Program Design for Coaches: How to Build Group Coaching Programs That Sell, Scale Your Business, and Free Up Your Time

Curtis Satterfield, PhD. Helping Coaches Build Group Programs That Sell, Get Results, and Scale
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Program design that actually works. Learn how to build a group coaching program that scales your business, delivers real results for your clients, and frees up your time. Program Design for Coaches is hosted by Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent 17 years as an educator and course designer, building over 30 courses from scratch. I now help coaches who are at capacity with 1:1 clients figure out how to scale their business without taking on more hours. Because there's a ceiling on what 1:1 work can do for you, and a group program is usually the answer. The problem is most advice about building one is either too generic to be useful or too focused on marketing and not enough on actually making something that works. I see the same problems come up again and again. Programs packed with information but missing clear outcomes. Clients who buy but never finish. Launches that flop because the program itself wasn't built to deliver results. In my under-20-minute episodes, I get straight to the problem and show you how to fix it. You'll learn how to structure your program so clients actually complete it, create lessons that stick, and build something you're proud to sell. Whenever it makes sense, I'll link helpful resources in the show notes so you can take action right away. Scaling beyond 1:1 can feel overwhelming. There's conflicting advice everywhere, and it's easy to get stuck overthinking your outline, second-guessing your content, or wondering if anyone will even buy it. This podcast doesn't ignore that. Instead, it walks you through the messy and confusing parts step by step so you never feel like you're doing it alone. My goal is simple. I want to help you build a program that gets real results for your clients. One that creates transformation, builds your reputation, and grows your business through social proof and repeat buyers. From defining your transformation to structuring your modules, from designing your lessons to launching with confidence, we'll cover it all. If that sounds like the support you need, take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show. It's an easy way to support the podcast and make sure you never miss an episode.

  1. 26 May

    The Fastest Way to Grow and Save Time as a Coach

    Most coaches think building a group program means building one giant, finished thing: a library of courses, live coaching calls, and a community, all of it before they can enroll a single person. So they spend months, sometimes years, building, and never make a dollar. The program that was supposed to buy back their time ends up eating more of it. This episode lays out the simple way through: how to start a profitable group program fast by building one small piece at a time, instead of trying to build the whole thing at once. You'll learn: Why trying to build your entire group program at once is the biggest reason coaches stall out before they make a dimeThe single piece to build first, and how to run it live in just a couple of hoursHow the same couple of hours that earns one 1:1 client's fee can fill a whole room insteadThe way one live course becomes repeatable income you can run all year longHow a few courses stack into a content library that becomes your full group programHere's what most scaling advice gets wrong: it treats the big, finished group program as something you have to build before you're allowed to start. Really, that finished program is the finish line, not the starting line. Start with one live course, get it working and earning, then stack the next one, and you build the exact same program while getting paid the whole way there. I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent 17 years as an educator and course designer, and I help maxed-out solopreneur coaches turn their proven 1:1 methodologies into group programs that scale without sacrificing client results. Want to know what your first course should actually be about? Start with the episode "How to Scale Beyond 1:1 Coaching: The First Group Program to Build."  Ready to build a group program that actually delivers? Book a free Program Roadmap Call and let's figure out the right next steps for your program: https://curtissatterfield.com/work-with-curtis/ Send me a message!

    9 min

  2. 12 May

    How to Scale Beyond 1 on 1 Coaching: The First Group Program You Should Build

    You're a 1:1 coach who knows you need to scale. You've thought about a course, a membership, group coaching. But every time you sit down to plan it, the same question stops you: which kind of group program do you actually build first? In this episode, I walk through the three most common group program formats, why the wrong starting point sets up the wrong business, and the two questions I use with every coach to find the topic for their first live class. What you'll learn: Why a live class is the right first group program for most 1:1 coaches, and how it compounds into a content library The three most common group program formats, and why they're more of a scale than hard categories How a book coach pulled foundational material out of her 1:1 work and built her first live class around it Why moving foundational material into a live class can actually make 1:1 coaching better The two questions that get you to your first live class topic without brainstorming from scratchMost coaches think building a group program means inventing a new topic. The truth is the topic is already in your 1:1 work, you've just been giving it away one client at a time. The first live class doesn't have to be elaborate to be the foundation of a scalable business. It just has to solve the same problem you've been solving for every new 1:1 client, delivered in a way that gives them a clear win. I helps maxed-out 1:1 coaches turn their proven methodologies into group programs that scale without sacrificing client transformation. I have over 17 years of experience as an adult educator and course designer. Ready to figure out what your first group program should look like?  Book your free Program Roadmap Call here! Send me a message!

