“Sell to Your Younger Self” Is The Biggest Lie in Coaching
- Brainz Magazine
- Apr 16
- 4 min read
Written by Dr. Axa Yox, Personal Coach
Dr. Axa Yox is well-known for her expertise in human biology and gut health. The First-Prize Award winner was nominated as a Person of Extraordinary Ability. A founder of Yox Media, Host of W.H.Y. - What, How, Y podcast. Author of book "One Promise."
You’ve been told to build your offer for the person you once were, but that advice may be quietly sabotaging your business. Selling to your younger self might feel heartfelt, but it often misses the mark when it comes to what your actual audience needs today. In this article, we’ll explore why this popular coaching mantra is flawed and what to do instead to create real impact and sales.
You’ve walked through fire.
And became an incredible coach with an awesome course.
You’ve battled setbacks, learned the hard lessons, and earned every insight. Now, you want to help others skip the pain you endured.
Save them the wasted time, the wrong turns, the burnout. You built your course to be the shortcut you never had.
You’re not selling information. You’re selling freedom.
You’re not just a coach. You’re a guide, a leader, and a true difference-maker.
But, nothing, crickets.
The DMs aren’t blowing up.
The conversions aren’t converting.
The impact you dream of is still sitting in Google Sheets.
What if I told you the real reason your course isn’t selling has nothing to do with your funnel, your copy, or your offer? And everything to do with who you built it for:
Your younger self
Because we’ve been fed this heartfelt nonsense by every marketing Guru:
“Just sell the course to your younger self.”
Indeed, it sounds noble. It feels right.
But in reality?
It’s the express lane to Cricketsville
Let’s break it down:
Your younger self was.
Broke. Skeptical.
Obsessed with doing everything solo.
Downloading 37 freebies, watching masterclasses at 2x speed, and still unsure what to do next.
Are you selling to that version of yourself? Seriously?
The one that didn’t buy back then
They hesitated. They hoarded. They hid behind learning. So, guess what happens when you build for them.
You attract a crowd that loves the idea of results but not the work behind it.
They romanticize their rock bottom
They have no intention of paying for anything. And even if they pay, they will cancel the course and ask for a refund. They bought only because in the room where everybody is inspired, they don’t want to be left behind.
You built your offer for people who equate effort with virtue and delay with diligence.
And now, your content speaks to a mindset that celebrates burnout like a badge of honor. But their tagline says, “Burnout is not a badge of honor.”
They are obsessed to share motivational quotes, hitting the pain again and again.
And nothing.
But wait, it gets worse.
Some marketers try to pressure this version of their audience into action:
Imagine being free from ”fill in the blank”
Then they slap on a countdown timer and call it urgency or a waitlist.
After, extend the deadline, and call it “only 3 seats left.” The “never filling” three seats.
Here’s the problem:
You can’t force freedom
The human brain doesn’t work like that.
You can’t beat someone over the head with pressure and expect them to feel liberated. You can’t light a fire under someone lying on the couch with a dead engine.
Freedom isn’t a threat. It’s a decision
And you can’t sell freedom through pressure.
It can’t be dragged out by fear-based funnels.
So when you try to market “freedom” through force, you’re already screwed.
Because your prospects isn’t resisting your product, they’re resisting the pressure
They don’t want another obligation disguised as opportunity. And when urgency meets avoidance?
Avoidance still wins.
And here’s the true killer
If they don’t want to become like you, they’ll never buy from you. Period!
You’re not selling a transformation.
You’re selling a shortcut to a new version of you.
Your version of speed. Your version of clarity. Your version of freedom.
You are not selling a course to an old version of yourself. You are selling an updated version of yourself
And if that doesn’t scream desirable, they’ll scroll right past.
But if everything is so skeptical, is there anything that works?
And the answer is yes, if:
You sell to the person who links pain with lost time if stays stuck, not losing money if buys the course.
You sell to the version of your audience who’s done pretending “busy” means “productive.” Who’s not chasing freedom? They’re ready to claim it.
The best in the game don’t beg. They don’t relate to the past.
They don’t preach.
They don’t sell.
Plus.
They don’t sell to a buyer.
They don’t sell to the decision-maker.
They lead toward the future.
They convert you from a buyer to a decision-maker
Because, in a world where the return rate is over 80%, buyers return, and only decision-makers don’t.
They shift the frame from:
I know how painful it is.
Or I’ve been there and found a perfect solution. Here is the shortcut.
Or let me help you escape your pain. Or here’s what happens when you stop wasting time.
To call me when you are done wasting your time, cos then you won’t waste mine.
So, stop building for the old you.
Start speaking to the version of them that’s sick of circling the drain. Because “relatable” doesn’t pay the bills.
Neither does “aspirational.”
Transformational does
And unless they want to become you.
They’ll never take out their credit cards and pay to become you.
Read more from Dr. Axa Yox
Dr. Axa Yox, Personal Coach
Dr. Axa Yox is an emerging voice in human biology, gut health, and longevity. Ending up in the emergency room forced her to focus on health. In 2020, Axa faced the hardship of letting go. Searching for the answer, she transformed her life completely. She has since dedicated her life to helping others dramatically transform their lives through mindset to unleash their true selves. She is the CEO of X Theory, the premiere coaching company. International Keynote Speaker. Future TEDx speaker. Her mission: Every life counts.
