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

What can coaches and leaders learn from the people who have mastered the art of appearing on stage and screen? And what can coaching give back to the creative industries? Answering these questions through his work at the intersection of coaching, corporate leadership and on-screen presentation skills is Gareth Davies, renowned executive television producer of shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Top of the Pops, who is now one of the industry’s leading presenter coaches.Gareth co-founded The Presenter Studio with fellow executive producer Leon Campbell in 2013, and since then the company has honed and nurtured talent at every level of the TV and film industry, working with the likes of Hugh Grant and Madonna, all the way through to aspiring actors and presenters just starting their careers.In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, Gareth shares insights from a glamorous world that he believes has everything to gain from a coaching approach, and he reflects on what it takes to help people embody their authentic selves and communicate to audiences of all sizes.With media skills being something every business needs in an era dominated by screens, Gareth works with corporate businesses to help them find their voice, and he can still be found practising what he preaches in his ongoing work as a presenter and public speaker.Gareth and episode host Alex Swallow also talk about:How to identify the aspects of your personality that reflect who you are in a relatable, interesting wayThe concept of hustle and the benefits of going the long way roundHow to leverage the power of Instagram to build your audience and grow your businessPresentation skills, tips and approaches that can help you communicate with authenticity and impactGareth reveals the huge gaps that exist in creative industries, highlighting the opportunities there are for coaches to help nurture skills and develop talent.THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:-  The MOE Foundation coaching programme https://moefoundation.com/certified-coach-training-course/ - The Presenter Studio http://www.presenterstudio.com/ - The Presenter Studio on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thepresenterstudio - Gareth’s LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethdavies2408/ - Gareth’s business partner, Leon Campbell https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-campbell-58bb583/

In this engaging discussion, Sam Isaacson—coach, author, and founder of Coachtech Collective—dives into the intersecting worlds of coaching and technology. He shares insights on the ethical and practical implications of AI in coaching. Sam also reveals his groundbreaking experience with virtual reality coaching and highlights the importance of the human relationship in coaching. He discusses how AI can democratize access to coaching while maintaining the essence of human touch. Tune in for a fascinating glimpse into the future of coaching!

What does the future of coaching look like… and what can we learn from those who helped build it?Ruth Rochelle returns to The Coach’s Journey Podcast to reflect on how the coaching world has evolved over the past four decades and where it might be heading next.Prompted by a listener’s question, Ruth shares stories from the early days of coaching - when it was more movement than industry - through the professionalisation of the 1990s to today’s fast-changing, tech-enabled landscape. Alongside the history, she offers her vision for what’s emerging now: deeper work, greater humanity, and a renewed sense of trust.Ruth and Joey explore how coaching has shifted from performance to presence, from achievement to wholeness, and from certainty to curiosity. They discuss scepticism in the early days (and now), the rise of coaching bodies such as the ICF and EMCC, the impact of technology and AI, and why compassion and simplicity remain at the heart of great coaching.In this episode, Ruth talks about:Why the earliest coaching approaches focused on the inner game and self-beliefHow the field grew from informal practice to global professionThe evolution from performance and achievement to whole-person coachingWhy trust, compassion, and presence still matter most for coaches todayRuth also invites every coach to listen inwardly and lead the way forward for the profession. If you’ve ever wondered how the coaching profession began - or where it’s going next - this conversation offers wisdom, warmth, and hope for coaches building meaningful, sustainable practices in a fast-changing world.For more information about Ruth, visit https://www.ruthrochelle.com/For more information about host Joey Owen, visit http://www.joeyowencoaching.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/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQgTo 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 TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:FREE Ebook: An Introduction to The Coaching Business Flywheel: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/thecoachingbusinessflywheel Ruth Rochelle on The Coach’s Journey Podcast (previous episode) https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/78-ruth-rochelle-insight-seminars-systems-theory-and-the-path-to-our-current-truth International Coaching Federation (ICF) https://coachingfederation.org/European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) https://www.emccglobal.org/ Tim Gallwey – The Inner Game of Tennis https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/1447288505 Robert Kegan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kegan Suzanne Cook-Greuter https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-cook-greuter-60056322b/ Bill Torbert https://gla.global/team_member/professor-bill-torbert/ For more on Adult Development on The Coach’s Journey, see our interview with Jennifer Garvey Berger https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-42-jennifer-garvey-berger-the-answer-to-either-or-is-both Sir John Whitmore – Coaching for Performance https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coaching-Performance-Principles-Personal-Professional/dp/1473658128 The Coach’s Journey Podcast with Ruth Rochelle and Joey (video version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kby9-D_5JwA BIOGRAPHY FROM RUTHFor more than 25 years Ruth has been a coach – an executive and team coach, workshop facilitator, transformational coach and coach supervisor – with private clients and with organisations.Ruth is an Accredited Master Executive Coach with APECS, an IFS (Internal Family Systems) Practitioner with the IFS Institute and a Coaching Constellations Practitioner, and her clients have included creative professionals, start-up founders, senior managers, young emerging leaders, celebrities, coaches, and many more.Ruth supports her clients to create and achieve their visions, enrich their relationships, navigate changing circumstances, embark on new life directions, start and grow businesses, address specific challenges, experience greater wellbeing and connect to a meaningful purpose.

