Change Champions

Community to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com

Ped’s career makes much more sense looking backwards than it did while he was living it.

In this behind-the-scenes episode of Change Champions, Riley talks with Ped about the path from studying theoretical physics to teaching, facilitation, consulting, entrepreneurship and, eventually, the work we do today with coaches, consultants and facilitators.

They unpack some of the less obvious turning points along the way: graduating without a job, deliberately building the skills his CV was missing, discovering facilitation through experiential learning, moving from education into corporate work, and learning business development through associate work and subcontracting.

Ped also shares what happened when years of referrals and being “busy and in demand” suddenly led to six months without new work, why the pandemic forced another rethink, and how accidentally finding a niche changed the way he thought about his business.

It’s a conversation about career pivots, identity, niching and the skills that compound over time, especially when your career doesn’t follow a neat plan.

And underneath all those changes, Ped shares the through line that has stayed remarkably consistent: helping people grow.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why Ped’s career story is worth unpacking

01:18 Why theoretical physics came first

02:55 Graduating highly educated and unemployed

05:00 Deliberately building the skills his CV was missing

06:00 Discovering facilitation through experiential learning

07:45 The email that led Ped into teaching

09:55 Why five years of teaching changed his direction

10:35 Realising corporate life wasn’t for him

11:38 Moving from teaching into leadership development

12:18 Building the bridge from education to business

15:40 How networking started opening doors

17:15 Going fully self-employed

19:05 How associate work built Ped’s business skills

20:55 Taking risks on proposals and unpaid work

22:45 When being busy and in demand suddenly stopped

25:20 The pandemic and the question of financial runway

26:10 Turning existing skills into digital transformation work

29:20 How Ped “niched by accident”

30:25 Designing a business around the life he wanted

32:30 Choosing what kind of work to do next

33:15 Why coaches, consultants and facilitators became the focus

34:25 From workshop design to helping clients sell their work

35:20 Looking back at the career through line

37:05 The “why” behind Ped’s work

38:40 Where Riley and Ped are today

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There’s rarely a perfect time to build your coaching or consulting business.

Life happens. You move house. Family needs more of you. Work changes. Your energy drops. And sometimes you simply don’t have the capacity you had a few months ago.

In this behind-the-scenes episode of Change Champions, Riley and Ped talk about a different way to think about building your client pipeline: instead of treating business development as something you’re either doing or not doing, build the skills and habits that let you dial your activity up or down.

They unpack why waiting for more time can keep you stuck, what can go wrong when you rely entirely on agencies or lead generation services, and why learning to create your own sales opportunities gives you more control.

Ped also shares the practical minimum and stretch goals he uses for conversations and content, while Riley explains why maintaining some momentum matters more than repeatedly stopping and starting.

If you’re a coach, consultant, trainer or facilitator trying to grow a business alongside everything else happening in your life, this episode offers a more sustainable way to think about your pipeline.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why the “right time” may never arrive

00:29 When life competes with building your business

02:10 Why mindset alone can’t create more capacity

04:10 The problem with waiting or outsourcing growth

05:20 When more leads create a different problem

07:35 Taking control of your own client pipeline

09:35 Why you should understand the process before delegating it

10:25 Coaching is still a business

11:35 Finding opportunities in a tougher market

12:45 Learning to build your own pipeline

14:00 Dialling business development up and down

15:05 Ped’s two core business development activities

16:20 Minimum and stretch goals for outreach and content

17:15 Why stopping completely kills momentum

18:45 Authentic Outreach versus paid ads

19:40 A business development skill you can take anywhere

20:45 Pipeline Builder and where to learn more

Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.co

Community to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com

Layoffs are rising, budgets are tightening, and more coaches, consultants, trainers, and facilitators are thinking seriously about how much control they have over their next opportunity.

In this behind-the-scenes episode of the Change Champions podcast, Riley and Ped unpack three practical ways to become more proactive about your work: get clear on who you want to help, review the relationships you already have, and build a simple system for staying in touch.

They also share real client examples, including one person who uncovered 250 potential contacts from past projects and another who booked more than 40 conversations after believing his network had dried up.

The conversation covers:

- Why marketability matters when you’re a proud generalist

- How to turn existing relationships into new conversations

- Why networking and sales are often the same activity

- How to structure a virtual coffee without making it feel forced

- What a simple CRM needs to help you stay organised

- Why being useful creates more opportunities than pushing for a sale

This is a grounded look at relationship-first business development for people who want to create more control over where their work comes from.

