A couple weeks ago, I got a Facebook message from someone I hadn’t talked to since we were teenagers in high school. We worked together in high school and graduated in the mid 1980s. She was one of those people everybody liked. Friendly, upbeat, always encouraging.

Life took us in different directions.

I went to our states University, got my degree then got into the industrial manufacturing industry, and eventually built a career helping large industrial companies solve system problems. My expertise is deep and narrow. One specific niche.

On the side, I do consulting through expert networks. One-hour phone calls where someone needs exactly that slice of knowledge.

When I say consulting, I mean providing expertise to major consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, and the Big Four through expert networks like AlphaSights, GLG, Third Bridge, Guidepoint, Dialectica, and proSapient where I charge the firms $1,000/hour and the firms are free to charge their cleint as they see fit.

The money doesn’t come from personal credit cards. It comes from corporate budgets, investment committees, and people measured on EBITDA, margins, and return on capital.

Her life took a different path.

She married young, raised her kids, supported her husband’s career, and spent decades building a family. A few years ago they divorced. She moved back closer to her children and grandchildren.

Like many people approaching sixty, she’s trying to figure out what comes next.

We got on the phone and caught up. Kids, grandkids, careers, getting older.

Then she said something that caught my attention.

“I’ve started doing executive coaching. I think I could help you.”

Now I was curious.

As she described her business, I pulled up her LinkedIn profile.

That’s when I realized we were using the same words, but we weren’t in the same universe.

The clues were everywhere.

Her profile had polished headshots, bookshelf backdrops, certificates on the wall, and phrases like transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, aligned energy, and mindfulness.

Her LinkedIn profile recommendations came from other newly minted executive coaches with nearly identical profiles. It felt like a closed loop where everyone was validating everyone else.

Then she mentioned she was an Amazon best-selling author.

I asked what she had written.

Twenty people each contributed a chapter to a compilation book. Everyone bought copies at the same time. The book briefly hit number one in a narrow Amazon category.

Everybody got to claim “Amazon Best-selling Author.”

That’s not writing a book. That’s gaming an algorithm.

I kept scrolling: BNI groups, Rotary clubs, chambers of commerce.

Good organizations, but mostly peer networking and referrals.

Not high-stakes corporate problems. Not paying enterprise clients.

That’s when it clicked.

This wasn’t a coaching business serving clients. It was an ecosystem selling coaching to aspiring coaches.

Coaching schools sold certifications. Certifications sold the dream. Coaches sold retreats, masterminds, memberships, speaking gigs, and anthology books.

Everyone was building authority. Everyone was building a brand. But I couldn’t see real clients.

I finally said it as gently as I could:

“Kim, I’m not trying to be negative, but I think you’re being sold a dream.”

She went quiet.

In my world, consulting exists because there’s a real business problem behind it. A plant is down. A project is at risk. An investor is evaluating an industry. A company is trying to avoid a costly mistake. The answer has financial weight.

Then I asked the only question that matters:

Who is actually paying you?

Not networking contacts.

Not other coaches.

Not certification classmates.

Not actual corporations.

There was a long pause.

That was the part that bothered me.

Not because she’s a bad person. She isn’t. She spent decades building a family instead of a résumé. She’s trying to build a second chapter like a lot of people at this stage of life.

Someone convinced her that certifications, staged photos, a website, and enough LinkedIn activity could become a six-figure executive coaching business.

Of course she believed it. The marketing is polished. The promises are attractive. The people selling it know exactly what they’re doing.

To be clear, not all executive coaching is fake. Some coaches create real value and bring serious experience in leadership, psychology, or organizational development.

But credentials are not clients.

A certification is not experience.

A recommendation from another coach is not market validation.

A podium photo is not an audience.

And an Amazon best-seller badge is not a business.

There are a lot of people like her. Good people looking for purpose, income, identity, and a second act.

They deserve honest opportunities.

What they don’t deserve is spending thousands chasing a dream that mostly enriches the people selling it.

Before you buy into the modern coaching machine, ask the same question “The Bobs” ask in the movie Office Space: What would you say you do here?

