Coaching Business Spotlight - A Big Conversation of Soul and Strategy

In this encore episode, Kat Knecht shares a powerful story from her book "Evolve Your Coaching Business" that reveals how to make smart money decisions as a coach. Using an unexpected analogy from her early life helping run a fruit-growing business, Kat shows how creativity, curiosity, and a clear niche can turn challenges into thriving success. She breaks down real numbers on what new and experienced coaches can expect to earn, how long it typically takes to build a profitable business, and the mindset shifts that make all the difference.

Key Takeaways:

• Your coaching income evolves as your business does — expect growth in stages, not overnight.
• Finding your niche is the “high-quality fruit” of coaching — it determines your success.
• Market research and curiosity open doors to opportunity you can’t see from the inside.
• Treat your coaching practice like a business, not just a service; track income, expenses, and projections.
• Mindset matters as much as strategy — stress about money blocks creativity and client connection.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this special panel episode, Kat Knecht gathers three members of her Soul Driven Success community — Ronda Colavito, Todd Karges, and David Baillie — to unpack insights from the 2025 ICF Global Coaching Study. Together, they explore what the data reveals about the coaching industry’s rapid growth, rising professional standards, and evolving business landscape. From global trends to pricing insights and the growing importance of niching, this lively conversation offers practical wisdom for both new and seasoned coaches building thriving, soul-led businesses.

Key Takeaways:

• The coaching profession is booming. The ICF study shows record-breaking global growth, with an average 13–15% increase—outpacing even the stock market.
• Business acumen matters. Coaches are recognizing the need for marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship skills alongside strong coaching credentials.
• Niching is essential. Successful coaches are narrowing their focus to specific audiences or combining multiple niches (e.g., executive + ADHD coaching) to stand out.
• Diversified services are rising. Beyond 1:1 coaching, many are expanding into training, facilitation, consulting, and mentoring to serve clients more holistically.
• Professionalism and tech are shaping the future. Clients increasingly value certification (especially PCC-level) and expect tech-savvy, seamless business systems.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

2025 ICF Global Coaching Study (commissioned by International Coaching Federation and conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers). Purchase the latest report here: https://coachingfederation.org/resources/research/global-coaching-study/

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this episode of the Coaching Business Spotlight Show, host Kat Knecht dives into the world of group coaching—what it is, why it works, and how it can help coaches grow their impact and their businesses. Drawing from her personal journey, Kat shares how her first book club experiment turned into a bedrock for her coaching career and how group coaching creates unique opportunities for connection, transformation, and community. She explores the different types of group coaching, the power of shared learning, and the practical steps to design and market your own program.

Whether you're just beginning to consider offering groups or ready to refine your approach, this episode is packed with insights to help you create experiences that are both fulfilling and financially sustainable.

Key Takeaways:

• Kat's first experiment with group coaching began as a book club and revealed how coaching adds depth, intimacy, and impact.
• The difference between group coaching (individual growth in a group setting) and team coaching (working toward a shared goal).
• Two main types of group coaching structures: curriculum-based and process-oriented.
• Why niching down is essential for creating successful, engaging, and marketable group offers.
• How to start simple, test your ideas, and let group coaching become a natural extension of your coaching business.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

FREE Group Coaching Mastery Workshop - Monday, October 27, 2025 at 11am - 12:30 pm PT. Join the free Soul Driven Success Community and sign up here -> https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/events/group-coaching-mastery-workshop

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this episode of Coaching Business Spotlight, Kat and Curtis dive into what it really means to create soul driven success. They share their personal stories, insights, and a practical framework they call the Success Cycle—a process you can track through your own life to discover how you naturally create success.

Kat and Curtis reveal that success isn’t about copying someone else’s formula—it’s about identifying your unique patterns, embracing the challenges, and staying true to what feels aligned for you. From childhood Halloween contests to career shifts, they show how honoring your authentic cycle leads to sustainable, fulfilling growth in both business and life.

Key Takeaways:

• Soul Driven Success blends inner wisdom with real-world results—when you align purpose with tangible action, you create authentic impact.
• Each person has a Success Cycle, a repeatable pattern of how you naturally succeed; tracking past wins helps you recognize yours.
• Success always includes challenges—moments of frustration, waiting, or doing tasks outside your strength zone are part of the journey.
• Support and community are essential—success isn’t built in isolation, but by reaching out and making the process your own.
• Magic happens when you stay connected to your deeper purpose, follow what feels good, and say “yes” to aligned opportunities.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

This week on the Coaching Business Spotlight Show, Kat wraps up the Harvest Series with a powerful conversation with relationship coach Arjan Makar. Together, they explore how romantic relationships can become one of the deepest paths to self-discovery—and how coaching can help clients navigate connection, independence, and intuition without judgment.