Chapters

00:00 Why layoffs and budget cuts matter

00:50 The risk of relying on job security

02:38 Why more people are creating their own opportunities

03:31 A client who replaced lost revenue quickly

04:22 Start by choosing who you want to help

04:56 Why generalists struggle with marketability

06:17 Claiming your corner

06:56 Review the relationships you already have

07:28 Finding 250 potential contacts

07:50 What happens when your network feels exhausted

09:00 Where marketing and sales become the same activity

10:04 How to structure a virtual coffee

12:50 Listen for problems, goals, and useful connections

13:39 Treat sales as an act of service

14:47 Replace “always be closing” with “always be serving”

15:37 Why you need a simple system

16:55 What a basic CRM should contain

18:07 How to track warm and cold opportunities

19:09 Why 250 contacts does not mean 250 conversations

19:34 The notebook habit that made sales more human

21:44 The three actions to take now

22:04 Final recap

Join Waitlist for Pipeline Builder: https://leverageaccelerator.co/pb-waitlist/
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A leadership coach recently told Riley she had spent two years building a new program.

Around the same time, Riley and Ped launched a new pilot in three weeks and sold it out in nine days.

In this behind-the-scenes episode of the Change Champions podcast, they break down what made that possible, why they designed the offer before building the full program, and how they tested real demand without relying on a huge audience.

They also share how they filled their Pipeline Builder pilot, why they started with their warmest relationships, and how they kept moving while dealing with house moves, renovations, family commitments, and the usual reality of running a business.

For coaches, consultants, trainers, and facilitators who keep refining their offer without putting it in front of buyers, this episode offers a more grounded way to make progress: define the outcome, test the demand, learn from real clients, and build from there.

Timestamps:

00:00 Two years of building versus three weeks to launch
00:48 Why productive work can still be procrastination
02:27 Designing the offer before the program
03:29 The pros and cons of building with a partner
04:27 The difference between the product and the offer
06:17 What makes a coaching offer clear
07:33 Connecting your work to business outcomes
09:17 Why context shapes what buyers value
10:39 Testing demand with real buying decisions
11:22 Starting with your warmest relationships
12:40 Moving from conversations to email and social media
13:39 Why the buyer journey looks more like a web
14:49 You do not need an audience to begin
16:48 Launching while life is already busy
19:07 Why waiting for the right time does not work
20:23 The value of testing quickly
21:12 Why your pipeline needs regular attention
22:08 What the first cohort taught us

Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.coCommunity to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com

In 2009, “Start With Why” gave coaches, consultants and leaders a simple way to talk about purpose. But the market has changed.

In this episode, Riley and Ped unpack why values, purpose statements and polished positioning are no longer enough to help leadership coaches stand out. AI has made advice easier to access, buyers are more sceptical, and trust is harder to build online.

The shift Riley and Ped explore is simple, but uncomfortable: people need to know who you are before they can fully trust what you do.

They talk through market sophistication, why coaching is different from regulated professional services, why big “irresistible” offers can feel less believable now, and what coaches can do instead.

You’ll hear three practical shifts:

Have more real conversationsPromise less, so your offer feels believableShare more of yourself without oversharing

For leadership coaches, facilitators, trainers and consultants who want a more human, credible way to be known and trusted.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why “Start With Why” may not be enough anymore

00:20 Ped’s history with Simon Sinek’s golden circle

01:50 Why values and purpose statements started to blend together

02:20 AI, trust and the pressure on the coaching industry

03:10 The five stages of market sophistication

04:10 Why coaching is now in a trust recession

05:10 Why each market needs its own trust strategy

06:10 Why coaching is different from regulated professional services

07:10 The rock and hard place for leadership coaches

08:00 AI as an on-demand coach

09:10 Why your ideal customers need to know you

10:20 Integrity, leadership and being yourself

11:10 Three ways to build more trust

12:00 Why oversized offers can feel unbelievable

13:10 Practising what you preach in outreach and offers

14:00 Sharing more without oversharing

15:10 Micro-moments of connection

15:40 Start smaller, deliver well, retain better

16:10 Subscribe and next steps

Most coaches don’t have a lead magnet problem. They have a conversation problem. In this video, I break down the uncomfortable reality of how coaches actually get clients, especially when you’re balancing subcontracting work, trying to build your own business, and wondering why content alone isn’t creating consistent opportunities.

