What CourageToLead.com does

CourageToLead.com is a privately held, founder-led coaching and consulting organization headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, founded in 2014. The company delivers leadership development and team coaching to two primary segments — Marketplace (business) Leaders and Ministry Leaders — through a portfolio of programs: the free Killer Team Accelerator 5-day course, the 12-week Killer Team Coaching program, the 90-day Killer EA Coaching program for Executive Admins, and the premier 8-Figure Circle offering (which includes Self Study at $2,497, Coaching Mastery at $4,997, plus an undisclosed-priced premium tier with bi-weekly 1:1 coaching, Slack access, retreats, and the twice-monthly Courageous Leaders Lab). Its go-to-market is sales-led, anchored by 45-minute Breakthrough/Discovery Calls booked through an online calendar, with content marketing (free course, blog, testimonials) feeding the top of funnel.

The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, founder-owned, and operates without proprietary technology platforms — delivery runs on web-based course tools, a members-only client portal (members.couragetolead.com), Slack for client-coach communication, and a Shopify storefront for published books (Measuring Success, Be Mean About The Vision, Building A Killer Team). Headcount is 11–50, including a small bench of named certified coaches segmented by vertical (Marketplace vs. Ministry) plus operations and experience roles. Revenue mechanics are recurring subscriptions for coaching engagements plus one-time fees for Self Study and books, with a freemium entry point. Customer outcomes cited include 42.5% organizational growth and a client's "financially best year ever," though these are testimonial-level rather than audited figures.

The company's competitive position rests on a strong founder brand (Shawn Lovejoy, former real estate developer, church planter, and megachurch pastor) and a proprietary content library (5 Pillars framework, Killer Team Operating System, video trainings, downloadable resources) rather than on technology or scale advantages. Strategic posture is one of organic expansion through product line extension, vertical specialization, and content-led acquisition rather than M&A, geographic expansion, or venture-funded growth.

Name

CourageToLead.com

Legal name

CourageToLead

Website

https://couragetolead.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CourageToLead.com is a Birmingham, Alabama-based coaching and consulting firm founded in 2014 that delivers leadership development and team-building programs to business and ministry leaders through subscription-based 1:1 coaching, team cohorts, and self-study courses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Coaching Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategy, Decision-Making & Business Acumen Coaching (EDABANAH)

Keywords

• Leadership coaching services
• Executive coaching programs
• Team development consulting
• Organizational health coaching
• Ministry leadership coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 8-Figure Circle Coaching Program: Premier 1:1 coaching experience for high-capacity business leaders. Includes bi-weekly 1:1 coaching sessions, direct Slack access to coach, retreats, Courageous Leaders Lab sessions twice monthly, and full client portal access with modules and resources.
2. Killer Team Coaching: 12-week coaching program designed for leaders and their teams, focusing on 5 essential pillars that build on each other to create clarity, structure, and accountability for high performance and growth.
3. Killer EA Coaching: High-impact 90-day coaching program designed to equip Executive Admins (EAs) to lead administratively and elevate support to their leaders.
4. Self Study Course: Self-paced learning option with 5-Pillars of a Killer Team Modules including over 25 specialized video trainings, Resource Vault with over 20 PDF downloads, and step-by-step workbook.
5. Killer Team Accelerator (Free Course): Free 5-day course to attract leads and demonstrate value, teaching leaders how to avoid 5 mistakes sabotaging team success and how to fix them.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CourageToLead.com provides 1:1 and group leadership coaching and consulting for marketplace and ministry leaders and their teams. Its portfolio includes the premier 8-Figure Circle coaching program for high-capacity business leaders, a 12-week Killer Team Coaching program, a 90-day Killer EA Coaching program for Executive Admins, a free Killer Team Accelerator lead-generation course, and complimentary Breakthrough Calls. Delivery combines live coaching sessions, online self-paced modules, retreats, and a members-only client portal.

