Discovery & Research

Client Interviews

I conducted in-depth interviews with Tanya's existing clients to understand what made her coaching valuable. The insights were clear:

What clients valued most:

• The numerous insights gained in each session
• Motivation during the discouraging job search process
• Tanya's energy and positive vibe
• Most importantly: Her professional approach with clear processes, defined tools/frameworks, and flexibility to adapt to individual needs

These interviews also revealed a critical insight: people don't understand what coaching is—and they often confuse it with therapy, mentoring, or even mystical "manifesting" practices.

Voice of Customer Analysis

From the interviews, I extracted testimonials and identified language patterns that helped shape the new messaging. Clients consistently praised:

• The structured, professional process
• Specific tools and frameworks used
• Tanya's ability to provide clarity
• The collaborative nature of the work

Strategic Planning Session

In our strategy meeting with Tanya, we:

• Defined project expectations and goals
• Established the new site structure
• Identified the need to educate visitors about coaching
• Discussed the "rubber duck debugging" concept as a perfect metaphor for her approach
• Aligned on bringing more tech references and personality into the copy

[VISUAL SUGGESTION: Photo of strategy session notes or key takeaways from the meeting]

Strategy & Approach

Content Restructuring

Before:

• Long, chronological "About" page detailing Tanya's entire career history
• Separate page about how she helps people today
• Generic service descriptions
• Minimal personality

After:

• Streamlined "About" page - Focuses on how she helps people now, with brief mention of tech background
• Separate service pages for AVGS and private clients with targeted messaging
• Homepage - Clear value proposition with "coaching for career debugging" hero
• Use cases section - Specific scenarios where coaching applies
• FAQ section - Comprehensive education about coaching
• Company-sponsored coaching callout - Highlighting that employers can pay for coaching

Managing Expectations

We clearly communicated that:

• • Tanya won't solve your life for you
  • It's collaborative work requiring client effort
  • The client will have the insights themselves
  • Tanya acts as the "rubber duck" to facilitate clarity

Defining the Voice

The biggest challenge was finding the right voice that would:

• Reflect Tanya's joyful, energetic personality
• Include tech-savvy references that resonate with her audience
• Maintain professional credibility
• Feel authentic, not forced

Old tone: Clear, professional, neutral

New tone: Joyful, tech-savvy, energetic, authentic, approachable yet professional

Tech-Inspired Copy Elements

We incorporated tech references throughout the site to create immediate connection with the target audience:

• coaching.explained() - Section headers styled like code functions
• #introductions - References to Slack channels
• "Ready to start debugging?" - CTA that connects to the brand tagline "coaching for career debugging"
• Rubber duck debugging metaphor - Used to explain the coaching process in familiar terms

Addressing Two Audiences

We created separate service pages for each persona:

• AVGS coaching - For job seekers with vouchers
• Private coaching - For employed professionals seeking clarity

Each page speaks directly to that audience's specific pain points and goals.

Education-First Approach

Since most visitors don't understand coaching, we built in extensive education:

FAQ Section addressing:

• What is coaching exactly?
• How is coaching different from therapy?
• What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
• Can you tell me which companies are the best fit for me/give market analysis/point to the ideal career path?

Process explanation using the rubber duck metaphor: The rubber duck became both a visual icon and a conceptual framework—just as developers explain code to a rubber duck to find bugs, Tanya's clients talk through their career challenges to gain clarity.

SEO Strategy

I conducted keyword research to make the site discoverable for Berlin-based tech professionals searching for:

• Career coaching
• AVGS coaching
• Career clarity
• Burnout support
• Tech career guidance

All pages were optimized with:

• SEO titles and meta descriptions
• Properly structured H1 and H2 tags
• Alt tags for images
• Localized keywords for the Berlin market  

Visual Direction

Beyond copy, I provided strategic direction for:

• New photography - More aligned with the brand personality
• Icon selection - Including the rubber duck for AVGS services
• Visual language - Suggestions to increase trustworthiness and align with verbal tone

Key Takeaways

 From: A site that wasn't converting or reflecting Tanya's personality

To: A site that:

• • Authentically represents who Tanya is
  • Educates visitors about what coaching actually is
  • Speaks directly to tech professionals in their language
  • Addresses two distinct audiences with tailored messaging
  • Sets clear, realistic expectations
  • Invites engagement with personality and energy

The site launched recently and is now live at tanya.coach.

What Made This Project Successful

1. Client interviews revealed the truth - Not just what Tanya thought people valued, but what clients actually experienced
2. Cultural fluency matters - Understanding tech culture allowed for authentic references, not forced jargon
3. Education is conversion - When people don't understand your service, teaching them is selling them
4. Personality is professional - Being authentic doesn't compromise credibility
5. Collaboration amplified results - Tanya's clarity in feedback made iteration efficient and effective