A fitness coach turned her scattered online presence into a $127,000/year business in 14 months. Here's exactly how she did it.
At BTS, we've seen hundreds of creators make the leap from content creator to business owner. But every now and then, someone's journey stands out—not because it's flashy, but because it's replicable. This is one of those stories.
We're sharing this case study because it represents a pattern we see repeatedly: a creator with an audience, a clear niche, and zero infrastructure to turn that into something real. BTS is where creators turn content and community into real businesses, and Sarah Chen's story shows exactly what that looks like in practice.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| **Creator Type** | Fitness & Nutrition Coach |
| **Time on BTS** | 14 months |
| **Starting Point** | 18,000 Instagram followers, $800/month from random coaching clients |
| **Current MRR** | $10,600/month ($127,200 annualized) |
| **Key Win** | Went from 3 paying clients to 340+ active members |
The Background
Sarah Chen had been posting fitness content on Instagram for three years. She'd built a following of 18,000 people who genuinely engaged with her posts about sustainable nutrition and strength training for busy professionals.
She was making money—technically. About $800 per month from a handful of one-on-one coaching clients she'd found through DMs. But here's what her business actually looked like:
- Coaching calls booked through Calendly
- Payments collected through Venmo and PayPal
- Workout programs sent via Google Drive links
- A private Facebook group she barely had time to moderate
- A free email newsletter on Mailchimp
- Occasional course sales through Gumroad
From our experience: "We've seen this exact setup dozens of times. Creators stitching together tools that never become a real business."
Sarah was spending more time managing logistics than actually coaching. She'd wake up to DMs asking for payment links, spend her mornings chasing invoices, and her evenings trying to figure out which client was supposed to get which program.
The worst part? She had no idea who her most engaged community members were. Her Facebook group had 2,000 people in it, but she couldn't tell you which ones had bought something, which ones were ready to buy, or which ones were just lurking.
She wasn't building a business. She was running on a treadmill.
The Challenge
Sarah's core problem wasn't a lack of audience or expertise. It was fragmentation.
The creator economy is fragmented. Most creator platforms optimize for transactions, not ownership. And that's exactly what Sarah was experiencing—she had transactions happening across five different platforms, but no actual business infrastructure.
Here's what she told us when she first reached out:
"I felt like a fraud calling myself a 'business owner.' I had customers, sure, but I didn't have a business. I couldn't tell you my churn rate, my customer lifetime value, or even how many active paying members I had without manually counting spreadsheet rows."
She'd tried to solve this before. She looked at Kajabi but felt overwhelmed by the enterprise-level complexity. She tried Teachable for her courses but it didn't handle community. She considered Skool but thought it looked dated—and her brand aesthetic mattered to her.
What we've learned: "The most successful creator businesses aren't the ones with the most tools—they're the ones with the right infrastructure."
Sarah needed one place to build something she owned. Not another tool to add to the stack.
The turning point came when she calculated how much time she was spending on admin work: 15+ hours per week. That's nearly half a full-time job spent on logistics instead of coaching, content creation, or community building.
She knew something had to change.
The Solution: Why She Chose BTS
Sarah discovered BTS through another fitness creator in her network. What caught her attention wasn't a feature list—it was the philosophy.
BTS's take: "We don't believe creators should have to become tech experts to build a real business. That's our job."
Here's what resonated with her:
1. Everything in one place. No more stitching together Calendly, Stripe, Google Drive, Facebook, and Mailchimp. We run the infrastructure behind the scenes so she could focus on what she's actually good at—coaching.
2. Modern design that matched her brand. Unlike Skool's classroom-style interface, BTS is designed to look and feel like a modern brand. Sarah's members would see a polished, professional experience—not a course portal from 2005.
3. Ownership, not rentership. This was huge for her. On BTS, she owns her audience data, her content, her community. She's not building on rented land.
4. Simple to start. She was up and running in a weekend. Not weeks of configuration—a weekend.
Our recommendation: "Based on working with 1,600+ creators, we suggest focusing on infrastructure before features. Features can always be added. A fragmented foundation can't be fixed without starting over."
Sarah's decision wasn't about finding the platform with the most features. It was about finding creator business infrastructure that would let her build something real.
She signed up on a Friday night and had her first paying members by Monday.
The Implementation
Here's exactly what Sarah built on BTS and how she structured her offering.
Month 1: Foundation
Sarah started with a simple structure:
| Tier | Price | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| **Community** | $29/month | Access to community, weekly live Q&As, workout library |
| **Coaching** | $149/month | Everything above + monthly 1:1 call + personalized programming |
| **VIP** | $497/month | Everything above + unlimited messaging + priority support |
Pro tip from our experience: Start simple. You can always add complexity later. Most creators who fail try to launch with too much, too soon.
She migrated her existing clients first—all three of them moved to the Coaching tier. Then she opened up the Community tier to her Instagram audience.
Month 2-4: Building Momentum
Sarah focused on one thing: making her community undeniably valuable.