Explore how effective coaching contracts can resolve many common challenges in the coaching world. Robbie discusses the importance of clear agreements, the key questions to ask clients, and strategies for re-contracting throughout engagements. He highlights the balance between stakeholder transparency and client confidentiality, as well as the ethical considerations that shape his practice. Learn why simplifying session notes has allowed him to focus on high-impact coaching, ultimately empowering his clients and enhancing their experiences.

Ever since she was a child, working in her father’s clothes shop in Derbyshire and standing on a box to see over the counter, Jenny Bird has spent her life being interested in people.She drew upon the principles of communication honed during those formative years as she blossomed into one of the United Kingdom’s very first master coaches, going on to co-author renowned coaching titles such as The Art of Coaching: A Handbook of Tips and Tools, and How to Work with People... and Enjoy It!In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, Jenny describes the experience of leaving community education and training to be a coach at the turn of the century, when stacks of materials were posted across the Atlantic and she joined conference calls with coach trainers located all over the world.Throughout her training and her early forays into coaching at global corporations and in the NHS, Jenny surveyed the landscape of personal and development for those who do things differently, describing her “joy for sparkly new things”.By consistently forging relationships with innovators and brilliant thinkers throughout the field, Jenny has enriched her career. She shares invaluable wisdom accumulated across her career through her books and in her role as co-founder of Coach Continuum, which provides CPD, networking and supervision to help coaches flourish.Jenny and host Joey Owen also talk about:The benefits of being a risk takerHow to barter your way to getting what you wantPartnering generously and being paid what you are worthHow to tend to your LinkedIn gardenBringing poetry and creativity into coaching to cut through to the emotionJenny also shares some invaluable advice to new coaches, outlining the mindset, behaviours and conditions that form the essential foundations of a successful business. THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:- Ruchi Shah-Mehta https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchi-coach/- Coach Continuum https://coachcontinuum.com/- CoachU https://www.coachu.com/home/- Thomas Leonard, The Portable Coach https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=L0IVLyDUQ14C&printsec=copyright&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false- EMCC https://www.emccglobal.org/accreditation/- ICF https://coachingfederation.org/- The Clean Sweep Questionnaire https://www.lifecoach.com/free-quizzes/clean-sweep-quiz/- Common factors theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_factors_theory- AoEC https://www.aoec.com/- Sarah Gornall https://peopleuntapped.com/ourglobalteam/sarah-gornall/- The Art of Coaching https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9OuPCgAAQBAJ&printsec=copyright&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false  - Coaching Development https://www.coachingdevelopment.com/- Business Network International https://www.bni.com/- Quotes from golfer Gary Player https://www.yourgolftravel.com/19th-hole/gary-player-quotes-from-the-black-knight/- Animas https://www.animascoaching.com/- Erik de Haan http://www.erikdehaan.com/

Shruti Sonthalia says purpose is her superpower. A strong sense of purpose helped Shruti to demolish seemingly insurmountable barriers to becoming a Master Certified Coach and a globally renowned industry figure, and in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, she implores all coaches to find their ‘why’.Shruti began her journey without coaches around her to learn from, living and working in a culture that assumed expertise was the preserve of men with white hair. Believing it was her purpose to create sacred spaces in the workplace, Shruti grafted with steadfast resolve to defy the gatekeepers and doubters who stood in her way.By taking the path less travelled and proving herself time and again, Shruti developed a work ethic that took her to the top of her profession, empowering leaders across global markets to embody a coaching mindset.She pays forward her expertise in the training curricula she devises and delivers to the next generation of coaches, founding her structured, evidence-based approach on the values and principles she speaks about in this episode.In this conversation, Shruti invites us all to ask: which parts of our journeys do we struggle to own? And how might addressing them enable changes within us that ripple out to the ecosystems we operate within?Shruti and host Neil Mackinnon also talk about:- Whether coaching has the same effectiveness in different areas, geographies, and realities- Accessibility of supervision as a vital aspect of coaching’s growth and integrity- The learning we can take from our own procrastination- How a coaching mindset can help us embody shared power- The principle that says that which you focus on expands, and how to harness itTHINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:- AoEC - Academy of Executive Coaching https://www.aoec.com/ - ICF - International Coaching Federation https://coachingfederation.org/ - ICF Foundation https://foundationoficf.org/ - Shruti's paper on effectiveness of coaching in emerging markets https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/08d2850c-51fe-42ab-aeea-e7ec829bc5a9/1/IJEBCM%2022_1_10.pdf - London School of Economics https://www.lse.ac.uk/ - Yannick Jacob on The Coach's Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/97-yannick-jacob-going-beyond-blueprints-to-challenge-the-status-quo-of-coaching - Richard Layard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Layard,_Baron_Layard - Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning - Martin Seligman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Seligman - David Foster Wallace, This Is Water https://fs.blog/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/ - Theory U by Otto Sharma https://www.amazon.co.uk/Theory-Learning-Emerges-Futures-Business/dp/1576757633 - Robbie Swale’s writing on resistance https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2025/3/28/the-more-resistance-we-feel-towards-a-call-or-action-the-more-important-that-call-or-action-is-to-our-souls-evolution - The War of Art by Steven Pressfield https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026 - IFS, parts work, what’s in the way is the way https://matthewharwood.uk/ifs/ - RUHCO https://ruhco.org/

