The Coach's Journey - build a coaching business with integrity

#115: What Do You Do When Your Coaching Business Feels Too Hard?

Dec 18, 2025

Feeling overwhelmed in coaching is more common than you think! The hosts delve into emotional challenges like doubt, cancellations, and comparison. They discuss how to handle no-shows and turn disappointments into learning opportunities. Tips on setting boundaries and practicing self-care are shared to help maintain resilience through tough times. Plus, they encourage reconnecting with your purpose to keep motivation high. Explore the beauty that accompanies the struggle and realize you're not alone on this journey!

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ANECDOTE

Recurring Doubts Do Not Imply Failure

Robbie and Ruth both described recurring seasons of doubt where they considered quitting coaching but stayed because the work mattered to them.
Robbie noted he has thought about quitting almost every year but continued and found growth through the hard patches.

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ADVICE

Convert Cancellations Into Something Useful

Treat cancellations as opportunities to create or rest rather than proof of failure.
Turn unexpected free time into creative work or a restorative nap depending on what you need.

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ADVICE

Make Scheduling Specific To Reduce No-Shows

Protect bookings by being clear and direct with scheduling instead of offering open availability.
Offer specific times (e.g., Tuesday 2pm or Friday 4pm) to reduce cancellations.

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Why make an episode about hardship in coaching

27:08 • 4min

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How struggling shows up in sessions

31:31 • 7min

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When building feels too hard — quick list

38:36 • 7min

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How cancellations and no-shows affect us

45:36 • 5min

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Practical steps to reduce cancellations

50:48 • 6min

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Dealing with comparison and envy

56:32 • 4min

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Tools to protect your mindset

01:01:00 • 4min

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Daily habits that steady you

01:04:52 • 2min

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Reconnect to purpose to persist

What do you do in the moments - or seasons - when your coaching business feels too hard?

In this episode, Ruth Saville, Alex Whitton, and Robbie Swale explore the emotional reality behind building a coaching business: the doubt, comparison, financial pressure, cancellations, unpredictability… and the unexpected beauty that sits alongside all of it.

This episode began with a simple observation: every coach goes through periods when the business feels heavy.

From there, the three of us look at what helps, what doesn’t, and what it means to keep going in a work we care deeply about.

Together we talk about:

The many moments that make coaching feel hard - and why they surprise us every time

Comparison, LinkedIn spirals, and the relief of remembering other coaches struggle too

Cancellations, no-shows, reschedules - and how to respond without collapsing inside

The very personal nature of coaching, and how easily confidence gets entangled with identity

Why ‘you have everything you need’ is easier to say to clients than to ourselves

How to navigate hard seasons with more steadiness, self-respect and perspective

What we each reach for when we hit the ‘break glass’ moment

Why the challenging parts of the journey are often where the growth is

This is an episode for coaches at every stage - whether you’re right in the middle of a difficult moment now, or you want to feel more resourced the next time you hit a wobble.

As always, we hope it helps you feel less alone and more grounded in your own path as a coach.

Oh, and if you like this, there’s a Part II coming in the new year.

Download Robbie’s ebook, An Introduction to The Coaching Business Flywheel, here.

For more information about Ruth, visit https://www.ruthsaville.co.uk/

For more information about Alex , visit http://www.exploregrowbe.com/

For more information about Robbie, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/

Read more about The Coach's Journey at www.thecoachsjourney.com.

Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQg

To support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.

THINGS WE MENTIONED THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN

Free Ebook: An Introduction to the Coaching Business Flywheel: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel

Get to know Ruth better: Robbie’s interview with Ruth on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-66-ruth-saville-how-to-be-a-rebel-misbehave-more-and-set-your-sights-on-being-a-master-coach

Get to know Alex better: Robbie’s interview with Alex on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-64-alex-whitton-balancing-the-being-and-the-doing

Robbie’s Subject–Object Move Blog https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2025/4/25/the-subject-object-move-how-we-grow

Alex’s blog post on the impact of how we see difficulty - https://www.exploregrowbe.com/blog/what-is-the-impact-of-when-and-how-we-see-difficulty

Alex’s blog post on what feelings of inadequacy may be telling us - https://www.exploregrowbe.com/blog/what-can-inadequacy-tell-usnbsp

The article Robbie wrote when someone cancelled on him - How I Became a Full-Time Coach Less Than Two Years After Starting My Training: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/writing/how-i-became-a-full-time-coach-less-than-two-years-after-starting-my-training

The same article as a podcast episode: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/100-how-i-became-a-full-time-coach-less-than-two-years-after-starting-my-training

The Coaching Business Flywheel Booster Pack
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel-booster-pack

Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules For Life, and a blog Robbie wrote about it: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/4/8/failure-is-relative-and-heres-how-to-deal-with-that

Robbie’s blog: No One Can Compete With You at Being You: https://www.robbieswale.com/writing/2024/9/22/authentic-personal-branding-no-one-can-compete-with-you-at-being-you

Robbie’s new book, The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World: https://geni.us/powertochoose

The video series Robbie mentioned on Mastering Your Personal Brand: https://www.robbieswale.com/mastering-your-personal-brand

Joel Monk on The Coach’s Journey Podcast
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-6-joel-monk-conversations-at-the-cutting-edge-of-coaching

James Clear – Atomic Habits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Habits

Phil Bolton on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-2-phil-bolton-from-forensic-accountant-to-the-go-to-career-coach-in-london-and-on-to-work-with-ceos-mds-and-founders

The Coach’s Journey Intensive is part of The Coach’s Journey Community – learn more here: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/community

Julie Starr on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-58-julie-starr-the-world-works-from-the-inside-out

TCJ Short: Jennifer Garvey Berger on Comparison: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/93-how-comparison-sets-us-up-to-feel-awful-about-ourselves-tcj-short-with-jennifer-garvey-berger

The Coach’s Journey Podcast episode #99, where Joey stumps Robbie with his own question: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/99-robbie-swale-the-secrets-of-meaningful-productivity-honourable-leadership-and-tilting-the-world-towards-heaven

Joey Owen on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-59-joey-owen-you-never-know-when-the-value-of-a-coaching-session-ends

Sydney Banks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Principles_Psychology

The 3 Principles feature in this episode with Jamie Smart on The Coach’s Journey Podcast
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-16-jamie-smart

Polyvagal Theory: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/9/2/are-you-above-or-below-the-line

Robbie’s article about creating a steady stream of clients
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/writing/the-step-by-step-guide-to-finding-coaching-clients-without-feeling-icky

Joseph Cambell’s Hero’s Journey: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2021/12/17/the-heros-journey-of-growth

Patrick Quinton Smith on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/107-patrick-quinton-smith-clarity-is-revealed-in-momentum-so-build-momentum-and-clarity-will-come

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