Women in The Coaching Arena
Are you a coach who's passionate about making a difference and building a thriving coaching business? Join Joanna Lott, a business mentor and ICF certified coach, as she shares practical and emotional tools to help you succeed in the coaching arena. In each weekly Thursday episode of The Women in the Coaching Arena Podcast, Joanna provides valuable insights and actionable advice on various topics, such as business strategy, marketing, mindset, energy and entrepreneurship. Whether you're just starting or have years of experience, this podcast is for you. You have a gift that needs to be shared and Joanna is here...
193 | AI for Coaches: 3 Things to Do and 3 to Avoid
Is AI making your coaching business invisible? AI can save coaches hours every week, but could it also be making your marketing sound exactly like everyone else’s? In this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena, Jo Lott shares three ways to use AI to grow your coaching business, three things you should never hand over to it, and why your unique voice matters more than ever.
Jo is a big advocate for using AI in business. From custom AI bots to content creation and client resources, she shares how she uses it herself, alongside real ex...
192 | Launching vs Evergreen: How to Get Coaching Clients Consistently
Imagine spending weeks preparing a launch, attracting over 100 people to your free challenge, and making just one sale. That’s exactly what happened to Joanna Lott when she first launched her coaching programme.
Five years later, that same programme has generated over £500,000 in revenue, without the pressure of constantly launching.
In this episode, Jo shares why she moved away from traditional launches and built an evergreen business model that allows clients to join throughout the year.
Jo also explores when launching does make sense and shares five questions to help you decide which app...
191 | Mean Girl Marketing: The Truth About Coaching Success
Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and wondered why every other coach seems to be doing better than you? The perfect businesses, incredible income claims and endless success stories can leave even experienced coaches questioning themselves.
In this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena, Jo Lott exposes what she calls Mean Girl Marketing and explains how misleading success claims, shame-based messaging and manufactured urgency are damaging confidence across the coaching industry.
Jo shares a surprising experience that completely changed how she viewed some of the loudest voices online, why visibility doesn’t necessarily equal su...
190 | I’ve Spent 6 Years Getting Coaching Clients. Here’s What Works in 2026
Getting coaching clients has changed. After six years of building her coaching business, Jo shares what has genuinely worked and why some of the advice coaches are still following simply isn’t enough anymore.
Timestamps
00:00 – Getting Clients Has Changed
02:05 – Why Posting Isn’t Enough
04:00 – Get More Specific
05:15 – Shallow vs Deep Marketing
08:00 – Have Real Conversations
10:45 – What Actually Worked
12:40 – What to Do This Week
Sign up for The Honest Edit, Jo’s regular newsletter for more honest conversations about building a coaching business, plus invitations to...
189 | How I Built a £200K+ Coaching Business Around My Life
What does it really take to build a coaching business that replaces your salary… and eventually goes far beyond it?
This episode is for you if you’re building your coaching business and wondering whether you’re moving fast enough, earning enough or doing enough.
Jo shares her actual income journey from £0 to building a £200K+ coaching business, including the years when very little seemed to be happening. Jo wants to give you a much more realistic picture of how long it can take to build a sustainable coaching business, because comparing your first year with som...
188 | How to Speak With More Confidence and Authority - with Sara Bagheri
You can know exactly what you want to say, then the moment you hit record, walk into a networking event or start speaking in front of a room, suddenly your voice changes. You speed up, forget to breathe, lose your words or simply don’t sound as confident as you know you can be.
Joanna is joined by Sara Bagheri, founder of Fluence Comms and a speech, language and voice therapist with over 20 years’ clinical experience. They explore what actually makes someone sound confident and authoritative, why nerves affect your voice and the small, practical changes you can...
187 | How I Use AI in My Coaching Business (And Where I Draw the Line)
AI can completely change how you run your coaching business, saving you hours on content, research, admin and client support. In this episode, Joanna shares exactly how she uses AI in her business, the tools making the biggest difference, and where she draws the line to protect her own thinking, voice and the human connection at the heart of great coaching.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Where I Stand on AI
01:00 – Five Ways I Use AI
04:00 – What I Won’t Outsource
05:00 – Protect Your Own Thinking
06:00 – My Favourite AI Tools
07:00 – Why Viktor Cha...
186 | The Human Side of Facilitation: Holding a Room with Confidence with Tom Cleary
Whether you run coaching groups, workshops, leadership programmes or team sessions, facilitation is a skill that goes far beyond delivering content. In this episode, Joanna is joined by facilitation specialist Tom Cleary to explore what really helps people feel safe, engaged and ready to learn. Together they discuss the subtle shifts that can transform the way you hold a room - from embracing silence to creating genuine psychological safety and looking after your own wellbeing as a facilitator.
