Better Bolder Braver

What if better coaching, and better marketing, came from doing less?In this episode, I’m joined by the fabulous Claire Pedrick of 3D Coaching. Claire has been coaching for almost 40 years and is on a mission to help coaches simplify their work so they can have more transformational conversations.We talk about the overlap between good coaching and good marketing, including:why simplicity is so powerfulbeing the guide, not the herostorytelling without oversharingmy Five Ps of Positioning for coaches who dislike conventional niching advicethe myths of being “fully booked” and passive incomewhy another income stream can actually make you a better coachwhen to start thinking about marketing as a coachI do hope that - as a coach who wants to build a business with more clarity, confidence and integrity, without becoming louder, pushier or more performative - you will find it helpful and comforting.A generous offer for listenersClaire is offering Better Bolder Braver listeners three months’ free access to the 3D Coaching community.Redeem your free three months here:https://www.patreon.com/clairepedrick/redeem/7A87DOffer expires 31 December 2026.Find Clairehttps://www.3dcoaching.com/Find Better Bolder Braverhttps://betterbolderbraver.comhttps://coaches.betterbolderbraver.com

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/