turning Problems into a Million dollar Brand
How I Turn My Struggles into a Million-Dollar Coaching Brand
Here’s how I turn my problems into a million dollar coaching brand.
There’s something sacred about standing in the ruins of your life and deciding to build something that didn’t exist before. My coaching brand wasn’t born in a boardroom. It was born in the fire—through the things I thought would break me. Today, I serve Fortune 100 executives, high-net-worth individuals, and leaders around the world. But back then? I was a man with more questions than answers and more broken pieces than blueprints.
This is the story of how I turned pain into profit—not by pretending I had it all together, but by building a business that grew from the cracks in my life. Because sometimes, the most fertile soil is found at rock bottom.j
Battle Scars Build Brands
People Don’t Connect to Perfection—They Connect to The Truth
People don’t bond with perfection, the connect to authenticity. They connect with your pain, especially when it’s been converted into wisdom. People appreciate it when someone has the courage to say, “I’ve been there too.”
Before I had a website… before I ever launched a coaching program… all I really had was my story. Real, raw, lived experience.
My journey includes losing everything and having to rebuild from scratch; going through a painful divorce. I even wrestled with chronic depression and stared down a stage 4 cancer. And yes—I too have been betrayed by people I trusted with my whole heart. Yet, I turned my problems into a million dollar coaching brand.
The Blue Print – From Break Down to Break Through
Still, not one of those experiences disqualified me. Not one of them broke me beyond repair. Instead, each one handed me a piece of the blueprint I use now to help others rebuild.
In many ways, every challenge has shaped me like a storm shapes a canyon—it carved out more depth, more presence, and more compassion. The pain didn’t just hurt. It hollowed out space in me for greater clarity, empathy, and resilience.
That’s why I don’t hide my scars. I bring them with me. They’re not liabilities—they’re credentials. When I show up for a client, I don’t speak from a pedestal. I speak from the trenches I had to crawl through.
Because let’s be real: people can spot performative positivity from a mile away. But what resonates—what really lands—is when someone shows up with lived truth, with battle-tested wisdom, with a heart that’s been cracked open and healed.
That’s what my clients remember long after the session ends. It’s not just the tools or insights. It’s the feeling of being seen, heard, and held by someone who truly understands.
Breakdowns Become My Coaching Curriculum
Instead of bypassing the pain, I leaned into it. I built my million-dollar coaching brand by turning every personal struggle into teachable frameworks.
Just like a skilled chef turns scraps into broth, I turned my toughest moments into recipes for healing.
Each failed relationship became a masterclass in emotional intelligence. Every season of scarcity taught me how to coach executives through uncertainty by using faith and appreciative inquiry. I didn’t just read about trauma-informed coaching—I lived it, healed through it, and then coached others from it.
As Brené Brown says, “You can’t numb the dark without numbing the light.” So I learned to feel it all—and transform my darkness into light for others. I became the evidence and lived experiences was the research.
Breakthrough Came When I Shifted from Coach to Catalyst
At some point, I stopped viewing myself as a service provider and began embodying what I now call a cognitive catalyst. That shift—one of the most pivotal breakthroughs in my coaching career—is an essential building block in building a coaching brand worth seven figures.
Instead of positioning myself to just “help” people, I became the person who moved people—emotionally, spiritually, and strategically. I didn’t chase big platforms. I mastered small life changing moments with my clients. Then, the word spread.
Like a tuning fork in a noisy room, I struck a frequency that resonated with people who are truly ready for change—and that resonance became my reputation.
Truth-Telling Was the Breakthrough My Brand Needed
I used to think that marketing required a perfect funnel or a viral strategy. But the more I spoke the raw, unfiltered truth, the more my audience grew.
My million-dollar brand isn’t built on gimmicks—it’s built on humility, alignment, authenticity, and emotional clarity.
“Your story—when told with conviction—is like a lighthouse in someone else’s storm. You don’t need to shout; you just need to allow all you to shine.” Dr. D Ivan Young, MCC
Every time I spoke from the scar instead of the wound, people leaned in—because they saw themselves in my story. When I combined that lived truth with proven coaching strategies and research-backed methods, it created real transformation.
For me, people have always come before profit. My clients don’t just get a coach—they get someone who’s fully invested. I show up when it counts—not just during business hours. Compassion isn’t a talking point for me. It’s how I lead. I know firsthand what it feels like to reach out and be met with silence. I never take it for granted that they could have chosen anyone in the world, but they chose me. That trust is something I do not take for granted.
I Let Faith and Science Walk Hand-in-Hand
I’ve never believed that purpose and practice have to live in separate worlds. I don’t separate my spiritual foundation from my professional work—but I also don’t trade evidence for instinct. In my view, faith and neuroscience are not in conflict—they’re complementary forces.
That’s why I designed a coaching methodology that honors both. It integrates the sacred with the scientific, merging timeless wisdom with proven, evidence-based tools. I draw from spiritual principles and psychological frameworks alike—grounding my approach in research, guided by intention, and rooted in values like empathy, compassion, and resilience.
For example, a 2012 study in The Journal of Positive Psychology found that spiritually integrated coaching interventions can significantly improve emotional and psychological well-being (Koenig, 2012).
When clients work with me, they feel truly seen—not just because I understand behavior, but because I view them through a dual lens: human potential and human spirit. That’s the space where real transformation happens.
Reputation Is the Key to the Revenue Stream
You can buy attention, but you can’t buy a good name. That happens—one relationship, one result at a time.
My brand didn’t grow because I chased trends or flash. It grew because people experienced something real and told others. TEDx didn’t invite me because I’m loud—they invited me because I’m honest. My clients—many of them leaders, public figures, and decision-makers—refer me not because I promise quick wins, but because I help create lasting change.
As Marshall Goldsmith said, ‘What got you here won’t get you there.’ I became the coach leaders turn to when it’s time to get to ‘there’—wherever that may be.
Honoring the Process – Building A Million Dollar Coaching Practice
Even now, I’m still becoming. Still healing. Still stretching.
But the beautiful part? I no longer resist the process. I honor it. I trust it. Because the same cracks that once broke me now let my light through.
If you’re in your breakdown right now, know this: there’s a blueprint in the rubble. Your most powerful work may still be ahead.
Don’t underestimate what can be built from broken places. Don’t assume your pain disqualifies you—it may be the very credential your audience needs.
Your Breakdown is the Blueprint
You don’t need more followers. You need more alignment. You don’t need a polished pitch—you need an honest story paired with real results.
You are the brand. And your breakthrough? It starts the moment you stop hiding your breakdown.
If I can build a million-dollar coaching brand from my issues, flaws, and failures—you can too.
Dr. D. Ivan Young is an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC), National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), and Certified Positive Intelligence Coach. He is a Master MBTI Practitioner and holds advanced credentials in behavioral neuroscience and evidence and research based coaching.