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

The question that new coaches ask most often: do I need a niche and how do I choose one?We don’t know why that idea is so pervasive among new coaches, but it is, so when Robbie got a question about it from a subscriber recently, he thought he’d make a short episode about it.Excuse the audio - he recorded on his phone - and see below for links to a few things he mentions in the episode.For more information about Robbie Swale, 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/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQgTo support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.HERE ARE LINKS TO SOME OF THE THINGS WE MENTIONED: Katie Harvey (a coach with no niche) on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-1-katie-harvey-14000-hours-of-coaching-being-part-of-the-uk-coaching-vanguard-and-being-a-generalist-coach The Coaching Business Flywheel: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/thecoachingbusinessflywheel The Coaching Business Flywheel Booster Pack: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel-booster-pack

Celebrate a transformative coaching journey! Discover how the host transitioned to full-time coaching in under two years, sharing valuable lessons on the power of content and client referrals. Learn key strategies for attracting clients and creating space for business growth. Get inspired by personal stories of successes and setbacks, and understand why persistence in coaching is essential. Dive into insights that resonate with aspiring coaches at any stage!

In a world so focused on productivity, Coach’s Journey founder and host Robbie Swale is interrogating what this word really means.His work on the concept of meaningful productivity explores up questions like: “What do I need to do in order to be at peace with myself?” And: “Do I want to be more productive or simply not feel like I’m failing all the time?”In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, Robbie joins Joey Owen for a conversation that gets to the very heart of Robbie’s work as a leadership and careers coach with over 2000 hours’ experience, and as an author whose decade-long writing practice has led to valuable contributions to the field, such as The 12-Minute Method and The Coaching Business Flywheel. Robbie and Joey tackle fundamentally important questions about how coaches can make a difference in a world ravaged by conflict and division, how to stay humble in our work, and how to ensure we feel at peace with ourselves.You will hear Robbie and Joey speak about the importance of living and working with a code of honour, about learning to trust the strange and unexpected things that arise in coaching sessions, and how to integrate spiritual practices into your life through the rituals, hobbies, passions and habits you already do.If you would like to be doing more of what really matters to you, feeling better about the work you are doing, and living a rich life regardless of your financial situation, this episode is for you.Robbie and Joey also talk about:- How to cultivate a practice of trust that conversations happen at the right time- Not lying to ourselves about what we “have” to doThe places in our lives where we can practise presence and connection- How to manage your focus, attention and attitude in order to actively work towards the goals that matter most to you- The power of telling a story twice to embed an idea in your memoryThey also explore practical ways to keep yourself in the energy possibility, and Robbie shares the story of how “crashing and burning” while running a coaching event taught him powerful lessons about group dynamics, scapegoating and the importance of contracting.THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:- Episode 45 of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, with Raquel Ark https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-45-doing-the-right-thing-even-when-its-hard-raquel-ark-interviews-robbie- Rich Litvin https://richlitvin.com/- The 12-Minute Method https://www.robbieswale.com/the12minutemethod- Workshop with Robbie and Claire Pedrick https://www.3dcoaching.com/artful-coach-soulful-business/- Robbie’s article about leading with honour (A Man Got to Have a Code) https://www.robbieswale.com/writing/2024/10/11/a-man-got-to-have-a-code-leading-with-honour-iii- The Meaningful Productivity Blueprint https://www.robbieswale.com/meaningful-productivity-blueprint-download-page- Gay Hendricks, Zone of Genius https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/2/3/the-zone-of-genius-the-most-powerful-thought-experiment-for-personal-transformation- Robert Holden, questions about purpose https://www.robertholden.com/blog/9-questions-help-find-purpose/- A Warren Buffet story about how he helped the pilot of his private jet prioritise more https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-story-of-mike-flint- Seth Godin on setting fees https://seths.blog/2024/11/understanding-pricing/- Parkinson’s law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law- Douglas Hoffstatter’s law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law- Ramit Sethi’s podcast https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/podcast/- Ffelyn Uchaf https://www.felinwales.org/- Jim Dethmer and Joel Monk on Coaching from Sourcehttps://www.coachesrising.com/podcast/jim-dethmer-coaching-from-source/- Frank Turner, The Way I Tend to Be https://frank-turner.com/tracks/the-way-i-tend-to-be/- Frank Turner, The Gathering https://frank-turner.com/tracks/the-gathering/- Frank Turner, Journey of the Magi https://frank-turner.com/tracks/journey-of-the-magi/- Internal Family Systems (IFS) drama triangle https://www.stroudtherapy.com/news/2024/02/25/dramatriangleifs- David Gemmell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell- The Wheel of Time novel series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time- The ‘Yes, And’ teambuilding exercise https://openpracticelibrary.com/practice/yes-and/https://www.radicalagreement.com/post/yes-and-and-improv-teamwork- David Deida https://deida.info/- Freedom to Learn https://freedomtolearn.org.uk/- An Introduction to The Coach’s Journey Flywheel https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel

