The Business of Executive Coaching

In this episode, I’m unpacking the subconscious expectation many coaches have, that our business should deliver not just income and meaning, but also excitement and novelty.

The challenge is that when we start chasing dopamine through new ideas, offers, or strategies, we often lose consistency with the fundamentals that actually grow a coaching business.Things like outreach,conversations, and showing up visibly over time may not always feel exciting, but they are what support sustainable success.

If you’ve noticed yourself getting pulled towards the next shiny idea, this episode will help you rethink what...

In this episode, I’m touching on a new challenge that those of us with a presence on LinkedIn are experiencing. We have all loved the potential upsides of AI, but if you are like me you have started to feel uncomfortable with AI taking over your voice, and realised that it is very difficult to take it to a level that feels sufficiently human and that captures your way of expressing yourself. So today I’m exploring how you can use AI in your content without losing your voice or your connection with the people you want to reac...

In this episode, I’m exploring outsourcing and how it can be a strategic lever for executive and leadership coaches.

Outsourcing can free up time, energy and mental bandwidth, both at work and at home. This can include a huge range of tasks, from household tasks to admin, bookkeeping, marketing support and smart systems in your business. I also share some less obvious ways to outsource, including accountability, discipline and decision-making, and how outsourcing to acquire the right tools and support can speed up your learning curve.

If you’ve been feeling stretched or overloaded, this...

As the year gets properly underway, this episode is all about Follow Up, and why it’s probably the most strategic task that you can prioritise at this time of year.

Listen in for practical ideas for who to follow up and lots of ideas of how to do it.  From checking in on conversations that turned cold, to responding to organisational change, sharing insights, flagging capacity and price increases, if you focus on keeping follow up relevant and grounded in real conversations you’ve already had you can’t go wrong.

If you’ve invested...

As we step back into work after the holiday break, this episode speaks to a feeling many coaches experience at this time of year: coming back to your desk and feeling a bit flat and may be thinking “um… no this ain’t it”.

 We aren’t diving into big existential questions about whether you should be in business at all, instead this conversation focuses on normalising those moments of doubt and offering practical ways to reconnect with why you started and where you’re heading next.

If you’re returning to work feeling unsettled or less energis...

In this episode, I wanted to share with you one of the most popular episodes from the last year.

This episode is a favourite because it addresses a question that makes many coaches cringe: “So… what do you actually do?” If networking, referrals, or informal conversations play any role in your marketing, how you answer this question really matters.

In this episode, I explore why traditional elevator pitches often feel awkward for coaches. Most of us really deeply value service and humility, which can make self-promotion uncomfortable. As a result, we either over-explain our work or dow...

If you are a coach, considering starting your own business in 2026, this episode is for you.For the holidays, I’m revisiting some of last year’s most popular episodes, and this episode was certainly one of them. The start of the year is a perfect time for dreaming so dive in if you want to make your dream coaching business a reality.

In this episode, I break down the five (plus a bonus!) essential elements of a successful Corporate to Coach Runway strategy, the period that bridges your corporate career and the launch of your coaching busi...

Outreach is one of the most powerful ways to grow an executive coaching business and also one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode, I wanted to revisit one of the most popular and practical conversations from the podcast this year, focusing on a topic that consistently comes up for coaches working with corporate clients: outreach. More specifically, I explore what I call the outreach myth, the fear of being perceived as salesy, pushy or misaligned with your values.

I unpack why this fear is so common among coaches, how it shows up and...

As the year winds down and we head into the holiday break, I wanted to revisit one of the most practical and well-loved episodes from the podcast: The 8 things to include in your 2026 coaching business strategy

In this episode, I break down the core strategic pillars every executive and leadership coach needs to consider when planning for the year ahead. Rather than staying at a high-level or getting lost in vague intentions, this conversation is all about the nuts and bolts of what actually belongs in your strategy if you want a business that is sustainable...

As I map out my plans for 2026, I have been thinking about how quickly we jump into revenue targets and marketing tactics without asking an equally important question: Does my business actually support the life I want and the impact I care about?

In this episode, I talk about the three priorities most coaches bring into business: financial security, meaningful work and the flexibility to live a life that truly fits. These intentions often fade into the background once planning begins, so I share how to bring them back into focus as you shape your strategy for t...

