for coaches and entrepreneurs who want to build a meaningful, profitable business.
What is Brené Brown’s theory?
Brené Brown’s core research finding is that vulnerability (being willing to show up without certainty of outcome) is the foundation of courage, connection, and meaningful work. She found that shame drives disconnection, while empathy builds it. Her Daring Greatly framework teaches leaders to lead from a place of authenticity rather than fear.
How can I apply these coaches’ strategies to my own coaching business?
Start with the coach whose style resonates most with yours. Study their content, note their methodology, and identify one specific thing they do that you could implement in your own practice. Don’t try to copy their entire approach. Extract what fits and make it your own. The goal is to be a better version of yourself, not a second version of them.
Do I need a large following to build a successful coaching business?
No, and several coaches on this list are proof of that. Diane Helbig has built a respected two-decade career working with small business owners without a massive social media following. Depth of relationship with a smaller audience consistently outperforms surface-level reach with a large one.
The Real Takeaway
The thread connecting all 10 coaches on this list? They built businesses around specific, genuine expertise and showed up for their audiences consistently over years, not months.
That’s the real lesson. Not the tactics, but the commitment.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2023 and has since been updated in April 2026.
