The Business Of Coaching

In this inspiring episode, Sarah is joined by Elizabeth Rosario, a woman who spent over 30 years in the NHS and over 20 years as a GP before transforming her career and mindset through coaching. If you have ever felt like you "aren't the sort of person" who can market themselves or find clients, Elizabeth’s story is a must-listen. From a crisis of confidence in general practice to bu...

In this solo episode, Sarah dismantles the common misconception that being a skilled coach is enough to build a successful business. She explores the dangerous confusion between Professional Development (becoming a better coach) and Business Development (learning how to acquire clients). Sarah explains why highly intelligent coaches—especially those with HR or procurement backgrounds—often struggl...

Competitors or Collaborators? The Truth About the Coaching Industry with Tim Brownson Sarah welcomes a guest you might not expect: Tim Brownson . While they both teach coaches how to find clients, Tim and Sarah prove that collaboration is far more powerful than competition. Together, they pull back the curtain on the coaching industry, dismantling the myths sold by training schools and having a ca...

In this solo episode, Sarah dismantles the dangerous and pervasive belief that a sustainable coaching business can be built solely on referrals. She explores why "doing good work" is rarely enough to generate a consistent client flow, especially for coaches starting without a high-level corporate network. Sarah introduces the concept of "Monetisable Credibility" and explains wh...

In this episode of "Success Leaves Clues," Sarah Short speaks with Alex Nunn , a former charity sector leader turned executive coach. Alex shares her journey from navigating burnout in the non-profit world to building a thriving coaching business that supports the very sector she left. Alex opens up about the myth that "clients will just find you," the power of narrowing your n...

Many coaches shy away from sales and marketing, viewing them as a "necessary evil" or worrying that they are manipulative and inauthentic. In this episode, Sarah Short challenges this mindset, arguing that sales and marketing are actually "allies in providing excellent customer service". Sarah breaks down why marketing is simply about visibility and why a sale is actually a pos...

In this episode, Sarah has the pleasure of talking to Cecile Emery, a self-described "introvert's introvert". Cecile shares her journey from a successful career in the mobile gaming industry to a period of burnout and existential crisis that led her to retrain as a coach. Cecile gets candid about the reality of launching a business in March 2020 and the two years she spent "faff...

Let's talk about money. In this hard-hitting episode, Sarah tackles the "elephant in the room" that the coaching profession seems to ignore: the financial Return on Investment (ROI) on coach training. While many training providers highlight the magnificent fees experienced coaches can command, they often fail to discuss the harsh financial realities. Sarah breaks down the real costs...

The Burnout Trap: From "What's Wrong With Me?" to a New Career In this episode, Sarah talks with the "marvellous" Paul Bridel, a coach who shares his powerful and personal journey from a 20-year career in IT to a complete breakdown from burnout. Paul opens up about his multi-year struggle in a project management role, where he lost all his energy, confidence, and desire to...

In this candid episode, Sarah explores a peculiar and frustrating challenge she has encountered repeatedly after years of running The Coaching Revolution: highly intelligent coaches are often the most difficult to teach. While it's reasonable to assume brilliant minds would be quick to implement proven strategies, Sarah reveals that the opposite is often true. She explains how intelligence, wh...

Ever wonder why so many talented, qualified coaches have empty client lists? In this episode, Sarah Short, founder of The Coaching Revolution, tackles this question head-on, starting with the principle that inspired her nearly eight-year journey: Simon Sinek's "Start with Why." Sarah gets personal, sharing the "why" behind The Coaching Revolution's mission: to transform...

Meet Amy - Amy Wolfe joins us from Johannesburg, South Africa, sharing her journey from struggling healthcare manager to leadership coach. After experiencing transformational coaching herself, she trained to become a coach—only to discover she had no idea how to market her new business. The "Smart Person" Problem - Amy has a master's degree, extensive healthcare CPD experience, and q...