She posted daily in the community—quick tips, form check threads, nutrition wins. She ran two live Q&A sessions per week. She created a simple 12-week program and dripped it out to members.
Key features she used:
- Content library for her workout programs
- Community feed for daily engagement
- Live events for her Q&A sessions
- Subscriptions for recurring revenue
- Member insights to see who was most engaged
By month 4, she had 87 paying members and was making $3,200/month.
Month 5-8: Scaling What Works
This is where structure and momentum, not algorithms, started paying off.
Sarah noticed her most engaged community members were asking for more advanced content. So she created a 6-week challenge with a one-time payment option: $199 for the challenge, with a discount for existing subscribers.
She launched it to her community first. 34 people bought it in the first 48 hours.
Then she promoted it on Instagram. Another 52 purchases.
Total challenge revenue: $17,094 in one week.
Month 9-14: Systematizing Growth
By this point, Sarah had a real business. But she wanted to make it run without her being involved in every transaction.
She added:
- Free trials to reduce friction for new members
- Annual subscription option (at a discount) to improve retention
- Tiered content access so free trial users could see what they're missing
BTS's approach to creator growth:
- Start with one offering that works
- Validate demand before adding complexity
- Use member data to inform what to build next
- Systematize before you scale
By month 14, Sarah had 340+ active paying members across all tiers, with an MRR of $10,600.
The Results
Let's look at the numbers. Because at BTS, we believe in real results, not vague testimonials.
Revenue Growth
| Period | Monthly Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Before BTS | $800/month | Sporadic, unpredictable |
| Month 3 | $2,100/month | Foundation laid |
| Month 6 | $4,800/month | Community growing |
| Month 9 | $7,200/month | Challenge revenue added |
| Month 12 | $9,400/month | Annual subscriptions kicking in |
| Month 14 | $10,600/month | Systematic growth |
Total revenue in 14 months on BTS: $89,000+ Projected annual run rate: $127,200
Before vs. After
| Metric | Before BTS | After 14 Months |
|---|---|---|
| **Monthly revenue** | $800 | $10,600 |
| **Paying customers** | 3 | 340+ |
| **Hours on admin/week** | 15+ | 3-4 |
| **Tools being used** | 6+ | 1 |
| **Customer insight** | None | Complete |
| **Churn visibility** | Zero | Real-time |
The Wins Beyond Revenue
Our data shows: "Creators who consolidate their business infrastructure typically save 10+ hours per week on admin—time they reinvest into content and community."
For Sarah, the time savings were transformational. Those 15+ hours per week of admin work dropped to 3-4 hours. That freed her up to:
- Create better content (her Instagram grew from 18,000 to 31,000)
- Actually coach her members (instead of chasing invoices)
- Launch new offerings (like her 6-week challenge)
- Take weekends off (a novel concept for her)
But the biggest win? She finally felt like a business owner.
"I used to cringe when people asked what I do for work. Now I say I run a fitness coaching business. Because I actually do."
Key Lessons Learned
We asked Sarah what she'd tell other coaches thinking about making this leap. Here's what she shared:
What Worked Best
1. Starting simple. Her initial three-tier structure wasn't revolutionary. It was clear, easy to understand, and easy to deliver. Complexity came later, once she knew what her audience actually wanted.
2. Focusing on community first. The recurring revenue from her community tier became the foundation of everything. Once people were in, they upgraded naturally.
3. Using member data. BTS showed her exactly who was engaging, who was at risk of churning, and who was ready to upgrade. She stopped guessing and started making informed decisions.
From our experience: "The creators who grow fastest aren't the ones with the biggest launches—they're the ones who pay attention to their existing members."
What She'd Do Differently
1. Move faster on the annual option. She waited until month 9 to offer annual subscriptions. Looking back, she wishes she'd done it from day one. Annual members churn at a fraction of the rate of monthly.
2. Raise prices sooner. Her Community tier started at $19/month. She raised it to $29/month at month 6 and saw zero drop in conversion. She probably could have started at $29.
3. Hire help earlier. By month 10, she was stretched thin. She eventually brought on a community manager for 10 hours/week. Wish she'd done it at month 6.
Advice for Similar Creators
If you're a coach with an audience and no infrastructure:
- Stop adding tools. Every new tool is another thing to manage, another integration to break, another login to remember.
- Get your existing audience somewhere you own. Your Instagram followers aren't yours. Your BTS members are.
- Charge what you're worth. If you have real expertise and people get real results, price accordingly.
- Focus on retention, not just acquisition. A member who stays for 12 months is worth more than 12 members who stay for one.
Your Turn: Getting Started
Sarah's story isn't unique. It's a pattern we've seen play out hundreds of times across 1,600+ creators on BTS.
The formula is straightforward:
- An audience (doesn't have to be huge—Sarah started with 18,000)
- A clear niche (Sarah helps busy professionals get fit)
- Something valuable to offer (coaching, content, community)
- Infrastructure to make it real (that's where we come in)
If a creator has an audience but no structure, BTS is the answer.
