The Coaching Edge: A Business Building Podcast

Wendy McCallum
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On The Coaching Edge: A Business Building Podcast, host Wendy McCallum provides coaches with bite-sized tips to help them build an aligned, profitable, and sustainable coaching business. Real coaches with real business challenges are featured and practical strategies and tools for success are shared. It's not about making a million dollars overnight. It's about creating a resonant and fulfilling coaching business that keeps you out of burnout and thrilled about going to work every day. Realistic and packed with actionable advice, this podcast is perfect for coaches serious about building the business of their dreams.

  1. Ep 75 What to Do When Your Coaching Feels Stuck (And You Know Your Client is Trying)

    4D AGO

    Ep 75 What to Do When Your Coaching Feels Stuck (And You Know Your Client is Trying)

    Have you ever had a coaching client who’s engaged, reflective, and genuinely trying — but you keep coming back to the same issue session after session? In this episode, I’m talking about what’s really going on when coaching feels stuck even though your client is doing the work. This is a common experience for coaches, and it’s not a sign that you’re failing — it’s usually a signal that something important hasn’t been addressed yet. I walk you through: What I specifically listen for when sessions start going in circles Two of the most common reasons progress stalls with motivated clients How I name patterns (and the "elephant in the room") without judgment or pressure Why this is one of the most challenging — and important — coaching skills to develop If you’ve ever left a session thinking, “We talked a lot, but nothing really shifted,” this episode will help you understand why — and what to do next time. RESOURCES AND LINKS 👉  Get all the details and register for the next Confident Coaching Skills Intensive: https://www.wendymccallum.com/ccsi👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources

    34 min
  2. Ep 74 What To Do When a Coaching Session Goes Off-Script (and Why That's OK)

    FEB 8

    Ep 74 What To Do When a Coaching Session Goes Off-Script (and Why That's OK)

    There’s a moment every coach knows. You’re mid-session. Your client says something unexpected. The conversation shifts — emotionally, directionally, energetically. And suddenly, you feel it: I don’t know what to do next. In this episode, I’m talking about why that moment isn’t a coaching failure — and why, in many cases, it’s actually a sign that you’re doing real, meaningful work. We’re unpacking the fear that lives underneath “not knowing,” why so many coaches panic when sessions don’t go as planned, and how much of that anxiety comes from holding an unspoken agenda about where the session should go. I also explore the difference between agenda-driven, outcome-focused coaching and curiosity-driven, co-active coaching — and why letting go of the need to steer your client toward a specific insight, solution, or action often creates far more powerful results. This is a conversation about trust. Trusting the process. Trusting your client. And trusting yourself as a coach — even (and especially) when you don’t have the answers. If you’ve ever left a session second-guessing yourself, wondering if you handled it “right,” or thinking you need more training just to feel confident in the room — this episode is for you. LINKS + RESOURCES 👉  Get all the details and register for the next Confident Coaching Skills Intensive: https://www.wendymccallum.com/ccsi 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources 👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb

    34 min
  3. Ep 73 Be Yourself (On Purpose) Why Real Talk Is Your Most Powerful Coaching Business Strategy

    FEB 1

    Ep 73 Be Yourself (On Purpose) Why Real Talk Is Your Most Powerful Coaching Business Strategy

