The Coach's Journey - build a coaching business with integrity

When we truly trust a client with our thinking, we can make space for them to use it in their own way. This trust is at the heart of Nishe Patel’s coaching practice, and in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast she explains how occupying a space of not-knowing can pave the way to deep and genuine connections between coaches and their clients. In conversation with Alex Whitton, Nishe brings h...

After almost 7 years, I’ve decided to close The Coach’s Journey Podcast this autumn. As I have done throughout The Coach’s Journey, I want to share my thinking about my business with you, in service of supporting you to think about yours in new ways. And so in this episode, I share my thinking on closing down this podcast, what will happen between now and the final episode in October, and what I’v...

Throughout a career spanning roles as a teacher, BBC television producer, coach and prolific author, Jenny Rogers has never been afraid of getting things wrong. In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, the executive coach, supervisor, trainer and author of coaching titles such as Are You Listening? tells host Neil Mackinnon about the vital importance of experimentation and of embracing our...

Myles Downey’s new book, The Sessions , marks a transition, a metamorphosis in his influential body of work. And that becomes the theme of this, his third appearance on The Coach’s Journey Podcast. What happens when it is no longer sustainable to remain what you have been? What is it like to have an idea - like Myles did with The Sessions more than 30 years ago - and not be able to let it go? And...

When Mel Sims discovered coaching, she was adamant that nobody could understand her life. Her journey into coaching allowed her to put down the mask, harness her strengths, and re-emerge into the world as a neurodivergent emotional coach. Mel trained as a coach while learning about herself through the lens of an ADHD diagnosis. As well as offering her a pathway of personal growth, these experience...

If coaching was a competition, Dorie Clark would be a truly fearsome competitor. A university graduate at the age of 18, she has since embarked on a unique career spanning journalism, politics, writing, coaching, consultancy, education and community building. And that’s without mentioning her musicals, stand-up comedy, TED talks and conferences! Thankfully, Dorie is with us on this episode of The...

By studying Plato and Socrates for more than a decade, Anise Frost learned the art of asking questions that unlock the hidden parts of people. Her mastery of that skill has forged relationships of trust with brands and organisations who turn to her for team coaching and consultancy. In return she helps them explore deeply and unearth new pathways for development. Anise was a maths teacher when she...

When your coaching business feels too hard, it’s rarely just about strategy. In this conversation (a follow-up to Episode #115 ), Ruth Saville, Alex Whitton and Robbie Swale explore three of the biggest pressure-points coaches face as they try to stay in the work for the long game: self-doubt, money, and the quiet temptation to question everything when things feel wobbly. Together, we talk about:...

Why is it that so many coaches support others to grow… but hesitate to invest in support for themselves? In this episode, Robbie reflects on a simple but powerful belief: if there’s one thing that consistently makes the biggest difference to the success and sustainability of a coaching business, it’s having a coach of your own . Drawing on his own experience - including working with many coaches o...

What do you do in the moments - or seasons - when your coaching business feels too hard? In this episode, Ruth Saville , Alex Whitton , and Robbie Swale explore the emotional reality behind building a coaching business: the doubt, comparison, financial pressure, cancellations, unpredictability… and the unexpected beauty that sits alongside all of it. This episode began with a simple observation: e...

In this special episode, Alex Whitton and Alex Swallow take the reins to interview Robbie about the release of his new book, The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World . What unfolds is a warm, honest and surprisingly vulnerable exploration of choice, mindset, relationships, and the inner work that helps us meet complexity with more skill and less fear. Across the conversa...

What can coaches and leaders learn from the people who have mastered the art of appearing on stage and screen? And what can coaching give back to the creative industries? Answering these questions through his work at the intersection of coaching, corporate leadership and on-screen presentation skills is Gareth Davies, renowned executive television producer of shows like Strictly Come Dancing and T...

