Talking about Coaching

In this conversation, Yannick Jacob and Beth Clare McManus explore the intersection of coaching, creativity, and research. They discuss the importance of making research accessible, the role of creativity in coaching, and the ethical considerations that arise when using art and music in practice. The dialogue emphasizes the need for coaches to be aware of their influence on clients and the signifi...

In this conversation, Talking about Coaching hosts Yannick Jacob, Nicki Drab, and Siwash Zahmat discuss the essential elements of creating a coaching website. They emphasize the importance of using the website as a tool to initiate conversations rather than just a “sophisticated business card”. The discussion covers the significance of building relationships, the role of simplicity in design, and...

The conversation explores the fear of failure and rejection that many coaches experience, which prevents them from putting themselves out there and being visible. The hosts discuss the mindset and skill development needed to overcome this fear. They emphasize the importance of taking small steps, reframing failure as a learning opportunity, and shifting the focus from outcomes to the process. They...

The conversation explores the topic of self-disclosure in coaching. The hosts discuss the traditional approach of not disclosing anything about oneself and the potential benefits of sharing personal experiences. They emphasize the importance of maintaining focus on the client and being mindful of the intention behind self-disclosure. The conversation also touches on the potential risks and pitfall...

To celebrate the launch of the online self-study version of my "Introduction to Existential Coaching" training , I'm very happy to finally release the first episode of my "Global Perspectives on Existential Coaching" series with Mexican Existential Coach and Therapist Yaqui Andres Martinez Robles, recorded at Yaqui's school in Mexico City in 2021. In this series of co...

Consultations arguably are the most important conversation coaches have with their clients, as they are instrumental in whether we will have more conversations or not. Without more conversations, we cannot help anyone. So in this conversation, Yannick and Siwash discuss the importance of consultations in coaching and the key elements of a successful discovery call: Having a plan, why we should sto...

Yannick and Siwash discuss whether coaches who have just finished their coaching qualification are ready to take on paid clients. They address the hesitancy coaches often feel about charging for their services and provide insights on when and how to start charging. They emphasize that everyone can charge for their time and that clients want to invest in their own journey. The conversation also exp...

The conversation explores the question of whether to lead with problems or results when selling coaching services. Yannick and Siwash discuss the effectiveness of selling a solution to a problem and the alignment with positive psychology. They also explore the power of leading with a vision and inspiring clients to move towards their desired outcomes. The conversation delves into the different app...

In this conversation, Siawash and Yannick discuss the question of whether holding space is enough to create results in coaching. They explore the importance of holding space and being fully present as a coach, as well as the practice of holding space effectively. They also discuss the balance between doing less and doing more in coaching, and the role of action and intervention. The conversation d...

The question of how far coaches can go is an increasingly pertinent one. The limits and boundaries around what coaching is and can be quite blurry. In today’s episode of talking about coaching our resident coaches Yannick, Siawash and Nicki discuss whether coaching is the right approach to support someone who’s lost a loved one, or grieving some other significant loss or ending, or whether that so...

It is not uncommon that coaches have dual relationships with their clients. The coaching client may also be a colleague, a parent from the community, or a friend of a friend that they sometimes meet in social circles. Some coaches even coach family members or close friends. And sometimes it’s difficult to tell at what point we’re crossing the line between being a friend and coaching a friend. In t...

Many coaches are thinking about, or experimenting with scaling their coaching business to reach more people. But once we market at scale, many of us coaches find ourselves stretched too thin in the face of having to create content, write, sell, and engage a growing social media. If you’re committed to still be the one who’s delivering the work, it can feel impossible grow the business unless you’r...

Working with a coaching supervisor is the gold standard of maintaining professional standards, figuring out ethical dilemmas, and to continuously grow as a coach. Most coaches look up to their supervisor as someone that they respect and whose approach to working with people they would want to emanate. You could say that a coach doesn’t have to have experience in their client’s area in order to coa...

