Change Champions

Riley McGhee and Pedram Parasmand
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Navigating change, overcoming hardship, or trying to become the best version of yourself? Learn how top coaches and consultants across industries help people or organizations make significant positive change.

  1. 5D AGO

    Why We Paid $30,000 for Help (And What We Expect to Learn) | Ep 51

    Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.coCommunity to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com We just got accepted into a $30,000 coaching programme. And in this behind-the-scenes episode, we break down exactly why we made that decision. This isn’t about hype or “leveling up” for the sake of it. It’s about something more honest: we hit a point in our business where effort alone wasn’t enough to create consistent growth. We were solving problems… but new ones kept appearing. In this episode, we talk about: Why even experienced coaches still need coachingThe bottlenecks that kept us stuck between growth stagesWhat we hope to learn (especially around content, sales, and leverage)The tension between figuring it out yourself vs getting helpThe personal reasons behind the investment — time, family, and lifestyleWe also share the mindset shift that changed everything for us: being the kind of client we want to attract. If you’re a coach, consultant, or facilitator trying to grow your business without burning out — this will give you a clear, honest look at what it actually takes to move forward. Hosted by Riley and Ped, co-founders of Leverage Accelerator. Timestamps: 00:00 Why we joined a $30,000 coaching programme 00:40 Getting accepted and what Black Belt is 01:57 Why we’re happy to share we’re getting help 03:30 Growth mindset, learning, and serving clients better 04:39 Why experience beats figuring it out alone 06:10 The growth ceiling we kept hitting 08:09 Why now was the right time to invest 10:28 What we hope to learn from the programme 13:17 The real content lesson we want to improve 15:00 Adapting what we learn to our own audience 16:29 Systems, positioning, and our unique strengths 17:18 Letting go of insecurity around asking for help 17:49 Pressure, integrity, and being a good client 19:28 Relief, accountability, and shortening the learning cycle 20:50 Did we wait too long to do this? 22:26 The personal reasons behind the investment 23:20 Why helping people has to come first 24:45 Why we’re documenting this journey

    25 min

  2. MAY 6

    Why Working Harder Isn’t Growing Your Business | Ep50

    If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than ever… but your business isn’t really moving forward, this video will likely hit close to home. In this video, Riley breaks down a counterintuitive truth: the effort that helps you start your business can quietly become the thing that keeps you stuck. He shares his own journey from launching his first program to hitting growth plateaus — and why doubling down on hard work didn’t fix it. Instead, the real shift came from changing how he made decisions. You’ll learn: Why effort has diminishing returns as you scaleHow “hard work” can become a flawed decision-making compassThe difference between a builder mindset and a director mindsetWhat to stop doing to create real leverage in your businessHow to make better decisions that actually move the needleThis isn’t about avoiding hard work. It’s about making sure your effort is going in the right direction. If you’re a coach, consultant, or service provider trying to grow without burning out, this will give you a clearer way forward.

    13 min

  3. MAY 4

    Why Brilliant Coaches Struggle to Get Clients Beyond Their Network (And What to Do About It) | Ep 49

    Pricing and Designing Offers that sell themselves: https://youtu.be/ABLCmXKdLLE Join newsletter for stories, tips, and resources: http://leverageaccelerator.co/ Create more sales opportunities: Join Network & Sell: http://networkandsell.com/ For years I taught other businesses how to understand their customers. Meanwhile, I had no idea how to make what I did relevant to people outside my existing network. I'd built a six-figure business. But almost every penny came from people who already knew me. The moment I tried to reach beyond that, nothing connected. It cost me the right projects, my confidence, and my peace of mind. The answer was sitting on my bookshelf the whole time. In this video, I walk you through the inside-out trap most coaches, consultants, and facilitators fall into, introduce the Transformation Spectrum as a way to map client pains and gains with far more precision, and share the Big Five Framework — a tool I developed to help you design offers from the outside in, so your ideal clients recognise your offer is for them before you've described a single thing you do. Here's what we cover: - Why leading with credentials and methodology works only with people who already know you - How the Transformation Spectrum maps the full range of pains and gains - The Big Five: Avatar, Problem, Pain, Outcome, and Aspiration - Why skipping the avatar makes the whole model fall apart - How I applied this to finally build positioning that resonates beyond my network Chapters: 00:00 The Irony — Teaching Others What I Wasn't Doing Myself 00:50 What the Inside-Out Approach Looks Like (and Why It Fails) 02:20 Why Inside-Out Works With People Who Know You 04:50 Why It Fails With Strangers — and What to Do Instead 06:40 The Book That Changed How Ped Designs Offers 07:50 Customer Segments: Jobs, Pains, and Gains 09:10 Shifting from Inside-Out to Outside-In Thinking 09:50 Introducing the Transformation Spectrum 13:30 The Big Five Framework Explained 14:20 Avatar: The Foundation of the Big Five 15:30 Problem and Pain: Identifying What's Most Urgent 15:40 Gains, Outcomes, and Aspiration 17:10 The Most Common Traps When Using the Big Five 18:40 Applying the Big Five to Ped's Own Business 20:40 Top Tip: Don't Make It Up — Go and Ask