Sam Isaacson saw the rise of artificial intelligence coming, and he was ready for it. With his background in managing technology risk and change, he could see the impact that rapid AI development would have on his current profession as a coach, and in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast he addresses some of the most pressing issues facing coaches all over the world. Very few people are as...

What does the future of coaching look like… and what can we learn from those who helped build it? Ruth Rochelle returns to The Coach’s Journey Podcast to reflect on how the coaching world has evolved over the past four decades and where it might be heading next. Prompted by a listener’s question, Ruth shares stories from the early days of coaching - when it was more movement than industry - throug...

What if almost every coaching challenge you face in your practice could be solved with better coaching contracts and clearer agreements? That’s what Robbie dives into in this short episode. Drawing on his own coaching practice, experiences in supervision, and lessons learned from mentors and peers, Robbie explains why contracting with clients is one of the most important skills a coach can develop...

Ever since she was a child, working in her father’s clothes shop in Derbyshire and standing on a box to see over the counter, Jenny Bird has spent her life being interested in people. She drew upon the principles of communication honed during those formative years as she blossomed into one of the United Kingdom’s very first master coaches, going on to co-author renowned coaching titles such as The...

Shruti Sonthalia says purpose is her superpower. A strong sense of purpose helped Shruti to demolish seemingly insurmountable barriers to becoming a Master Certified Coach and a globally renowned industry figure, and in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, she implores all coaches to find their ‘why’. Shruti began her journey without coaches around her to learn from, living and working in...

A commitment to “directional correctness” has helped Patrick Quinton-Smith solve existential questions on the way to becoming the co-founder of a multigenerational coaching consultancy, Gen Z Coach. In his fast-paced career, Patrick has overcome huge challenges by remaining true to his philosophy of maintaining a steady direction – even when sidewinds threaten to blow him off course. When rapid su...

In this episode, Robbie walks you step‑by‑step through how he leads the first conversation with a potential coaching client - with authenticity, honour and integrity, and without being salesy or pushy. Packed with clear guidance and real‑world examples, you'll learn how to: Prepare clients in advance and set expectations before the call Model leadership in the first conversation to build credibili...

What does it really look like to take your coaching practice on the road? In this short episode, Robbie and Alex Swallow get together to explore the possibilities and challenges of coaching as a digital nomad — or simply working remotely and flexibly as a coach . They talk about their experience working from Costa Rica, Dar es Salaam, cafés in the UK, and the practical and emotional realities of t...

What if the way you sell your coaching is getting in the way of the coaching itself? In this solo episode, Robbie shares how his thinking and practice around selling coaching packages has evolved — from charging by the session, to selling time-bound coaching engagements that prioritise impact, flexibility and real transformation. This candid, behind-the-scenes reflection covers everything from awk...

Every village and every community throughout human history has relied upon people who can facilitate conversations, allowing sacred truths to be passed along generations. In a modern world gripped by a process of massive transformation, this vital, ancient work now falls to coaches. That is the view of Bob Singha, a master coach who has spent 28 years helping people connect the day-to-day reality...

How do we keep working when tragedy shakes our lives? If seismic events disrupt our foundations, is it possible to build something new with confidence? For Ellie Scarf, suffering a heartbreaking loss led to profound changes that have moved her from her zone of excellence into her zone of genius, where she draws upon her experiences to offer her coaching clients an approach and a service that is un...

The question that new coaches ask most often: do I need a niche and how do I choose one? We don’t know why that idea is so pervasive among new coaches, but it is, so when Robbie got a question about it from a subscriber recently, he thought he’d make a short episode about it. Excuse the audio - he recorded on his phone - and see below for links to a few things he mentions in the episode. For more...

To celebrate the 100th episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, Robbie takes us back to where the whole Coach’s Journey adventure began: the story of how he grew his coaching business so it could support him full time, less than two years after he started training as a coach. As you’ll hear him say in the introduction, coming back to this story - which forms the basis of Robbie’s most-read piece of...