Daniel asked us whether coaching still works if the clients aren’t paying any money for the coaching. This applies to pro-bono coaching and also to circumstances like Daniel’s where it’s not appropriate to charge due to how coaching has been set up within the organisation or institution. In this episode of Talking about Coaching, Nicki, Siawash and Yannick hence discuss the crucial importance of c...

Metaphors can be a powerful way to unlock your clients’ thinking and progress in a coaching session. In this episode, our resident coaches Nicki, Siawash and Yannick discuss how to work with metaphors in coaching.  _____ If you'd like to stay up to date with new episodes, continue the conversation or generally support what we do:  Send us your question: http://bit.ly/talkingaboutcoaching Sign...

Following question was sent in: “Hi guys. Would love to hear your take on "money back guarantee" policy for your coaching. And possibly why you choose to implement it in a particular way.” So here we are, talking about whether money back guarantees are a great way to create the kind of confidence that gets clients through the door, or whether they add a huge weight to coaches and make it...

Welcome to this episode of Talking about Coaching, the podcast from coaches for coaches.  This episode is one of Yannick's deep dives into one topic or person and we're talking to Clare Norman.  "With over 20 years of coaching experience, Clare is highly sought after by other expert coaches, as well as successful coach training companies as a Master Mentor Coach. Clare looks to cont...

Sounds a little click-baitey perhaps, but we thought it was time to tackle this question head-on. With a number of episodes on related topics you will find plenty of practical tips on how to grow your business, and we may well do a more classical series of practical advice on how to get 6 figures in your coaching business, but today we wanted to shine a light on the question itself, what it means...

Here’s the full question we’ve received from SY, which I took some editorial liberty with. They asked: “I feel like a fraud sometimes when I'm coaching others on topics that I personally struggle with. I know my coachees are the expert of their own life and I am not a mentor, but can't help feeling a little ashamed/ fear of being judged when I am not at a flourishing, thriving state.” So...

The question came up in a recent Coaching Cabinet and lots of helpful advice was offered to a coach who’s just starting out, so we figured we’d add to that list and share a few rounds of things we would have liked to have known when we started out as coaches, and some learnings that we’ve gathered along the way.  See also: Episode 01 - Is it important to be qualified, accredited and certified? Epi...

Our colleague Steffano asked us about what to do differently when clients seem excited about working together, but then fall off the bandwagon in the weeks following the consultation. So in this episode of Talking about Coaching our resident coaches Siawash, Nicki and Yannick discuss the DOs and DON’Ts of that first conversation with a prospective client. We share a very much non-exhaustive list o...

Stephen brought up the question around preparing for coaching sessions. While it can be helpful to have a set of questions, tools or exercises on hand, it can also distract from being fully present. Moving beyond how to prepare yourself as a coach mentally for a session (see episode 19), in today’s session our resident coaches Yannick, Siawash and Nicki are discussing the benefits and pitfalls of...

What does coaching look like 'in the real world' (beyond theory and what coaching schools teach us)? Who really is a clean coach (e.g. fully ICF competency compliant or steady within a specific school of thought or particular coaching approach)? What am I allowed and not allowed to do once I’m qualified and “out there”? Inspired by, and celebrating the public launch of the next evolution...

Most coaching schools teach us to be neutral, not to share our opinions, to work client-led. Coaching in the face of the climate crisis has challenged this perspective. Can coaches also be activists? Is it ever possible not to influence a client? And shouldn’t we be a positive influence in our clients’ lives anyway? How can I be authentic AND neutral? And how might attempting to stay neutral benef...

There’s been a lot of talk about ChatGPT recently, especially since it coached a few people reasonably well. In a recent study, AI coaches performed better than human coaches on weight loss metrics. The development of AI i exponential, so we can expect huge shifts in quality and ability. So it’s a good time to discuss whether we need to be concerned about AI replacing human coaches, and how we mig...