Sarah tackles an uncomfortable truth that coaches need to hear: AI tools like ChatGPT can't build your marketing for you—at least not effectively. While AI can generate content, it can't replace the critical thinking required for marketing that actually converts clients. Key Takeaways: The Core Problem : If you haven't done the foundational thinking, AI-generated marketing won't ac...

In this inspiring episode, Sarah sits down with the "rather marvellous" Alex Atherton to explore his incredible journey from education leader to award-winning keynote speaker and author. After 25 years in education (including over 12 years as a secondary school head teacher), Alex took a leap of faith in 2018 to build something entirely new. What started as school consultancy evolved int...

The AI Shortcut Trap New AI-powered tools promise to build your ideal client avatar (ICA) in minutes. But here's the problem: they're often created by people who've never done the deep work themselves—like a web designer selling ICA tools while having no defined niche of her own. Why This Matters for Coaches We'd never accept that someone could become a coach by chatting with a cus...

The Problem with "Coach" While coaching is a superpower, the title itself creates massive confusion. Unlike tennis coaches or driving instructors who clearly demonstrate and teach skills, professional coaches use inquiry-based methods—asking powerful questions rather than transferring knowledge. Yet we're stuck with Thomas Leonard's 1990s job title that sets completely wrong expe...

Eric Rugundu left a 20-year legal career to coach young lawyers navigating career crises. Discover his inspiring journey from COVID self-reflection to thriving coaching business. Key Topics: Why 82% of coaching businesses fail (and how to avoid it) Overcoming video marketing fears Finding your tribe in the coaching community The surprising personal development of building a business Turning indust...

AI Coaching is Closer Than You Think If you're a coach relying on platforms like Ezra, BetterUp, Lyra, or CoachHub for clients, this episode is a crucial wake-up call. Sarah breaks down groundbreaking research proving AI coaching isn't some distant possibility – it's happening now and performing at surprisingly high levels. The Game-Changing Research A new study in Coaching: An Interna...

What does it really take to transition from corporate success to a thriving coaching business? Antonia Watson's journey reveals the surprising gap most newly qualified coaches don't see coming. The Monday Morning Reality After 20+ years in tech consulting as COO and Global Head of Workforce Strategy, Antonia discovered coaching during a post-pandemic career break. She loved her training at...

The Hard Truth Sarah Drops in This Episode If you're posting inspirational quotes and calling it marketing... stop. That's not marketing, that's just posting. And there's a big difference. The brutal reality: 82% of coaching businesses fail because their owners don't know how to find paying clients. But here's the thing – it's not your fault. Why Most Coaches Struggle (...

In this eye-opening episode, Sarah exposes a troubling business model that's exploiting coaches in our industry. She reveals how one company is selling coaching services for just £49.99 for four hours of coaching per month (that's £12.50 per session!) while paying their coaches absolutely nothing. This isn't pro bono work – it's exploitation disguised as "opportunity." Ke...

Listen to how one project manager transformed 14 years of corporate experience into a thriving coaching business - and why AI can't replace authentic marketing. About The Episode: Meet Andy Keneally, an Irish project manager turned successful business coach who spent 14 years managing massive projects across the globe - from Hong Kong to China to London. After feeling stuck at the senior level...

The One Question Every Coach Supervisor Dreads If you’re a coach supervisor, you know the question. It comes up in almost every group session, especially with newer coaches, and it can bring the conversation to an awkward halt: “How do I find coaching clients?”. This single question creates a ripple of discomfort. Is it even a topic for supervision? And if it is, how do you answer it, especially i...

You know that feeling when you found coaching? That sense that you’ve finally discovered your "thing". The work that lights you up so much, it doesn't even feel like work. You know you're a good coach; your trainers and clients have told you so. But here's the hard truth: being a good coach isn't enough to build a coaching business. If you want to earn the fees you dreame...

Ever feel like you’re shouting into the marketing void, trying to convince people they need a coach? What if we told you your biggest competition isn't other coaches at all? In this episode, Sarah flips the script on everything you thought you knew about finding coaching clients. Get ready to stop competing and start connecting. What You'll Discover in This Episode: The REAL Competition (I...