Being made redundant 18 months after moving to America transformed Ashana Crichton’s life because, in her own words, when you take away the security blanket you have to leap into something new.In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, Ashana fondly recalls having the rug pulled from under her feet, because it set her on the path to becoming a certified Master Executive Coach and the founder of Arc Growth, which cultivates spaces of shared belonging for influential leaders and under-represented mid-career professionals.Having returned to her native London after five years abroad, Ashana issues a plea to remove the stigma around the term ‘life coaching’ in the UK, which she sees as a barrier to inclusivity and accessibility, and she shares reflections from her groundbreaking work with the Diverse Executive Coaches Network.Ashana delivers coaching and consultancy to businesses wishing to progress diversity, equity and inclusion, and here she offers crucial insights on the way biases and power imbalances can impact coaching relationships, along with practical guidance on how to address them.This episode is a manifesto for the power of working in true partnership with our clients, as Ashana illuminates the vast potential of knowledge, experience and inspiration that can be shared when we create the conditions for coaching’s unique value exchange.In this episode, Ashana and host Alex Whitton also talk about:• How to allow time for context to emerge before asking questions that can overwhelm our clients• Unexpected responses and how to harness them in supervision• The benefits of doing a lot of things and not expecting anything from them! • Reverse-mentoring programmes, where leaders are signed up to be mentored by a team member with a different lived experienceTowards the end of this episode, Ashana shares the tools, skills and approaches she uses to continually further her personal and professional development, and expand her already broad horizons.THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:- The Association for Coaching https://www.associationforcoaching.com/ - Alex Whitton on the Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-64-alex-whitton-balancing-the-being-and-the-doing - The Bridging Project https://www.thebridgingproject.co.uk/ - The Diverse Executive coaches network https://diverseexecutivecoaches.co.uk/ - Hay, J (2007) Reflective Practice and Supervision for Coaches. Open University Press https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lV-wefs6JoUC

