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

In this engaging conversation, Aly King-Smith, the host of A Listening Life podcast, interviews Robbie, who shares invaluable insights on growing a coaching practice. Robbie argues that content creation isn't the best growth strategy and redefines client proposals as practice opportunities. He reveals his pricing evolution from £30 per session and introduces the Coaching Business Flywheel, emphasizing sustainable success through client relationships. His personal anecdotes offer a roadmap for coaches seeking to thrive in their careers.

Ruth Rochelle’s life and career changed when, in 1979, she met Ariana Huffington and took part in the first Insight Seminar ever to happen in the United Kingdom.Ruth describes this moment as her invitation into self-reflection, the start of her career, and the time when she started to become the leader in her own life. In Café Royal on London’s Regent Street, with 100 people – including some famous names – she had an experience she calls mindblowing and heart-opening, revealing deep truths that had previously been hidden from view.In this episode of the Coach’s Journey Podcast, Ruth sheds light on the vast worlds of discovery that opened up to her following that first Insight Seminar, which propelled her into a career as a global facilitator and as a renowned expert on conscious leadership in teams and organisations.Ruth tells host Joey Owen how her remarkable appetite for learning and exploration also led her to study Internal Family Systems, which now underpins her work as an accredited master executive coach, IFS practitioner, systemic team coach and coaching constellations practitioner.In this episode, Ruth and Joey also talk about:Psychosynthesis and other therapeutic models that are harnessed by coachesHow to shift from protective behaviours in order to stand up in your authenticityThe ripple effect and how it can amplify both our limiting patterns and our effective onesThe way systems theory can help us stay in balance and adapt to our current truthRuth ends the podcast with a truly vital message about the parts of ourselves that we bring to interactions with others and the roles we all have to play in taking humanity forward.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:- Ariana Huffington https://www.instagram.com/ariannahuff/?hl=en - Insight Seminars https://insightseminars.org/ - John Roger https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-14-vw-882-story.html - Russell Bishop https://russellbishop.com/about - Internal Family Systems https://ifs-institute.com/ - Psychosynthesis Coaching, Auburn Howard https://www.psychosynthesiscoaching.co.uk/ - NLP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming - Results Unlimited https://www.upwork.com/agencies/1140793201640026112/ - Internal Family Systems Therapy by Richard Schwartz https://www.amazon.co.uk/Internal-Family-Systems-Therapy-Guilford/dp/1572302720 - The Leadership Circle https://leadershipcircle.com/leadership-assessment-tools/leadership-circle-profile/- Robert Kegan and the Immunity to Change model https://www.gse.harvard.edu/hgse100/story/changing-better#:~:text=Based%20on%2030%20years%20of,distortions%20that%20keep%20you%20from - AOAC master systems coach https://www.aoac.org/aoac-training-courses/ - Third Space https://www.thirdspace.london/ 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 the art of authentic connection in the coaching world. Discover why building meaningful relationships is key to sustaining a coaching business. Learn practical strategies to turn fleeting interactions into lasting client connections. Uncover the impact of personal stories in conversations and how tracking these interactions can reshape your business mindset. Plus, gain insights into tailored communication to foster deeper bonds. Dive into the essentials of networking with integrity and watch your coaching practice flourish!