    If there’s one thing I’ve learned after more than 15 years of running a coaching business, it’s this: being yourself is not a nice-to-have. It’s the strategy. And yet… even now, I still catch myself getting pulled toward polishing amd perfecting. I look around at what other people are doing. I see beautifully produced content, perfectly worded posts, slick frameworks. And my very human brain thinks, “Maybe I should be doing it like that.” That pull never really goes away. It’s part shiny object syndrome, part comparison, part wanting to get it “right.” This episode is my reminder — and hopefully yours — that Real Talk has always been part of my brand, and that every time I drift away from it, I feel less aligned, less grounded, and honestly… less effective. This podcast itself is a perfect example. If you’re here listening, it’s not because everything I say is perfectly packaged. It’s because the way I speak, teach, and show up works for you. It feels familiar. It feels honest. It feels kind, direct, practical — with a pinch of humour and a whole lot of real life. That’s not accidental. That’s Real Talk. And the truth is, that’s what builds trust right now — especially in a world flooded with AI-generated content, hyper-polished short-form videos, and marketing that feels increasingly performative. In this episode, I talk about why being yourself matters more than ever — not less — in the age of AI and the current trust recession. People aren’t looking for the “best” coach on paper. They’re looking for someone they can feel. Someone they trust. Someone who sounds human. I also share how being yourself doesn’t just attract the right clients — it repels the wrong ones, and why that’s actually a gift. When you show up honestly, you get to your best-fit clients faster, with less convincing and a whole lot more ease. We’ll explore what “being yourself” actually looks like in practice — and what it’s not. (Spoiler: it’s not oversharing, chaos, or refusing structure.) And I walk you through how to infuse your unique special sauce into: Your outward-facing marketing The programs and offers you create The way you show up with clients one-on-one I also share a very current, real-life example from my own business: my complicated relationship with social media — and why I’m experimenting with a completely different way of showing up this year. Instead of forcing myself back into Instagram in a way that feels heavy or inauthentic, I’m playing with something much simpler: short, unscripted “Real Talk” moments. No agenda. No selling. No perfect lighting. Sometimes literally just me making my morning coffee and sharing a thought, an observation, or something that might be helpful. Not for everyone. But very much for my people. And that’s the point. As you listen, I invite you to ask yourself: What does Real Talk look like for me? And where could I bring more of that into my business — without trying to turn it into something it’s not? Because you don’t need to be louder, shinier, or more polished. You just need to be recognizable. And for the right people, that’s more than enough. LINKS + RESOURCES: 👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources  👉90+ Powerful Coaching Questions Cheat Sheet (FREE): https://www.wendymccallum.com/powerfulquestions 👉Before You Launch Your Coaching Business Checklist (FREE): https://www.wendymccallum.com/launch-fundamentals-checklist 💡 Book a 90-minute 1:1 Compass Clarity Business Audit with me: https://www.wendymccallum.com/clarity-compass-business-audit  ✅ 10 Ways to Get Clients Now (Without an Email List or Social Media Following (FREE MASTERCLASS):  https://www.wendymccallum.com/how-to-get-coaching-clients

    33 min
  4. Ep 72 What to Do When Nothing Is Selling (Without Spiraling or Scrapping Your Coaching Business)

    JAN 26

    Ep 72 What to Do When Nothing Is Selling (Without Spiraling or Scrapping Your Coaching Business)

    Let’s talk about that moment every coach hits at some point — when nothing is selling. The launch flops. The offer lands with a thud. The inbox is quiet. And suddenly your brain starts telling some very convincing (and very dangerous) stories about what that means. In this episode of The Coaching Edge and the accompanying free Offer Diagnostic Worksheet (download HERE), I walk you through what to do before you panic, deep-six your offer, or decide you’re “just not cut out for this” and call it quits. Because when nothing is selling, the problem is almost never that you’re a bad coach — and believing that can send you straight into a spiral that’s hard to climb out of. Instead, I share how I diagnose sales problems using my Business Compass model, how to identify what’s actually broken in your sales chain, and what to focus on first so you can get things moving again — calmly, strategically, and without burning your business down. In this episode, I cover: The most dangerous assumption coaches make when sales are slow — and why it’s almost never true Why “nothing is selling” is data, not a verdict on your ability as a coach The common (but misleading) fixes coaches jump to when they panic How to audit your business using the North, East, South, and West of the Business Compass How to tell whether you have a visibility problem, a trust problem, or an offer problem Why old-school conversations and direct outreach still work — especially when sales are slow What not to do when things feel quiet (even though it’s tempting) If you’ve been questioning yourself, your offer, or your entire business because sales feel slow right now, this episode will help you step out of emotion and back into clarity — and give you a grounded way forward. Resources: Your free Offer Diagnostic Worksheet (download HERE), which accompanies this episode The Virtual Business Retreat (episode 68 of The Coaching Edge) + your free downloadable Workbook. If you missed it in the December rush, listen wherever you listen to podcasts and download the free Business Compass Audit & Goal-Setting Workbook HERE (It’s a fantastic companion to this episode.) 👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources 💡 Book a 1:1 Compass Clarity Business Audit with me: https://www.wendymccallum.com/clarity-compass-business-audit

    42 min
  5. Ep 71 2026 Goal Setting for Coaches-A New Framework that Actually Works (Without Burning Out)

    JAN 19

    Ep 71 2026 Goal Setting for Coaches-A New Framework that Actually Works (Without Burning Out)