    9 min

  3. 28 Apr

    How to Keep Clients Engaged in Your Group Coaching Program: Boost Completion Rates and Client Results

    You launched your group program with content you know is solid. By week two, clients are quietly checking out. You can't figure out what went wrong, and the answer is almost always the same thing. Information overload before clients have a single real win to stand on. In this episode, I'll walk you through the fastest way coaches lose clients from group programs, why it happens even when the content is good, and the structural shift that turns it around. You'll learn: •       Why front-loading information drives clients out of group programs even when the teaching is solid •       How to spot the info-dump trap before it costs you retention •       The stepping stones approach to program design and why it works •       How to identify a real client win versus a fake milestone •       The single question to ask when designing each part of your program   Most coaches build programs around the question, what do my clients need to know. That question is exactly what gets you into the info-dump trap, because the honest answer is they need to know a lot. The better question is, what's the first real win I can get this client to, and what's the smallest amount of information I need to teach for them to get there. Build the first stone around that. Then the next. I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent 17 years as an educator and course designer, and I help maxed-out coaches build group programs that deliver the same transformation as their 1:1 work. Ready to build a group program that actually delivers? Book a free Program Roadmap Call and let's figure out the right next steps for your program: https://curtissatterfield.com/work-with-curtis/ Send me a message!

    8 min

  4. 21 Apr

    The Group Program Skill You Were Never Taught

    Most coaches plan their group program by listing everything they cover in 1:1 sessions and turning it into content. It feels logical. It also tends to produce a program that looks right but doesn't move people the way your one-on-one work does. The gap isn't your expertise. It's that coaching someone through a transformation and designing a program that creates transformation for a group are two different skills, and most of the advice out there for coaches who want to scale skips the second one entirely. In this episode, I walk through three things: why that skill gap exists, where it shows up first, and what it actually looks like to build a group program the right way.   You'll learn: •  Why being great at 1:1 coaching doesn't automatically tell you how to design a group program •  How mismatched starting points derail group programs before the first session ever starts •  Why you need a clear client baseline before you build a single session •  The question that separates programs built around content from programs built around transformation •  What it looks like when every session in your program has one specific, doable outcome   Most scaling advice focuses on marketing and launch strategy. What it skips is the design work that determines whether your program actually delivers. A group program that doesn't create real results won't grow your business no matter how well you launch it. Getting the design right is what makes everything else work.   I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I spent 17 years as an educator and course designer building structured learning experiences, and I help maxed-out coaches turn their proven 1:1 methodology into a group program that gets results.   Ready to figure out what your group program actually needs? Book a free Program Roadmap Call: https://curtissatterfield.com/work-with-curtis/  Send me a message!

    8 min

  5. 7 Apr

    Breaking Through The Income Ceiling Every Successful Coach Eventually Hits

    If your roster is full and it still doesn't feel the way you thought it would, you haven't done anything wrong. You've hit the income ceiling every successful coach eventually hits. And the problem isn't your work ethic or your pricing. It's the model. In this episode, I walk you through where that ceiling actually comes from, why the obvious fixes don't solve it, and what changes when you shift to a group program. Including the honest caveats most people skip.   You'll learn: Why a full 1:1 roster is a capacity ceiling, not a success plateau — and why that distinction mattersThe real math behind the 1:1 model and why raising your rates doesn't actually solve the problemWhat 'group program' actually means (it's probably not what you're picturing)Why the right clients can get as good or better results in a group than they do one on oneThe honest caveats about group programs, and what to think through before you build one  The ceiling isn't a motivation problem. It's not a pricing problem. It's arithmetic. The 1:1 model was never designed to scale, and every coach who's good at what they do eventually runs out of runway. A group program, built properly, is the structural solution to a structural problem. Next week I'm going to talk about the biggest mistake coaches make when they try to build one, and it's not what you'd expect. I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I help maxed-out coaches build group programs that deliver the same transformation as their 1:1 work. So they can serve more clients, earn more predictable income, and get some of their time back. Ready to figure out what your group program could look like? Book a free Program Roadmap Call and let's talk through your situation: https://curtissatterfield.com/work-with-curtis/ Send me a message!

