The Coaching Lab: Evidence-Based High Performance & Wellbeing

Brad Cooper, PhD (Catalyst Coaching)

Stop chasing fads and start mastering the science of change. The Coaching Lab is the premier destination for health coaches, wellness professionals, executive coaches, and high performers who demand more than "fluff." Hosted by Dr. Brad Cooper, this podcast bridges the gap between complex performance psychology and real-world application. Whether you are a certified coach (ICF, NBHWC) looking to enhance client outcomes or a driven professional seeking a competitive edge, we provide the evidence-based tools you need to optimize human potential. We filter out the noise of headline-chasing trends to bring you deep-dive conversations with world-class researchers, elite athletes, and master clinicians. What you’ll master in the Lab: Behavior Change Science: Beyond willpower—how to facilitate lasting transformation using evidence-based coaching protocols.Performance Psychology: Insights into flow state, mental toughness, and the "self beyond the self."Integrated Wellness: Practical strategies for metabolic health, stress resilience, and longevity.The Executive Edge: Leadership development and peak performance tactics for the modern workplace.Professional Growth: Best practices for clinicians and coaches to scale their impact and stay at the forefront of the industry.If you’re looking for an entertaining yet rigorous format to help you—and those you lead—achieve the "Better Path," you’ve found it. Join a community dedicated to the evidence-based journey toward better. Hit Follow to stay at the cutting edge of health, wellness, and high performance.

  1. 5D AGO

    You're a Certified Health & Wellness Coach. Now What? (Career & Business tips)

    You passed the NBHWC exam — congratulations! Now what? In this episode of The Coaching Lab, Dr. Cooper and Leigh deliver the post-certification roadmap every new National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) needs. Whether you're aiming for a salaried role at a hospital, corporate wellness program, or insurance company, or you're ready to launch your own coaching practice, this episode walks you through every step. What you'll learn: How to leverage your NBHWC credential on LinkedIn, your resume, and professional bios to signal credibility to employersWhich professional associations are worth joining (National Wellness Alliance, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and more)The real pros and cons of employment vs. contractor work vs. entrepreneurship — plus hybrid models that let you do bothWhere health and wellness coaches are actually getting hired right now (hospitals, corporate wellness, health insurance, gyms, EAPs) and what salary to expectHow to start your own coaching practice: business structure (LLC vs. sole proprietor), setting your rates, landing your first clients, and the tech stack you need (scheduling, payments, video, notes)Marketing that works for health coaches: niching down, building an online presence without burnout, content creation, in-person networking, referral partnerships, and Google Business ProfileScope of practice, liability insurance, client agreements, intake forms, and HIPAA basics for clinical settingsRecertification planning (36 CEs every 3 years), advanced credentials, mentorship, and peer supportMindset essentials: navigating imposter syndrome, setting boundaries early, and building a sustainable practice instead of burning out in year oneWhether you're a brand-new health coach, a wellness professional adding NBHWC to your credentials, or an aspiring coach planning your next move, this episode is the practical, no-fluff guide to turning your certification into a thriving career.  Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 6m

  2. APR 27

    Margaret "Coach Meg" Moore: Pioneer of Health & Wellness Coaching

    We are thrilled to have one of the pioneers of health & wellness coaching, Wellcoaches founder Margaret Moore (you likely know her as Coach Meg) join us on this special episode of The Coaching Lab podcast! Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 22m

  3. APR 13

    The Science of Slowing Down: Mindfulness, MBSR, and the Coaching Edge with Serena Jain, NBC-HWC

    Most people think mindfulness means downloading an app or sitting quietly for ten minutes. Serena Jain is here to respectfully challenge that assumption — and to show coaches and high performers what's actually possible when mindfulness is practiced with intention and depth. In this episode of The Coaching Lab, host Dr. Brad Cooper sits down with mindfulness teacher and MBSR practitioner Serena Jain for a conversation that is equal parts science, application, and experience. Serena unpacks what Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction actually is, how it differs from general meditation practice, and why it's become one of the most evidence-backed tools available for addressing chronic stress, improving self-awareness, and creating lasting behavioral change. For health coaches, this one goes beyond theory. Serena walks through how mindfulness can deepen the coaching process, practical ways to incorporate it into sessions while staying within scope of practice, and what to say to clients who are convinced they're simply "bad at meditation." And in a rare moment for a podcast episode, she guides listeners through a live mindfulness practice — so you don't just hear about it, you experience it. Whether you're a seasoned coach looking to add a powerful tool to your practice, someone considering the coaching profession, or a high performer navigating a relentlessly demanding life, this conversation offers both the why and the how. Topics covered: mindfulness-based stress reduction, MBSR, mindfulness for coaches, health coaching tools, stress management, chronic stress, mindfulness vs meditation, mindfulness in coaching practice, coach self-awareness, mindfulness for high performers, mindfulness for beginners, Serena Jain, how to start mindfulness practice, mindfulness exercise, coaching techniques, wellness coaching, performance coaching, mindfulness research, scope of practice, The Coaching Lab podcast, Catalyst Coaching 360 Serena's Website: https://serenajain.com/Link to Serena's guided meditations: https://serenajain.com/mindfulness-programs/guided-audio-meditations/.  This guided audio can also be accessed on SoundCloud, which can be downloaded as an app onto a smartphone: https://soundcloud.com/user-869280929. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 5m