Arjan also steps into a live Soul Search coaching session to reflect on her own business. You’ll hear how she’s leaning into her passion for group coaching, the unique value she brings to creating safe and courageous spaces, and her vision for helping clients access intuition in ways that spark real transformation. If you’ve ever wondered how to clarify your niche, expand your offerings, or grow your coaching business in alignment with your gifts, this episode is full of insight and inspiration.

Key Takeaways

• How to define your coaching niche with focus, problem, and passion
• Why romantic relationships often become the most powerful arena for self-growth
• The two extremes many clients face: over-bonding vs. over-protecting
• Why coaching isn’t about fixing but about deepening self-knowledge
• The importance of creating safe, courageous, and fun group spaces
• How grief and intuition play essential roles in healthy relationships
• Arjan’s journey from massage teacher to relationship coach and group leader
• The value of normalizing challenges instead of judging them
• How intuitive exercises can spark transformation in group coaching
• A behind-the-scenes look at Kat’s Soul Search process for business clarity

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Connect with Arjan: https://www.arjanmakar.com/ and email [email protected]

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this episode of the Coaching Business Spotlight Show, Kat continues her fall “Harvest Series” with a heartfelt exploration of what it really means to prepare for, believe in, and step into your harvest season. Drawing from her early years in the fruit business, Kat shares how investing time, money, and faith before the payoff shaped her understanding of business growth. She shows how the lessons of planting, nurturing, and waiting for fruit apply directly to building a coaching business.

Kat also introduces the transformative practice of “acting as if”—aligning mindset and actions with the belief that success is on its way. Through personal stories of overcoming fear, seizing opportunities, and being ready when harvest moments arrive, Kat guides coaches to embrace visioning, belief, and boldness in their business journey. Whether you’re waiting for clients, contracts, or opportunities, this episode will help you recognize and prepare for your own harvest time.

Key Takeaways:

• The fruit business as a metaphor for building a coaching business: plant, nurture, wait, then harvest.
• Why long-term vision and patience are essential for sustainable success.
• The mindset shift of “acting as if” and how it changes both energy and action.
• How faith and belief open the door to manifesting opportunities.
• The importance of being ready when opportunities (“fruit”) arrive.
• Personal story: moving past fear of public speaking by acting as if she was already confident.
• Harvesting requires bold action and getting out of your comfort zone.
• Rest is crucial, but harvest seasons demand focused, concentrated energy.
• How to identify what you want to harvest in your coaching business in the next two months.
• Mindset and internal readiness are just as important as external preparation.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this kickoff to the fall “Harvest Time” series, Kat teams up with her husband and business partner, Curtis, to unpack the Four Stages of a Coaching Business. Using a personal health journey as a powerful analogy, Kat illustrates why an accurate “diagnosis” of your business stage is critical to growth. Without it, you risk wasting time, energy, and resources on activities that don’t match where you truly are.

Kat walks listeners through each stage — from Coach in Training to Legacy — explaining the focus, goals, and common pitfalls of each. Curtis offers valuable insights on aligning your efforts with your current stage to build confidence, avoid burnout, and grow a sustainable coaching business. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale, this episode will help you pinpoint your stage and retool your activities for maximum impact.

Key Takeaways

• Why September–November is a prime time for attracting coaching clients.
• The importance of accurately identifying your current stage of business.
• Kat’s personal health story as an analogy for business misdiagnosis.
• The Four Stages of a Coaching Business:
  1. Coach in Training – Mastering skills, exploring niche, and building credibility.
  2. Startup – Focusing on business development, marketing, and sales foundations.
  3. Sustainable Success – Scaling, refining systems, and creating dependable income.
  4. Legacy – Expanding influence, building authority, and long-term impact.
• Common mistakes: Skipping the startup phase or overinvesting in more training instead of business building.
• How misaligned activities (like launching a podcast too soon) can slow growth.
• The role of marketing, sales calls, and freebies in each stage.
• Why sustainable success requires delegation, support, and continual evolution.
• The “80/20” focus rule — 80% of activities should align with your current stage, 20% can be creative or future-focused.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Four Stages of a Coaching Business Quiz & Download – Available at https://souldrivensuccess.com

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this heartfelt and empowering episode, Kat wraps up her "Back to Basics" summer series by diving deep into a topic that's often overlooked in the hustle of running a coaching business: intentional time off. She shares her personal and professional insights into why creating space through business retreats, CEO time, and true downtime is not a luxury—but a necessity for long-term success and sustainability.

Kat explains the power of unplugging, nourishing the soul, and stepping outside the daily grind to gain fresh perspective and tap into your creativity and vision. Whether you’re feeling stuck, burned out, or just ready for your next level, this episode offers practical guidance and inspiration for designing a rhythm in your business that fuels your purpose, productivity, and joy.