    This week, I’m helping you rethink goal-setting for 2026 by introducing a different kind of goal — one that makes your business more flexible, sustainable, and profitable. Most coaches set behaviour-based goals: • post 3x/week • hit $10K/month • grow the list by 1,000 • convert 60% of discovery calls But here’s the truth: behaviour-based goals require perfection… and perfection is not a thing any of us are capable of maintaining. Instead, I want to teach you how to set feeling-based goals — goals that clarify how you want to feel in your business: confident, grounded, spacious, consistent, organized, aligned. These goals aren’t fluffy. They’re strategic. They are what actually move the needle in your business. When you feel more confident, you have more sales conversations. When you feel more grounded, your messaging becomes clearer. When you feel more organized, your systems improve — creating more capacity. When you feel more aligned, you show up consistently — which leads to more clients and more revenue. Feeling-based goals fuel the behaviours that drive results. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between behaviour-based and feeling-based goals Why traditional goal-setting fails most coaches How I use feeling-based goals to run my own business 10 concrete examples of business goals reframed for 2026 Why feeling-based goals still lead to MORE clients, MORE revenue, and BETTER content How to set your own 2026 goals using my simple reflection system If you want 2026 to feel different — calmer, more confident, more grounded — this episode will give you the framework to build a business that actually supports that. Mentioned in this episode:✨ The Virtual Business Retreat (episode 68) + your free downloadable Workbook. If you missed it in the December rush, download the free Business Compass Audit & Goal-Setting Workbook HERE (It’s a fantastic companion to this episode.) 👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House on January 22, 2026 at noon ET:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources

    35 min
  6. Ep 70 Selling Without Feeling Salesy: The Power of Simple Conversations

    JAN 12

    Ep 70 Selling Without Feeling Salesy: The Power of Simple Conversations

    This week on The Coaching Edge, I’m digging into one of the most important — and most misunderstood — pieces of building a profitable coaching business: conversations. Not funnels. Not fancy sales pages. Not complicated campaigns. Conversations. Real ones. The kind that create connection… and then, eventually, clients. If you’re someone who has always felt a little allergic to anything that resembles “traditional sales” — the pushy, aggressive, talk-AT-people kind of sales — this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Because the truth is, you don’t need to be good at selling to grow your coaching business. You just need to get good at starting conversations. Inside this episode, I break down: Why conversations are the foundation of my sales model — and why this approach works beautifully for coaches who want selling to feel natural, relational, and grounded in integrity. How connection (not conversion) is what actually leads to clients — and why focusing on the wrong thing in that first conversation can shut things down before they ever start. The mindset shift every coach needs: your only job is to start the conversation. Not sell. Not strategize. Just connect. The dozens of places conversations can begin: past clients, new followers, people who downloaded your freebie, collaborators, referral sources, your own newsletter list, DM check-ins, and so many more. Why I actively “gamify” conversations in my own business and teach the same thing inside the BBB — and why having structure around this is one of the most profitable habits you can build as a coach. The reality that most conversation starters will go ignored… and why that’s perfectly fine. It only takes 1 in 5 to create meaningful connection that eventually leads somewhere. If you’re ready to make sales feel like being a human again — and to build your 2026 business around practices that actually feel aligned — this episode will give you a whole new way of thinking about selling. Mentioned in this episode: ✨ The Virtual Business Retreat (episode 68) + your free downloadable Workbook. If you missed it in the December rush, download the free Business Compass Audit & Goal-Setting Workbook HERE  (It’s a fantastic companion to this episode.) 👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House on January 22, 2026 at noon ET:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources

    35 min
  7. Ep 69 You Get to Change Your Mind: How to Build a Flexible & Responsive Coaching Business in 2026

    JAN 5

    Ep 69 You Get to Change Your Mind: How to Build a Flexible & Responsive Coaching Business in 2026