This episode is a unique chance to get inside a group coaching call with Robbie Swale.In it, you can hear Robbie coaching David Norris, Joey Owen, Hazel Martin and Alex Swallow, exactly as he would in one of his group coaching programmes for coaches or leaders.It demonstrates the way that he runs The Coach's Journey Community, which is his flexible, affordable group coaching programme for coaches, designed to support them to create thriving businesses and thrive as they do that. It shows both the practical value of working in this way and the incredible - almost magical - synchronicity that can emerge in work like this.In particular, we worked together on:How to finish a year strong, when doing so means you have to go against what society expects of you.How to be proud of the way we interact with our children rather than ashamed.Time, boundaries and how not to resent the people we love when they interrupt us.How to be a professional coach when there are many things buffetting us in our personal lives.But most importantly, this gives you a chance to feel the multiple levels of learning available in a group experience as a coach: learning from what the coaches bring as clients and how Robbie coaches them (and what you might do similarly or differently).We hope we might see you on a similar call as part of The Coach’s Journey Community sometime soon - now is a great time to join, as the September and November calls are available to Diamond Members, meaning you can sign up for £20, try it out and if it’s not the right thing for you, cancel any time. Learn more at https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.For more information about Robbie, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/To find out about the other coaches on this episode, visit the links below:David Norris: https://www.davidnorriscoaching.com/Joey Owen: https://joeyowencoaching.com/ and https://freedomtolearn.org.uk/Hazel Martin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazelmartinexecutivecoaching/Alex Swallow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexswallow/ and http://theinfluenceexpert.com/store/ (where you can get Alex's book about influence)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:Watch the video version of this coaching session and follow us on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANwh_WKq9_Q The David Gemmell story Robbie shared is in full, here: http://www.wisdomofgemmell.com/the-pebble-in-the-moonlight/ The other group coaching call that Robbie mentions is on YouTube is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFBvAVfZrKQ You can buy the 12-Minute Method books here: https://geni.us/12minutemethodseriesThe Coach’s Journey Community: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/community

Discover the Coaching Business Flywheel, a transformative model designed to boost your coaching career. Uncover the five essentials every coach must embrace for sustainability. Learn how to leverage the flywheel for creating a momentum-driven business, inspired by successful models like Amazon. The hosts dive into the significance of meaningful connections and continuous learning in fostering growth. Plus, explore strategies to engage clients authentically while overcoming common challenges in the coaching landscape.

Does the coaching industry privilege the boardroom over the community? And is the intrinsic value of our work reflected in our earnings? What is the potential impact coaching can have in communities that often have less access to coaches?These questions and many more are explored in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, by host Alex Whitton and his guest, Association for Coaching master-accredited coach Mark Bixter.Mark has applied his coaching skills in a wide variety of settings, working with people who are often unable to access coaching, including in prisons and with those in underprivileged communities. In this episode Mark reflects on how he has created a sustainable and accessible coaching business that aligns with his values and the dialogue that is needed about who is and who is not being served by our profession.When people hear the words “coach” or “life coach”, they often imagine a person who has achieved some kind of perfect alignment and lives in total harmony with the world. But like many coaches, Mark arrived at the profession following a tumultuous period of his life, and his journey is both relatable and moving.A former actor and food critic and an accredited celebrant, Mark reflects on the ways all aspects of his life have informed his strengths as a listener and also his growth areas, such as challenging his clients when they need it.In this episode, Mark and Alex also talk about:• How coaching is a shared learning journey between client and coach• The ‘Three Cs’ framework for coaching: contracting, competence and clients’ best interest• The unique potential of coaching to help people access other forms of help and support• What to do when you don’t know where your work is going to come from• The interplay between coaching and mental health• How our experiences as coaches show up in other aspects of our lives, from parenting to friendshipsMark also discusses the conversations and social media posts that enabled him to make the shift from coaching people he already knew to bringing in clients from beyond his existing network.For links to many of the things we talked about in this episode, visit: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/74-mark-bixter-to-see-the-true-value-of-coaching-look-beyond-the-fees

