A Podcast for Coaches shines a light on one of the most elegant, underrated business models in the world: one-on-one coaching. Mark Butler hosts the show, and he's been a coach and advisor to every kind of online business you can think of, having helped businesses earning everything from $0 to $25,000,000+. Although Mark believes every online business model has merit, he worries one-on-one coaching is viewed as a stepping-stone business for people who aren't ready or able to scale. But it's not true, and A Podcast for Coaches sets out to show people--through clear teaching and rich, current stories of successful coaches who love their business--that one-on-one coaching is one of the most gratifying and lowest "hassle-per-dollar" businesses in the world.
Mark Butler discusses how clients sometimes over-rely on diagnostic labels, hindering their self-assessment and agency. He explores the comfort labels provide, while cautioning against their overuse, which can lead to self-othering and conformity. He advocates for coaches to emphasize clients' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to foster a developmental approach rather than a pathological one, ultimately reminding clients that they are more than their labels.
Mark Butler explores two coaching models: 'hygiene' coaching for ongoing maintenance and 'repair' coaching for acute needs. He discusses the financial stability of each approach, drawing parallels to dental practices that balance routine care and emergency services. Butler emphasizes the importance of creating a sustainable practice that ensures both client well-being and the coach's financial health, advocating for a hybrid model to achieve long-term success.
Mark Butler explores his experiences with superiority, particularly in emotionally charged situations. He shares how he copes with insecurities by adopting a superior attitude, which manifests as being a fast-talking bully. Through coaching and feedback, he's developed awareness and strategies to manage this tendency, aiming for collaboration and connection rather than criticism and contempt.
Mark Butler shares his hypothesis for building a thriving coaching practice without excessive client pursuit, emphasizing the importance of genuine interest, curiosity, and patience. He advocates for spending time in enjoyable spaces, becoming more interesting through productive disagreement, and trusting that ideal clients will appear organically. The episode also touches on avoiding anxious chasing and building a sustainable practice that feels good both now and in the future.
Most months I start with no idea who will hire me. That uncertainty creates anxiety, even though I've learned to manage it well. Here's what helps: While my practice feels unpredictable month-to-month, it's actually quite predictable year-to-year. In the past three years, I've rarely had a month with zero coaching transactions. I've found that reducing uncertainty comes down to nurturing three types of relationships: People who already trust me in a coaching context (past clients, podcast listen...
My friend Chantel Allen uses personal practices like "the hour of silence" to calm her mind, heal her pains, and prepare herself to coach her clients in the way that feels right to her. I brought her back on the show today to discuss how coaches can serve their clients better and grow their practices through doing the inner work. To find out how you can with with Chantel, join her waitlist here: https://www.chantelallencoaching.com/waiting-list Here's a GPT-generated outline of the conversation:...
In this episode, I talk about an experience with a friend in high school that shaped my love for listening. She shared the details of a tough season in her life, and then thanked me for the way I listened to her. I know this isn't a unique experience, but it's my first memory of realizing that just paying close, compassionate attention is a way to connect with people. Now that I'm a coach, I believe listening is our most important skill, and one we can develop through careful practice and repeti...
The episode discusses the challenges and rewards of growing a one-on-one coaching practice, contrasting it with advertising-driven training businesses. It highlights the mental demands of advertising versus the patience required in one-on-one coaching, emphasizing the importance of personal development and relationship building for long-term success. The easy part of a coaching practice is nurturing relationships that lead to inevitable clients.
The episode explores the distinction between viewing coaching as a utility versus a luxury, examining how pricing and strategy align with each approach. It discusses the benefits of long-term client relationships and the importance of renewable value in coaching services. The host also touches on ethical considerations and personal preferences in shaping a coaching practice.
The best coaching is an invitation to productive pain in pursuit of the reward on the other side. Today's episode inspired by this essay , shared with me by my coach, Liz.
Kristen Boss's coaching business started in 2019 with pajama-clad Facebook lives at 6am. In the five years since, she's generated millions of dollars in revenue -- mostly using the launch-based marketing and sales model. After she listened to episode 19 , she offered to come on the show to talk about the high highs and low lows she's experienced as a launch-based coach. I'm grateful Kristen would share her story in such an honest and vulnerable way. Kristen serves network marketers, but I think ...
Mark interviews Paula Engebretson about her consistency in publishing content despite having ADHD. They discuss the importance of a "full-body yes" when committing to projects, how a strong personal mission drives motivation, and strategies for managing ADHD tendencies in content creation. Paula shares her experiences, offering insights into creating resonant and reliable content.