Timestamps
00:00 - Meet Tom Cleary
03:37 - Coaching to Groups
05:18 - Energy & Recovery
<...185 | From Redundancy to Replacing 90% of Her Salary in a Year - Krasi Toneva
Krasi Toneva has built a thriving portfolio business combining leadership coaching, HR consultancy and leadership development, and within her first year, she replaced 90% of her previous salary. In this episode, Krasi shares the five biggest lessons that helped her get there, from finding her niche and growing her LinkedIn network to reconnecting with people from her 20-year career.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Meet Krasi Toneva
02:20 – From Redundancy to Business Owner
04:00 – Why She Joined The Business of Coaching
07:00 – LinkedIn Growth and First Clients
09:40 – Five Lessons That Changed Her Business
13:50 – The Email Th...
184 | How Emma Cowsill Built a Neurodiversity Coaching Business in 8 Months (While Getting Diagnosed Along the Way)
What if eight months from now, your coaching business looked completely different from the one you’re imagining today?
When Emma Cowsill started her business, she was also making sense of her own ADHD diagnosis and, more recently, an autism diagnosis. In this conversation, she shares how she stopped shrinking herself, found a way of building a business that works with her brain rather than against it, and quickly expanded from 1:1 coaching into neurodiversity consulting, organisational work and collaborations.
Timestamps
00:00 - From Masking to Business Owner
03:15 - Finding Her LinkedIn Rhythm
...183 | The Lead Magnet Strategy Every Coach Needs to Build Their Email List
If social media disappeared tomorrow, would you still have a way to reach your ideal clients? In this episode, Jo shares why building an email list is one of the smartest investments you can make in your coaching business, and exactly how to get started, even if you have zero subscribers today.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Why Every Coach Needs an Email List
01:35 - Create Your First Lead Magnet
04:00 - Solve One Small Problem
06:00 - The 5 Welcome Emails
08:45 - Your Weekly Newsletter
11:20 - Mistakes to Avoid
<...182 | From Director of Comms to 94K Tik Tok Followers with Louise Thompson
Building a coaching business rarely happens as quickly as social media makes it look. In this conversation, Louise Thompson shares what really happened after leaving a successful corporate career - from starting again at 44 to building a community of 94,000 people, attracting corporate clients, and creating a business that genuinely reflects who she is. It’s an honest reminder that consistency compounds, even when it feels like nothing is happening.
Timestamps
00:00 - Leaving Corporate at 44
03:00 - Starting From Scratch
05:00 - Why TikTok Changed Everything
07:55 - Turning Content Into Clients
...
181 | Getting Qualified Coaches Their First Clients
Most coaches think they need a website, a bigger audience or months of content before they can sign a client. In this episode, I share exactly what I would do if I had to get my first five coaching clients all over again, using the lessons I’ve learned from building my own business and helping hundreds of qualified coaches do the same.
Timestamps
00:00 - What I’d Do Differently
03:00 - The 30-Person List
06:30 - Five Free Sessions
09:00 - Your First Paid Client
12:00 - The Social Media Myth...
180 | LinkedIn for Coaches: From Zero Visibility to Booked Out
If you’ve been posting consistently with little to show for it, this episode is a reminder that visibility takes time, strategy, and patience. Jo shares the practical approach that helped LinkedIn become the source of nearly all her coaching clients, and why it’s still one of the best places for coaches to grow their business.
Timestamps
00:00 - Why LinkedIn Still Works
02:00 - Choosing the Right Platform
04:00 - Fix Your Profile First
06:00 - Posts That Attract Clients
09:00 - The Power of Comments
11:00 - A Week...
179 | Mastering the Art of Intentional Style with Alex Standley
Could the clothes you wear affect your confidence, visibility and the way people remember your business?
Today, Joanna speaks with award-winning personal stylist, TEDx speaker and sustainable fashion consultant Alex Standley about using style with greater intention. Alex shares how reconnecting with her values changed the direction of her career, and why personal style begins with understanding who you are rather than following trends.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Meet Alex Standley
06:36 - Style Starts with Identity
10:27 - Style as Your Personal Brand
13:26 - Colour and Confidence
19:34...
178 | The Discovery Call That Doesn't Feel Like Selling
Have you ever come off a discovery call wondering why it didn’t lead anywhere, even though the conversation felt great? In this episode, Joanna shares why the best discovery calls don’t feel like selling at all. Instead, they feel like coaching. If you’ve ever worried about sounding pushy, over-explaining your offer, or freezing when it’s time to talk about price, this episode will help you approach discovery calls with more confidence, clarity, and integrity.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Discovery Calls Aren’t Selling
02:00 - Preparing Before the Call
03:45 - The Five-P...