Planning brings its own kind of energy. There is the excitement of shaping a strong strategy for 2026 and the reality that looking back over the year can be difficult Many coaches would rather stay in the dreaming stage than revisit what actually happened in 2025, especially if we tend to jump straight to what did not go perfectly.

This episode invites you to approach reflection in a way that feels lighter and more purposeful. We explore why acknowledging your progress matters, how your subconscious responds to what you celebrate, and why your assumptions about the year often differ...

As the year winds down, you might be noticing that familiar tension. The desire to finish strong combined with the reality that you are tired. You need a break.And if you are like many coaches, you might also be feeling the pressure to build the “perfect” strategy for 2026 so you don’t start the new year on the back foot.

This episode (and indeed the new few episodes on this series) are about how to do both. To honor the fatigue of the end of year AND to use our time well to prepare..

And so...

I’m thrilled to be joined in this episode by Lisa Saunders. Lisa is an extraordinary and experienced coach, supervisor, team coach and facilitator whose career spans more than two decades across corporate HR, leadership development and deep transformational coaching work.

In our conversation, Lisa shares her journey into coaching and consulting via a senior HR roles. She talks about the pivotal moments that shaped her path as well as the serendipity that propelled her business. 

Lisa brings so much depth to her clients through executive coaching, due in no small part to her deep passio...

I’m delighted to be joined in this episode by leadership and branding expert Janine Manning, who brings nearly two decades of experience supporting executives and entrepreneurs to show up with clarity, confidence, and credibility.

In our conversation, Janine shares how she helps new and emerging executives as well asbusiness owners navigate visibility challenges. From imposter syndrome to personal brand development and beyond, authenticity is key in Janine’s approach to tackling these challenges.

You’ll also hear all about Janine’s career journey, from PR and marketing roles to executive coaching - and how that has...

If you’re an executive or leadership coach who loves the work but feels stuck when it comes to growing your business with corporate clients, this episode is for you.

You might notice that you’re doing some of the right things like updating your LinkedIn, attending webinars, or working with a few associate contracts, but it’s not translating into steady, predictable clients. You might be wondering, “What am I missing?”

In this special episode, I’m sharing the full Executive Coach Business Growth Masterclass, where I walk you through exactly what it takes to create a...

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to leave a successful corporate career and build a thriving coaching practice, this conversation with Louise Zawada will resonate deeply.

Louise has spent her career leading large-scale transformation projects, guiding executives through uncertainty and building high-performing teams. Today, she brings that same depth of experience to her coaching work, helping leaders navigate complex organisational change.

In this episode, Louise shares her honest reflections on moving from employee to business owner, how she balances variety and structure in her work, and the role of community, relationships and sy...

If you’re an executive coach who wants to grow your business, especially with more corporate clients, but you think you just might be getting in your own way? This episode is for you.

You might notice that you’re not doing the things that would really move the needle, like reaching out to people in your warm network, posting on LinkedIn, or showing up more visibly. It’s not that you don’t know what to do; it’s that something deeper keeps getting in the way.

In this episode, I’ll share the subtle ways...

In this 100th episode (I can’t quite believe it!), I’m celebrating the incredible community of coaches who tune in every week and taking you behind the scenes of the
Corporate to Coach Accelerator.

Inside this episode, I share what really happens inside the program, from the curriculum and coaching calls to the community and accountability that help you move from “Where do I even start?” to real, consistent momentum in your business.

Listen in to hear:

✅ The full walkthrough of the Accelerator, what’s included and how it all works.
✅ The Qui...

Bonus Episode!

This episode is a short and sweet heads up ahead of doors opening to the Corporate to Coach Accelerator next week. Before doors open, make sure to do these 3 things to get the most our of our launch events and set your business up to get more corporate clients (regardless of whether you are interested in joining the Accelerator!).

1. Sign up now for the free live masterclass - Business Growth For Executive Coaches - Your Pipeline to Consistent Corporate Clients (without constantly selling).

Sign up here now! 

2. Book a c...

If you’re an executive coach looking to grow your corporate client base, building a predictable business development system is key. In this episode, I walk through three essential components that make client growth predictableListen in to learn why you need strong business assets, that you must understand your numbers, and that building rituals and routines to operationalise your system might just make or break it all.

These components are at the heart of what I teach inside the Corporate to Coach Accelerator and are just part of the exact system that I will be teaching in my...

