TCI Friday's

The Coaching Initiative™

Our mission is simple... Empower personal trainers to become highly competent at what they do, and align the industry with the right core values - service, reputation and results! Despite what others would have you believe, your success isn't predicated on £10k months and flashy cars. Your success in this industry is built upon coaching competence - using the knowledge and skills you have to change lives for the better. We've both built our business from the ground up, with service, reputation and results at the forefront of everything, and we hope to impart some of that to you.

  1. 2d ago

    Ep.25 - Why Coaching Feels Harder Now, Than 10 Years Ago

    Coaching feels harder than it used to. But is it actually harder, or does it just feel that way? This week we put the picture together. We cover:🎯 Why clients (and coaches) aren't facing new pressures - just the same old pressures 'turned up'.🎯 The "global competition" you face🎯 Why "this feels hard" isn't a fact - it's a feeling🎯 Why lack of results (not lack of effort) is what makes your business growth feel impossible🎯 Why we stay invested in coaching education 10+ years in Plus - our new random personal question segment returns, this week covering guilty pleasures. If coaching has been feeling like a slog lately, this episode will help you work out why - and what's actually within your control. Coaching business shoutout: Chris Knott (@chris_knott_apx) - osteopath, ex-PT, ex-strongman, and founder of APX Education. A genuinely curious and humble human being! Got a question for us to answer next week? Send it in. 📸 Instagram: @thecoachinginitiative📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  2. Aug 7

    Ep.24 - When Results-Based Coaching Doesn't Work

    Off the back of Jack's two photoshoots this week, we broke down what actually happens when a client (or a coach) fixates on the outcome instead of the process. We cover:🎯 The crash after a goal is hit, the flat "what now" feeling, the dip in motivation nobody warns you about🎯 Why a shoot (or the marathon, or the goal) is a vehicle, not the destination🎯 Why we both had to actively remind ourselves to take pride in what we'd done, not just look for the next bit of graft🎯 Why standards need to be integrated into everything you do🎯 "If coaching didn't exist, what job would you be doing?" If you're coaching anyone through a goal with a clear end point - a shoot, a race, a competition - this episode's for you. Coaching business shoutout: Mak Freeman, a Bristol-based photographer who shot Jack's second shoot this week. He's super passionate, invested and brings something different to every shoot! Got a question for our new listener segment? Drop us a message or email in. 📸 Instagram: @thecoachinginitiative📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  3. Jul 31

    Ep.23 - The Financial Lessons Nobody Taught Us as Coaches

    Nobody talks about money in this industry. Not properly. So this week we did. Massive caveat up front: neither of us is qualified to give financial advice, and this episode isn't that. It's just what we've personally learned running our businesses and managing our own finances over a decade in the industry - the good, the mistakes, and the lessons that actually stuck. We cover:🎯 Why it's the business's money, not yours - and how separating the two changes how you pay yourself🎯 Why living beyond your means is a massive problem🎯 How to review finances in a way that avoids emotional volatility🎯 The uncomfortable maths on business mentorships vs. coaching education - and why most coaches actually want financial certainty, not "growth" If you've never had anyone teach you this stuff either, this one's worth a listen. Coaching business shoutout: Coach Accounts - our (Scottish) accountants, who've given us more clarity and support in two months than we had in years with previous accountants. Got questions off the back of this one? Send them our way. 📸 Instagram: @thecoachinginitiative📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  4. Jul 24

    Ep.22 - Changing the culture in a stagnant coaching relationship

    Some of our longest serving clients are also our most frustrating ones. Not because they're bad clients - because the coaching relationship got stuck in a version of us from years ago. This week we get into what happens when a client relationship goes stagnant - two, three, four years in, and the dynamic that used to work just isn't landing anymore. We cover: 🎯 Why resisting change isn't just a client thing - coaches build their own "status quo" too 🎯 How to actually address it: naming the elephant in the room without making the client feel blamed for a dynamic you both built 🎯 Why a quick, easy answer to "what do you actually want?" is rarely the true answer 🎯 Why being transparent about it (not just quietly pulling back) is what keeps trust intact 🎯 Why "being more available" doesn't equal caring more, and what it actually costs you 🎯 What to do when it's not just one client but 50-70% of your roster starting to coast If you've got a client (or several) you've been coaching for years and something's just not moving anymore, this episode's for you. Coaching business shoutout: Fitness Plus, Preston - run by Will Smith. A brilliant, forward-thinking coaching team we spent an intensive day with, working on culture, exercise mechanics, and client case studies. Our next TCI cohort starts 28th September - spaces are capped at 20 and deposits are open if you want in before the year's out. 📸 Instagram: @jackhaighcoaching / @anthonybarnescoaching / @thecoachinginitiative📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  5. Jul 17