We unpack the three routes to client acquisition:

• Outreach
• Content
• Ads

But more importantly, we look at why so many coaches start in the wrong place.

I share the mindset shift that completely changed how I think about outreach, why content felt safer than conversations, and the expensive lesson I learned after spending thousands on ads before validating my offer properly.

You’ll also hear:

• Why many coaches unconsciously avoid outreach
• The belief that makes outreach feel transactional
• How authentic outreach differs from “pitch slapping”
• Why conversations create better offers, better content, and better sales
• Real examples of launches that failed and succeeded based on whether outreach happened first

If you’ve been posting consistently but still struggling to build a steady pipeline, this video will help you understand what actually moves things forward.

Authentic Outreach Playbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13W-SEKdcSUOThYE78z5oh66Vm1MxaBtM/view?usp=sharing

Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.co

Timestamps:

00:00 The Uncomfortable Reality Of Getting Coaching Clients

01:00 The 3 Ways Coaches Get Clients

01:50 Why Most Coaches Avoid Outreach

02:00 Why Ads And Content Get Complicated Fast

03:20 The Real Reason Outreach Feels Icky

03:50 The Ladder Of Inference Explained

05:30 Why Coaches Avoid Outreach Entirely

06:40 Why This Is A Belief Problem

07:10 Why I Chose Content Over Outreach

08:20 What Happened When I Tried Ads

09:25 The Missing Foundation Behind Offers That Sell

10:20 Why Outreach Comes Before Content

11:25 The GPS Analogy That Changed Everything

12:10 What Authentic Outreach Actually Looks Like

13:25 What A Real Client Pipeline Feels Like

13:50 Why Outreach Works Before Funnels Do

14:20 Turning Conversations Into Offers And Content

15:20 The Webinar Launch That Failed

16:05 The Launch That Made $21K

16:55 Why Conversations Beat Polished Marketing

17:10 The Honest Starting Point For Coaches

Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.co

Community to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com

If your days are full but your business isn’t moving, this conversation will likely hit close to home.

In this behind-the-scenes episode of the Change Champions podcast, Riley and Ped unpack a real moment inside their own business where things started to feel stretched, scattered, and unsustainable. More tasks, more ideas, more “important” work… but less clarity, less energy, and less progress.

They walk through the exact conversation that helped them reset.

You’ll hear:

• Why doing more can quietly make your business worse
• How “legacy tasks” keep you stuck without you realising it
• The simple prioritisation filter that changed everything
• What to do when everything feels important (but clearly isn’t)
• How to free up time without dropping what actually matters

This isn’t theory. It’s a raw look at how two business partners navigated overwhelm in real time and came out with a clearer, more focused way of working.

If you’ve been feeling busy but not effective, this episode will give you a practical way to rethink what’s actually on your plate.

Timestamps:

00:00 Working hard but stuck

00:20 The moment the workload felt too much

01:40 Too many plates, not enough room

03:10 Why prioritisation matters

04:00 The frustration of “was this even important?”

05:00 The hidden cost of taking work away

06:20 Riley’s burnout warning sign

08:30 The real issue: legacy activities

09:40 Habits that quietly keep you overloaded

10:30 Making space means removing something

11:20 Obligation, little fires, and product roadmaps

12:50 How they started solving the problem

14:20 Brain dumping what’s actually on the plate

15:40 Sorting the work into clearer buckets

16:40 Rechecking the goal

17:50 Using strategy as the filter

18:20 Asking what drains the most energy

19:00 The Venn diagram for better prioritisation

20:20 Bringing work forward to take work off

21:10 Good enough is good enough

22:30 Focus, simplification, and perfectionism

23:10 Why crossing things off isn’t the full answer

24:00 Ship it, finish it, move on

25:00 The process you can use yourself

26:00 You’re spending time on the wrong things

26:10 Teasing the next behind-the-scenes episode

27:00 Thanks for hanging out

Newsletter for stories, tips and resources: leverageaccelerator.coCommunity to create more sales opportunities using relationship-first business development habits: networkandsell.com

We just got accepted into a $30,000 coaching programme. And in this behind-the-scenes episode, we break down exactly why we made that decision.

