Episode Summary

On episode 318 of Business Coaching Secrets, hosts Karl Bryan and Rode Dog dive deep into the realities of building a thriving coaching business, from mindset and strategy to the nuts-and-bolts of profit growth. Karl discusses why listening to seasoned, successful entrepreneurs ("old and rich") is the ultimate shortcut, warns against the flashy social media gurus, and offers step-by-step frameworks for helping clients boost their profits—even with simple tweaks like raising prices or launching new services. This episode is packed with actionable ideas for coaches working with local businesses and offers critical advice for coaches struggling to transition from previous careers.

Key Topics Covered

Choosing Who to Listen To: "Old and Rich" vs. the New Gurus Karl argues most social media and "guru" advice is flashy but hollow, highlighting why the wisdom of long-term, successful entrepreneurs like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger is far more valuable. He points out the pitfalls of following voices that are motivational but unproven, and underscores the importance of critical thinking in selecting mentors and sources.

Mindset, Psychology, and Temperament for Struggling Coaches Rode Dog and Karl address coaches transitioning from successful careers who find themselves struggling—they explore mental gymnastics, the power of building a bigger/brighter future, managing psychology, and the necessity of consistent forward progress over time.

Business Model Fundamentals: Profit, Pricing, and Retention The hosts unpack principles from Karl's operating system, like the impact of raising prices incrementally, controlling costs, and focusing relentlessly on profit rather than just revenues. They debunk the myth that scale equals success, spotlighting profit as the real domino for business stability.

Additional Products and Services—Real-World Examples Karl walks through detailed examples—bakery, butcher, landscaping business, hair salon, gym—showing coaches how to help clients add offerings to increase repeat business and margins, using McDonald's cross-selling ("Do you want fries with that?") as a gold standard. Ideas range from day-old bread and foam rollers to personal training upsells, maintenance plans, and branded merchandise.

Client Feedback and Creativity Rode Dog highlights the importance of simply asking customers what they want as a source for new ideas. They discuss why business owners miss these opportunities and how tapping into actual client preferences unlocks profitable new offerings.

Compounding Progress and the Boring Path to Wealth Karl returns to the principle that consistent, incremental improvement (1% per day) compounds into massive long-term success. Temperament, discipline, and sticking to fundamentals—rather than chasing the next shiny object—lead to sustainable wealth and client impact.

Notable Quotes

"You want to listen to people who've been through the dot-com bubble, the 2008 crash, Covid… still standing. These are the autobiographies you want to be reading." – Karl Bryan

"Old and rich, very, very rare. These are the types of people to be listening to… using your critical thinking skills." – Karl Bryan

"The secret to having a better now is having a bigger, brighter future." – Karl Bryan

"Profit is the domino that knocks over all the other dominoes." – Karl Bryan

"You don't have a client or money problem, you have a refusal to help people before they pay you problem." – Karl Bryan

"Success in business is incredibly boring… It's the fundamentals. Consistency and discipline over amazing skill and talent." – Karl Bryan

Actionable Takeaways

1. Seek Wisdom, Not Hype: Follow and learn from seasoned, long-term entrepreneurs—not trendy social media personalities.

2. Build Your Psychology and Temperament: Focus on mindset; resilience and a future-oriented frame are critical for coaches struggling after prior successes.

3. Use Operating Systems and Compounding Returns: Adopt systems that drive incremental improvements (across pricing, cost control, product/service expansion) for clients—1% daily progress compounds powerfully over a year.

4. Help Clients Add or Upsell Products/Services: Leverage simple cross-sells, bundles, and maintenance/upgrades as repeat business and margin boosters.

5. Ask Clients for Feedback: Encourage your clients to solicit ideas directly from their customers—sometimes the most profitable additions are hiding in plain sight.

6. Remember: Progress Equals Happiness: Keep your clients (and yourself) moving forward consistently, celebrating incremental wins and compounding growth.

Resources Mentioned

Profit Acceleration Software™ Developed by Karl Bryan, this tool helps coaches quickly identify and quantify profit opportunities for any business.

Annual Shareholder Letters Recommended reading: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway letters, Jeff Bezos's Amazon letters—for real-world business wisdom and strategy.

Networking and Client Feedback Utilize BNI, chamber of commerce events, and ask direct client/customer surveys for idea generation.

Focused.com Access Karl Bryan's coaching resources, pre-show emails, and a free subscription to The Six-Figure Coach magazine.

• Free subscription to The Six-Figure Coach

• Profit Acceleration Software™ demo

• Business Coaching Secrets Podcast

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Progress equals happiness. Tune in next week for more Business Coaching Secrets with Karl Bryan and Rode Dog!