177 | Val's Story: From Uncertain Niche to Leading Coaching Groups Across Europe
This is an honest conversation about courage, clarity, and building a coaching business one decision at a time.
Joanna is joined by The Business of Coaching client Valeria Kadelski to explore what it really feels like to pivot your niche, navigate the uncertainty that follows, and keep moving forward, even when you're not sure you've made the right decision.
This episode is for you if you’re a qualified coach who knows something needs to change in your business but keeps delaying the decision because you’re worried about getting it wrong. Val’s story will g...
176 | The Testimonial Mistake Coaches Keep Making
Stop waiting for the perfect client success story. If you think your testimonials aren't impressive enough, you could be making one of the biggest marketing mistakes coaches make. In this episode, Joanna shares why authenticity beats perfection, how prospects really evaluate testimonials, and why the results you take for granted may be exactly what your future clients need to see.
Timestamps
01:20 - Two Real Client Examples
03:10 - The Movement Reframe
04:45 - Don’t Dismiss Small Wins
06:15 - Testimonials vs Case Studies
07:40 - Better Questions to Ask Clients
...175 | The Coaching Plan Trap Most Coaches Fall Into
Are you spending more time perfecting your coaching plan than talking to potential clients? In this episode, Joanna explains why your coaching plan isn’t what gets clients to buy. Discover what clients really care about, how to simplify your offer, and the shift that will help you attract more coaching clients.
Timestamps
00:00 - The Coaching Plan Trap
01:45 - What a Coaching Plan Really Is
03:10 - Structure vs Coaching
04:20 - Why Clients Want Certainty
07:05 - When Plans Become the Problem
09:05 - The Three-Phase Approach
...
174 | Motivation Isn't Enough: What Successful Coaches Do Instead - with Rebecca Liljendahl
What if consistency isn’t about discipline, but about designing habits for your real life? In this episode, Joanna speaks with habit specialist Rebecca Liljendahl about why we struggle to do the things we know would help us, and how to build habits that last even on our worst days.
This episode is valuable for coaches who know what they need to do to grow their business, but struggle to stay consistent with visibility, marketing, self-care or follow-through.
By the end of this conversation, you’ll understand why motivation alone isn’t enough, and how to cre...
173 | How to Price Your Coaching Services
If you’ve ever worried about charging too much, charging too little, or wondered whether anyone will actually pay your rates, this episode will help you think about pricing in a completely different way. In this episode, Joanna shares why pricing is about far more than picking a number.
What if the real question isn’t “What will people pay?” but “What kind of business do I want to build?”
Timestamps
00:00 - Why Pricing Feels So Hard
02:00 - The £5,000 Per Month Exercise
03:00 - Pricing as Business Design
04:00 - The Three-P...
172 | From Redundancy And Zero Clients To A Fully Booked Coaching Business In Months with Dr Andy Sockanathan
Many people believe that building a successful coaching business takes years. But what happens when you lose your job, have no clients, and decide to take consistent, imperfect action every single day?
In this honest conversation, Andy Sockanathan shares how redundancy became the turning point that led him to build a fully booked coaching business in just a few months.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Andy’s Story
02:03 - Taking Action
04:07 - Finding a Niche
06:00 - The AI Lead Magnet
08:05 - Ten Clients in Months
09:27 - Be...
171 | How to Start a Coaching Business (What Actually Matters)
Many coaches leave their training feeling inspired, motivated and completely unsure how to get clients. In this episode, Joanna shares the honest reality of starting from scratch, from leaving a stable HR career and navigating self-doubt to learning sales, visibility, pricing, and how to attract paying clients.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Coaching vs Business
02:00 - Leaving Employment
03:00 - Designing Your Life
04:00 - Money Reality
05:00 - Niche & Offers
07:00 - Stop Hiding in Learning
09:00 - Visibility & LinkedIn
11:00 - What Actually Matters
This episode...
170 | From “Nice to Have” to “Must Have” Coaching Offers
Have you ever had someone tell you your coaching offer sounds “really great”… and then completely disappear?
In today’s episode, Joanna shares one of the biggest reasons coaching offers struggle to convert and why being “valuable” alone often isn’t enough.