Mark Butler reflects on the rise and fall of his $50,000 per month membership business, sharing key decisions, challenges, and lessons learned. He discusses the initial success driven by a strong community and valuable content, and how the business was impacted by algorithm changes, ego, and strategic errors. Mark emphasizes the importance of customer relationships, understanding core business drivers, and adapting to change, as well as his intent to apply these lessons to future ventures.
Two weeks ago I went to Tennessee to speak at an event hosted by my friend, Edie Wadsworth. This week, Kate (my wife) taught some classes at a church camp for young women. We both loved our experience, and it reminded me of one of my most important lessons from over ten years in the world of coaching: there's no substitute for being in the same room as the people you want to serve.
Mark Butler reflects on the importance of maintaining an up-to-date online presence for coaches and other professionals. He discusses his own experiences with neglecting his website and social media, and how this can impact trust and engagement with potential clients. He emphasizes that keeping a current web presence doesn't require significant investment, but can greatly improve how others perceive your business and availability.
Mark addresses a coach's struggle with client acquisition despite publishing a podcast for three years. He emphasizes that business is about experimentation and recognizing signs of progress beyond just monetary results. Mark advises focusing on creating emotionally resonant content and seeking feedback to improve connection and drive action from the audience, highlighting that this skill is crucial for building a thriving coaching practice.
Mark Butler discusses the importance of understanding one's business strategy and how it informs the tactics employed in coaching practices. He emphasizes that knowing your strategy helps filter advice and content, leading to more effective and confident practice building. The episode also covers how self-knowledge plays a crucial role in defining an authentic and sustainable strategy, aligning with one's natural way of being.
Although I don't care much about certifications (see last week's episode), I believe strongly in the benefit of supported practice for coaches. We can elevate individual coaches and the whole coaching community by creating spaces and times in which coaches practice, correct, discuss, and support each other.
Mark discusses the persistent urge to create courses, delving into the reasons behind it, the challenges of course creation and distribution, and the importance of understanding the course's role in your business. He shares his own course idea, emphasizing entertainment value and finding the right distributor rather than focusing solely on profit.
Mark Butler discusses the value and limitations of coaching certifications. He shares a personal story about seeking medical care to illustrate how certifications are necessary but insufficient indicators of quality. He explores reasons for pursuing or avoiding certifications, emphasizing the importance of experience, networking, and building trust through relationships rather than relying solely on credentials.
I realize the episode title is a corny bumper sticker. But people, including coaches, are not being nice to themselves. It's getting in the way of the growth and progress that brought us to coaching in the first place.
I like last week's episode but it didn't feel quite right. Today's episode rounds out some of my ideas/suggestions/hypotheses for how group coaching could go from being a good thing to a great thing. Enjoy.
A few of my thoughts on the kind "group coaching" I'm accustomed to seeing in my coaching community. I'm not strongly against it; I'm not strongly for it; and I think what we call group coaching would be better delivered separately as either one on one coaching, group facilitation, or classroom teaching.
Coaching is a totally unregulated industry...which is exactly how we like it. With no governing body to create or police our interactions with our clients, it's up to us to define and adhere to a set of ethics that support our clients' safety and progress. In this episode I describe my own simple framework for feeling like I'm running my practice with integrity.
Coaches can feel trapped in the way of being they learned in training -- especially if they were trained in a dogmatic community. My friend Chantel is an example of a "rule follower" and a "striver" who started her practice doing everything by the book. As she realized the tools she learned first were good but not perfect, she kept learning, kept evolving and, in her words, "falling apart" as she pursued the best approach for her and her clients. You can find Chantel at her website ....
This is the story of a teen in pain receiving support from a great coach. By itself, this is wonderful. This episode explains how a chain of relationships introduced the teen to the coach, even though some of the people in the chain didn't know the teen, and others didn't know the coach. Mutual trust and relationships built over time brought these coach and client together. This is the magic that matters.
In 2017 I published a podcast episode railing against launch-based selling. In seven years, my opinion hasn't changed much...but a wise client has helped me open my mind (a little). In this episode I talk about the practical and psychological factors that make launch-based selling so brutal, and I also share some ideas (based on that wise client's input) on how it could actually be a pro-relationship, sustainable approach. Who knew.
My friend Jesse Mecham is the founder of YNAB , a company that helps people love the way they spend their money. I asked Jesse to come on the show to talk different kinds of coaching and training he and his team use. Jesse shared a few big insights, including: 1. He's happy to pay for expensive coaching for members of his executive team. 2. Every employee at YNAB has a Training and Development budget they can spend on books, courses, and conferences. 3. Jesse was a member of a "CEO club" whose s...
