Why Most Mediumship Businesses Fail: The Hidden Costs of Spiritual Work

So, you’ve decided to turn your gift of mediumship into a business. You love connecting with spirit, you’re passionate about helping people, and you’re ready to take the leap into professional readings.

You launch your website, set up a booking system, maybe even create a social media presence. You’re excited! This is it! Your dream job!

And then… reality kicks in.

After months (or even years) of training, practicing, and refining your skills, you find yourself exhausted, underpaid, overwhelmed, and questioning everything.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Most mediumship businesses fail—not because the medium isn’t talented, but because the hidden costs of running a spiritual business are rarely talked about.

Let’s get real about why most mediumship businesses don’t survive and how you can avoid the most common pitfalls.

1. The Energy Drain: You Can’t Do Five Readings a Day

One of the biggest misconceptions about mediumship is that you can treat it like any other business.

If you were running a café, you’d know that serving more customers = more income. So naturally, new mediums think, I’ll just book five readings a day, five days a week, and I’ll be making thousands in no time!

🚨 WRONG. 🚨

Mediumship is not like selling coffee. Every single reading takes an enormous amount of energy.

• You’re blending with spirit.

• You’re holding space for grief, pain, and trauma.

• You’re managing expectations (both yours and the sitter’s).

• You’re emotionally, mentally, and physically engaged the entire time.

Trying to do too many readings too soon is one of the fastest ways to burn out. And once burnout hits, the work stops feeling magical—it starts feeling like a chore.

✔️ Solution: Be realistic. 1–2 readings per day, max. You need time to recover, or you’ll hit a wall fast.

2. The Emotional Cost: Mediumship Is More Than Just ‘Talking to Spirit’

What no one tells you is that mediumship is emotionally heavy work.

You’re not just relaying messages—you’re sitting in grief with people. You’re the bridge between their pain and healing, and that is a lot to carry.

And let’s be honest—not every reading is easy. Some people come with deep sorrow, anger, skepticism, or impossibly high expectations (“I need you to tell me my father’s exact childhood nickname or I won’t believe you”).

If you’re an empath (which, let’s face it, most mediums are), this takes a massive toll over time.

✔️ Solution: Have strict boundaries.

• Don’t take readings when you’re emotionally drained.

• Take regular breaks from 1:1 work.

• Learn how to detach after a reading so you don’t carry the sitter’s emotions with you.

3. The Financial Reality: Charging Your Worth Without Guilt

Oh, pricing—the number one struggle of spiritual business owners.

Most mediums undercharge because they feel guilty about taking money for their gift. I’ve seen incredible mediums charging £20 for an hour-long session because they believe they “shouldn’t” profit from spiritual work.

But here’s the thing: If you don’t charge properly, you won’t be able to keep going.

• You have bills to pay.

• You have training and development costs.

• You have business expenses like websites, booking systems, and taxes (yes, even the spiritual world has to deal with taxes—rude).

If you’re charging too little, you’ll work too much, burn out, and resent mediumship.

✔️ Solution:

• Know your worth. Mediumship is a specialized skill, not a hobby.

• Set your prices based on sustainability, not guilt.

• Understand that charging more = more energy to give. (Your clients deserve a medium who isn’t running on fumes.)

4. The Business Side: Mediumship Is Not Just About Readings

Here’s where a lot of spiritual businesses fall apart: the actual business part.

Running a successful mediumship practice isn’t just about being a great medium. It’s about:✔️ Marketing yourself (without cringing at self-promotion).✔️ Managing your time (because spirit won’t pay your rent—your bookings will).✔️ Building a community (instead of hoping people randomly find you).✔️ Handling admin, emails, taxes, and tech issues.

I see so many brilliant mediums give up because they hate the business side of things. They assume, If spirit wants me to do this work, they’ll bring people to me!

Unfortunately, spirit isn’t your marketing manager—you have to put yourself out there.

✔️ Solution:

• Learn basic business skills (pricing, marketing, scheduling).

• Build a community (social media, email lists, events).

• Diversify your income (don’t rely solely on 1:1 readings—think courses, workshops, or group sessions).

5. The Comparison Trap: Social Media & The Highlight Reel

It’s easy to look at other mediums on Instagram or TikTok and think, Why are they so successful while I’m struggling?

But here’s the truth:🚨 Social media is a highlight reel. 🚨

Many of the “big” spiritual influencers aren’t making money from readings—they’re making money from:

• Selling courses on “How to Be a Medium” (even if they’ve only been doing it for five minutes).

• Selling memberships, books, or digital products.

• Editing their readings to make them look flawless (real mediumship includes nos!).

If you’re constantly comparing your business to someone else’s curated content, you’re setting yourself up for frustration.

✔️ Solution:

• Focus on your path—not someone else’s.

• Build your own authentic brand—one that aligns with your energy and values.

• Remember that success isn’t overnight—consistency is key.

Final Thoughts: How to Succeed Without Burning Out

Most mediumship businesses fail not because the medium isn’t good, but because they didn’t anticipate the hidden costs of this work.

If you want to succeed long-term, you have to:✔️ Respect your energy—don’t overbook yourself.✔️ Charge what you’re worth—you can’t help others if you’re struggling.✔️ Learn the business side—marketing, scheduling, and finances matter.✔️ Ignore the social media illusion—success takes time and consistency.

Mediumship is a powerful, healing, and deeply rewarding path. But if you’re going to make a career out of it, you need to approach it with both heart and strategy.

The good news? If you get this balance right, you can build a thriving mediumship business that supports you, fulfils you, and actually lasts.

And that’s what spirit really wants.

💬 Have you experienced any of these struggles in your spiritual business? Drop your thoughts in the comments!