This isn’t about hype or “leveling up” for the sake of it. It’s about something more honest: we hit a point in our business where effort alone wasn’t enough to create consistent growth. We were solving problems… but new ones kept appearing.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why even experienced coaches still need coaching
• The bottlenecks that kept us stuck between growth stages
• What we hope to learn (especially around content, sales, and leverage)
• The tension between figuring it out yourself vs getting help
• The personal reasons behind the investment — time, family, and lifestyle

We also share the mindset shift that changed everything for us: being the kind of client we want to attract.

If you’re a coach, consultant, or facilitator trying to grow your business without burning out — this will give you a clear, honest look at what it actually takes to move forward.

Hosted by Riley and Ped, co-founders of Leverage Accelerator.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why we joined a $30,000 coaching programme

00:40 Getting accepted and what Black Belt is

01:57 Why we’re happy to share we’re getting help

03:30 Growth mindset, learning, and serving clients better

04:39 Why experience beats figuring it out alone

06:10 The growth ceiling we kept hitting

08:09 Why now was the right time to invest

10:28 What we hope to learn from the programme

13:17 The real content lesson we want to improve

15:00 Adapting what we learn to our own audience

16:29 Systems, positioning, and our unique strengths

17:18 Letting go of insecurity around asking for help

17:49 Pressure, integrity, and being a good client

19:28 Relief, accountability, and shortening the learning cycle

20:50 Did we wait too long to do this?

22:26 The personal reasons behind the investment

23:20 Why helping people has to come first

24:45 Why we’re documenting this journey

If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than ever… but your business isn’t really moving forward, this video will likely hit close to home.

In this video, Riley breaks down a counterintuitive truth: the effort that helps you start your business can quietly become the thing that keeps you stuck.

He shares his own journey from launching his first program to hitting growth plateaus — and why doubling down on hard work didn’t fix it. Instead, the real shift came from changing how he made decisions.

You’ll learn:

• Why effort has diminishing returns as you scale
• How “hard work” can become a flawed decision-making compass
• The difference between a builder mindset and a director mindset
• What to stop doing to create real leverage in your business
• How to make better decisions that actually move the needle

This isn’t about avoiding hard work. It’s about making sure your effort is going in the right direction.

If you’re a coach, consultant, or service provider trying to grow without burning out, this will give you a clearer way forward.

Pricing and Designing Offers that sell themselves: https://youtu.be/ABLCmXKdLLE

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For years I taught other businesses how to understand their customers. Meanwhile, I had no idea how to make what I did relevant to people outside my existing network. I'd built a six-figure business. But almost every penny came from people who already knew me. The moment I tried to reach beyond that, nothing connected. It cost me the right projects, my confidence, and my peace of mind.

The answer was sitting on my bookshelf the whole time.

In this video, I walk you through the inside-out trap most coaches, consultants, and facilitators fall into, introduce the Transformation Spectrum as a way to map client pains and gains with far more precision, and share the Big Five Framework — a tool I developed to help you design offers from the outside in, so your ideal clients recognise your offer is for them before you've described a single thing you do.

Here's what we cover:

- Why leading with credentials and methodology works only with people who already know you

- How the Transformation Spectrum maps the full range of pains and gains

- The Big Five: Avatar, Problem, Pain, Outcome, and Aspiration

- Why skipping the avatar makes the whole model fall apart

- How I applied this to finally build positioning that resonates beyond my network

Chapters:

00:00 The Irony — Teaching Others What I Wasn't Doing Myself

00:50 What the Inside-Out Approach Looks Like (and Why It Fails)

02:20 Why Inside-Out Works With People Who Know You

04:50 Why It Fails With Strangers — and What to Do Instead

06:40 The Book That Changed How Ped Designs Offers

07:50 Customer Segments: Jobs, Pains, and Gains

09:10 Shifting from Inside-Out to Outside-In Thinking

09:50 Introducing the Transformation Spectrum

13:30 The Big Five Framework Explained

14:20 Avatar: The Foundation of the Big Five

15:30 Problem and Pain: Identifying What's Most Urgent

15:40 Gains, Outcomes, and Aspiration

17:10 The Most Common Traps When Using the Big Five

18:40 Applying the Big Five to Ped's Own Business

20:40 Top Tip: Don't Make It Up — Go and Ask