Timestamps
00:00 - Nice to Have vs Must Have
01:02 - Why Interest Isn’t Action
02:01 - The Urgency Problem
02:45 - Specificity Changes Everything
03:10 - Problems People Will Pay to Solve
04:02 - The Cost of Staying Stuck
04:40 - Ellie’s Niche Shift
“P...169 | From sporadic sessions to secure, high-value clients - Kiran Goodman
Joanna shares a powerful conversation with Kiran, a coach who went from sporadic one-off sessions and self-doubt to securing corporate contracts, high-value coaching clients, and building real confidence in her business.
If you’ve qualified as a coach but still feel unclear about how to build a steady business, this conversation will help you feel both understood and hopeful. It’s especially valuable if you’re tired of trying to piece everything together alone and want to hear what sustainable progress actually looks like.
Timestamps
00:00 - From self-doubt to possibility
03:45 - The in...
168 | How to Get Coaching Clients Without Social Media
Joanna shares a clear and practical approach to building a coaching business without relying on social media, focusing on visibility, trust, and meaningful conversations. She walks through the routes that actually lead to clients - from your existing network and speaking opportunities to partnerships, long-form content, and email, so you can grow your business in a way that feels more sustainable and aligned.
Timestamps
[01:00] Visibility, trust, conversations
[02:00] Start with your existing network
[03:00] Relationships and referrals
[04:00] Speaking builds trust faster
[05:00] Partnerships that work
[06:00] Long-form content that...
167 | Why You Feel Stuck in Your Coaching Business (And How to Move Forward)
Have you ever noticed that the more you think about your business, the harder it feels to move? This episode explores the moment many coaches reach where reflection turns into hesitation. Joanna breaks down why staying in your head isn’t neutral. It slowly erodes confidence, energy, and income. She shares the shift that changes everything: moving from overthinking into decision-making, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Timestamps
[00:01:00] The cost of staying stuck
[00:02:00] Why decisions create clarity
[00:03:00] Progress over perfection
[00:04:00] Designing a business around your life
[00:06:00] Why action un...
166 | How to Get Coaching Clients (Simple Strategy)
If you’re a qualified coach and clients aren’t coming in consistently, where does your mind go first? Do you assume something is wrong… or that something is missing?
Today, Joanna shared a simpler truth: most coaches aren’t struggling because they lack skill, but because the actions that bring clients require courage, not complexity.
This episode is for qualified coaches who know they’re good at what they do but aren’t yet seeing consistent clients, and want a grounded, practical way to change that.
Timestamps
[00:00] The real reason clients aren...
165 | Starting a Coaching Business? Do This First (5 Steps That Actually Work)
What would I actually do if I had to start again with no audience, no clients, and no reputation? In this episode, I share the five things I’d focus on immediately – the simple steps that genuinely lead to clients, even if they’re the ones most often avoided.
Timestamps
[00:00:00] Start Again
[00:01:00] Busy vs Progress
[00:02:00] Clear Problem
[00:03:00] Simple Offer
[00:05:00] Real Conversations
[00:08:00] Proof First
[00:10:00] One Platform
Everything in this episode comes back to focusing on what actually moves your business forward, rather than w...
164 | Why Your Coaching Offer Isn’t Selling (And How to Fix It)
Joanna shared today that many coaches aren’t struggling because they lack skill… but because what they’re selling isn’t clear enough to buy. If someone landed on your offer right now, would they instantly recognise themselves in it, or would they need to work it out? Joanna walks through why offers often fall flat and how to turn what you do into something people can clearly understand, connect with, and say yes to.
Timestamps:
00:00 – The real problem
00:01 – Format vs outcome
00:02 – Selling the transition
00:03 – Why structure matters
00:05 – Simple...
163 | How to Choose Your Coaching Niche
How many times have you told yourself you just need to “figure out your niche” before you can move forward? Joanna shares why this question keeps coaches stuck and why the answer is usually far simpler than you think. If you’ve been overthinking your niche, this episode will help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Timestamps
[00:00] The niche question coaches keep asking
[01:00] Why most niche statements don’t work
[02:00] The memory test for a strong niche
[03:00] Where your niche actually comes from
[05:00] Turning vague ideas into rea...
162 | The Hidden Work Behind a Fully Booked Coaching Diary.
The more you understand the hidden work behind a coaching business, the easier it becomes to stay consistent long enough to see the results. In this episode, Joanna shares the part of building a coaching business that rarely gets talked about: the time, energy, and consistency required before the clients come.
This episode is for coaches who are showing up consistently but questioning whether the time they’re spending on marketing is normal, and need reassurance that they’re on the right track.
Timestamps:
[00:00] The real question behind “how much marketing?”
[01:00] Why coac...