    10 min

  6. 1 Apr

    Stop Renting Your Audience: The Marketing Foundation Every Coach Needs

    If you're building your coaching business on social media, you're building on land you don't own. The algorithm changes, your reach drops, and the audience you spent months growing suddenly can't hear you. That's not a marketing foundation, that's renting. In this episode I walk you through the three things every coach needs to have in place to stop renting and start owning their audience. You'll learn: Why your social media following isn't really yours, and what owning your audience actually meansHow an email list gives you direct access to potential clients without an algorithm standing in the wayWhat your website is actually supposed to do, and why most coaches get it wrongHow a freebie starts building trust with potential clients before they ever spend a dollarTwo methods for getting eyes on your freebie and growing your list from scratchMost coaches are told to show up on social media consistently and the clients will come. But in today's market, buyers are taking longer to make decisions and need more touchpoints before they commit. The coaches who build sustainable businesses aren't the ones with the biggest Instagram following. They're the ones who own their audience and can reach them directly. That starts with the foundation covered in this episode. I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent years studying and implementing marketing strategies and I've built and sold my own online courses and programs. I help coaches design programs that transform their clients and grow their business. Want to understand the market you're building in? Go back and listen to The 2026 State of the Market, find it wherever you're listening. Marissa Corcoran: https://www.marissacorcoran.com/ Dallas Travers: https://dallastravers.com/ Send me a message!

    8 min

  7. 25 Mar

    The 2026 State of the Market: Why Courses Are Declining and Group Programs Are Winning

    If you've been trying to sell a course in 2026 and the numbers aren't adding up, the problem isn't your marketing. The market has structurally shifted. Courses are declining, and the practitioners who've been in this industry for years are saying it out loud. In this episode I break down what's actually driving the decline, what's working instead, and what the 2026 buyer needs from you before they'll spend money. You'll learn: - Why standalone self-paced courses are losing ground in 2026 - How AI has undercut the information-delivery model that made courses so profitable - Why course completion rates are making buyers think twice before purchasing - What group programs are delivering that courses simply can't replicate - How today's buyers are still spending, just with more discernment and longer sales cycles The market hasn't dried up. The model has changed. Buyers aren't spending less on coaching, they're spending more carefully. The coaches and program creators who are winning right now are the ones who understand what buyers actually need before they'll commit, and they're building their offers around that. I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent 17 years as an educator and course designer, and I help coaches build group programs that scale their business without burning out their roster. Ready to figure out if a group program is the right next move? Book a free Program Roadmap Call and let's talk through your options: https://curtissatterfield.com/work-with-curtis/ Send me a message!

    10 min

  8. Trailer

    Program Design For Coaches - Trailer

    Welcome to Program Design for Coaches, the podcast that helps fully booked coaches build group programs that scale their business, deliver real results for their clients, and free up their time. I'm Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent 17 years as an educator and course designer, building over 30 programs from scratch. On this show I'll help you build group programs that actually work. Programs your clients finish, that generate real testimonials, and that make scaling your business a whole lot easier. Send me a message!

    1 min
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Program design that actually works. Learn how to build a group coaching program that scales your business, delivers real results for your clients, and frees up your time. Program Design for Coaches is hosted by Dr. Curtis Satterfield. I've spent 17 years as an educator and course designer, building over 30 courses from scratch. I now help coaches who are at capacity with 1:1 clients figure out how to scale their business without taking on more hours. Because there's a ceiling on what 1:1 work can do for you, and a group program is usually the answer. The problem is most advice about building one is either too generic to be useful or too focused on marketing and not enough on actually making something that works. I see the same problems come up again and again. Programs packed with information but missing clear outcomes. Clients who buy but never finish. Launches that flop because the program itself wasn't built to deliver results. In my under-20-minute episodes, I get straight to the problem and show you how to fix it. You'll learn how to structure your program so clients actually complete it, create lessons that stick, and build something you're proud to sell. Whenever it makes sense, I'll link helpful resources in the show notes so you can take action right away. Scaling beyond 1:1 can feel overwhelming. There's conflicting advice everywhere, and it's easy to get stuck overthinking your outline, second-guessing your content, or wondering if anyone will even buy it. This podcast doesn't ignore that. Instead, it walks you through the messy and confusing parts step by step so you never feel like you're doing it alone. My goal is simple. I want to help you build a program that gets real results for your clients. One that creates transformation, builds your reputation, and grows your business through social proof and repeat buyers. From defining your transformation to structuring your modules, from designing your lessons to launching with confidence, we'll cover it all. If that sounds like the support you need, take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show. It's an easy way to support the podcast and make sure you never miss an episode.

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