Growing up with a father and brother who were “never wrong” left Yannick Jacob seeking a life that wasn’t about right answers. That led him to coaching, and more specifically to existential coaching, a space where humanity’s oldest and most profound questions – and the plethora of answers to them – can be explored at a deeper level.Yannick is an existential life and leadership coach, a positive psychologist, and the programme director of the Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching (ACIC) at the School of Positive Transformation. In this episode of The Coach’s Journey, he shares what he learned about himself in order to hear his calling and live his truth as someone driven to explore the whole spectrum of what life has to offer.Host Neil Mackinnon helps Yannick to illuminate the links between his many passions, such as existential philosphy and DJing, and to demonstrate how integrating his variety of interests enriches his all areas of his work.Yannick also discusses his groundbreaking Coaching Lab, which offers the chance to witness highly experienced coaches live at work, and Rocket Supervision, which provides coaches with the support they need to practice at the top of their game.This episode will resonate with anyone who wants to feel empowered to shake up traditional coaching paradigms and create a practice that feels authentic and energising, as Yannick brings his remarkable breadth of experience and expertise to bear on some of the most fundamental questions we face as coaches and as human beings.In this episode, Yannick and Neil Mackinnon also talk about:Courageous choices, and how embracing discomfort can help to build meaningEnlarging your sphere of influence to enable people to connect with youThe power of being financially committed to something, and the benefits to your clients of raising your feesWhen we should be brave enough to challenge the traditional frame and share more of ourselves with our clientsYannick issues a rallying cry to everyone in the coaching space to frame their space, sculpt the approach that works for them, and lean into their passion for their own way of doing things.THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:Rocket Supervision www.RocketSupervision.com Coaching Lab www.GoCoachingLab.com Yannick’s Nuggets (mailing list) https://gocoachinglab.com/nuggetsDr Nash Popovich https://www.personalwellbeingcentre.org/nash-popovicMartin Seligman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_SeligmanRS Lazarus on the Positive Psychology movement https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232977091_Does_the_Positive_Psychology_Movement_Have_LegsSoren Kierkegaard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_KierkegaardJean-Paul Sartre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_SartreNew School of Psychotherapy and Counselling https://nspc.org.uk/Christopher Neubert https://human-edge.com/team/christian-neubert/The Academy of Executive Coaching https://www.aoec.com/An Introduction to Existential Coaching: How Philosophy Can Help Your Clients https://www.aoec.com/Yannick’s book, An Introduction to Existential Coaching: How Philosophy Can Help Your Clients Live with Greater Awareness, Courage and Ownership https://www.amazon.co.uk/Introduction-Existential-Coaching-Philosophy-Awareness/dp/0367139995Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.htmlCoaching Starter Kit https://rocketsupervision.com/coaching-starter-kit/Erik de Haan http://www.erikdehaan.com/Peter Hawkins https://thoughtleadership.org/staff-member/peter-hawkins/Montessori https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_educationThe Coach’s Journey Flywheel https://www.animascoaching.com/about-animas/our-team/nick-bolton/Nick Bolton, Animas https://www.animascoaching.com/about-animas/our-team/nick-bolton/Heron’s six categories of intervention https://challengingcoaching.co.uk/herons-six-categories-of-intervention/Nancy Kline https://www.timetothink.com/nancy-kline/ICF https://coachingfederation.org/

How do our surroundings affect our ability to think? And can we connect with our sense of place and purpose by immersing ourselves in nature?In this episode of the Coach’s Journey Podcast, walking coach Rebecca Norton brings her combined expertise in coaching and mountain leadership to bear on these questions and many more, in conversation with host Alex Swallow.Rebecca and Alex explore the lasting impact that access to the natural world has on our lives, from infancy through to adulthood, and how the coaching walks that Rebecca offers her clients help them to navigate new pathways – both in the physical environment and their internal worlds.Rebecca, who delivers workshop facilitation and social prescribing alongside her coaching and “wonder walks”, describes how she carefully built up her coaching business while continually developing her skills and experience as an outdoor activities instructor.She links the idea of being a tourist in your own city and developing curiosity about new perspectives with the importance of getting alongside coaching clients and seeing the world through their eyes.The many twists, turns, ups and downs of Rebecca’s adventures in the hills act as a powerful metaphor for journeys through the challenges of careers, relationships, families and life decisions. Just as her clients gain new perspective on their lives as they ascend into the hills with Rebecca, so do we as she reflects on her unique, brilliant approach to coaching conversations and many other aspects of her work.In this episode, Rebecca and Alex also talk about:The power of experiencing coaching techniques from both sidesHow to integrate experiences as we train and gain qualificationsThe barriers we place between ourselves and our own fulfillmentSeeing who we need to become in order to achieve our goalsHow to lower the importance of gaining a client when building your coaching businessRebecca also reminds us that personal development can be a grueling expedition, and that if we fail to interrogate our deeper purpose and connect the ‘why’ that guides us, we can be at risk of losing our way. She generously ends this episode with an array of tips to help coaches stay at their best.THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:The Coaching Academy https://www.the-coaching-academy.com/Skill Force https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkillForceWonder Walks https://senseofdirection.life/wonder-walk/Peter Sage https://petersage.com/The Life Coach Directory https://www.lifecoach-directory.org.uk/ The Self-Love Journal: https://senseofdirection.life/product/self-love-journal/

