Podcast Notes

Episode 484 10,000 Hours of Coaching, 10,000 Hours of Learning w/ Laura-Catherine Etheridge
Host: Brian Miller, PCC
Guest: Laura-Catherine Etheridge, MCC
Date: September 25th, 2025

In this episode, Brian speaks with Laura-Catherine Etheridge, MCC, a founding partner at Stratus Two and a seasoned coach with over 10,000 coaching hours. Laura shares her journey into coaching at a young age, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and what she wishes she could tell her younger self. The conversation highlights how presence, listening, and genuine care—not credentials—create the greatest impact in coaching.

Key Highlights:

• Laura reached over 10,000 coaching hours and reflects on her early start in the field at age 24.

• She discovered coaching through hiring a coach while running her high school business.

• She emphasizes the importance of presence, listening, and caring deeply for clients over technical skills or credentials.

• Coaching success comes from creating safe, distraction-free spaces where clients can process and explore.

• Credentials matter less to clients than the sense that their coach cares and can genuinely help them.

Takeaways:

• Coaching is most impactful when you focus on who you are as a person, not just what you know.

• Presence and deep listening create safety and trust, allowing clients to open up and move forward.

• Credentials and external markers have far less influence on clients than authentic care and practical support.

• Coaches should spend time working through their own distractions so they can be fully available for clients.