It's surprising to learn that one of Phil Goddard's earliest memories is of standing on the fringes of a playing field, away from everybody else, on his first day at infants' school.

He has since focused his life and career on building intimacy and connection but he recalls that early memory with affection because, he says, it reminds him he has always been a people watcher, fascinated by what makes people tick.

As a coach, speaker, leadership consultant and the host of The Coaching Life podcast, Phil works with entrepreneurs, company directors, bar workers, and parents among a client base united by their desire to enjoy life and experience joyful, easier relationships.

In our conversation, Phil powerfully describes a shift in his own life and his relationship with himself; a shift from carefully avoiding regrets to being willing to take risks in order to live with more presence.

Unafraid to challenge life’s 'photoshopping' wherever he finds it, Phil speaks candidly about strong reactions he has faced in his pursuit of authenticity, and tells the incredible story that spawned the podcast he always introduces as ‘peeling back the bullcrap’ of the coaching industry.

In this episode, we talk about:

How the island of Zakynthos, and its energy of love, helps Phil create clients

The jaw-dropping experience of inauthenticity from a mentor that led to the creation of The Coaching Life

Why it’s unhealthy to aspire to a photoshopped image of the coaching profession

How the one thing that predicts the good times in Phil’s business is his relationship with his business

What it's like to be you when you're not trying to be anybody - even yourself

He is a staunch believer in living without a script, and that makes for a wonderfully open, honest discussion. And he is also an expert at speaking to coaches and about coaching, which makes this a really practical one, too.

Phil can be contacted via philg.com and found on Facebook via fbphil.com.

For information about Robbie’s wider work and writing, visit www.robbieswalecoaching.com.

Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQg

To support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community

Things and people we mentioned (that you might be interested in):

- NLP https://www.nlp.com/what-is-nlp/

- Robert Holden https://www.robertholden.com/

- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/

- The Prosperous Coach by Rich Litvin and Steve Chandler https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-prosperous-coach/steve-chandler/rich-litvin/9781600250309

- Steve Chandler's coaching school https://www.coachingprosperityschool.info/

- TS Elliot quote https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/644987-we-shall-not-cease-from-exploration-and-the-end-of

- Carolyn Freyer Jones https://carolynfreyerjones.com/

- Steve Hardison https://theultimatecoach.com/

- Melissa Ford https://melissafordcoaching.com/

- Phil's podcast, The Coaching Life https://philg.com/CoachingLifePodcast/

- Phil's conversation with Matt Watkins https://soundcloud.com/coachinglife/024-matt-watkins

- Aaron Turner on the Rewilding Love Podcast with Angus and Rohini Ross https://www.therewilders.org/blog/ep34-rewilding-love-aaron-turner

- Phil's favourite episode https://philg.com/CoachingLifePodcast/?post=069-phil-goddard

- Jamie Smart https://www.jamiesmart.com/

- Brenton Hughes https://www.facebook.com/brenton.hughes.90 

- Robert Holden's Success Intelligence Mastermind https://www.successintelligence.com/

- Loveability, by Robert Holden https://www.robertholden.com/loveability/

- Phil's books https://philg.com/books.html