GiveDirectly is an extraordinary organisation, working to end extreme poverty through an idea that is simple but revolutionary: give cash directly to people in extreme poverty and let them decide what they need most. Research shows this approach is not only effective but also deeply empowering.Since I (Robbie) first read about GiveDirectly in 2017, it has been the focus of almost all my charitable giving: I find the research-backed practices and incredibly meaningful recipient stories so compelling that almost every time I have thought in detail about the organisation and what they do, I have increased my regular giving.In this special Podcasthon episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, Stephanie Hill, the VP, People at GiveDirectly, joins me to explore the connections between teaching, coaching, and leadership, and to outline the transformational work that GiveDirectly does.From her days working to recruit and develop thousands of teachers in New York City to her role in helping a rapidly scaling global nonprofit build strong teams, Stephanie shares deep insights into learning, growth, and the power of trusting people to know what they need.In this episode, we discuss, on GiveDirectly:Why giving cash directly to the poorest people in the world works!Common misconceptions about cash transfers as a form of philanthropy.Amazing stories from GiveDirectly’s recipients.The Power of Trust – why both great coaching and effective philanthropy start from the belief that people know what they need.And on learning, coaching, culture and more:The Gradual Release Model – how great teaching (and coaching) helps people build confidence and autonomy over time.Lessons from Scaling – what it takes to grow an organization quickly while keeping core values intact.Building a Culture of Learning – how GiveDirectly fosters ongoing development among its globally distributed team.Leading with Values - how has GiveDirectly taken its company values and actually brought them to life.Stephanie’s personal leadership journey – what she learned from recruiting and training 5,000 teachers a year and how those lessons apply to coaching, leadership and organizational growth today.This episode is packed with wisdom for coaches, leaders, and anyone passionate about learning, development, and making a meaningful impact.I can’t wait to share GiveDirectly’s amazing work with you, but it’s not just that this is an amazing charity that made me want to feature GiveDirectly on the show; it’s that it’s a charity whose work closely aligns with the philosophy of coaching.At its heart, coaching is about trusting people, believing they have the answers within them, and supporting them to make the best choices for their own lives.GiveDirectly operates on the same principle. Rather than imposing solutions, it hands people the resources to create their own change. For coaches who want to make a difference in the world beyond their work, I can’t think of a better organization to support: if you’ve never quite found a focus for your charitable giving that really resonates, or if you’ve ever wondered how you can contribute in a way that aligns with the values of coaching — courage, trust, empowerment, and belief in human potential — GiveDirectly could be a powerful answer.If you have a few pounds or dollars to spare this month or every month, consider giving to GiveDirectly. They will send it to someone for whom those few pounds or dollars will go further than you can possibly imagine, as part of a story of courage, empowerment and trust in the beauty of human nature.For more information about GiveDirectly, visit: https://www.givedirectly.org/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/givedirectlyTo donate to GiveDirectly, visit: https://www.givedirectly.org/donate/For more information about Stephanie, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-hill-1232028For more information about Robbie Swale, 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/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:Rutger Bregman: https://www.rutgerbregman.com/Bregman on tax at Davos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ijiLqfXP0Bregman’s TED Talk - "Poverty isn't a lack of character; it's a lack of cash": https://www.ted.com/talks/rutger_bregman_poverty_isn_t_a_lack_of_character_it_s_a_lack_of_cash/ Utopia for Realists: https://www.rutgerbregman.com/books/utopia-for-realists GiveDirectly Live: https://live.givedirectly.org/ GiveDirectly’s Research: https://www.givedirectly.org/research-at-give-directly/ Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs GiveDirectly Donation Link for the US: https://www.givedirectly.org/donate/ GiveDirectly Donation Link for the UK: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/5197#!