The Coaching Mixer

Erin and Elana are back with cherries in their glasses and support for Coaches. Erin is sipping a cherry gin and tonic made with frozen cherries, lime, and tonic water, while Elana has whiskey, muddled fresh cherries with seltzer, lime juice, and a little maple syrup.   They dive into something every coach, leader, and sensitive human eventually has to face: what happens when feedback, conflict, o...

What happens when something doesn't go according to plan, and your first instinct is to make yourself the problem? In part two of the Cherry Lime Rum and Emotional Sabbaticals conversation, Erin and Elana get into the tender, funny, and very human work of building a kinder relationship with yourself. The kind that helps you learn from mistakes without spiraling, ask for what you actually want, and...

A lot of founders assume business has to feel heavy: think constant pressure, striving, and proving yourself. In this episode, Erin and Elana talk about what happens when you loosen your grip without checking out. Erin shares the latest on her  emotional sabbatical : not a break from working, but a break from the inner pressure, drama, and self-inflicted urgency that can turn entrepreneurship into...

If you've ever wondered why some people's ideas of success can feel like a trap (even when things are going well), this episode is a permission slip to build a business that doesn't require self-abandonment. Erin and Elana talk about the weird cultural religion of work, the invisible identity games underneath "So what do you do?", and what it looks like to make values-based decisions when your ner...

Erin and Elana are back at the Coaching Mixer with an important question: how do you create your own pace in business (one that actually works) without burning out or getting stuck in "nothing gets done" mode? They go deep on this while Erin sips a "Fairy Godmother" cocktail made with whiskey, amaretto, cherry, and lime, and Elana has whiskey with magical sumo orange juice, topped with a sprinkle...

Tune in to part two of the long-term client conversation, perfect for any coach who has ever wondered where the line is between support and slowly becoming someone's decision-making system . Elana and Erin talk about how to build long-term coaching relationships that are warm, real, and deeply effective without slipping into unhealthy authority dynamics or turning sessions into renewal pitches. Th...

A listener asked: How do you support clients long-term without accidentally becoming their emotional support human, their outsourced decision-making brain, or their personal "always be closing" sales funnel? Erin and Elana get into the uncomfortable truth, that "dependency" is not a villain. It is a spectrum. But coaching that ends up training people to distrust themselves is problematic. And yes,...

If you've been telling yourself that your creative work "doesn't count" unless it's hard, dramatic, or all-consuming, this episode is a gentle (and very real) reset.  In this Coaching Mixer conversation, Erin and Elana talk about what it actually looks like to create when you have clients, responsibilities, and a life. They unpack why "going all-in" is often a pressure story (and sometimes a privi...

If you've been trying to "do creativity right" and it's making you avoid the work, this episode is for you. Erin and Elana talk about how to stop forcing someone else's process, choose a next step you can actually do today, and create from real life instead of performance. They get into: Why your best content often comes from what you're currently struggling with. The myth that you can't coach or...

In part two of our episode we talk about why warmth is not the opposite of serious coaching but a pathway to lasting changes for clients. Sometimes warmth is the most serious thing you can offer a client who sees themselves in harsh light. We talk about what actually helps clients who find the "tough love" storyline tempting, and swap notes on the kinds of tools that feel like medicine instead of...

In this episode of The Coaching Mixer , hosts Erin Aquin and Elana Mckernan talk about "different kinds of medicine" in coaching. Not every moment calls for a mindset reframe. Sometimes it calls for a pause, a practice, or plain old validation. Also, beverages matter: Erin is drinking a carrot–apple–ginger–celery–lime–beet juice (vampire lips included). Elana has an apple cider seltzer with berrie...

Sometimes your client says something that isn't socially or personally acceptable to you. Suddenly might find yourself feeling distracted by their comment and unable to stay in your lane as a Coach. These are the moments when curiosity matters and where real change can happen.   In this week's Coaching Mixer, Erin and Elana talk about what to do when a client's worldview is wildly different from y...

