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. 4d ago

    Why Simon Sinek is worng | Ep 54

    Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.coCommunity to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com In 2009, “Start With Why” gave coaches, consultants and leaders a simple way to talk about purpose. But the market has changed. In this episode, Riley and Ped unpack why values, purpose statements and polished positioning are no longer enough to help leadership coaches stand out. AI has made advice easier to access, buyers are more sceptical, and trust is harder to build online. The shift Riley and Ped explore is simple, but uncomfortable: people need to know who you are before they can fully trust what you do. They talk through market sophistication, why coaching is different from regulated professional services, why big “irresistible” offers can feel less believable now, and what coaches can do instead. You’ll hear three practical shifts: Have more real conversationsPromise less, so your offer feels believableShare more of yourself without oversharing For leadership coaches, facilitators, trainers and consultants who want a more human, credible way to be known and trusted. Timestamps: 00:00 Why “Start With Why” may not be enough anymore 00:20 Ped’s history with Simon Sinek’s golden circle 01:50 Why values and purpose statements started to blend together 02:20 AI, trust and the pressure on the coaching industry 03:10 The five stages of market sophistication 04:10 Why coaching is now in a trust recession 05:10 Why each market needs its own trust strategy 06:10 Why coaching is different from regulated professional services 07:10 The rock and hard place for leadership coaches 08:00 AI as an on-demand coach 09:10 Why your ideal customers need to know you 10:20 Integrity, leadership and being yourself 11:10 Three ways to build more trust 12:00 Why oversized offers can feel unbelievable 13:10 Practising what you preach in outreach and offers 14:00 Sharing more without oversharing 15:10 Micro-moments of connection 15:40 Start smaller, deliver well, retain better 16:10 Subscribe and next steps

    16 min

  2. May 24

    The Uncomfortable Truth About How Coaches Actually Get Clients | Ep53

    Most coaches don’t have a lead magnet problem. They have a conversation problem. In this video, I break down the uncomfortable reality of how coaches actually get clients, especially when you’re balancing subcontracting work, trying to build your own business, and wondering why content alone isn’t creating consistent opportunities. We unpack the three routes to client acquisition: OutreachContentAdsBut more importantly, we look at why so many coaches start in the wrong place. I share the mindset shift that completely changed how I think about outreach, why content felt safer than conversations, and the expensive lesson I learned after spending thousands on ads before validating my offer properly. You’ll also hear: Why many coaches unconsciously avoid outreachThe belief that makes outreach feel transactionalHow authentic outreach differs from “pitch slapping”Why conversations create better offers, better content, and better salesReal examples of launches that failed and succeeded based on whether outreach happened firstIf you’ve been posting consistently but still struggling to build a steady pipeline, this video will help you understand what actually moves things forward. Authentic Outreach Playbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13W-SEKdcSUOThYE78z5oh66Vm1MxaBtM/view?usp=sharing Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.co Timestamps: 00:00 The Uncomfortable Reality Of Getting Coaching Clients 01:00 The 3 Ways Coaches Get Clients 01:50 Why Most Coaches Avoid Outreach 02:00 Why Ads And Content Get Complicated Fast 03:20 The Real Reason Outreach Feels Icky 03:50 The Ladder Of Inference Explained 05:30 Why Coaches Avoid Outreach Entirely 06:40 Why This Is A Belief Problem 07:10 Why I Chose Content Over Outreach 08:20 What Happened When I Tried Ads 09:25 The Missing Foundation Behind Offers That Sell 10:20 Why Outreach Comes Before Content 11:25 The GPS Analogy That Changed Everything 12:10 What Authentic Outreach Actually Looks Like 13:25 What A Real Client Pipeline Feels Like 13:50 Why Outreach Works Before Funnels Do 14:20 Turning Conversations Into Offers And Content 15:20 The Webinar Launch That Failed 16:05 The Launch That Made $21K 16:55 Why Conversations Beat Polished Marketing 17:10 The Honest Starting Point For Coaches

    18 min

  3. May 20

    How We Escaped the “Too Many Priorities” Trap | Ep 52

    Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.co Community to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com If your days are full but your business isn’t moving, this conversation will likely hit close to home. In this behind-the-scenes episode of the Change Champions podcast, Riley and Ped unpack a real moment inside their own business where things started to feel stretched, scattered, and unsustainable. More tasks, more ideas, more “important” work… but less clarity, less energy, and less progress. They walk through the exact conversation that helped them reset. You’ll hear: Why doing more can quietly make your business worseHow “legacy tasks” keep you stuck without you realising itThe simple prioritisation filter that changed everythingWhat to do when everything feels important (but clearly isn’t)How to free up time without dropping what actually matters This isn’t theory. It’s a raw look at how two business partners navigated overwhelm in real time and came out with a clearer, more focused way of working. If you’ve been feeling busy but not effective, this episode will give you a practical way to rethink what’s actually on your plate. Timestamps: 00:00 Working hard but stuck 00:20 The moment the workload felt too much 01:40 Too many plates, not enough room 03:10 Why prioritisation matters 04:00 The frustration of “was this even important?” 05:00 The hidden cost of taking work away 06:20 Riley’s burnout warning sign 08:30 The real issue: legacy activities 09:40 Habits that quietly keep you overloaded 10:30 Making space means removing something 11:20 Obligation, little fires, and product roadmaps 12:50 How they started solving the problem 14:20 Brain dumping what’s actually on the plate 15:40 Sorting the work into clearer buckets 16:40 Rechecking the goal 17:50 Using strategy as the filter 18:20 Asking what drains the most energy 19:00 The Venn diagram for better prioritisation 20:20 Bringing work forward to take work off 21:10 Good enough is good enough 22:30 Focus, simplification, and perfectionism 23:10 Why crossing things off isn’t the full answer 24:00 Ship it, finish it, move on 25:00 The process you can use yourself 26:00 You’re spending time on the wrong things 26:10 Teasing the next behind-the-scenes episode 27:00 Thanks for hanging out

    27 min

  4. May 13

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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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
    55
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Riley McGhee and Pedram Parasmand
  • Show Website
    Change Champions

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