High income earning coaches aren’t working harder (I promise!). But they are working differently. In this episode, I share the five specific strategies I’ve identified that set them apart, and they’re all things you can start applying right away to create more momentum in your own coaching business.

What we cover:

✅ Why the most successful coaches sell to corporate clients instead of individuals.
✅ How they see LinkedIn as just one part of the ecosystem, not the whole picture.
✅ The importance of leaning into unfair advantages and personal networks.
✅ How systems save t...

If you are a coaching business owner, you probably want more corporate clients. But, the gap between that goal and where you are now can feel very hard to bridge.

This gap often shows up in two ways. You might overthink and overwork on tasks that just don’t have the impact you want, or you might procrastinate because it all feels scary and high stakes. Both create stress and emotional labor that make activities like posting on LinkedIn or connecting with potential clients feel heavy.

Inside this episode, I share why this happens, and so...

When it comes to business development, outreach is a hugely important part of your strategy. Over the last few episodes, I’ve shared why warm outreach is so powerful and how the fear of being ‘salesy’ often gets in the way.

In today’s episode, I explain why I will never be the business coach who tells you to do cold outreach. Cold calls, cold LinkedIn DMs, and mass cold emails rarely work for executive coaches selling to organisational clients. Instead, I’ll walk you through why warm outreach is more effective and how it creates trust, momentum...

As it turns out, the biggest blocker to outreach isn’t time, strategy, or even knowing who to contact. It’s fear, specifically the fear of being (or feeling) ‘salesy’.

In fact, when I ran a LinkedIn poll, 70% of coaches said this was their number one concern. That fear shows up as discomfort, as overthinking every word of a message, and as procrastination that leaves outreach undone. And still, outreach is not optional if you want to grow your business.

Inside this episode, I share why this fear is so common, how to work through it, and...

Welcome to our BONUS episode of the Business of Executive Coaching Podcast. I am delighted to have a repeat guest with us today,
Dr. Saba Hasanie.

You may have listened to the previous episode where Saba shared her corporate to coach story. Today she is back for many reasons, and especially because she has a book out. Saba’s book is called Unfolding: How Biographical Inquiry Informs Meaning Making in Coaching Psychology and I think it is a must read for executive and leadership coachesIn this conversation, we talk about what it feels like to publish th...

Do you remember the excitement of hanging out your virtual shingle?

Maybe it was launching your website or a LinkedIn update saying that you are in business. Maybe you are on the verge of doing this! The likes probably poured in, the congratulations messages rolled through, and you landed that first paying client by referral. Amazing. But then the referrals slowed down. And suddenly what felt like momentum started to feel like waiting, hoping, and refreshing your inbox.

Inside this episode, I share why referrals are fabulous for getting started but not enough to keep...

In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Emma Clark. Emma is a member of the Corporate to Coach Accelerator and brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare to her work as a coach.

Emma shares her Corporate to Coach story, from nursing in London to senior leadership roles at the top of government health agencies. She talks about the challenges of COVID, the turning point of redundancy, and how when she first listened to this podcast… she was angry!!

We also chat about how she now supports leaders and organisations with...

Are you an all-or-nothing person? I think I am. I like to sprint and then rest. I like to go hard, and then I like to go home. The challenge many coaches face is that in business, most of our deadlines are self-imposed.And without urgency or external accountability? It can be hard to get into action.

Inside this episode, I share five ways that I use sprints, streaks and batching to maintain momentum and get things done when there is no external pressure. 

Listen in to hear more about:

✅ The power of an...

For so many of the coaches I work with, there’s a pivotal moment in their career journey. They have that burning desire to start their own coaching business, but they are not sure how to make the financial leap. They know they want to move from corporate to coach, but the risk and uncertainty feel huge.

In this episode, I share eight practical financial transition strategies you can use to support your move from employee to business owner. This is not financial advice - , but real options to consider and discuss with your own advisor.

...

Of all of the clients who come through my metaphorical door, about 70% come with a particular experience.

In my opinion, the solution that I generally see work? Rip the bandaid off, stop selling to individuals and prioritise selling to corporate clients..

Inside this episode, I talk about:

✅ The vast chasm of total budget spend on coaching by or...

In today’s episode, I’m talking about what we do as coaching business owners when the worst (or even just the crappy) happens.

