Catch up with coach Cote Create
We’re starting a little series where we ask our Mimi Coaches some creative questions. First, we talked to Cote Create to hear all about her coaching practice and her best tips for struggling creatives. Grab a cuppa and a have a read through! And if you want to book a coaching session, you know where to find her!
What do you love the most about coaching other creatives?
Honestly? Watching the moment someone stops searching for the "right way" and starts trusting their own. Social media is overflowing with advice: "Follow these three steps." "This is the only strategy that works." "Post more. Sell more. Do more." And sometimes those methods do work... until they don't. Because they were built for someone else's life, business, personality, energy and goals, not yours.
That's why I don't believe in one-size-fits-all coaching. Every creative I work with arrives with a completely different story, different fears, different strengths and a different definition of success. My role isn't to fit them into a formula, it's to help them understand themselves so deeply that they can build a business that actually works for them.
To me, knowing yourself is one of the most powerful business strategies you'll ever have. And I'm not talking about your brand colours or your logo. I'm talking about understanding who you are when nobody is watching, what drives you, how you work best, what drains you, what motivates you, and what kind of life you're actually trying to create. I combine business strategy, creative thinking, self-development and years of experience working with creatives because I believe sustainable success starts from the inside out.
The thing I love most about coaching is seeing someone leave the session with more than a plan, they leave with clarity, confidence and permission to build a business that finally feels like their own.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone struggling in the creative industry?
Stop looking outside for every answer. We're constantly told that someone else has the secret. The perfect marketing strategy. The perfect pricing model. The perfect morning routine. The perfect content plan. But here's the thing: if success came from copying someone else's blueprint, we'd all be successful.
The creatives who build careers that last aren't usually the ones who follow every trend. They're the ones who understand themselves well enough to make decisions that are aligned with who they are.Your business should support your life, not the other way around. The moment you stop chasing someone else's definition of success is often the moment you begin building your own.
What would you say to someone who struggles to get paid fairly for their work?
Most people think pricing is a numbers problem. In my experience, it's usually a confidence problem. When you don't fully understand your value, you start apologising for your prices. You compare yourself to everyone else. You overdeliver. You lower your rates before anyone even asks. And little by little, you begin teaching people how to undervalue your work. Learning to charge fairly isn't about becoming more expensive. It's about understanding the transformation you create, communicating it with confidence and building a business where your prices reflect both your expertise and the life you want to sustain. Creative businesses deserve to be profitable. Not because money is the goal, but because it gives you the freedom to keep creating.
Tell us about a rewarding coaching session.
I know this might sound like a cliché, but honestly... all of them.
Every creative arrives with a different story, challenge and definition of success, so every coaching journey is unique. For me, the most rewarding moment isn't necessarily a big breakthrough, it's seeing someone leave a session feeling lighter, more confident, and genuinely excited about taking their next step.
I always say that the coaching session is just the beginning. Sometimes the transformation starts immediately, and sometimes it unfolds over time. Watching someone gradually trust themselves more, take up space, build a business that reflects who they are, and create a creative life they're proud of is what makes this work so meaningful to me.
I don't coach because it's another service I can offer, I coach because I genuinely believe in people.
Creative work can feel lonely. I want my clients to know they don't have to build their dream alone."
Book a coaching session with Cote Create