As the world untangles itself from the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, there is important healing work to be done. In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, trauma-informed wellbeing and resilience coach Jackee Holder maps out the impact of events on our collective consciousness, and points the way forward for our profession.A true coaching trailblazer, Jackee was among the very first black coaches in the UK and become one of the first black British authors to publish in the self-help genre when she released Soul Purpose in 1999. From earning her degree in government and politics, Jackee moved into youth and community work, where the quality of listening she received from a supervisor altered her perspective on her own career.Preferring to describe herself as “a human who gets to be on purpose” than as a coach, Jackee’s work is currently focused on the therapeutic benefits of journaling and expressive writing. This work has taken her into her zone of genius, and she describes the remarkable changes that manifest when we are in alignment with our work.Jackee opens up about her journey to becoming a successful author, leadership coach and coach supervisor, reflecting on the hardships and the breakthroughs that shaped her remarkable life and career.In this episode, Jackee and host Ruth Saville also talk about:·      How journaling can be harnessed as a growth process·      Moving into coaching without throwing out your old career·      How to skilfully navigate how you show up in the world without losing your sense of identity·      Ways to amplify the work you do in your own time: your personal reading, learning and podcast consumptionJackee also generously shares advice and guidance to anyone interested in becoming a trauma-informed coach, and suggests key reading that can act as a springboard into this work.For links to many of the things we talked about in this episode, visit: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/73-jackee-holder-trauma-informed-coaches-have-never-been-more-needed

In this episode, Robbie was hosted by the Henley Business School Marketing Group for Coaches, where he shares his personal transition from feeling like a newcomer to fully embracing his identity as a coach.In his talk and the questions that follow, Robbie uses philosopher Ken Wilber's analogy of enlightenment being akin to having an accident – something you can't force but can become prone to – to set the stage for his approach to making oneself ‘client-prone’ in the coaching business. While you can't make a client to say yes, there are strategies to increase the likelihood that you will accidentally find yourself with a client.In this episode, Robbie covers:The Prosperous Coach Flywheel, and how it can create a virtuous cycle that naturally leads to a growing coaching practice.The importance of creating a body of work, which serves as a powerful tool for connecting with potential clients before they even meet you and how to use the 12-Minute Method to make a body of work without it being time-consuming.How to navigate money conversations with confidence and integrity, ensuring that clients understand the value of the coaching experience.Transitioning from gifted sessions to paid clients.The session concludes with an audience Q&A, and among many things what comes across is that Robbie's approach to coaching is deeply rooted in authenticity, service, and a commitment to personal growth – both for himself and his clients.To read Robbie’s latest thinking on Flywheels and coachings businesses, including his newly designed The Coaching Business Flywheel,visit https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheelFor 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 WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:Robbie’s 100 Podcasts Challenge: https://www.robbieswale.com/writing/2022/2/4/the-12-minute-method-100-podcasts-challengeRobbie’s 12-Minute Article: The Second Best Time is Now: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2021/12/15/the-second-best-time-is-nowRobbie’s 12-Minute Article: The Lost Relics of our Art: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2021/12/4/the-lost-relics-of-our-artRobbie’s ebook, An Introduction to the Coaching Business Flywheel, is available for free here: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheelKen Wilber: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_WilberJamie Dru: https://www.jamiedru.com/Robbie on Jamie’s podcast, The Career Climb: https://www.jamiedru.com/post/climb-08-robbieswaleKatie Harvey on The Coach’s Journey (first appearance): https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-1-katie-harvey-14000-hours-of-coaching-being-part-of-the-uk-coaching-vanguard-and-being-a-generalist-coachThe Prosperous Coach: https://richlitvin.com/book/Joel Monk on The Coach’s Journey: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-6-joel-monk-conversations-at-the-cutting-edge-of-coachingBetterUp: https://www.betterup.com/Elizabeth Gilbert and her book Big Magic: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/Giovanna Cappozza on The Coach’s Journey: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-20-giovanna-capozzaThe 12-Minute Method: https://www.robbieswale.com/about-the-12-minute-methodDruss the Legend: https://davidgemmell.fandom.com/wiki/DrussDavid Gemmell: http://www.wisdomofgemmell.com/Jim Collins on the Tim Ferriss Show: https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/RUNNING ORDER~7m - Robbie's Journey to Becoming a Coach~9m - Making Yourself "Client Prone"~9m - The Five Habits for Growing a Coaching Business~10m - Exploring Creativity and Overcoming Challenges~11m - The Importance of Skilled Coaches in the World~12m - Robbie's Experience and Earnings as a Coach~13m - The Influence of "The Prosperous Coach" Book~15m - The Concept of a Flywheel in Business Growth~19m - The Prosperous Coach Flywheel Explained~22m - Detailed Breakdown of the Prosperous Coach Flywheel~25m - How to Oil the Flywheel for Business Growth~31m - The Role of a Body of Work in Creating Clients~31m - The Personal Transformation Through Creating Work~33m - Susan's Question on Money Conversations~37m - Strategies for Discussing Coaching Fees~38m - The 90-Day Money Game Challenge~39m - The Importance of Creating Powerful Coaching Experiences~40m - Susan's question on the Value of Coaching~43m - Xenia's question on Transitioning from Free to Paid Sessions