    As we head into 2026, I want to talk about something that I believe is going to matter more than almost anything else in your coaching business this year: your ability to stay flexible and responsive. Not reactive. Not panicked. Responsive. In this episode, I’m unpacking why rigid business models are becoming harder to sustain — and why treating your business as an ongoing experiment is one of the smartest moves you can make right now. I talk a lot about what I call the beta mindset: the idea that your offers, pricing, content, and even your business model are all drafts. They’re meant to be tested, reviewed, adjusted, and improved based on real-time feedback — not locked in forever. I also share a real example from my own business. For the past couple of years, the Business Building Bootcamp (BBB) has been offered as a one-year program. That structure made sense for a long time. Building a coaching business takes time, and meaningful support doesn’t happen overnight. But I’ve been paying attention — to the market, to my clients, and to myself. We’re in a buyer’s market. Trust is harder to earn. And long-term commitments feel riskier for a lot of people right now. I’ve noticed that shift in my own spending decisions too. So instead of digging in my heels and insisting on a structure that no longer fit, I decided to respond. In this episode, I walk you through why I chose to restructure BBB to a six-month entry point (at a lower price), with the option to continue once trust and value are established — and how that change reflects exactly the kind of flexibility I’m encouraging you to build into your own business. (New BBB details and pricing HERE: www.wendymccallum.com/bbb) I also talk about: Why flexibility is no longer optional for small businesses — especially coaching businesses How the beta mindset protects you from perfectionism, burnout, and unnecessary pressure The signs your business is quietly asking you to change something Why changing your mind isn’t flaky or unprofessional — it’s good business stewardship How being responsive actually helps you stay profitable and relevant over the long term Practical ways to build adaptability into your offers, pricing, and planning in 2026 Before you listen, a quick reminder: In the previous episode 68, I hosted a virtual year-end business retreat and shared my Business Compass framework for auditing your business and setting aligned goals. That episode comes with a free downloadable audit and goal-setting workbook — and if December got away from you, you can absolutely still grab it. 👉 Download the free Business Compass Audit & Goal-Setting Workbook HERE  I recommend pairing these two episodes together: use the retreat and workbook to reflect on where you’ve been, then listen to this episode to think about how you want to build a business that can flex, evolve, and support you in 2026 and beyond. If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this conversation, it’s this: You’re allowed to listen. You’re allowed to learn. And you’re absolutely allowed to change your mind. That’s not a weakness. It’s how sustainable businesses are built. 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources  👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House on January 22nd at noon ET:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb

    34 min
  8. Ep 68 The Coaching Edge Year-End Virtual Business Retreat 2025

    12/29/2025

    Ep 68 The Coaching Edge Year-End Virtual Business Retreat 2025

    As we close out 2025, I’m inviting you to join me for a guided virtual business retreat using a structure I’ve been developing and refining for years — something I now call The Compass Framework for Your Business. This simple, powerful framework breaks your coaching business into four key directions — North, East, South, and West — each representing a pillar of a sustainable, profitable coaching practice. And in this episode, I walk you through each direction, help you identify where you're strong and where you're drifting, and guide you through a set of reflection questions to choose your focus for 2026. To make this retreat as grounding and actionable as possible, I created a companion tool: A free Compass Framework for Your Business WorkbookGrab it HERE  You can listen to this episode two ways. If you’re out for a walk or driving, just take in the ideas and notice what resonates. And then come back later with the workbook in hand. Or, if you have the space today, print it out now, find a quiet spot, and work through the questions with me — pausing the episode as needed to reflect and write. Inside the episode, I’ll guide you through: North: Visibility & Reach How new people find you and enter your world (lead magnets, free resources, live events, social media, etc.). I walk you through reflection questions to help you assess what's working, what's not, and where to simplify in 2026. East: Connection & Nurture How you build trust with the people already in your audience — through your newsletter, podcast, low-ticket offers, and free valuable content. We explore what consistency looks like for you and where your nurture systems might need strengthening. South: Conversion & Confidence Your sales systems, discovery calls, offer suite, pricing, and your own belief in the value of your work. I share questions to help you understand where your sales process supports you — and where it gets wobbly. West: Delivery & Value Your client experience: onboarding, offboarding, coaching quality, feedback systems, testimonials, and pathways for continued support. This is where revenue becomes sustainable — and we walk through what you may want to refine in 2026. By the end of the retreat, you’ll know exactly which direction on your compass needs your attention first, and you’ll have three simple, concrete actions to take in Q1 2026. If you want support strengthening all four directions all year long… That’s exactly what we do inside the Business Building Bootcamp (BBB). We build and refine your visibility, nurture systems, sales process, and client delivery with strategy, community, and hands-on support. You can register for the next BBB Open House at: wendymccallum.com/BBB Don’t forget to grab the workbook HERE Other resources: 👉  Grab LOADS MORE FREE RESOURCES FOR COACHES: https://www.wendymccallum.com/mini-offers-and-free-business-resources 👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House in January 2026:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb

    48 min
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On The Coaching Edge: A Business Building Podcast, host Wendy McCallum provides coaches with bite-sized tips to help them build an aligned, profitable, and sustainable coaching business. Real coaches with real business challenges are featured and practical strategies and tools for success are shared. It's not about making a million dollars overnight. It's about creating a resonant and fulfilling coaching business that keeps you out of burnout and thrilled about going to work every day. Realistic and packed with actionable advice, this podcast is perfect for coaches serious about building the business of their dreams.

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