The Coaching Life

Susan is a very experienced executive and performance coach, and I’d seen her around the coaching community and was fascinated by the absence of the typical ‘marketing’ posts on social media we often see. How was she running a coaching practice, I wondered? Well, the answer is natural connection, rather than intellectual selling, which is just one of the distinctions that come up in this wonderful conversation. Here’s a little more about Susan. Susan Andrewes is the founder and director of Susan Andrewes Consulting Ltd, a New Zealand-based consultancy dedicated to creating a better world through a clearer understanding of the mind. An experienced executive and performance coach, in 2011 Susan was introduced to a profound new understanding of the principles behind the human experience and was incredibly impacted by the transformations in her clients’ lives and work. Susan has since trained with many of the pioneers in this field and is one of the Asia-Pacific region’s foremost specialists in this work. She now partners with leaders and change-makers interested in re-defining what is possible for themselves, for their communities, for their organisations and for the world. Susan is also a professionally-trained conference interpreter (simultaneous and consecutive) and translator. She has ten years’ experience in interpreting at high-level international meetings in Brussels and throughout Europe. She speaks French, German, Spanish and Hungarian and spent 17 years living in France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary and the UK before returning to New Zealand in 2015 with her endlessly patient and supportive husband and their two small boys. https://www.susanandrewes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/susan.andrewes

In this episode Tripp talks very openly about shifting from dicking around to being all-in, the importance of getting support, getting your head out of your ass, and what he looks for in his dream clients. He also has an important message for coaches running away from their pasts, and reveals who has impacted his coaching the most. Here’s a little more about Tripp: The host of The New Man Podcast: Beyond the Macho Jerk and the New Age Wimp which — for almost a decade — has been downloaded millions of times. He coaches entrepreneurs around the world to get out of the shallow end of the pool, redefine success, and align their work with what they were put on this Earth to do. Over the years he’s designed several businesses to support a simple lifestyle focused on freedom, ease, and fun. As a host, he’s interviewed experts and authors from all walks of life including: Tim Ferriss (The 4 Hour Workweek, The 4 Hour Body, The 4 Hour Chef) Laird Hamilton (Big wave surfing legend) Ken Wilber (A Brief History of Everything, A Theory of Everything) Dan Millman (Way of the Peaceful Warrior) Steven Pressfield (The War of Art, Turning Pro) Robert Greene (48 Laws of Power, Mastery) Steven Kotler (The Rise of Superman, Bold) AJ Jacobs (Esquire Magazine, The Year of Living Biblically, My Experimental Life) Chip Conley (Founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels, Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow) Dr. Robert Glover (No More Mr Nice Guy) Ret. Navy SEAL Mark Divine (Unbeatable Mind, The Way of the SEAL) Neil Strauss (The Game, The Truth) The New Man Podcast reaches tens of thousands of people in over 110 countries and regularly finds its home on the iTunes Self Help Top 10 list. TL-family As a creative entrepreneur, Tripp created one of the first digital video post-production companies in the Southeast. For over twelve years, Tripp crafted TV shows and commercials for national and regional clients. Other contributions include working with Ken Wilber as Co-Director of Integral Institute’s Art Center. On the artistic front, Tripp has written, performed and produced albums with his own rock groups, Hank Madison and Screaming Witness. He’s also co-produced Stuart Davis and frequently humiliated himself on Stu’s Sex God Rock n Roll TV Show on HDNet. Tripp is married to therapist/relationship coach Alyson Lanier and has the best daughter in the whole wide world. They live near the ocean and where he spends much of his time surfing, playing music really loud, and laughing his ass off. http://www.tripplanier.com/ http://www.thenewmanpodcast.com/

In this episode Amir talks very openly about how he discovered his coaching business did not need to look like he thought it did, and is certainly not the place to find happiness. He also shares how his realisations around coaching and clients have helped him feel liberated to love and enjoy life, and reveals his big secret to handling feeling desperate down & lost, the simplicity of which may surprise you. Amir is all about doing what you enjoy and enjoying what you do. I’m sure you’ll all enjoy this episode! Here’s a little more about Amir: Amir Karkouti is a transformative coach, owner of a San Diego based chain of restaurants, author of numerous titles, including Do NOTHING To Get EVERYTHING, Lessons From My Coach, and Happiness Formula. He has spent over ten years as an adviser, mentor, and coach to Fortune 500 CEO's, military men/women, and people who want to get more out of themselves and their lives. From his personal and professional experiences working with a range of clients, he has discovered that we all have the capacity for innate well-being. He lives in Carlsbad, and can be found spending time with his beautiful wife, French Bulldog, and the world's smallest and cutest coach; his daughter, Aria. http://www.amirkarkouti.com/ amir@amirkarkouti.com

