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

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.

Discover the vital role of crafting transformative endings in coaching engagements. Learn how celebrating client accomplishments can foster deeper relationships and open doors for future referrals. Explore strategies for thoughtful conclusions that spark personal transformation. Dive into the art of meaningful endings and how personal scripts influence the client's experience. This episode offers insights from experienced coaches, emphasizing the significance of paying attention to the last moments of your coaching journey.

Lindsey Lewis, a professional life and business coach, shares her expertise on building a successful coaching business. She highlights six essential skills such as mastering client interactions and navigating proposals. Lindsey emphasizes the importance of fostering genuine connections and a service-oriented mindset. The discussion also touches on transforming relationships with money and persistence within the coaching community, all aimed at enhancing personal growth and client commitment.

This short episode contains the answer to one of the questions Robbie gets asked the most, a question that is really hard to answer as you set out on your journey as a coach: how do I choose a coaching training programme?There are links to most of the people Robbie mentioned, as well as the article about changing careers, below.Download Robbie’s ebook, An Introduction to The Coaching Business Flywheel, here.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/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 ROBBIE MENTIONED THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN- Robbie’s article about how to find work you love (look at The Lean Career Change section - skip to number 9): https://www.robbieswale.com/writing/2020/9/11/10-step-process-to-find-work-you-love Episodes on The Coach's Journey Podcast from people who train/have trained at: Barefoot Coaching: Kim Morgan: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-25-kim-morgan Alex Swallow: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-62-alex-swallow-life-is-better-when-we-choose Ruth Saville: 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 Animas: Robert Stephenson: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-27-robert-stephenson-animas-how-to-say-yes-and-become-a-conduit-for-change The Academy of Executive Coaching: Neil Mackinnon: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-57-neil-mackinnon-when-you-step-into-the-hallowed-ground-of-coaching-show-up John Monks: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-39-john-monks-closing-the-circle-and-becoming-closer-apart MOE: Catriona Horey: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-4-catriona-horey-too-far-away-from-the-joy Jeffrey Wotherspoon: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-24-jeffrey-wotherspoon Mark Bixter: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/74-mark-bixter-to-see-the-true-value-of-coaching-look-beyond-the-fees Alex Whitton: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-64-alex-whitton-balancing-the-being-and-the-doing Chloe Garland: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-65-chloe-garland-the-jam-donut-principle-quarter-life-crises-and-the-philosophy-of-coaching But those are just four options - the key thing is to try them out and see what gives you a great feel.

Can coaching teach us to love ourselves more? Can it help us come to terms with injustice and pain? Does it offer a route towards peace?Executive coach, consultant and facilitator Philip Crocker explores all of these questions in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, and shares the wisdom and insights he uses in his work with senior leaders from some of the world’s most innovative organisations.Philip tells host Alex Whitton what he learned from launching several successful businesses before training as a coach and coach supervisor – an experience he describes as “a brilliant illumination”. Weaving together threads from physics and human relationships, Philip describes ways to increase the flow of energy between people in coaching conversations, utilising conductivity in much the same way as electrical circuits do.Philip says his purpose is to help people who feel written off to live a whole life. He is an expert in strategic facilitation and his own podcast, Alongsider, brings people from all walks of life into alignment with each other, allowing them to find their place and also take it.In this episode, Philip and Alex also talk about:- How to grow a coaching client base full of the people you need to help you learn and develop.- Slowing down when finding your niche, and how to navigate towards it.- The theories and relationships that underpin successful business growth.- The power of coaching to help people fall in love with themselves more.- The particular quality of connection that creates influence between people in coaching conversations.Philip also illuminates the shift we all have to make when we move from the separateness of our education system into the complexity of the world, and how coaching offers a space of integrity that can help us grapple with and utilise that complexity.Things and people we mentioned (that you might be interested in):Clare Pedrick https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairepedrick/?originalSubdomain=uk; https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-55-claire-pedrick-and-lucia-baldelli-the-human-behind-the-coach Clare’s books Simplifying Coaching and The Human Behind The Coach https://www.3dcoaching.com/shop/book-bundle-human-behind-the-coach-simplifying-coaching-signed-copies/  Robin Yourston https://www.linkedin.com/in/gandrprobin/?originalSubdomain=uk Dr. David Rock, Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2602650-quiet-leadershipDr. David Rock's SCARF model https://modelthinkers.com/mental-model/scarf-modelDr Sally Vanson and the Performance Solution https://theperformancesolution.com/the-coaches/dr-sally-vanson/ NLP https://anlp.org/knowledge-base/definition-of-nlp Carl Jung typology test https://jung.test.typologycentral.com/ ILM Level 7 Leadership and Management https://www.i-l-m.com/learning-and-development/management/management-and-leadership-generic/8617-level-7-leadership-and-management Human Conductivity https://www.humanconductivity.com/ Debra Green https://roc.uk.com/about/team/debra-green-obe/ Measure What Matters by John Doerr https://www.whatmatters.com/the-book Jung's personality types https://www.thesap.org.uk/articles-on-jungian-psychology-2/about-analysis-and-therapy/typology/DISC theory, which employ Jung's personality types  https://discboulevard.com/en/theory-behind-disc/

In this captivating discussion, Amy Brann, founder of Synaptic Potential and an acclaimed expert in neuroscience, shares her insights on how understanding brain science can elevate coaching practices. She explains the critical concepts of neuroplasticity and mirror neurons, emphasizing the importance of setting realistic expectations with clients. Amy highlights the power of visualization techniques for enhancing client autonomy and the role of trust in coaching. Their conversation also includes live coaching, inspiring self-awareness and emotional engagement for deeper connections.

In this TCJ Short, an excerpt from Episode #53, you can hear Sarah Fox and Robbie outlining powerful and simple ways for a coach (and any freelancer or self-employed person) to take control of their finances and manage them more skilfully: both for now, and for the future. In particular, they talk about:Separating priceless you from the business and work you do so you can get clear on your numbers.The practical change that Robbie made that transformed both how well his finances are organised and how he felt about it.How these changes affect how we feel about investing in our business.Why a rainy day account is VERY important for coaches. The insight that stopped Robbie procrastinating and finally made him take control of his finances. And all in just a few minutes!Listen back to Episode #53 in full here, for Sarah’s story and many amazing ideas and tips for you and your coaching business: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-53-sarah-fox-how-to-do-good-in-the-world-and-do-well-for-yourselfFor more information about Sarah, visit http://www.sarahfox.co.uk/.For more information about this episode’s host, 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.