Comments on: Full-Time Career as a Garden Coach? Fugeddaboutit! http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/339 Susan Harris's blog about eco-friendly and urban gardening, plus the adventures of a DC-based garden writer, coach and occasional rabble-rowser. Mon, 24 May 2010 11:12:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Susan Harris http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/339/comment-page-1#comment-1369 Susan Harris Wed, 22 Aug 2007 01:57:45 +0000 http://beyondsustainablegardening.com/?p=339#comment-1369 Interesting comments. To Kathy, I list all coaches in the world on my directory - except others in the DC area. Damn, if I had to share the few clients with other coaches there'd be no point in it. And Heather, I know the image consultant in this case and she was BORN rich. Interesting comments. To Kathy, I list all coaches in the world on my directory – except others in the DC area. Damn, if I had to share the few clients with other coaches there’d be no point in it.
And Heather, I know the image consultant in this case and she was BORN rich.

]]> By: Cris http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/339/comment-page-1#comment-1368 Cris Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:34:44 +0000 http://beyondsustainablegardening.com/?p=339#comment-1368 You can make a fairly decent living if you're able to make it through the lean years of establishment. I am both a landscape designer and a Garden Consultant/Garden Coach. I charge a flat fee for my designs and then charge hourly for the oversight of installation and for any consulting needed for upkeep. Luckily, my husband was in the military when I started up my business and if I didn't make any money, it was fine because we barely had any real bills because we lived in military housing. When he got out, I was fairly established and forged my reputation. It's not an easy business to keep going because burnout (especially this time of year) and seasonal work. But if you're driven and have a good work ethic, it can be done. You can make a fairly decent living if you’re able to make it through the lean years of establishment. I am both a landscape designer and a Garden Consultant/Garden Coach. I charge a flat fee for my designs and then charge hourly for the oversight of installation and for any consulting needed for upkeep. Luckily, my husband was in the military when I started up my business and if I didn’t make any money, it was fine because we barely had any real bills because we lived in military housing. When he got out, I was fairly established and forged my reputation. It’s not an easy business to keep going because burnout (especially this time of year) and seasonal work. But if you’re driven and have a good work ethic, it can be done.

]]> By: Heather http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/339/comment-page-1#comment-1367 Heather Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:18:59 +0000 http://beyondsustainablegardening.com/?p=339#comment-1367 If you're willing to drop $5,000 or more on clothes, are you going to sweat the $250 hourly fee on top of that? Probably not. I will say that the image consultant is probably not rich herself (or she wouldn't be working in the "service industry"), but instead has access to those with great wealth. It's a frustrating world to move along side -- can you tell I've been a EA to a CEO? Writing checks from his personal bank account in amounts greater than my yearly salary on a regular basis was a humbling experience. If you’re willing to drop $5,000 or more on clothes, are you going to sweat the $250 hourly fee on top of that? Probably not. I will say that the image consultant is probably not rich herself (or she wouldn’t be working in the “service industry”), but instead has access to those with great wealth. It’s a frustrating world to move along side — can you tell I’ve been a EA to a CEO? Writing checks from his personal bank account in amounts greater than my yearly salary on a regular basis was a humbling experience.

]]> By: Kathy, Washington Gardener http://www.sustainablegardeningblog.com/archives/339/comment-page-1#comment-1366 Kathy, Washington Gardener Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:16:12 +0000 http://beyondsustainablegardening.com/?p=339#comment-1366 Do you list other (perhaps competing) Garden Coaches in the DC area? If so, I'll send a few potential listees your way. I agree that image consultant fee seems out of whack - but I suppose if I ever get so bedraggled that I'd need to hire one - they'd deserve that price to whip me back into fashionable shape. I thik wedding consultants/planners (aka coaches) also deserve any big bucks they make - just spending time with any bride for 1 day is enough to convince anyway of that. Do you list other (perhaps competing) Garden Coaches in the DC area? If so, I’ll send a few potential listees your way.

I agree that image consultant fee seems out of whack – but I suppose if I ever get so bedraggled that I’d need to hire one – they’d deserve that price to whip me back into fashionable shape.
I thik wedding consultants/planners (aka coaches) also deserve any big bucks they make – just spending time with any bride for 1 day is enough to convince anyway of that.

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