In this episode Kimberley reveals her very detailed strategy for building a very successful coaching practice whilst navigating some major changes and challenges in her personal life. Okay, it is not particularly detailed, in fact it contains one step and one principle, but it’s simplicity may just help to liberate you from all that prevents you from building the kind of coaching practice you desire. Here’s a little more about Kim: Kim Kaase is a leader of leaders. As a professional business coach, consultant and transformational trainer she supports her clients by working with them to craft a clear personal vision while creating results that are important to them. She uses her background as a designer to creatively solve problems and approach challenges as a coach from a very unique perspective. Kim's experience in creating breakthrough sales results as well as executing company vision and goals melds perfectly with her coaching career. As a dealer principal, Kim led sales and sales support teams to grow the dealership from $14mm in 2003 to $38mm in just 4 years while industry trends were going in the opposite direction. Kim graduated from the University of Houston in 1990 with a BFA in Interior Design and a certification in Transformative Coaching. Her career has included work with a vast array of professional services firms and successful entrepreneurs.. She is the Principal at her firm, LEAP Business Coaching. In her free time she enjoys transformational work, bird watching, cooking and creating memories with her son, Rex. Kim’s vision includes creating a world where everyone leads lives that they absolutely love! http://www.life-leap.com/ kim@life-leap.com

Jason really needs no introduction. If you like to be entertained, like to laugh, and have any kind of interest in the coaching profession, you need read no more - just go listen to this episode! Jason is one of my favourite people on the planet, his immense enthusiasm for life and fun is extremely contagious, and any conversation with him is so often a wonderful cocktail of laughter, fun, innuendo, laced with a generous splash of wisdom. There’s lots in the episode for coaches, and a bunch of laughs for all of us. Enjoy! Jason has kindly agreed to provide a free copy of his fabulous book Prison Break, in ebook form, and paperback for anyone in the US, using this link. http://www.thejasongoldberg.com/phil/ Here’s a little more about Jason: What does an award-winning entrepreneur, a TEDx Speaker, a bacon-atarian (thats a vegetarian who still eats bacon), a funky sock lover, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan - YES, really!) and a previously 332lb man (who has since lost over 130lbs despite his affinity for bacon) have in common? They are all the same guy! Jason Goldberg (JG for short) is a geek, turned entrepreneur, international speaker, Edu-tainer, creator of the “Playful Prosperity” Program and author of the #1 International Best-Seller on (SELF) Leadership: “Prison Break: Vanquish the Victim, Own Your Obstacles, and Lead Your Life” JG blends his love of personal growth, comedy (and sometimes even rap music), with his speaking, training and workshops to help people open their minds, transform their lives and businesses and pee their pants from laughter (...okay maybe not literally on that last one, but no judgment if it happens). thejasongoldberg.com

When I met Lian at a coaching intensive a few years ago, like many there she was exploring building a one-on-one coaching practice. I wanted to interview her for The Coaching Life because what she is up to now looks quite different from most people’s coaching practices, and by following her heart she seems to be having a whole lot of fun whilst being of wonderful service to others, despite a few subtle changes in direction. Lian reveals here how she allows her creativity to flow freely and is still able to follow a plan, the secret to why she’s doing what she’s doing, and the business benefits of the wonderful podcast - The Primal Happiness Show. Oh, and you’ll hear her dog make a guest appearance :) Here’s a little more about Lian: Lian is a co-founder of the education platform Primal Happiness and the host of the weekly top 10 ranked iTunes happiness podcast The Primal Happiness Show. Lian was lucky to have had an amazingly happy upbringing, bursting with love and adventure. And she was attacked which resulted in chronic facial pain, massive panic attacks and anxiety. That started a 15 year search for relief from her emotional and physical pain... she tried traditional medicine and then most types of self-help and woo that you can think of. Nothing helped. Until she discovered the true nature of happiness and then in an instant, her anxiety, fears, limitations, and even the chronic pain dropped away! Her life is now ridiculously happy and her mission is to share the fundamentals behind reclaiming happiness and thriving in all areas of life… with the world! Lian lives in cottage in England, with her husband, their two young children, and a triple helping of ginger goodness: their cat Beatle and their two Hungarian Vizsla dogs Laszlo and Mabel. Her passions are baking, writing, hosting parties, making and drinking cocktails, and watching wonderful people wake up to a life without limits. Links: Primal Happiness: http://primalhappiness.co/ The Primal Happiness Show: http://primalhappiness.co/podcast_list/