/DonationDetailsHow to donate to GiveDirectly from other countries: https://www.givedirectly.org/giving-internationally Teach for America: https://www.teachforamerica.org/TeachFirst: https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/The GROW Model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GROW_model Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inner-Game-Tennis-ultimate-performance/dp/1035047926 GiveDirectly NPR Article: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/12/02/781152563/researchers-find-a-remarkable-ripple-effect-when-you-give-cash-to-poor-families Carol Dweck and Growth Mindset: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322Elena Aguilar and "Mind the Gap": https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-the-key-to-working-with-adult-learners-mind-the-gap/2018/02 Fred Kofman: https://www.fredkofman.org/The GiveDirectly Values: https://www.givedirectly.org/givedirectly-values/ The Leadership Pipeline (book): https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Pipeline-Second-Edition-Developing/dp/0470894563How to Help GiveDirectly: https://www.givedirectly.org/how-to-help/Work at GiveDirectly: https://www.givedirectly.org/careers/ Podcasthon: https://podcasthon.org/ Book your place at Robbie and Claire Pedrick’s event in Malvern in 2025: The Artful Coach and the Soulful Coaching Business. Read more here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/3dcoaching/1504338 FULL BIOGRAPHY FROM STEPHANIE Stephanie began her career as an educator. After university, she joined Teach For America in New York City and taught English Literature to low-income High School students in The Bronx while getting her Master’s degree in teaching. She then worked for Teach For America as a coach to cohorts of new teachers.After a brief stint as a recruiter, she joined the New York City Department of Education to build a new model for teacher preparation - one that would integrate theory and practice and include a longer, more intentional gradual release of responsibility for new recruits. The program also created a new career-ladder position for the supervisors of these aspiring teachers - experienced educators who were selected and trained to not just share their classroom, but also provide targeted, actionable modeling and feedback that would accelerate the learning process.Stephanie worked to scale that program to prepare over 500 new teachers for NYC’s hardest to staff schools each year, while eventually taking on leadership of the city’s overall teacher recruitment and preparation - where she led a team to recruit and place over 5,000 new teachers each year.In April of 2020, she joined the international non-profit organization GiveDirectly as their first VP, People, just as the organization was going through a period of rapid growth, with ~75% headcount increase year over year. GiveDirectly takes an innovative approach to aid by giving unconditional cash to people living in extreme poverty, often using a technology-forward approach to maximize efficiency (and therefore dollars to recipients). Stephanie is proud to have led the People function for the past 5 years - building and defining recruitment, people operations, learning and development, talent planning and employee engagement for the organization.

The hosts reflect on their top practical insights gained from over 90 discussions. They dive into the power of flexible coaching engagements and the importance of making each session feel like a gift. Neuroscience's role in sales is explored, alongside a whimsical idea of creating clients using a napkin. The trio emphasizes the human aspect of coaching, shares personal stories of inspiration, and discusses the connection between community and growth. Get ready for a mix of valuable tools and heartfelt moments!

Exploring the pitfalls of comparison, the discussion reveals how it can warp our sense of identity and self-worth. Jennifer shares a powerful metaphor to help coaches gain perspective and break free from the cycle of feeling inadequate. This insightful commentary emphasizes the need for a reevaluation of self-perception, enabling growth and more empowered choices. Ultimately, it's a conversation about overcoming pressures and nurturing authenticity in personal and professional journeys.

In a delightful crossover, two passionate hosts dive into the concept of the Artful Coach, emphasizing creativity and connection in coaching. They highlight the importance of authenticity and personal values when building a soulful coaching business. Anecdotes showcase how confronting fears can lead to fulfilling transformations. Excitement builds for their upcoming workshop, aimed at turning Worcestershire into a coaching hub, and they extend an invitation for community engagement through a coaches' walk.