Durham-based soleLife, which matches users of its mobile app with all kinds of vetted and certified coaches, expects to leave beta testing and launch its pilot program in May 2020.
Founder and CEO Nichole Lowe left a thriving coaching business in California to launch the startup, which will soon move to new offices at HQ Raleigh. Lowe describes the company’s product as “A one-stop shop for human development.”
The two-person company raised a $130,000 seed round earlier this year and seeks an additional $120,000. SoleLife hired Craig Martin CTO in November 2019. Matin is a seasoned technical executive with 30 years experience in computer science, including software development.
Lowe was also a producer who worked with the late musician Prince on music videos and other projects for three years and as a writer/producer/director for a home gardening TV network, prior to starting her coaching business. She said solelife plans to provide a marketplace for consumers to access the highest level of coaching.
The coaching includes personal, career, wellness, life, relationships, and financial. Using evidence-based assessments, it matches users with expert coaches tailored to their mindset, personal development goals, and preferred learning styles.
Lowe notes that coaching is the second fastest growing industry in the world, but 80 percent of coaches go out of business in their first two years for lack of clients and getting bogged down in back office tasks, both of which solelife intends to help fix.
The app is free to consumers. Coaches, who undergo a rigorous vetting, pay a subscription fee and a percentage of billing. The app automates billing and other back office tasks for the coaches and the company also plans to offer training support to bridge the gap between college and building a business. “We’ve been in the industry for over a decade and get what they’re up against,” Lowe said.
The company says it is a one-stop shop where everything happens – schedule, connect with your coach(s), self-checks, and activities to transform personal development and measure real results.
The company has about 200 signups in its beta version and expects to launch with about 50 coaches in May, and get up to about 500 fairly quickly. It plans to revamp its website in April.
Lowe said she is “humbled” every day by the service community in the Triangle area and how helpful people have been. The company plans on working with HQ Raleigh to promote its launch in the spring.