    Ep.21 - Starting New Clients: An Insight into Our On Boarding Process

    Nobody teaches you how to start with a new client. You come out of your Level 3 knowing a little anatomy or how to spot a bench press, but when someone walks through the door you're winging it. This week we break down our actual onboarding process - the one we use now, not the one we started with. We cover:🎯 Why the consultation conversation matters more than you think🎯 Why rushing a client's first programme to impress them backfires🎯 How to challenge a new client early without it feeling confrontational🎯 The huge red flag we watch for in our own coaching🎯 How we actually run assessments online🎯 Why chasing a client's "deep why" could be problematic Whether you're brand new to coaching or you've been doing this for years, there's a good chance something in this one makes you rethink how you kick things off with a new client. Coaching business shoutout: GymWithHym - London-based coach, world record powerlifter, and all-round great guy. Got a topic you want us to cover, or think we've missed something in this one? Drop us a message or comment below. 📸 Instagram: @thecoachinginitiative📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  6. Jul 10

    Ep.20 - Jack's Coaching Journey, Investments & Ethos

    Anthony's away this week, so it's just me - first ever solo episode. I wanted to take you through my actual coaching journey, (not just the highlight reel). From getting qualified in 2016 through 520 unpaid hours at a local gym, to landing the role at M10 that changed everything, right through to being made redundant and having to decide whether that was the end or the start of something else. In this one I get into:🎯 How I actually got into coaching🎯 What working at M10 taught me about coaching🎯 The three business mentorships I've personally invested in (what worked, what didn't, and how to know when to walk away)🎯 Why I don't buy into the "the industry is against you" narrative, and what I think is more useful than convincing coaches to distrust everyone around them🎯 The real reason our students get great retention and results without us ever teaching business If you've ever doubted yourself out of an opportunity, felt like the only one on your gym floor who actually cares about getting better, or wondered whether your investments are still paying off - this one's for you! Follow us on Spotify so you don't miss the next one, and let us know if you want more solo episodes - Anthony's already on the list. 📸 Instagram: @jackhaighcoaching / @thecoachinginitiative📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  7. Jul 3

    Ep.19 - Building an Online Coaching Business

    Requested by one of our own students, this week we discuss what it actually takes to build an online coaching business! We cover: 🎯 The gap between what people think online coaching is (a screen and some goblet squats) and what it actually involves — systems, marketing, and communication skills most coaches underestimate. 🎯 Why "freedom" in online coaching is really freedom of choice, not freedom from work. 🎯 The real similarities and differences between in-person PT and online coaching — and who each one actually suits. 🎯 Why diversifying your income (in-person + online) is the safety net most coaches skip. 🎯 How to build in-person touch points even if you run a fully online business. 🎯 Why your career decisions are almost never final — and how to stop treating your business model as a life sentence. If you're a personal trainer weighing up going online, or an online coach wondering if you've made the right call, this one's for you. Coaching business shoutout: Coach Liv Anderson (TCI Level 1 & 2 grad) — based in Swindon. Got a topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message @thecoachinginitiative on Instagram... 🎧 New episodes every Friday 📩 info@thecoachinginitiative.net

  8. Jun 19

    Ep.18 - Uncoachable Clients

    Have you ever had an uncoachable client? A client that just won't resonate with the coaching at all, won't take your advice, clearly isn't ready to change...? It's tough to know how to coach a client like this! That's why we've broken it down in today's episode. Many coaches get it wrong - decide to back off, or throw blame at the client, when the reality is so different. Listen to today's episode to find out how to move this clients from frustrating, to empowered. If you enjoyed this episode - share it with others! It really helps us out. Equally, you can see more from us at: https://www.instagram.com/thecoachinginitiative/

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About

Our mission is simple... Empower personal trainers to become highly competent at what they do, and align the industry with the right core values - service, reputation and results! Despite what others would have you believe, your success isn't predicated on £10k months and flashy cars. Your success in this industry is built upon coaching competence - using the knowledge and skills you have to change lives for the better. We've both built our business from the ground up, with service, reputation and results at the forefront of everything, and we hope to impart some of that to you.

Information

  • Creator
    The Coaching Initiative™
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Coaching Initiative™
  • Show Website
    TCI Friday's