We're not going to pretend this is easy. Building a real business never is. But it's a lot easier when you're not fighting your tools every step of the way.
Sarah went from $800/month and 15+ hours of weekly admin to $10,600/month and weekends off. That transformation happened because she stopped stitching together platforms and started building on proper infrastructure.
BTS gives creators one place to build something they own. Everything runs behind the scenes in one space. You bring your audience—we help you turn them into a real business.
Ready to build something real? Get started with BTS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a coaching business case study?
A coaching business case study is a detailed examination of how a specific coach built, grew, and scaled their business. It includes real numbers, strategies used, timeline, and lessons learned. At BTS, we share these studies to show what's actually possible—not theoretical, but proven.
How much can coaches realistically make on BTS?
Based on our creator data, coaches on BTS range from a few hundred dollars per month to well over $50,000/month. The determining factors are audience size, niche clarity, and offering quality. Sarah's $10,600/month is realistic for coaches with 15,000+ followers and a clear value proposition.
How long does it take to build a 6-figure coaching business?
From our experience working with creators, the typical timeline to reach 6-figures ($8,333+/month) is 12-24 months for coaches with existing audiences. Sarah did it in 14 months. Coaches starting from zero audience should expect 24-36 months.
What's the difference between BTS and Kajabi for coaches?
Kajabi is enterprise software designed for course creators with technical teams. BTS is creator business infrastructure designed to be simple to start and flexible to scale. We focus on getting you running quickly, not overwhelming you with options.
Do I need a large following to succeed on BTS?
No. We work with creators starting at 10,000+ followers. What matters more than follower count is audience engagement and niche clarity. A coach with 10,000 engaged followers in a specific niche will outperform one with 100,000 passive followers every time.
How is BTS different from Skool for coaches?
Unlike Skool's classroom-style interface, BTS is designed to look and feel like a modern brand. Your members see a polished, professional experience that reflects your personal brand—not a generic course portal.
What features do coaches use most on BTS?
The most-used features among coaches are: community (daily engagement), content library (programs and resources), subscriptions (recurring revenue), and live events (Q&As and group coaching). These four features cover 90% of what most coaches need.
Can I migrate existing customers to BTS?
Yes. Most coaches migrate their existing paying customers in the first week. We see typical migration success rates above 85%. The key is clear communication about the benefits of the new setup.
How much does BTS cost for coaches?
BTS offers Starter (10% platform fee, free to start) and Pro ($149/month + 3.5% + 30c per transaction). Most coaches start on Starter and upgrade to Pro once they pass ~$3,000/month in revenue—the math works out better at that point.
What if I already have courses on another platform?
Your content is yours. You can upload existing courses, programs, and resources to BTS. Many coaches run their course library alongside their community for a complete offering.
How does BTS help with customer retention?
We provide member insights that show engagement levels, at-risk members, and upgrade opportunities. You stop guessing who's about to churn and start taking proactive action. This data alone has helped creators reduce churn by 20-30%.
Is BTS only for fitness coaches?
No. We have creators across education, business, fitness, entrepreneurship, and more. The case study features a fitness coach, but the principles apply to any coaching niche with a clear audience.
How do payouts work on BTS?
Payouts are processed within 1-5 days globally, with same-day payouts available in the US. You're not waiting weeks to access your money.
Can I offer free trials on BTS?
Yes. Free trials are fully supported and we recommend them. They reduce friction for new members and let people experience your community before committing.
What makes a coaching business "real" vs. just having clients?
A real business has infrastructure: recurring revenue, customer data, scalable delivery, and systems that don't depend on you being involved in every transaction. BTS provides that infrastructure so you can build something that grows beyond your personal capacity.
Key Takeaways
- Sarah went from $800/month to $10,600/month in 14 months by consolidating her coaching business on BTS
- Time savings were massive: 15+ hours of weekly admin dropped to 3-4 hours
- Simple structures win: She started with just three tiers and added complexity only when data supported it
- Community is the foundation: Recurring community revenue created the stable base for everything else
- Your first step: Stop adding tools and start building infrastructure you own
About the Author
The BTS Team is the Creator Success team at BTS. We work directly with creators every day, helping them turn content and community into real businesses. This case study is based on real creator data and patterns we've observed across our platform of 1,600+ creators who have earned over $1.4M in payouts.
Sources
- Internal BTS creator data (anonymized and aggregated)
- Direct interviews with featured creator
- Platform analytics from January 2025 - January 2026
This article reflects BTS's methodology and experience as of January 2026.
Related Articles
- The Ultimate Guide to Building a Creator Business (2026)
- BTS for Fitness Coaches: How We Help You Build a Real Business
- BTS for Business Coaches: How We Help You Build a Real Business
- BTS for Coaches: How We Help You Build a Real Business
- [How a Business Coach Built a 6-Figure Business on BTS [Case Study]](https://behindthescenes.com/blog/case-study-business-coach-success)