Key Takeaways:

• Why business retreats are essential—not optional—for coaches who want to grow sustainably
• How intentional non-working time leads to fresh insight, energy, and creativity
• The difference between a vacation and a business retreat (and why both matter)
• Creative ways to structure your own solo retreat for maximum impact
• How Kat used business retreats to write her book Evolve Your Coaching Business
• Tips for setting up your retreat space and shutting off work mode
• The importance of CEO time, creative time, and vision time in your weekly calendar
• Why intentional downtime (not just being "off work") is the secret sauce to resilience
• Kat’s story of creating the “Downtime Hotel” and what it taught her about self-nourishment
• How to plan your next retreat now—even if it’s just down the road

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this insightful episode of the summer “Back to Basics” series, Kat welcomes Charlie Jett—veteran coach, Harvard MBA, and submarine-force officer turned business strategist. Together, they tackle a persistent myth in the coaching world: that once you’re certified, clients will come calling. Spoiler alert—they won’t.

Kat and Charlie break down the practical realities of building a coaching business, focusing on what truly creates success: defining your niche, communicating value, creating connections, and playing the long game. With warmth and candor, they discuss the mindset shift required for coaches to go from struggling to thriving—while staying aligned with their mission to help others.

Key Takeaways:

• Coaching certification doesn’t guarantee clients; marketing and messaging do.
• Clients don’t buy credentials—they invest in solutions to their problems.
• A clear, specific niche makes connecting with ideal clients much easier.
• You must know where to find your ideal clients and how to speak their language.
• Market your coaching through honest storytelling and real human connection.
• Free consultations offer potential clients a valuable taste of what coaching can provide.
• Always ask for referrals, even when a client doesn’t say yes right away.
• Don’t rely on a single method of marketing—experiment and track what works.
• Give yourself time to build your business like any other profession.
• Measure your outreach efforts—what gets measured gets managed.

About Charlie Jett—

Charlie Jett is a certified professional co-active coach (CPCC), internationally credentialed PCC, and certified Positive Intelligence coach (CPQC). He specializes in career strategy, skill development, Positive Intelligence, and guiding coaches through CTI certification.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with an MBA from Harvard Business School, Charlie brings deep expertise from his multifaceted career, which spans executive coaching, entrepreneurship, top-level executive search, and military service as a nuclear submarine officer. He is also a best-selling author of three career-focused books and serves in leadership roles with the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago.

• Charlie's website: https://charliejettcoaching.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliejett/

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Kat's free training "Consultations That Inspire and Sell" available here: https://souldrivensuccess.com/resources/

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success

In this episode, Kat kicks off her summer series, “Back to the Basics,” by diving into a foundational principle from her "Evolve Your Coaching Business" course—the 75/25 rule. She shares how this simple mindset shift can help coaches stay empowered, take ownership, and stay out of victim mode when building their businesses. Drawing inspiration from music and personal stories, Kat weaves together coaching insight, business strategy, and soulful encouragement.

She also explores how to prepare for opportunities, cultivate meaningful connections, and create a rhythm in your coaching business that is spacious and sustainable. Whether you’re just starting out or recalibrating your efforts, this episode invites you to slow down, reflect, and return to the practices that truly move the needle—on your terms.

Key Takeaways:

• The 75/25 Rule: 75% of your effort fuels your business; the other 25% comes from outside support.
• Don't rely on the “man from the magazine”—external recognition won't sustain your business alone.
• Preparation meets opportunity: be ready before the visibility moment arrives.
• Always be creating your own opportunities rather than waiting for them.
• Practice personal-touch marketing by reaching out to individuals and organizations.
• Use a win-win approach—offer value when seeking promotional partnerships.
• Cultivate long-game relationships that can yield future business.
• Build a rhythm that includes marketing, delivery, creativity, and rest.
• Slow, spacious business-building creates deeper, more present connections.
• Take regular vacations to recharge your personal and professional energy.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs -- email [email protected]

Upcoming workshop "Coaching with Confidence" on Monday, July 28. More info in the free Soul Driven Success community for coaches.

Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Additional Helpful Resources:

Join the free Soul Driven Success Community for Coaches here: https://community.souldrivensuccess.com/

Learn more about Soul Driven Success courses and programs: https://souldrivensuccess.com or email [email protected]

Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) - https://coactive.com/

Get your copy of Kat's book: Evolve Your Coaching Business

Connect with Kat:

• Website: https://souldrivensuccess.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-knecht/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoulDrivenSuccess

Kat brings inspiring stories, proven business strategies, and soulful success tips. Designed for new and emerging coaches, each episode offers practical tools to grow your coaching business, attract clients, and thrive doing the work you love.

© 2023 - 2026 Kat Knecht / Soul Driven Success