Those Who Can, Do. Those Who Can’t, Uh, Coach?

This week, in Episode 257, David C. Barnett, Jay Goltz, and Lena McGuire talk about their experiences hiring consultants, advisors, and especially coaches. There are, of course, lots of great business coaches out there, but as the owners explain, it’s easy to be led astray by coaches who don’t really know your industry or who address your specific challenges with their cookie-cutter solutions. And here’s a question: Does it matter whether the coaches were successful in their own entrepreneurial endeavors? “I've seen some of these people in the picture framing industry,” Jay tells us, “these people who were coaching and were giving advice to people. And every last one of them failed in their own business.” But when coaching works, it can be transformative, says Lena, who is “absolutely thrilled” with the coach she hired. So how do you tell the difference between a coach who can actually help and one who just talks a good game? Plus: Jay explains why he’s thinking about opening a pizza shop. Seriously. Well, sort of seriously.