Better Bolder Braver

Seth Werkheiser is a writer, musician, a "wizardly guide to platform independence" and the founder of the Social Media Escape Club. I met Seth for the very first time whilst creating this episode! We talk about escaping social media without a rigid detox plan, why a newsletter beats a feed, the "work-work balance" almost nobody admits to, and why community - not content - might be the actual antidote to burnout.We also cover:Seth's path from third-generation musician to music blogger (2001) to AOL Music editor to email marketer for record labels and a music publicist - and how that same "help creative people get seen" mission has never really changedThe birth of Social Media Escape Club - starting life in 2021 as Heavy Metal Email, aimed at getting heavy metal bands back on email lists, before Seth realised the message applied to artists, photographers and designers of every kindWhy Seth isn't anti-internet or even anti-social-media, but anti the time, attention and life energy we hand over to platforms that "don't give a crap about us"Vanity metrics and the seven-thousand-versus-seventy-thousand conversation - why Seth would rather have two people reply to a newsletter than twenty people like a postThe difference between Substack and social media, and why Seth doesn't rely on "likes" as a sign anyone's listening (they're probably reading it on the loo, and that's fine)Meeting people at the right level of the Journey of Consciousness - why "escape" and "break up" are strong, problem-aware words for people who don't yet know there's another way, even though Seth's actual approach once you arrive is gentle, non-prescriptive and led by the groupThe "Work/Work balance" - Seth still works in email marketing for record labels and does admin for a music publicist alongside running Social Media Escape Club, and why having more than one income stream is normal, not a failure, for almost everyone doing meaningful workCommunity as the antidote to isolation - why so much of Seth's best work (a music blog, a metal trivia newsletter, weekly Zoom calls) has never been a solo endeavourBoundaries, energy and privilege - both Seth and Frances talk candidly about the time, money and confidence it takes to build a sustainable creative business, and why "how's business going?" rarely has one simple answerThe story of Seth's bike trip out of Brooklyn - working remotely for AOL Music from the road for eight months, and what it taught him about diving in rather than waiting for the perfect frameworkKeeping in touch with people you love without relying on platforms you don't own - a practical nudge to keep a simple backup list of phone numbers and email addresses, just in caseAbout Social Media Escape Club Social Media Escape Club is a membership community where creative and artistic people gather for weekly (sometimes three or four times a week) themed Zoom calls and virtual co-working sessions. There's no guru, no fixed programme and no detox plan - just a space for people to talk honestly about what's working, what isn't, and how to be seen without burning out.Connect with Seth via his website: socialmediaescape.club. He deliberately keeps no social media profiles - the website is the one place to find him.Mentioned in this episodeSocial Media Escape Club (formerly Heavy Metal Email)SubstackSeth's Blog by Seth GodinThe BBB Reflection & Confidence weekly spaceMembership of the Better Bolder Braver community includes the Coach's Marketing Journey course - the only dual-accredited course (AC, up to 32 CPD hours; ICF, 10 CCE hours) dedicated to ethical marketing for life and executive coaches - plus bi-weekly check-in sessions, the weekly Reflection & Confidence space, 50+ Tools & Techniques recordings, the Book Club and a warm crowd of fellow people-helpers. Find everything at betterbolderbraver.com

In this episode, I get to profile one fabulous member of the Better Bolder Braver community, Simon Hill. Simon is a coach, facilitator and consultant who works with people-helpers of a particular kind - leaders in charities and social purpose organisations - and he's been part of our community for two years now, most recently taking the reins as chair of our book club.We talk about what actually happens in a community like ours - how the thinking and feelings associated with marketing are slowly absorbed (after the eleventh time, or in Simon's case, the fifteenth), and how marketing starts to feel more human and less daunting.We cover the five P's of Positioning, the power of kindness at work, why good contracting is quietly brilliant marketing, and Simon's beloved concept of entering every conversation without Memory, Understanding or Desire - or as he calls it, “MUD”.There's humour, there's parenting, there's talk of doodling, and there's a couple of very good book recommendations.What we talk aboutSimon's journey from Head of Partnerships at Skills Builder to coaching, facilitating and consultancy - and the burnout, family caring and life changes that shaped itWhy coaching is a partnership, and why the word "together" matters so much to SimonThe diversity of the BBB community, and why high support plus high challenge beats being cuddledThe five P's - Persona, Personality, Product, Price and Purpose - and why Simon is a "persona plus purpose" personLearning differently: dyslexia, visual thinking, and why BBB resources come in watch, read, listen and do formatsMUD - entering conversations without Memory, Understanding or Desire (with thanks to Clare Norman's Cultivating Coachability)Why good contracting - outcomes, roles, responsibilities and process - is quietly brilliant marketingSimon's very human "coffee networking" approachHumour, play, parenting, doodles and King Lear's foolAbout the Book ClubSimon is now chairing the BBB Book Club, where we read books that speak to both coaching and marketing. Next up: Kind: The quiet power of kindness at work by Graham Allcott - eight principles of kindness, starting with "it starts with you" and ending with "it doesn't end with you."Connect with SimonWebsite: thinkpositivechange.scjh.ukLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/simoncjhillIf you're a leader or manager in a charity or social purpose organisation and Simon sounds like your kind of person, LinkedIn is a great place to start.Mentioned in this episodeKind: The quiet power of kindness at work by Graham AllcottProductivity Ninja by Graham AllcottCultivating Coachability by Clare NormanThe BBB Reflection & Confidence weekly spaceThe BBB Book ClubExplore Better Bolder BraverMembership of the Better Bolder Braver community includes the Coach's Marketing Journey course - the only dual-accredited course (AC, up to 32 CPD hours; ICF, 10 CCE