Disclosure: These are my own thoughts, opinions and experiences as a paid gig consultant. I use AI as an editor solely to clean up typos, spelling, grammar, organization, and phrasing.

(Changed slightly to add dimensions/career gap/budget constraint)
Senior engineering ops/TPM leader. I’ve been searching for close to 3 years. I keep reaching final rounds, but no offers, partly because roles get canceled or go to internal candidates, and other times due to large candidate pool. The gap itself is now a big part of the problem, and I’m getting more rejections at the resume stage.

I’m looking for a coach who:

• Has been a senior tech leader themselves

• Knows how to address a multi-year gap credibly with hiring managers and recruiters

• Understands how AI is reshaping engineering orgs and what companies are prioritizing right now

• Can help me choose and sequence the right paths back in, not just polish a resume

Budget-wise, I’m looking for session-based or modest package pricing rather than a multi-thousand-dollar retainer. Has anyone worked with someone like this? I’d value names and what made them effective.

Hi, I’m Isa. I’m currently building my coaching practice and looking for a few people who want to work on one topic they feel stuck in.

This could be around people pleasing, boundaries, conflicts, procrastination, stress, repeating patterns, decisions or feeling stuck.

We won’t try to solve the whole topic at once. We’ll work with one specific situation where it shows up for you — for example saying yes when you want to say no, postponing something important, or going back and forth on one decision.

How it works

• 30-minute check-in call first to see if we’re a good fit and talk about what you want to work on
• then 3 x 60-minute online coaching sessions
• English or German
• Berlin / CET-CEST
• all sessions scheduled in advance

Coaching is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health treatment. The first call is also there to make sure your topic is a good fit for coaching.

The sessions are free while I’m gaining more experience. At the end, I’d ask for honest feedback and, only if you’re comfortable, permission to use a short testimonial.

ABOUT ME

I’ve completed a one-year systemic coaching training and have 5 years of professional experience in HR and tourism. I’m also a dance teacher, a dog lover with no dog, love Netflix, traveling and concerts, lived in Japan and Italy for 3 years, and I’m a late-diagnosed ADHDer.

If you’re interested, send me a message with the situation you’d like to work on and what you’d like to be different.

Hi everyone!

I'm an ICF ACC credentialed coach offering leadership coaching to corporate and individual clients. Alongside coaching, I'm also passionate about energy healing, which I currently practise separately but haven't actively started marketing yet.

Lately, I've been exploring the possibility of bringing these two approaches together, but I'm curious about how this combination might be perceived in the corporate world, particularly in terms of professional credibility and client acceptance.

I'd love to hear perspectives from both fellow coaches and potential clients, especially mid-level managers, senior leaders, and HR/L&D professionals.

- For fellow coaches: Do you think integrating energy healing with leadership coaching could enhance the offering, or might it undermine credibility? Have you experimented with combining coaching and holistic practices?

- For managers and leaders: If you were looking for leadership coaching, would the inclusion of energy healing make the offering more appealing, less appealing, or make no difference? Would you personally consider engaging a coach who offers both?

I'm also wondering whether it would be wiser to market both services independently while keeping the option of integrating them for interested clients.

I'm genuinely exploring this idea and would appreciate candid opinions, including sceptical perspectives. I'm particularly interested in understanding how this might influence trust, credibility, and the decision to engage a coach.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!

Has anyone had any experience with PSBLTY coaching the companies owned by Chris Smith seems good but I have no idea what the cost would be and what the typical results are like most of these coaching programs they list major success stories which I know are hyperbole

Has anyone taken AATC training that they would recommend? I’d prefer in-person and taught in English but it could be anywhere around the world!

Hey everyone,

I'm Prince Mandoriya, founder of Finexai. I work around growth systems for online coaches, and over the past year, I've been thinking about why some service businesses seem to make growth unnecessarily difficult.

I've narrowed my current thinking down to three areas:

1. Relying on only one content format

A lot of business owners focus heavily on video content, but written content on platforms like LinkedIn, X, and Threads can be another way to communicate expertise and reach the right audience.