    22 min

  4. APR 29

    What a Personal Branding Audit Taught Us About Content That Actually Wins Clients | Ep 48

    Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.coCommunity to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com In this behind-the-scenes episode of the Change Champions podcast, Riley and Ped unpack their immediate reflections after a personal branding consultation and talk through what they’re changing in their content strategy. This conversation is for coaches, consultants, and facilitators who want to use content to support the business they’re building, without getting trapped on the content hamster wheel. Riley and Ped break down the three jobs content can do, where they’ve been inconsistent, what they learned about LinkedIn profile positioning, lead magnets, showing more proof, and how to turn real client conversations into stronger content. They also share a candid look at what they’ve done well, where they’ve missed the mark, and what they’ll do next as they build more authority, consistency, and inbound interest around Change Champions. Grounded, practical, and very much a work-in-progress conversation. Timestamps: 00:00 Why we’re sharing this live 00:40 How content has helped us win business 02:40 The content hamster wheel and the business-building tension 03:50 The 3 roles content plays as your business grows 08:00 What stood out from the personal branding consultation 12:50 What happens when someone lands on your profile 14:40 Why Riley’s old positioning no longer fits LinkedIn 19:10 Why we’re shifting from newsletter CTAs to lead magnets 23:30 What we’ll change next in our content workflow 24:10 Showing more proof instead of just telling 25:50 Ped’s content cadence and content mix 28:10 The goldmine of insights in client conversations 29:50 Being of service through content

    31 min

  5. APR 22

    How to Make People Care, Remember, and Act When You Speak | Ep 47

    Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.coCommunity to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com What makes a presentation actually land? In this Change Champions podcast episode, Riley sits down with presentation coach Andrea Pacini to unpack the communication principles that make people care, remember, and act. Andrea shares why presentations are bigger than slides, why most people lose attention too soon, and why clear communication still matters even more in a world full of AI tools. They get into the difference between trends and timeless principles, how to make complex ideas easy to follow, why stories beat facts when you want people to remember something, and what makes a call to action strong without sounding pushy. Andrea also shares practical ideas on audience attention, slide design, delivery, and why communication gaps often sit underneath bigger business problems. Andrea Pacini is Head of Ideas on Stage UK, has worked with more than 500 TEDx speakers, and is the author of Confident Presenter, with his new book Timeless Presenter on the way. If you want your ideas to be clearer, more memorable, and more useful to the people you serve, this conversation is worth your time. Connect with Andrea:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apacini/Website: https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/Presentation toolkit: https://bit.ly/TimelessPresenterKit  Timestamps: 00:00 Why presentation skills matter in business 01:28 What a presentation really is 04:24 You can have a great idea and still fail to land it 06:20 Tools and trends vs timeless communication principles 08:39 Why AI makes human communication more valuable 11:36 How to make people care and keep attention 13:00 The hourglass rule for audience attention 16:37 How to make complex ideas simple 20:49 Be kind to your audience 24:14 Why analogies help people understand 27:43 Why stories make ideas memorable 30:00 The Finland story and starting with the audience 33:33 How to make slides more memorable 38:50 Beyond slides: creating a multi-sensory experience 42:24 If you do not want action, do not give a presentation 44:34 What makes a strong call to action 49:08 Every presentation is a sales presentation 50:54 Passion, purpose, and conviction 56:41 Energy vs dynamism in delivery 58:07 Can great speaking be learned 01:02:00 Where to find Andrea 01:03:00 The one idea to remember: communication deficiency