Marie Quigley approaches coaching in much the same way as she does her passion for global travel: with curiosity, openness and an unquenchable desire to explore.As a Master Certified Coach who has trained with the likes of Brené Brown, Marie can draw upon a wealth of experience and expertise. In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast she describes the mindsets and skills that have helped her achieve success as a coach, as a co-founder of coach-training business Empower World, and as co-host of her company’s podcast.Underpinning all of her achievements are the values and wisdom she gained through life-changing moments while travelling the world, and she shares some of the stories that instilled in her a commitment to live in fulfillment – and help her clients do the same.Marie believes that we have something to learn from everyone, and she reflects on the profound learning opportunities that arise when our coaching clients trust us enough to allow us into their inner worlds.In this episode, Marie and host Alex Swallow also talk about:How to distinguish between what our clients want and what we want for themThe changing mirrors we present to others as we learn, develop and growContracting with clients and how to agree upon ways of working that lead to strong coaching relationshipsDaring Leadership and Marie’s experience of training with Brené BrownThe different approaches required to develop as a coach and to grow your businessMarie also shares remarkable techniques she uses in coaching sessions that build attunement through bodily communications and deep listening.For links to many of the things mentioned in this episode, visit: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/71-marie-quigley-living-in-fulfilment-is-a-radical-act-ybxyl

Mike Toller works as a professional coach and psychodynamic psychotherapist, supporting individuals privately and in organisations, and training people to bring coaching skills and mindsets into their personal and professional lives.That makes him the perfect person to answer one of the big questions that coaches ask and get asked: what is the difference between coaching on the one hand, and counselling and psychotherapy on the other?In this new format, an excerpt from Episode #32, you can hear Mike and Robbie exploring that big question.As Robbie says in the introduction to this episode, the clarity of what Mike talks about here has changed how Robbie thinks and talks about the difference between coaching and psychotherapy (and counselling). It just might do that for you, too.Listen back to Episode #32 in full here, for Mike’s story and many amazing ideas and tips for you and your coaching business: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-32-mike-toller.For more information about Mike, visit https://www.clarenormancoachingassociates.com.For more information about this episode’s host, Robbie Swale, visit https://www.michaeltollercoaching.co.uk/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.BIOGRAPHY FROM MIKEMike was born in Germany and moved to the UK when he was six years old. He lived in Oxfordshire, Leeds and Norfolk with his parents and three brothers. When he was 19, he studied Linguistics in Cambridge, and then moved to London.Mike first worked for a graduate recruitment startup, then followed a passion for writing and made a leap to publishing, editing travel guides. In his spare time, he put on clubnights for fun and later took the plunge and left his job as an editor to turn the nights into a successful events company.Realising he wanted his work to be more fulfilling and align directly with his values and wider goals, Mike began a process of self-reflection and worked with some amazing mentors, who inspired him to take his career into his own hands and choose a new direction. He made a plan for change, and in 2010 began training as a psychotherapist.Along the way, he decided to develop a portfolio career and trained as a coach in 2014. He also co-founded The Coaching School, a centre of excellence for coaching committed to training and supporting the next generation of outstanding coaches.Mike now works as a professional coach and psychodynamic psychotherapist, supporting individuals privately and in organisations, and training people to bring coaching skills and mindsets into their personal and professional lives.