161 | From Hourly Selling to Premium Packages That Sell - Teresa Wilson
What if the thing holding your business back isn’t your experience, but your clarity? In this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena, Joanna speaks with Theresa Wilson, a coach of 13+ years who found herself on the edge of a pivot. What unfolds is an honest conversation about clarity, courage, pricing, personal upheaval, and what really shifts when you stop overcomplicating your business.
Key Timestamps:
00:00 – 13 Years In, Still Pivoting
02:40 – The Retreat That Changed Everything
04:50 – “I Think I’ve Got Something… But I Don’t Know What To Do With It”
06:30 – When...
160 | If I Started Again in 2026, This Is What I’d Do
After building multiple coaching practices and supporting hundreds of coaches, Joanna Lott reveals the five foundations that genuinely create momentum. In this episode, she shares the honest truth about what she would focus on and what she would stop doing if she were starting her coaching business from scratch in 2026.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Starting from zero
02:05 – Choose a real niche
03:40 – Create a simple offer
05:20 – Start conversations now
07:00 – Prioritise proof early
08:30 – Go all in on one platform
09:40 – Get the right support
This episode is a reminder tha...
159 | 8 Tiny Habits to Get Your First 10 Coaching Clients in 2026
Discover eight simple habits that can help you build real, steady momentum in your coaching business. Joanna Lott shares the honest truth about what actually creates paying clients and why qualifications alone aren’t enough. Drawing on her own early missteps and the small shifts that changed everything, she breaks down the eight habits that made the difference.
This episode is valuable for qualified coaches who feel capable but inconsistent, because it replaces overwhelm with clear, practical habits that actually lead to paying clients.
Timestamps
00:00 – Qualified but Not Paid
02:00 – The Time Audit...
158 | Building a Fully Booked Business (Her Way) - Jenny Weidner
A fully booked coaching business doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from choosing more deliberately. Joanna Lott is joined by coach Jenny Weidner for an honest, reflective conversation about a year inside The Business of Coaching, exploring how Jenny moved from uncertainty and isolation to a fully booked, values-led coaching business built on clarity, courage, and intention.
Key Timestamps
[00:00] From education to coaching
[02:10] The hotel room moment
[05:40] Stepping out from behind the laptop
[08:30] Selling in a way that fits
[11:45] From accidental to intentional
[14:50] Wh...
157 | PR isn't just for big brands - with Lucy Werner
PR doesn’t belong to big brands with big budgets – it belongs to anyone willing to be clear, human, and seen. Joanna Lott is joined by PR specialist, author and founder of Hype Yourself, Lucy Werner. Together, they explore how PR, storytelling and visibility can work for small businesses and coaches, without hype, pressure, or pretending to be someone you’re not.
Timestamps
[00:00] Why PR isn’t about big brands
[04:12] What hyping yourself actually means
[10:35] Building your PR foundations
[18:40] Pitching with clarity and confidence
[26:15] Relationships over quick wins
...156 | Why You Can’t Build Authority Without Taking a Stand
If your content is designed to keep everyone comfortable, it’s probably costing you clients. In this episode, Joanna Lott explores why real authority is built through conviction, not consensus. She shares why being willing to be misunderstood is often the doorway to standing out and attracting the right clients.
Timestamps
[00:00:00] Conviction over comfort
[00:01:00] Why being liked holds you back
[00:02:00] The cost of softened opinions
[00:03:00] Real stories create real traction
[00:04:00] The courage to be disliked
[00:05:00] Repel or rally
[00:06:00] Saying it out loud
“If e...155 | Stop chasing Linkedin likes - focus on this instead
What if the posts getting the least engagement on LinkedIn are the ones most likely to make you money? In this episode, Joanna Lott challenges the obsession with likes and visibility, and explains why chasing engagement can quietly stall your business. She shares what actually drives client growth, and how to stay focused when the metrics mess with your head.
Timestamps
[00:00] The likes trap
[01:00] When big engagement brings no clients
[02:00] Why buyers don’t like sales posts
[03:00] The danger of posting for ego
[05:00] Holding your nerve when li...
154 | The Decide Once Method
Let’s talk about overthinking and how it’s slowing your business down. Today, Joanna explores one of the most common growth blockers she sees in coaching businesses and shares a practical framework to help you make clearer decisions and move forward with confidence.
Timestamps
00:00 – The exhaustion of choice
01:00 – Why clarity-seeking stalls growth
02:10 – The Decide Once Method explained
03:20 – Thinking week vs execution weeks
04:30 – Why content doesn’t replace contact
05:40 – Consistency, metrics and momentum
07:10 – Confidence comes after action
This episode is for coaches who feel bus...