    1h 6m

  6. APR 15

    Should You Pay Attention to the News as a Business Owner? | Ep46

    World events can absolutely affect your business. The real question is: how much should you care… and what can you actually do about it? In this behind-the-scenes conversation, Riley and Ped unpack how political events, economic uncertainty, and global conflicts can ripple into the day-to-day reality of running a coaching, consulting, or facilitation business. They share real examples from their own work including clients rescheduling calls due to geopolitical conflict, the emotional impact of following world events closely, and how global economic shifts can influence whether people invest in services like coaching or consulting. But the conversation goes deeper than headlines. Riley brings in lessons from performance psychology and stress management. Ped reflects on the tension between staying informed and protecting your mental bandwidth. Together they explore the balance between empathy for what’s happening in the world and focusing on the things you can still control in your business. If you’re a coach, consultant, or facilitator trying to build a sustainable business in uncertain times, this episode will help you think more clearly about where to place your attention, energy, and decisions. Chapters 00:00 World events and your business00:50 A real example: a client evacuating their country02:40 Paying attention to the news vs tuning it out04:00 When world events affect you personally05:00 The emotional “storm” people get caught in06:30 Showing up to work when your head isn’t clear08:20 The economic knock-on effects of global events10:00 Performance psychology and the four A’s of stress management12:40 The difference between real self-care and avoidance14:00 When survival comes before business16:40 How macroeconomics affects coaching and consulting businesses19:00 Why people still buy during economic downturns21:00 COVID and adapting your business model22:00 Climate vs weather: knowing when to pivot23:30 Getting perspective outside your business bubble26:00 What you can actually control in your business28:00 Ped’s honest reflection on family in conflict zones30:00 Riley’s performance mindset for handling pressure33:00 Acting based on your values and priorities

    34 min

  7. APR 8

    $100,000 Without an Audience | Ep45

    Most solopreneurs think growth comes from reaching more people. In my experience, that’s usually not the real problem. In this video, I break down the three-part Authentic Outreach Framework that helped me build a six-figure business without a big audience. I share the shift that changed everything for me, why relationships create more reliable opportunities than visibility alone, and how to move from conversation to trust to real business opportunities without sounding forced or transactional. I also walk through the three phases of the framework: This is for coaches, consultants, facilitators, and other service-based solopreneurs who want a more grounded way to create introductions, collaborations, referrals, and clients. If you’ve been posting consistently but still feel unsure where your next opportunity is coming from, this will help you think about growth differently. Timestamps: 00:00 Five-figure months with 300 followers 00:10 The framework behind relationship-first growth 00:20 The real challenge when you go solo 00:40 Why “build a bigger audience” is incomplete advice 01:20 Why better relationships matter more than more reach 02:10 Relationships are the engine, not the audience 02:30 The Authentic Outreach Framework 02:50 Phase 1: Intro 04:10 Phase 2: Interest 05:30 The missing layer: the right relationships 06:50 Phase 3: Invite 07:20 How to spot a real entry point 08:10 Real examples of authentic outreach 09:20 How conversations become opportunities 10:00 The core takeaway for solopreneurs 10:40 Next video and Niche Navigator worksheet

    11 min

  8. MAR 25

    We Stopped Doing What Worked. Here’s What It Cost Us And What We Relearnt | Ep44

    Shiny object syndrome and constant experimentation can quietly drain your business. In this behind the scenes episode of the Change Champions podcast, Riley and Ped get honest about a mistake they’ve recently made: pulling time away from the very business development system that built their six-figure businesses… in order to experiment with new marketing strategies. They break down: The three core ways to get clients (and where most coaches go wrong)The difference between investing and sabotaging your own momentumThe hidden opportunity cost of switching strategies too earlyWhy “more, better, new” is a useful order for growthWhat they’ve done to course correctThis isn’t a “don’t try new things” conversation. It’s a grounded look at when to double down, when to experiment, and how to avoid eating into your own runway while chasing scale. If you’re a coach, consultant, or facilitator trying to grow without burning cash, energy, or focus — this one’s for you. Timestamps: 00:00 The danger of shiny object syndrome 00:02 The 3 core ways to get clients 00:06 Why we started experimenting 00:08 The real cost of change (opportunity cost) 00:12 Investment vs self-sabotage 00:14 More. Better. New. 00:17 Where we dropped the ball 00:19 The emotional cost of task switching 00:20 How we course corrected 00:24 The unsexy truth about business growth

    27 min
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About

Navigating change, overcoming hardship, or trying to become the best version of yourself? Learn how top coaches and consultants across industries help people or organizations make significant positive change.

Information

  • Creator
    Riley McGhee and Pedram Parasmand
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Riley McGhee and Pedram Parasmand
  • Show Website
    Change Champions