Every Character in Stranger Things Has a Specific Role. Do You?

I'm only on episode 5 of the new season (no spoilers, please!) but something clicked for me the other night while I was watching. Something important if you're a coach or healer looking to onboard new clients.

Nobody in that group tries to be everything.

Dustin is the science and tech guy. He's the one who figures out the radios, understands the Russian code, knows about the science stuff. Lucas is practical and strategic. He's thinking about resources, logistics, what could actually go wrong. Mike is the planner, the one who pulls everyone together and figures out the next move. Will is the sensitive one, the artist who sees things others miss. Eleven has her specific thing with the powers.

They don't sit around going "well, I could do a bit of what Dustin does, and maybe some of what Lucas does, and I'll just help with whatever's needed."

They each have a role. That's what makes them work.

And I'm watching this thinking about every coaching website I've reviewed in the past year where someone's positioning themselves as "I help anyone who wants to transform their life."

That's not a role. That's the equivalent of showing up to fight Vecna and saying "I'll just do whatever."

The "I Don't Want to Limit Myself" Problem

I get it. When you're building a coaching business, the instinct is to cast the net as wide as possible. You're thinking: if I say I only work with one specific type of person, I'm cutting out all these other potential clients.

But what actually happens is the opposite.

When someone lands on your website or socials and sees "I work with anyone who wants personal growth," they can't picture themselves in that. It's too vague. It could be anyone, which means it's also no one in particular.

Compare that to "I help burned-out corporate women reconnect with purpose and build aligned businesses." That person recognises herself immediately. She's not wondering if you can help her. She's already booking the call.

The same way Will doesn't need to explain why he's valuable to the group. He just is. Because everyone knows what value he adds.

Why Specificity Actually Expands Your Reach

This sounds backwards, but I've seen it happen over and over again.

If I meet someone at a networking event and they mention their sister's struggling now that her kids have left home, I'm not going to think of the coach who 'helps people with life transitions.' That's too vague. I might not even remember that coach exists.

But if I know someone who specifically helps empty-nester mums rediscover their identity and purpose after their children leave home, then I'm jumping on that referral immediately.

Stranger Things works because each character has a clear role. Client attraction for coaches works the same way. People can only engage with what they can clearly understand.

The Team Approach vs The Solo Generalist

What makes the Hawkins group effective isn't that they all do everything, but that they each do their specific thing really well, and they work together.

Most coaches are trying to be the solo generalist. I've worked with many who say that they handle a whole host of problems, from mindset, and business strategy, to relationship stuff, health, career transitions, and spiritual awakening.

But premium clients, the ones that invest at the higher levels, don't want a generalist. They want the person who's brilliant at the one specific thing they need right now.

You wouldn't want Dustin trying to do Eleven's job. Because that's not his thing. His thing is figuring out the science. Her thing is the powers. They're both essential, but they're not interchangeable.

Your coaching business works the same way. You need to know what your thing is.

What Happens When You Try to Be Everyone's Coach

I worked with a client last year who was positioning herself as a "life coach for women." She'd been at it for two years and was barely making any money. We looked at her past clients and found a clear pattern: every single one of them was a high achiever who felt empty despite their success. They all had thriving careers but felt disconnected from meaning.

Once we repositioned her around that specific transformation, her business changed completely. Not because she started doing anything differently in her actual coaching. But because the right people could finally see themselves in her messaging.

She went from "I help women with life transitions" to "I help high-achieving women who feel empty despite their success reconnect with purpose." Same coaching skills. Different positioning. Completely different results.

She wasn't trying to be Dustin and Lucas and Mike all at once. She figured out what her role was.

You Already Have a Role (You Just Haven't Named It Yet)

If you've been coaching for a while, you probably already have a niche. You just haven't positioned yourself around it.

Look at your past clients. Who did you get the best results with? What specific transformation kept showing up? Who felt like your people?

If you're new to coaching, look at your own experience. What have you navigated that other people are currently struggling with? What do friends already come to you for?

The goal isn't to invent something new. It's to get clear about what's already true.

Mike didn't wake up one day and decide to be the planner. He just is. Dustin didn't force himself to be the science guy. That's naturally where he fits. Your role in the coaching world already exists. You just need to name it clearly enough that the right people can find you.

The Market Rewards Clarity

The coaching industry is saturated. There are over 109,000 certified coaches worldwide now. When someone's looking for help, they're not sorting through thousands of generalists hoping to find the right fit.

They're looking for the person who clearly, specifically, obviously helps people like them with the exact thing they need.

In Stranger Things, when there's a problem with technology or science, everyone turns to Dustin. They don't sit around debating who should handle it. It's obvious. That's his thing.

That's what you want for your coaching business. You want it to be obvious who you're for and what you do. Not because you're limiting yourself. But because that's actually how you reach the people who need you most.

The Hawkins group would be useless if they all tried to do the same thing. They're effective because each person knows their role and does it well. Your coaching business works exactly the same way.

Figure out your role. Position yourself around it clearly. Let the right people find you.

That's it. That's the whole thing.

Source: Profitable Life Coaching Niches in 2025: https://simply.coach/blog/profitable-life-coaching-niches/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Ingram is a messaging strategist who helps coaches, healers, and spiritual practitioners articulate their work in ways that attract premium clients. After 20 years in London advertising agencies, she now specializes in helping spiritually-aware entrepreneurs find the words that make their ideal clients feel seen, without resorting to bro-marketing tactics.

Host of The Soulful Catalyst podcast | Creator of the 6 Pillars Premium Messaging Framework™

→ Visit Website For More Details: https://joannaingram.com/

→ Listen to The Soulful Catalyst Podcast: https://podfollow.com/soulful-catalyst-podcast