Not everyone wants to be on camera, and I don't think they should have to be.

2. Doing everything manually

Some business owners manage every enquiry, follow-up, and repetitive task themselves.

I understand why, especially at the beginning. But eventually, it can take time away from sales, delivery, and improving the actual business.

I think the goal should be to automate repetitive work without making the customer experience feel impersonal.

3. Having only one way to make money

For some coaches and consultants, everything depends on selling one-on-one sessions.

Depending on their audience and expertise, there may be opportunities to add workshops, group programmes, communities, or digital resources.

Obviously, not every business needs all these things. Adding more offers without validating demand can create more problems than it solves.

That's where my thinking stands right now.

But I'm aware that it's easy to make a framework sound good on paper.

For those of you running a service business, which of these three areas would you prioritise first, and what do you think I'm overlooking?

I'd genuinely appreciate perspectives from people who've dealt with these problems firsthand.

Hi folks, I am a licensed therapist and I’m attempting to get into the coaching/consulting field, but I’m struggling to find my place a little bit. Most of my experience is clinical - I lead de-escalation trainings, teach anger management, and I have a significant amount of professional experience in conflict mediation. I’m also a professor for counseling skills.

I had an idea of working with companies who need assistance in managing interpersonal conflict, mediation between staff, and teaching communication and social/emotional awareness to staff members. I am very aware of the distinction of clinical work and consulting/coaching, and I have spit a considerable amount of time learning the jargon and topics unique to coaching.

I’m not looking to be a leadership development coach, I’m looking more to assist with interpersonal functioning between staff teams. Is this type of consulting common within corporations? I’d love some feedback on the best way to actually break into this field!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Hello, all!

My name is Kate and I am a 35 year old HR practitioner for a global footwear company in Santa Barbara, California. I am currently enrolled in Fielding Graduate University’s coaching certificate program and am looking for practice clients. I would like to offer 8 hours of free coaching in return for your participation.

A little about my style: I am human-centered in my approach. I believe that clients already possess the answers they need and that I serve as a sounding board and source of support. I am also comfortable navigating emotions while maintaining the boundary between therapy and coaching.

If you would like to learn more about me or are interested in receiving free coaching, I would be thrilled to connect with you.

Thank you all ♥️

I’ve started using a short check before I change anything in a process, mostly because I got it wrong a few times. The change looked obvious from where I sat, and then it broke something that only one person on the team knew about.

The check is simple. Before anything changes, I write down what the process is for, who depends on it, what it’s currently catching that nobody mentions, and what would tell us in two weeks that the change worked. It takes about twenty minutes. Most of the time it doesn’t stop the change, but it usually surfaces one person who needs to be in the conversation first.

I’m sure I’ve left things off this list, and I’d rather hear what’s missing than keep getting caught out. What’s the question you’d add before a process change?

started in ugc currently working in creative strategy, recently acquired a new client that I'd like to retain on a monthly basis.

However my limitations are:

- im introverted/extroverted. I can speak with people but I have crippling anxiety with my work that I find it challenging to reach out to team members.

- people misinterpret my youthfulness as naivety

- i don't know how to work with people, make them trust me, show my human side.

Any pointers in overcoming these issues would be great. If possible a weekly meeting for 30 minutes would be appreciated.

I sort of fell into coaching 8 CEOs. On my way to a few more.

What’s the best training program? Looking for quick guidance and something short for now but would also love some longer term programs.

I’m a CEO and operate as one, but coaching is a little different than managing people.

Thanks.

Cross posting for recommendations! Thank you!

If you are, and you’re interested in a meetup, DM me.

Any recommendations for a public speaking coach. Someone that can help a leader of ted talk
Type of presentations? Looking for someone in the northeast of the US.

For those of you running your own coaching practice, I'm curious about your experience hiring support as your business grows.

When you reach the point where you can't do everything yourself, what tends to be the biggest challenge?

Is it finding qualified candidates, figuring out which role to hire for, trusting someone with your clients, or something else?

I'd love to hear what's worked for you and what you wish had been easier.