Product overview

CourageToLead.com is a coaching and consulting organization offering a portfolio of leadership development programs. The core offerings include 8-Figure Circle (premier 1:1 coaching for business leaders), Killer Team Coaching (12-week team-focused program), and Killer EA Coaching (90-day program for Executive Admins). These are complemented by a free Killer Team Accelerator course and complimentary Breakthrough Calls. The company also provides a Client Portal with modules and resources. Services are differentiated for Marketplace Leaders and Ministry Leaders, with personalized coaching delivered by certified practitioners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 8-Figure Circle: Premier 1:1 coaching experience for high-capacity business leaders ready to build scalable organizations. Includes strategic diagnosis, system architecture, leadership integration, and continuous optimization.
• Killer Team Coaching
• Killer EA Coaching
• Killer Team Accelerator

Products and services

• 8-Figure Circle Premier 1:1 coaching experience for high-capacity business leaders providing strategic diagnosis, system architecture, leadership integration, bi-weekly 1:1 coaching, Slack access to coach, Courageous Leaders Lab sessions, retreats, and full client portal access.
• Killer Team Coaching 12-week coaching program for leaders and their teams built on five essential pillars that create clarity, structure, and accountability for high performance and growth.
• Killer EA Coaching High-impact 90-day coaching program equipping Executive Admins to lead administratively, build proactive partnership with their leaders, and elevate executive support.
• Killer Team Accelerator Free 5-day course teaching leaders how to avoid five mistakes sabotaging team success and transform underperforming staff into self-managed, action-driven teams.
• Breakthrough Call 45-minute complimentary consultation that helps leaders clarify what is holding their organization back and identifies next steps toward coaching engagement.
• Published Books (Measuring Success, Be Mean About The Vision, Building A Killer Team) Books authored by Founder Shawn Lovejoy on leadership, vision, and team building, sold via the CourageToLead Shopify bookstore.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42.5% organizational growth reported by client
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Torch (formerly Vanderbloemen) / Vanderbloemen Search & Coaching: Faith-based executive search and coaching firm specializing in church, ministry, and faith-based organization leadership. Direct overlap on the Ministry Leaders segment that CourageToLead serves with Adam Bishop and Matt Piland.
• C12 Group: Peer advisory and coaching for Christian CEOs and business leaders, structured around monthly group forums and 1:1 executive coaching. Closely comparable on faith-based leadership, peer cohort model, and high-capacity CEO target segment.
• GiANT Worldwide: Faith-informed leadership development firm offering certified coaches, frameworks, and team workshops for marketplace and ministry leaders. Direct overlap with CourageToLead's audience (business + ministry) and productized curriculum model.
• Halftime Institute: Faith-rooted leadership coaching and executive development for high-capacity marketplace leaders transitioning into second-half purpose work. Strong overlap with CourageToLead's dual marketplace/ministry framing and founder-led coaching model.
• Patrick Lencioni / The Table Group: Leadership consulting firm built on founder Patrick Lencioni's frameworks (Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Working Genius), selling books, keynotes, workshops, and team coaching. Direct analog for CourageToLead's team-coaching frameworks and founder-IP model.
• John Maxwell / Maxwell Leadership: One of the largest leadership development brands, offering books, certified coach programs, team workshops, and speaking. Competitor for the same faith-rooted leadership audience and a content/curriculum model nearly identical to CourageToLead's.

Broad incumbents

• BetterUp: Enterprise-scale coaching platform with proprietary technology, AI-matched coaches, and analytics dashboards. Competitor for mid-market and enterprise executive-coaching budgets where CourageToLead's 8-Figure Circle is positioned.
• CoachHub: Global digital coaching platform serving enterprise L&D and HR with technology-enabled matching, reporting, and a coach marketplace. Represents the tech-enabled scale competitor that pressure-tests CourageToLead's high-touch, human-delivered model.
• EntreLeadership (Ramsey Solutions): Large business-coaching and leadership training brand within Ramsey Solutions, serving Christian and mainstream small-business owners. Broader portfolio and audience overlap, comparable content-led GTM, but operationally much larger than CourageToLead.

Emerging players

• Tiger 21: Peer learning and coaching community for ultra-high-net-worth individuals ($10M+ investable). Adjacent competitor at the top end of CourageToLead's 8-Figure Circle target buyer, though focused on wealth rather than operational leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/couragetolead
• Facebookfacebook.com/couragetoleadcom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/couragetolead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CourageToLead.com