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. FEB 3

    Behind the scenes: scholarships, partnerships, and building slowly on purpose

    In this behind-the-scenes episode of Change Champions, we share what we’ve been working on inside the business over the past few months. And what it’s really taken to do it well. We talk openly about three things we’ve just gone through for the first time together: running a fully funded scholarship and live event, launching our first long-term partnership pilot, and carefully expanding the team using people from within our own ecosystem. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a practical look at the time, focus, emotional weight, and trade-offs that come with building something sustainable. Especially if you care about values, relationships, and doing work you actually enjoy. If you’re a coach, consultant, or facilitator trying to grow without turning your business into something you don’t recognise, this episode will resonate. For stories, tips, and resources we don’t share anywhere else, subscribe to the newsletter:leverageaccelerator.co To explore relationship-first business development and see the roadmap we referenced in the episode, join the community here:networkandsell.com Timestamps: 00:00 Why we’re sharing the behind-the-scenes, not just outcomes01:25 The fully funded scholarship and why it mattered personally03:55 Paying it forward and the emotional weight of offering support04:30 Designing the live giveaway event to serve everyone, not just the winner05:35 What it actually takes to plan, promote, and run a live event06:10 Attendance, prep work, and what surprised us07:40 The real time cost behind “one simple idea”09:00 Focus, momentum, and why unfinished projects quietly fail11:10 Shifting from solo growth to partnership thinking12:20 How our first long-term partnership came together14:05 Mission, values, and why alignment matters more than speed16:00 Abundance vs scarcity in entrepreneurship17:30 Building an ecosystem where everyone benefits19:40 Turning lived experience into teachable systems20:30 Expanding the team without building an empire23:00 Hiring from within the community and why it works25:10 Staying hands-on while still growing27:00 Sustainable growth vs performative success30:20 Freedom, autonomy, and choosing your own version of “enough”32:40 Final reflections and where to explore next

    33 min

  2. JAN 23

    The messy middle of building a business that actually fits you | Ep 37

    In this behind-the-scenes coffee hour, Riley and Ped unpack what’s really happening inside the business right now. They talk openly about experimenting with a new giveaway, living with mistakes and typos, and why clarity in business rarely comes from thinking harder. It comes from doing, noticing, and adjusting. This episode is for coaches, consultants, and facilitators who feel stuck trying to “figure it out” before taking action — and who want a more honest, human path to building momentum. You’ll hear why imperfection isn’t a liability, how real clarity emerges through experimentation, and what they’re learning as they test new ideas inside the Leverage Accelerator ecosystem. Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: [leverageaccelerator.co](http://leverageaccelerator.co/) Community to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: [networkandsell.com](http://networkandsell.com/) Timestamps: 00:00 – A very human mistake and why it matters less than you think 02:00 – Building a giveaway as an experiment, not a tactic 04:20 – Typos, credibility, and showing you didn’t outsource your voice 09:30 – Wabi-sabi, broken mugs, and the beauty of imperfection 12:10 – Why experiments are the real path to business clarity 17:10 – Designing incentives that reward relationships, not hype 20:10 – Clean shoes, messy paths, and how progress actually happens 24:20 – Why clarity only comes after you talk to real people 26:20 – Action, redesign, repeat: how we actually find our way

    30 min

  3. JAN 14

    Beyond Buttons and Logos: Strategic Design for High-Growth Founders with Carolina Poll | Ep 36

    In this episode of Change Champions, we spotlight Carolina Poll, a Strategic Digital Product Designer who partners with early-stage SaaS founders to turn complex product ideas into intuitive, user-centered experiences. With over 17 years of experience across branding, UX, and product leadership—including leading teams of 25+ designers—Carolina shares how design goes far beyond visuals. She unpacks how startups can avoid costly missteps by aligning their product strategy with real user needs. Whether you're a coach supporting founders or a consultant building your own productized offer, this conversation is packed with insights on how design thinking drives traction, clarity, and growth.