Grab a blanket and a mug: we're answering listener questions while getting a little buzzed on cozy winter spirits. Things get deep, a little spicy, and surprisingly "medicinal" as we dive into what happens when a coaching session hits close to home. How do you handle a client whose worldview makes you cringe? Can you coach someone you fundamentally disagree with? We explore the boundary between pr...

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most challenging aspects of running a business right now—how to show up authentically when the world feels heavy, complicated, and politically charged. We explore what it means to be human in your business, how to protect your energy while staying engaged, and why your wellness as a business owner matters just as much as the service you provide. Drinks...

Picture this: Erin's in near-Toronto dealing with minus-30°C weather, Elena's buried in New Jersey snow, and we're both pretending we're somewhere tropical by mixing up vacation drinks. Elana's got a tangerine whiskey sour with egg whites (made in a mason jar, because sometimes you just have to work with what you've got), and Erin's sipping a margarita—no salt, because when the tequila's good enou...

Ever wonder what it's like to build a business with your spouse? In this episode, we dive deep into the messy, magical world of collaboration—from working with family to choosing the right creative partners. Erin gets refreshingly honest about the challenges of running Superabound with Steve, including the time she realized she was more interested in the business than their romantic life (yikes!)....

Collaborations can be magic—or they can turn into the group project where you do all the work. We dive into: When collaborations work (and when they don't) Mutual benefit isn't just a nice idea—it's the foundation. If you're the only one promoting, marketing, or caring about the outcome, that's a problem. The danger of unsaid expectations Erin shares stories of podcast guests who treated her platf...

What happens when you mix almond milk "holiday nog," espresso martinis, and two seasoned coaches talking shop?   You get a masterclass in building a business that actually respects your soul   .   In part two of this deep dive, Erin and Elana move past the "Goal Swamp" of Facebook ads and cold metrics to explore what it really means to nurture relationships and lead with a pure heart   .   From th...

In this episode of The Coaching Mixer, Erin and Elana sip espresso martinis while exploring business growth, coaching, and the myths that keep people stuck. They start with a listener question: why so many coaches believe there's a "right" formula for growing a business—and why that belief often gets in the way. Erin and Elana unpack the fantasy of the perfect funnel, the overreliance on marketing...

In this episode, Erin and Elena have an honest conversation about toxic positivity, emotional depth, and what it actually takes to create meaningful change as a coach, leader, or human. The discussion moves from client work to coaching culture to marketing, with plenty of real-world examples and lived experience along the way. This episode will help you see why avoiding "negative" emotions limits...

This week's episode takes on toxic positivity, not to bash optimism, but to untangle when "staying positive" actually blocks honesty, safety, and real change in coaching relationships. Erin and Elana explore how coaches can hold nuance, complexity, and emotion without rushing clients toward silver linings. In this episode, you'll discover: What "toxic positivity" really is—and why it often comes f...

In this episode of the Coaching Mixer podcast, Erin Aquin and Elana McKernin explore how spirituality, identity, and belief show up in coaching, and how to hold space without slipping into persuasion or projection. They dive into the power of not knowing, the stories clients bring into sessions, and how curiosity can transform even tightly held identities. In this episode, you will discover: How t...

In this episode, Erin Aquin and Elana McKernan wade into a topic every coach eventually encounters but few talk about openly: what role, if any, should your personal spiritual or religious beliefs play in your coaching? What starts with travel stories, tea rituals, and cats eating tea plants unfolds into a conversation about the complexities of belief inside a coaching relationship. Erin and Elana...

Traveling while running a coaching business isn't just logistics—it's identity, boundaries, and the persistent question of who you are when you step away from the work. In this episode, Erin and Elana mix philosophy with lived experience as they talk through unplugging, client care, rest, and what it means to take yourself seriously as a whole human, not just a coach. The conversation moves from t...

In this episode, Elena and Erin pour a couple of local beers and settle into a conversation about travel, rest, and what it means to actually step away from your business as a coach or entrepreneur. They start light, sharing stories of their brews (Block Three's Blocktoberfest in Canada and a mysterious "Jersey Life" lager), Welsh pub adventures, and the strange psychology of beer versus gin. But...