What if your best marketing move wasn't saying more - but asking better questions?In this episode, I'm joined by Rob Lawrence: seasoned podcast producer, experienced coach, and - I'll be honest - one of my marketing heroes. Rob is also, rather wonderfully, the reason Better Bolder Braver exists at all. It was his generosity in inviting me onto the Association for Coaching podcast that kicked the whole thing off.Together we explore one of the most liberating ideas in good, ethical marketing: that coaches are already equipped with one of the most powerful marketing tools there is. They just might not have recognised it yet.What we talk aboutWhy asking questions often generates more engagement than sharing expertise - on LinkedIn, in podcasts, and in lifeHow "holding the space" in marketing creates the same trust and intimacy as a coaching relationshipThe connection between self-awareness in coaching and self-awareness in marketingWhy you don't need to say something new every week - and why saying the same five things, creatively, is actually the goalHow questions can move your ideal clients through the Journey of Consciousness - from "I didn't know I had a problem" to "I'm ready to work with you"The difference between posting publicly and taking conversations offline - and why Rob's quieter LinkedIn strategy works beautifullyRob's 10-year weekly mastermind with his Australian counterpart Steve Palfreyman - and why he calls it his single biggest business secretHow to translate your best coaching questions directly into your marketingMentioned in this episodeThe original Association for Coaching x BBB podcastMy weekly Reflection & Confidence space in the BBB communityThe Journey of Consciousness frameworkJoin Rob liveRob has hosted two workshops for BBB members - about "Podcasting for Coaches" and, most recently about "How to Use Brilliant Coaching Questions to do Good Ethical Marketing" - to accompany this podcast episode. To access the recording, become a BBB member.

In this episode, I spoke with Dawn Mullen, coach, psychology student and researcher, about the wellbeing of coaches. We explored some of the pressures coaches face, from the emotional demands of the work itself to the realities of marketing, visibility and running a business. It was a thoughtful conversation about boundaries, self-awareness, reflection, support, and what it takes to build a coaching practice that is both sustainable and humane.You can find out more about Dawn and her work via her Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-mullen/

In this episode, I talk to coach Sophie Swinn about what can change when you get clearer on who your work is really for, and start building your business accordingly.Sophie shares how her business has evolved over the past year, from questioning whether she could really make coaching work, to developing a more focused offer for CEOs in scaling organisations, attracting higher-value clients, and growing in confidence as a business owner.Together, we explore what clearer positioning actually looks like in practice. We talk about niching without feeling boxed in, using real client language instead of coaching jargon, experimenting with webinars and LinkedIn outreach, and finding a way to use automation without losing the human touch.We also discuss pricing, longer-term retainers, and the internal shift required to stop charging mainly for time and start thinking more seriously about results, value, and fit.This is an honest conversation about visibility, courage, sustainability, and what it can look like to grow a coaching business in a way that is more intentional, more commercially viable, and more aligned with the work you most want to do.In this episode, Sophie and I talk about:how she became clearer about working with CEOswhy niching can make your marketing easier, not harderthe difference between coaching language and client languagewhat she has learned from webinars, newsletters, and LinkedIn outreachhow she thinks about AI, automation, and keeping marketing humanwhy she moved away from six-session packages towards longer-term retainerswhat changed when she began thinking more seriously about pricing and valuehow improv has helped her with visibility, confidence, and getting things wrongthe role of humility, experimentation, and consistency in growing a businessAbout SophieSophie Swinn is a coach who works with CEOs and senior leaders, helping them think more clearly, lead more effectively, and navigate the complexity of growth. In this conversation, she reflects candidly on the mindset shifts, marketing decisions, and business development experiments that have shaped her journey so far.LinksFind Sophie Swinn: www.swinnleadershipcoaching.co.ukFind out more about Better Bolder Braver: www.betterbolderbraver.comIf this episode speaks to where you are in your own marketing journey, please follow the show and share it with a coach who might appreciate it too.