This is something I raised on LinkedIn a while ago, and it struck a nerve for lots of folks. So I wanted to explore it more deeply here on the podcast.

Because the truth is, there’s no getting out of business or life without the hiccups. From the mild to the devastating, it is all part of the human experience. And as business owners we all bring our ‘human selves’ along for...

In today’s episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes with a more personal update.

After a few weeks of travel, I’m back and reflecting on my time away including the moment I quite literally fell into a bush in Budapest!

And well, I guess there was a lesson there for me, and hopefully you too.

I walk you through:

✅ The highlights of our three-week family adventure through Europe.
✅ Why this holiday felt different and what it reminded me about being present.
✅ A chance encounter with Nick Cave in...

In this episode, I’m sharing one simple and very practical idea that could help your LinkedIn strategy - and it’s likely a gap in your current approach.

It’s something most executive coaching business owners aren't doing consistently.

And if your LinkedIn efforts have been falling flat, this could be the missing piece.

Especially if you’re already showing up and doing the basics like posting, engaging, and having a great profile. It’s for you if:

– You can’t seem to connect with your ideal clients
– Your feed seems to be...

In today’s episode, I’m sharing an idea I’ve been implementing and teaching that has really helped with something I’m calling marketing creep. You will know if marketing creep is an issue for you.

It is when the list of marketing tasks you have to do seems both endless and also completely unclear. It is that tension between procrastinating and not doing the activities you know you need to do, and also feeling like you could lose entire days to your marketing.

This week, I’m sharing something that has genuinely changed the game f...

In this episode, I’m sharing the replay of a live masterclass I ran recently during our launch of the Corporate to Coach Accelerator. In this class, I walk through three very practical, business focused ways to use LinkedIn strategies I teach inside the Accelerator and use in my own business.

You’ll hear me talk about:

✅ Why LinkedIn has been really pivotal in my own business growth
✅ The biggest challenges coaches face when it comes to business development
✅ How to use LinkedIn as a tool to fill the top of your sales funnel

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr Louise Kovacs long-time coach, supervisor, academic, and someone I’m very lucky to also call a friend and mentor.

Louise has been a coach for more than 20 years and brings an incredible depth of experience from both practice and research. She holds a Master’s in Organisational Coaching and a Doctorate in Executive Coaching, has published widely on the practice of coaching, and has recently joined the Corporate to Coach Accelerator as our resident coaching supervisor and in this conversation, we’re digging into her expertise on group and team c...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Katrina Casaclang—a coach, facilitator and consultant with a passion for learning, a zest for life, and a single minded focus on coaching in her community. Katrina is also a member of the Accelerator, and I’m so extremely fortunate to have the chance to interview her.

We talk about Katrina’s incredible 34-year journey across policing, community services, youth mental health, and leadership. From starting in the police force at 18 to managing large teams and supporting young people in community organisations, Katrina shares how her passion for people and purpos...

In today’s episode, I had the joy of speaking with the incredible Dr. Mercia Spare.

Mercia is a former Chief Nurse with over 40 years in the NHS, including time in transplantation, infection control, national governance, and executive leadership. Her career spans everything from clinical practice to regulation and quality improvement—and now, she’s bringing that deep experience into coaching.

We talk about her extraordinary journey: from training as a nurse later in life, to being side-lined by a motorcycle accident, to becoming a PhD-qualified leader in health and social care.

Mercia now ru...

In this episode, I’m so privileged to have time with Paula Shannon, a coach with experience across public education, philanthropy and business.

Paula is a coach, consultant, and facilitator—someone with a deep passion for leadership, emotional intelligence, and helping mission-driven leaders lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.  

Paula shares how she spent nearly 30 years in public education, rising from teacher to senior executive leadership—and how burnout, purpose, and a desire for something different led her to build a business of her own.

In this episode, we talk about:

✅ How she star...

In this episode, I’m so privileged to have time with Paula Shannon, a coach with experience across public education, philanthropy and business.

Paula is a coach, consultant, and facilitator—someone with a deep passion for leadership, emotional intelligence, and helping mission-driven leaders lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.  

Paula shares how she spent nearly 30 years in public education, rising from teacher to senior executive leadership—and how burnout, purpose, and a desire for something different led her to build a business of her own.

In this episode, we talk about:

✅ How she star...