Women in The Coaching Arena

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

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

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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...

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...

Not every business needs to be built on hustle. In this episode, Joanna Lott shares how she’s built a profitable coaching business that works within school hours and term times. Drawing on lived experience, she talks through the boundaries and decisions that support a business designed for real life.

Timestamps

[00:00] The decision that changed everything

[02:00] Realising clients don’t run your diary

[04:00] Learning to say no to evenings and weekends

[06:00] Why one-off sessions often cost more than they give

[08:00] Shiny objects vs school-hours reality

[10:00] Desi...

What does it really look like to build a coaching business over time? In this episode, Jo interviews her first-ever paying Business of Coaching client, Lorraine Eivers, who shares her key learnings and reflections from the past four and a half years of building her business.

Timestamps

[00:01:00] Lorraine’s background and burnout

[00:03:10] Why she joined The Business of Coaching

[00:05:20] Finding her niche in HR leaders

[00:09:30] Overcoming fear of LinkedIn visibility

[00:13:10] Gratitude, confidence, and unexpected creativity

[00:16:00] How her business works today

[00:19:00] Advice for coaches ea...

Joanna Lott is a business coach for qualified coaches, and in this episode, Joanna explores the quiet moment just before action, the pause that looks harmless but quietly stalls momentum. She breaks down what’s really happening in that split second and how it shapes the growth of your business.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] The quiet pause before action

[00:01:45] Why this isn’t a motivation problem

[00:03:10] Never pausing momentum

[00:05:20] Failure as experience, not proof

[00:06:40] The three things the pause protects you from

[00:07:50] Shortening the gap between knowing and doin...

In this New Year’s Day episode, Joanna Lott invites listeners to think beyond goals and focus on identity. She explores how lasting change comes from who you choose to be when no one is watching. This is a practical, reflective episode about upgrading your habits, standards, and self-leadership as you step into 2026.

Timestamps

[00:00] Why You 2.0 starts with identity

[02:00] Habits that keep you loyal to the old version

[04:00] Naming You 1.0 without judgement

[06:00] Time, priorities, and non-negotiables

[09:00] Redesigning your mornings

[12:00] Letting go of outdated traits

...

Joanna Lott shares her sixth annual business review, recorded on the cusp of Christmas and rooted in real life rather than perfect timing. In this reflective episode, she explores what growth has truly required this year, not just in revenue, but in energy, boundaries, and emotional capacity. It’s an honest look at what it takes to build something sustainable over time.

Timestamps

[00:00] Recording anyway, consistency as identity

[03:00] Big goals, slower timelines

[06:00] Capacity, clients, and emotional load

[09:00] Why monthly reflection matters

[12:00] Community, events, and what I’m prou...

Let’s connect your income goals to real numbers and, more importantly, to the actions that truly make your coaching business work. In this episode, Joanna leads a practical, numbers-led conversation that many coaches quietly avoid. She breaks down how income goals, discovery calls, and conversion rates actually connect, giving you a clear, grounded view of what really drives momentum and sustainable growth in your business.

Timestamps

[00:00] The question most coaches avoid

[01:00] What a realistic conversion rate looks like

[02:00] Turning income goals into simple maths

[03:00] Why being busy isn’t th...

Why your clever ideas might be the biggest threat to your business. Today, Jo shares the story behind the Jeff Bezos quote that stopped her in her tracks and why it applies to every coach she works with. She explores how to protect your business, stay focused, and build real momentum without being pulled in a hundred different directions.

Key Timestamps

00:00 – The quote that changed how I think about ideas

01:18 – Why too many ideas become dangerous

03:05 – The sneaky distractions that pull you off track

07:00 – The three things your business really n...

At this time of year, a season of extremes often appears. Joanna sees coaches either pushing hard to squeeze everything in or stepping back completely because they’re exhausted. In this episode, she offers a gentler approach to focus on what truly matters, helping listeners move into 2026 feeling grounded rather than rushed. She guides them through the same reflection process she used at her Dare Greatly event last week.

Timestamps:

01:10 – Why reflection comes before strategy

02:05 – The questions that open clarity

03:20 – Allowing yourself to acknowledge your own progress

04:15 – Looking ahead with hones...

Francoise’s story is a thoughtful reminder that you can grow a meaningful, profitable coaching business even when life feels full. She didn’t leave her job overnight. She built steadily, made considered decisions, and let her confidence grow alongside her business. 

Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Francoise and her niche

02:14 - The moment Francoise chose to specialise

05:40 - Balancing full-time work with her coaching business

08:22 - The support that helped her grow

12:06 - Visibility, Instagram, and showing who she is

15:48 - Key mindset shifts over...

Everyone’s talking about AI with panic and hesitation. But if you’re a coach, this moment holds huge potential. In this episode, Jo explores four coaching niches that are rising because of AI and what that means for your next steps.

Timestamps

[00:00] The shift AI is creating

[01:12] Opportunity 1: Organisational change for SMEs

[03:18] Opportunity 2: Executive personal brand support

[04:52] Opportunity 3: Productivity and decision coaching

[06:40] Opportunity 4: AI integrated coaching tools

[08:55] The real differentiator

[10:58] Your next step

AI may be evolving quickly, but the valu...