  4. MAR 30

    AI and Coaching: How to Use Artificial Intelligence Without Losing the Human Connection (Sara Parrode)

    AI is transforming coaching, leadership, and the way we work—but how do you use it without losing what makes coaching powerful in the first place? In this episode of The Coaching Lab, we sit down with Sara Parrode, AI Coach for Executives and Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, to explore how coaches and leaders can build a thoughtful, responsible relationship with artificial intelligence. Sara shares practical insights on how to integrate AI into your coaching practice and business, while staying grounded in human connection, ethics, and intentionality. We also explore how this moment mirrors endurance sport—requiring resilience, adaptability, and the ability to navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence. If you're a coach, executive, or leader wondering how to use AI effectively (without feeling overwhelmed or replaced), this conversation will give you a clear and grounded starting point. In this episode, we cover:  How AI is changing coaching and leadership right now  Practical ways to use AI in your coaching business  The risks of over-reliance—and how to avoid them  Building a responsible and ethical relationship with AI Whether you're AI-curious or already experimenting, this episode will help you move forward with intention—not just speed. You can connect with Sara via her website here or connect with her on LinkedIn here. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 15m
  5. Measuring & Enhancing Peak Performance - Dr. Izzy Justice

    MAR 16

    Measuring & Enhancing Peak Performance - Dr. Izzy Justice

    We’ve all heard that peak performance is ‘all in your head,’ but our guest today invested time mapping where that ‘headspace’ lives. Dr. Izzy Justice is a world-renowned sports neuroscientist who notes he has analyzed over 18,000 EEG brain scans to uncover a startling truth: there is a specific frequency—10 Hz—where elite performance becomes effortless. He is the author of Life Explained: Chasing 10 Hz, and he’s here to show us that confidence isn't a feeling, it's an electrical state. Today, we’re diving into the ‘Neurohacks’ that allow you to downshift your brain from stress to success in seconds.  Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 11m

  6. MAR 2

    The Business of Coaching: Systems, Stabilizers and Success

    This is the final episode of our special 3-part series on the business of health & wellness coaching.  Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 21m

  7. FEB 16

    Food, Fitness & Free Will? (Bonus Episode)

    Do you believe in free will? Really? Our answer to that questions influences SO much of our journey ahead.  Text version available here Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    7 min
  8. Brad Stulberg: The Way of Excellence

    JAN 29

    Brad Stulberg: The Way of Excellence

    In a world of constant noise, endless distraction, and performative busyness, what does it mean to pursue true excellence? Not hustle-for-hustle’s-sake kind—but the kind rooted in values, meaning, and sustainable high performance. Today’s guest is one of the clearest voices on that question: Brad Stulberg—bestselling author, performance coach, and researcher on sustainable excellence. Brad is a rare returning guest to The Coaching Lab for good reason. His work regularly appears in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic, and he serves on faculty at the University of Michigan. His new book, The Way of Excellence, reframes excellence not as a finish line—but as a process of mastery, meaning, and becoming. Drawing on modern science, timeless philosophy, and real-world stories of elite performers, Brad shows us how to integrate mastery and mattering—so we can perform at our best without burning out or losing what truly matters. In this conversation, we explore: ·       Why excellence is not about outcomes—but about process ·       How to build real confidence through consistency ·       The difference between “pseudo-excellence” and the real thing ·       How focus, discipline, and values alignment create sustained performance ·       And how to pursue greatness without sacrificing well-being, relationships, or meaning Whether you’re an athlete, coach, leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to live with greater intention, this episode delivers a clear, grounded roadmap for what it really means to be at your best—day after day. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/  Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

    1h 1m
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About

Stop chasing fads and start mastering the science of change. The Coaching Lab is the premier destination for health coaches, wellness professionals, executive coaches, and high performers who demand more than "fluff." Hosted by Dr. Brad Cooper, this podcast bridges the gap between complex performance psychology and real-world application. Whether you are a certified coach (ICF, NBHWC) looking to enhance client outcomes or a driven professional seeking a competitive edge, we provide the evidence-based tools you need to optimize human potential. We filter out the noise of headline-chasing trends to bring you deep-dive conversations with world-class researchers, elite athletes, and master clinicians. What you’ll master in the Lab: Behavior Change Science: Beyond willpower—how to facilitate lasting transformation using evidence-based coaching protocols.Performance Psychology: Insights into flow state, mental toughness, and the "self beyond the self."Integrated Wellness: Practical strategies for metabolic health, stress resilience, and longevity.The Executive Edge: Leadership development and peak performance tactics for the modern workplace.Professional Growth: Best practices for clinicians and coaches to scale their impact and stay at the forefront of the industry.If you’re looking for an entertaining yet rigorous format to help you—and those you lead—achieve the "Better Path," you’ve found it. Join a community dedicated to the evidence-based journey toward better. Hit Follow to stay at the cutting edge of health, wellness, and high performance.

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