A commitment to “directional correctness” has helped Patrick Quinton-Smith solve existential questions on the way to becoming the co-founder of a multigenerational coaching consultancy, Gen Z Coach.In his fast-paced career, Patrick has overcome huge challenges by remaining true to his philosophy of maintaining a steady direction – even when sidewinds threaten to blow him off course.When rapid success in the energy sector failed to bring Patrick fulfilment he took a bold step towards coaching, giving up one day per week to build his business. Just three years on, he works full time at the head of a consultancy that coaches young people while helping businesses to lead multigenerational teams more effectively.Patrick speaks about the importance of the power of a clear and deep purpose and mission. He also explains the role of breathwork and emotional awareness in becoming a skilled navigator along his particular journey, which has taught him valuable lessons about the roots of his self-worth and the nature of what drives him forward.This episode offers a refreshingly frank account of just how hard it can be to overcome fear, doubt, adversity and the deeply personal challenges that we all face as we seek to grow and live in accordance with our values.Patrick and host Alex Whitton also talk about:- The number of times you might have to receive a “no” before achieving your goals- The benefits of having a niche, and how to let your niche find you- How to weather the storm of lean spells and hold onto the bigger picture while building a business- What we can learn from the challenges that scare us- The relationship between adventure and growthTHINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:- General Assembly – Seven Career Coaching https://sevencareercoaching.co.uk/career-and-life-coaching-blog/seven-x-general-assembly-future-proof-your-career-in-2019-beyond - Bulb Energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulb_Energy - Derek Appau - http://linkedin.com/in/dereka/?originalSubdomain=uk - Mindset by Carol Dweck https://fs.blog/carol-dweck-mindset/ - Coaching for Business course, City University https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-students/courses/short-courses/coaching-for-business - International Coaching Federation https://coachingfederation.org/ - Gillian McMichael, Full Circle Global https://fullcircleglobal.com/ - Joel Burgess https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachjoelburgess/?originalSubdomain=uk - 16 'no's video/post https://www.linkedin.com/posts/maya-raichoora_getting-nos-and-rejections-used-to-crush-activity-7351498362937901057-teIC/ - Diary of a CEO, “roll the dice” https://www.tiktok.com/@steven/video/7504384000891391254 - The Coaching business flywheel - https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel 

Discover the art of leading impactful first conversations with coaching clients! Learn to prepare clients, set clear expectations, and model authenticity. Gain strategies for building trust and credibility from the start. Explore how to guide conversations without pressure, ensuring clarity for next steps. This insightful session is perfect for those seeking more meaningful interactions in their coaching journey.

What does it really look like to take your coaching practice on the road?In this short episode, Robbie and Alex Swallow get together to explore the possibilities and challenges of coaching as a digital nomad — or simply working remotely and flexibly as a coach.They talk about their experience working from Costa Rica, Dar es Salaam, cafés in the UK, and the practical and emotional realities of taking coaching work on the move. This conversation is filled with candid reflections, personal stories, and valuable tips for coaches curious about location-independent work.Together, Robbie and Alex discuss:What it’s really like to coach while travellingThe difference between remote work and being on holidayThe impact of environment on coaching conversationsEnergy management, internet mishaps, and time zone headachesWhy solo digital nomad life might not be as dreamy as it soundsThe power of experiments — like working from a different UK city — to test what worksHow being in new places can boost creativity and reflectionIf you're a coach who’s ever dreamed of working remotely, coaching from anywhere, or building a location-independent coaching business, this episode offers encouragement, perspective, and a few gentle warnings…Download Robbie’s ebook, An Introduction to The Coaching Business Flywheel, here. For more information about Robbie, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/For more information about Alex, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexswallow/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/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQgTo support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.

Selling coaching by the session can limit impact. A shift to time-bound packages enhances client engagement and fosters deeper commitment. Explore how this approach builds trust, accountability, and real transformation. Robbie shares insights on having candid money conversations, setting ambitious goals, and avoiding a session-counting mindset. Learn to view coaching as a partnership on a journey rather than just a service transaction. Plus, discover resources for creating a sustainable coaching business.