With his often beautifully-simple wisdom, in this episode Robert inspires coaches and transformation professionals to explore and talk about love and happiness in organisations. Robert’s impact on my own life and that of my clients is immeasurable, so I was especially grateful that he agreed to do this interview with me so that I get to share with you someone who has helped me greatly understand love, happiness, and life. I could have selected almost anything he said as the opening audio snippet, not least his summary at the end of the episode. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did creating it. Here’s a little more about Robert: Robert Holden, Ph.D., is Director of Success Intelligence and The Happiness Project. His work on psychology and spirituality has been featured on Oprah, Good Morning America, a PBS special Shift Happens!, and in two major BBC-TV documentaries, The Happiness Formula and How to Be Happy.  Robert coaches and mentors people from all walks of life. His corporate clients include Dove & Real Beauty Campaign. He teaches a 5-day Coaching Lab for the Soul-Centered Professional Coaching Program at University of Santa Monica. He teaches Leadership & Enneagram for clients like Google and IBM.  He is a Fellow of The Leadership Trust. He runs a private Coaching Mastermind Group for coaches. Robert is a best-selling author of Happiness NOW!, Shift Happens!, Authentic Success, Be Happy, Loveability, Holy Shift: 365 Meditations from A Course in Miracles, and Life Loves You, co-written with Louise Hay.  He is an official contributor to Oprah.com. Robert hosts a weekly show on Hay House Radio called Shift Happens! He posts daily on www.facebook.com/drrobertholden.  He is currently writing his first book of poetry Disappearing into Love. www.robertholden.org

One conversation I had with Carolyn Freyer-Jones at Steve Chandler’s ACS Coaching Prosperity School a few years ago was worth the entire fee for the school, demonstrating how conversations do change lives. And Carolyn has been doing that for over 15 years. Maybe there is something in this conversation that will help change yours, as she talks about owning all her experiences, including all the bumpy or messy ones, and demonstrates to us her loving dedication to being of service, irrespective of any fear. You can connect with Carolyn on Facebook at www.facebook.com/carolyn.freyerjones Her website is www.carolynfreyerjones.com/ And details of her latest program for women is here: www.selfmasteryforwomen.org/

In this episode, Lynette Allen, who I met on my iPad, talks very openly about some massive life changes, breakdowns, authenticity and honesty. She also talks with much passion about her her work in empowering women, including her daughter, about the importance of being unprepared for coaching sessions, changing plans and her ever-changing mad, passionate rollercoaster of a life. Okay, I didn’t really meet her on my iPad, but it’s not far from the actual truth that I reveal in this episode. Here’s a little more about Lynette and her work: Labelled an ‘Activist’ on Social Media, Lynette’s unrivalled experience in developing women meant that her ‘Increase your Power & Influence’ programmes are now delivered all over the UK and Europe. She works tirelessly to help women recognise and utilise their power in order to influence and direct their personal and professional lives. As an authority on developing women, Lynette has worked with numerous companies such as Proctor & Gamble, Bemis, UK Power Networks and MasterCard. Her experience means she has worked with women all over the world on topics surrounding female advancement. Her flagship programme addresses these issues head on and reaches 100’s of women each year. http://www.herinvitation.com/ https://www.lynetteallen.co.uk/

My notes from my last conversation with John had a simple heading: Wow! And this interview also reflects that. John talks about the magic of coaching and creating, his intense curiosity about others, about life, his commitment to his personal journey and his desire to create a more connected and loving world. I found this conversation personally inspiring, and loved how John reflected that back to me, such is his vision and his curiosity and love for the person in front of him. This one is definitely worth taking the time to listen to. You can connect with him here: http://jpmorganjr.com/ A little more about John: My vision is a more connected and loving world. I create this by challenging leaders to discover a whole worldview and to embody a radically deep personal integrity. I have been 'coaching'​ and 'speaking'​ since the late 90's and this work became my profession in 2009. I have supported numerous leaders to grow their organisation by growing themselves. I have been invited to share my ideas on human connection on the TEDx stage, at a private event attended by billionaires I spoke about creating a borderless world and the University of Cambridge Psychology department has researched the impact of my leadership on students. Previous to my current work I built a property business and then a web company serving non-profits. I travelled and lived nomadically, coached human rights leaders, funded development of a kids library in Cambodia and studied with spiritual teachers. To this day I am engaged in an often obsessive pursuit of knowledge and experience in the art and science of being human.