    27 min

  4. 11/26/2025

    Your Niche Is Not a Limitation It’s Leverage | Ep 31

    When you first went solo, you probably thought it would mean more freedom. But somewhere along the way, “being your own boss” started to feel more like working harder for less — lurching from one big project to the next, stuck in that feast-and-famine cycle, and trying to be everything to everyone just to keep the pipeline alive. In this episode of Change Champions, Ped and Riley unpack what they call the freedom paradox: the belief that keeping your options open is what keeps you free, when in reality it’s often what keeps you stuck. Drawing on decades of experience building coaching and consulting businesses, they break down why resisting a niche dulls your “axe” and how choosing a lane can actually become the fastest route to creative and financial freedom. In this episode you will learn: Why “I don’t want to box myself in” leads to burnout and the feast-and-famine cycle How the fear of missing out on opportunities keeps you stuck as a generalist The simple psychology behind why people need a clear label for you to refer you A real example of a generalist who narrowed her niche and unlocked a referral flywheel How treating your own business as your best client creates true creative and financial freedom If this conversation hits home and you’re tired of swinging a dull axe in every direction, make sure you’re on the newsletter. That’s where Ped and Riley go deeper into stories, systems, and tools to help coaches and consultants build focused, relationship-driven businesses with more leverage and less hustle. Learn more and join the newsletter: leverageaccelerator.co Timestamps: 0:00 – The Freedom Paradox 0:28 – Keeping Options Open 1:05 – Early Solopreneur Struggles 2:16 – Serving Everyone 3:41 – Fear of Niching Down 5:14 – Sharpen Your Focus 6:35 – Faulty Beliefs 8:04 – Why Labels Matter 9:55 – Feast-and-Famine 11:45 – Signs You Haven’t Chosen a Lane 12:59 – Past Success vs. Strategy 14:33 – Niche Example 16:18 – When Clarity Opens Doors 17:46 – Letting Others Define You 19:19 – Creativity After Niching 21:00 – Compounding Focus 22:08 – Building Leverage 24:40 – Less Effort, Better Results 26:06 – Final Takeaway #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #CoachingLife

    28 min

  5. 11/12/2025

    Why No One Gets What You Do | Ep 30

    In this episode, Ped and Riley tackle the real reason so many great coaches and consultants struggle with marketing: it’s not a strategy problem, it’s a language problem. Through personal stories and client experiences, they unpack how to move from “invisible” to “understood” by seeing your business through your clients’ eyes. From mirror moments to “flashlight vs. headlight” marketing, they show why clarity and conversation always beat volume and vanity.

    24 min

  6. 10/29/2025

    The 5 Questions That Turn Conversations Into Clients | Ep 29

    In this episode, Ped and Riley tackle one of the biggest time-wasters for coaches and consultants — friendly conversations that never convert. They share the five simple yet powerful questions that transform casual chats into meaningful, client-building conversations. Through real examples and insights from their own experience, they show how to shift from “relationship building” to structured, intentional dialogue that deepens trust and drives business growth.

    23 min

  7. 10/15/2025

    Learn to Sell and Never Be Stuck Again | Ep 28

    In this episode of Change Champions, Riley and Pedram take on one of the most misunderstood skills in business: sales. They dismantle the myths that keep coaches, consultants, and service professionals stuck—like the idea that sales is only for pushy extroverts or manipulative personalities. Instead, they reveal how sales, when reframed as service, becomes the key to confidence, control, and career freedom. With stories from their own journeys and practical shifts anyone can make, Ped and Riley show that learning to sell is less about slick pitches and more about creating real options in your work and life.

    28 min

  8. 10/08/2025

    Learn to Sell and Never Be Stuck Again | Ep 28

    In this episode of Change Champions, Riley and Pedram take on one of the most misunderstood skills in business: sales. They dismantle the myths that keep coaches, consultants, and service professionals stuck—like the idea that sales is only for pushy extroverts or manipulative personalities. Instead, they reveal how sales, when reframed as service, becomes the key to confidence, control, and career freedom. With stories from their own journeys and practical shifts anyone can make, Ped and Riley show that learning to sell is less about slick pitches and more about creating real options in your work and life.

    28 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
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Riley McGhee and Pedram Parasmand
  • Show Website
    Change Champions