You Are The Expert In Your Own Life! The Surprising Benefits of Hiring a Life Coach - George Hearn (#16)

George Hearn is a life coach who came into coaching through a high-achieving academic and corporate path—studying Geography at Cambridge, spending years in strategy consulting, and then moving into the startup world—before realizing he was more drawn to helping people design intentional, fulfilling lives

In this episode, George breaks down what coaching actually is (and why it’s often not about giving advice), how he structures sessions using tools like the Wheel of Life, Ikigai, and visualization, and how everyday practices like journaling, distraction-free walks, and even AI chatbots can support self-reflection. He also shares the behind-the-scenes of building his coaching business from scratch—finding clients, learning marketing and sales on the fly, navigating uncertainty, and building the support network needed to go all-in.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 — What a coach actually does

01:01 — Coaching vs therapy, consulting, and mentorship

03:04 — George’s life coaching origin story

10:34 — The Wheel of Life: mapping the key areas and finding gaps

13:27 — Prioritization + Pareto: focusing on what actually moves the needle

14:04 — Ikigai: purpose at the intersection of skills, love, value, and need

16:26 — Visualization: the “80-year-old you” exercise

18:59 — Self-coaching tools: journaling for clarity + momentum

21:34 — Thinking walks: default mode network and the “exam question”

24:11 — Using chatbots for reflection: powerful, but don’t outsource decisions

28:20 — Building the coaching business: learn-by-doing + finding clients

32:28 — Living with uncertainty: risk, confidence, and growth mindset

35:23 — The solo founder problem: building a support network

38:22 — Developing coaching skills: listening, communication, self-work

41:01 — When self-improvement becomes obsessive: staying balanced

44:32 — What George is curious about: why people don’t aim for a 10/10 life

46:44 — Closing reflections

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