Mastering Coaching Skills

It's easy to look at a polished performance and assume you're seeing the whole story. But behind those few minutes when everything looks effortless, there can be hours of preparation, exhaustion, mistakes, frustration, laughter, and people working together to make it all happen.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of a weekend at my daughter's horse show and share why the experience had me thinking so much about coaching and entrepreneurship. From the realities you would never see watching a dressage event on TV to the struggles that happen behind closed doors in business, I explore what changes when you get to see what the experience actually looks like for everyone else.

For full show notes, transcript, and to submit your question, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/303

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

One of the most common moments that makes coaches question themselves is when a client says, "I don't know what I want coaching on today." It can feel awkward, uncomfortable, or even like something has gone wrong. But what if that moment is actually giving you valuable information?

In this episode, I revisit one of the most popular episodes of the podcast with six years of additional coaching experience. I share how my thinking has evolved, why "I don't know" is often telling you something important, and exactly how I approach these moments before a coaching call, during a session, when it becomes a pattern, and even in group coaching.

For full show notes, transcript, and to submit your question, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/302

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

So many coaches believe there's a point where everything finally clicks, the messaging feels effortless, the self-doubt disappears, and running a business becomes easy. After 10 years in business, I've learned that there isn't a magical "there" waiting for you.

In this first episode of my new Unfinished series, I share how these next 10 episodes will bridge the current podcast and the new chapter ahead, while looking back at three defining chapters of my own business journey. Along the way, I explore how my work has evolved, why my niche kept choosing me, how my clients shaped the direction of my business, and what can happen when you follow what feels aligned instead of relying on someone else's formula.

For full show notes, transcript, and to submit your question, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/301

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

What do you do when you know where you want to go, but you can't figure out why you keep getting stuck? Sometimes the answer isn't another mindset shift or a better strategy. The patterns holding you back may not be accessible through your conscious mind at all.

As I celebrate Episode 300 of the podcast, I'm diving into the long-awaited follow-up to Episode 296 by exploring why you can still feel stuck even when you genuinely want to move forward. I explain how implicit memory and embodied patterns can influence your actions without you even realizing it, and how to recognize the kind of stuck you're actually experiencing.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/300

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

What happens when you've achieved your dream career, but you start feeling called toward something more?

In this episode, I talk with performance and well-being coach Jo Zakany about her journey from spending 20 years as a violist with the Cleveland Orchestra to becoming a full-time coach for classical musicians. We explore how she navigated that transition, the role coaching played in helping her make the decision, and why building a life that reflects your values sometimes means writing a completely new chapter.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/299

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

Learn more about Jo's work here: mindfulopus.com

There are so many ways to approach coaching, business, and personal growth, but finding your own style can sometimes feel harder than learning the actual tools.

In this episode, I talk with Amanda Stark, a coach who has helped hundreds of women put themselves first, about Human Design, coaching, and what it takes to build a business that actually fits your life and personality. We explore how Amanda uses Human Design alongside mindset coaching, what she learned from coaching inside another coaching community, and how she developed a coaching style that feels aligned with who she is.

For full show notes, transcript, and to join the waitlist for Reimagine, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/298

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

Sometimes your business can be working and still not feel like you. Maybe you have had your head down, doing the work, achieving the goals, and keeping things moving, only to look up and realize you feel a little lost. In this episode, I'm sharing powerful prompts for coming back to yourself, your work, and the reason you became a coach in the first place. These questions are designed to help you reconnect with what feels true, what matters most, and the kind of business you actually want to be building.

For full show notes, transcript, and to join the waitlist for Reimagine, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/297

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

There are certain thoughts that seem to show up at exactly the wrong time. Just when you're working toward something meaningful, they appear and sound so convincing that they feel like facts. Whether it's "I'm not good enough," "I'm not ready yet," or "I'm so far behind," these deeply ingrained beliefs can quietly shape the way you think, act, and coach.

In this episode, I share eight coaching strategies for working through core beliefs, both for yourself and for your clients. I explore why these beliefs feel so true, how they become deeply practiced over time, and what to do when logic alone is not enough to loosen their grip.

For full show notes, transcript, and to join the waitlist for Reimagine, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/296

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

Growing a coaching business can feel exciting until the way you're running it stops supporting the business you've built. If you're successful by most measures but constantly overwhelmed behind the scenes, the problem might not be motivation, discipline, or consistency.

In this episode, I talk with Michelle MacNeil, a coach who teaches people systems and processes, about simple systems and how they can make your coaching business more sustainable. We discuss what happens when your business outgrows the way you've been managing it, why systems do not have to be complicated, and how to identify the places where your current processes are making things harder than they need to be.

For full show notes, transcript, and to join the waitlist for Reimagine, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/295

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

Learn more about Michelle's work: michellemacneil.com

The idea of "having it all" can feel inspiring, unrealistic, or even frustrating depending on who you ask. For many ambitious women, it often feels like there is an invisible tradeoff between success, family, health, relationships, and the things that matter most.

In this episode, I talk with colleague and client, Binie Klein, about what it really means to have it all and why the answer may be different than you think. We explore how Binie defines a fulfilling life, the role priorities play in shaping your choices, and why being intentional with your time is about much more than productivity.

For full show notes, transcript, and to join the waitlist for Reimagine, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/294

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

Learn more about Binie's work: binieklein.com