At 21 weeks pregnant, I’m starting to think about what needs to be put in place for my business while I’m on maternity leave. The biggest question being:
What happens to my clients while I’m away?
This isn’t my first maternity leave, so I roughly know what to expect and the types of things that tend to help my clients continue progressing.
Instead of assuming what they might need, I asked them directly.
“What do you think you’ll need from me while I’m away?”
The biggest thing that came back from my personal training clients was accountability.
Many of them joked:
“Can you call me before my session just to make sure I’m doing it?”
It made me laugh, but it also made me think.
So last week I brought this exact situation to my coaching session. My question was simple:
How can I support my clients while I’m away… while still actually being on maternity leave?
I’m someone who values boundaries, and I also don’t like making promises I can’t keep. So this felt like something that needed real thought.
And it made me realise something important:
Just because your clients ask for something doesn’t mean you have to provide it.
The Trap
Many business owners, especially solo entrepreneurs, build their business out of passion.
They love what they do.
They care about their clients.
They want to help as much as possible.
One of the biggest challenges in the fitness and coaching industry is learning how to balance support with independence. Coaches often struggle with setting boundaries with clients, especially when they genuinely want to help as much as possible. But without clear coaching boundaries and well-defined client communication expectations, the relationship can quickly become unsustainable for both the coach and the client.
Because of that, it can feel uncomfortable to say no.
There’s often a fear that if we don’t meet every request, clients might leave. For many business owners that fear carries extra weight because their business is also their income.
So the default response becomes:
Say yes.
Yes to extra messages.
Yes to more support.
Yes to “quick questions”.
Yes to being available all the time.
But over time this creates problems.
Boundaries become blurred, clients start to rely on you more than they should, and suddenly you feel pressure to always be available — even when you’re on holiday or dealing with something in your personal life.
Learning how to set boundaries with clients is something many business owners struggle with, especially when they genuinely care about helping people.
Without clear boundaries, clients can begin to assume constant access to you, which can quickly lead to burnout and confusion about roles.
Which brings us back to the real question I had to answer:
How can I support my clients while I’m away, without making promises I can’t keep?
Here are a few things that helped me think it through.
Why Setting Boundaries With Clients Matters
“Let me think about this”
The first time a client suggested messaging them every week while I was away, I was caught slightly off guard.
My initial reaction was to say it probably wouldn’t be possible. But instead, I paused and said:
“Let me think about this and see what might work.”
That simple sentence gave me time to respond intentionally rather than react immediately.
It also allowed me to go away and think properly about what support would actually be realistic.
I often say to clients:
“If I give you my word, I want to be able to keep it.”
Which means I’d rather take time to consider something than agree to something I might not be able to follow through on.
Remember:
You don’t have to answer immediately.
Look for Alternatives and Compromise
I also took the conversation to my own coach, especially since several clients had mentioned accountability during the week.
After that conversation, I went back to my clients and shared what I had discovered. Together, we discussed what support could look like and whether it would actually be helpful.
Something I’ve learned over the years is that clients often bring valuable perspectives. Sometimes they come up with ideas I hadn’t considered.
Support doesn’t have to be a simple yes or no.
Often the best solution comes through conversation.
Be Honest About What You Can Realistically Offer
Any support you offer needs to be sustainable.
While maternity leave might be the reason I’m thinking about this right now, the same situation applies to holidays, busy period or times when you step away from work.
If you know something isn’t realistic, it’s better to be clear about it from the beginning.
Clear client communication expectations help prevent misunderstandings later on; they protect both you and your clients.
Decide Your Boundaries Early
Learning to create boundaries with clients is one of the most important skills you can develop. You may not be able to predict every request a client will make, but you can predict many of them.
For example:
- How often will you communicate outside sessions?
- What types of questions can clients ask between sessions?
- How long does it typically take you to reply?
- What hours are you available to work?
- What level of support are you able, or qualified, to provide?
Thinking about these questions in advance makes it much easier to respond confidently when situations arise.
Provide Clear Expectations
Most people like to know what to expect.
Clarity creates security in relationships.
When you communicate your boundaries clearly, you’re also helping your clients understand:
- what support they will receive
- what they are responsible for
When both sides understand their roles, misunderstandings become far less likely.
Boundaries Are Part of Self-Development
Something I’ve noticed over time is that the more boundaries I implement, the better the coaching relationship actually becomes.
Clear boundaries allow me to:
- show up fully for my clients
- protect my time and energy
- create a sustainable business
Interestingly, the more responsibility clients take for themselves, the less they actually need me.
And that’s a good thing.
Because ultimately, good coaching isn’t about creating dependency.
It’s about helping people become capable of moving forward, even when you’re not there.
Preparing for maternity leave has reminded me of something important.
Supporting your clients doesn’t mean saying yes to everything they ask for.
In fact, constantly saying yes can create the exact problems we’re trying to avoid; blurred boundaries, unrealistic expectations and clients who become dependent on us being there.
Real support comes from creating clarity.
Clarity about what you offer.
Clarity about what clients are responsible for.
Clarity about the boundaries that protect both of you.
When those things are in place, something interesting happens.
Your clients become more capable, more accountable and more confident in taking ownership of their progress.
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