Podcast Notes

Episode 479 The Power (and Pressure) of Leading with Others Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC and Chad Hall, MCC Date: August 21st, 2025

In this episode, Brian and Chad explore the dynamics of coaching through a live demonstration. Brian steps into the role of client, reflecting on his leadership venture, the departure of his business partner, and the challenges of discerning what kind of partnership he needs moving forward. The conversation unpacks the tension between high performance patterns, partnership dynamics, and clarity about next steps in leadership.

• A behind-the-scenes look at Brian’s real coaching session where he steps into the client role.

• The tension between being a high-performer alone vs. thriving when partnered with someone.

• How the departure of a trusted business partner can spark questions of identity, direction, and sustainability.

• The creative idea of “pseudo-partnerships” — alternatives to traditional 50/50 ownership models.

• The importance of accountability structures in leadership and how they influence success.

• Clarity comes not just from deciding whether you need a partner, but from defining what kind of partner best supports your vision.

• High performance patterns often reveal truths about how we work best, even when they feel limiting — accepting and working with them can prevent missteps.

• A partner doesn’t always need to be an equal co-owner; sometimes accountability and tactical execution are the missing ingredients.

• Moving slowly and intentionally into a new partnership (rather than rushing) helps ensure alignment and long-term sustainability.

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Podcast Notes

Episode 478 Brushstrokes & Breakthroughs with Mark Ross Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC Guest: Mark Ross Date: August 14th, 2025

In this episode, Brian Miller talks with Mark Ross — a coach, artist, and founder of Next Thing Group — about the parallels between painting and coaching, the value of curiosity, and the journey of navigating career transitions. Mark shares how art serves as a creative escape and a process of discovery, while coaching provides a similar space for exploration and growth. He recounts how burnout in his former career led him to seek coaching, eventually becoming a coach himself, and emphasizes the power of intentional relationships and openness to new opportunities.

Key Highlights:

• Mark’s art process mirrors coaching — both involve starting without knowing the exact outcome and staying curious throughout.

• Painting serves as a form of mental reset, drawing Mark into a world of focus, experimentation, and discovery.

• Mark’s transition into coaching began during a period of burnout, sparked by guidance from influential mentors like Dan Miller.

• The International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) competencies gave Mark a clear framework to assess and grow his coaching skills.

• Relationships and intentional conversations have been the driving force behind Mark’s personal and professional growth.

Takeaways:

• Creativity and coaching both thrive in environments of openness, exploration, and adaptability.

• Burnout can serve as a catalyst for reinvention when paired with intentional action and mentorship.

• Structured professional standards, like those from ICF, can provide valuable benchmarks for skill development.

• Building genuine relationships through curiosity-driven conversations can open unexpected doors and opportunities.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 477 Who's Really In Charge Here? Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC and Chad Hall, MCC Date: August 7th, 2025

In this episode, Brian and Chad explore how coaching principles can transform leadership within organizations. They discuss the tension leaders often feel between maintaining control and empowering others, and how adopting a coaching posture—rooted in humility, curiosity, and shared authority—can lead to more collaborative and impactful decision-making. The conversation draws on real experiences and offers insight into how coaching shapes not just conversations, but entire organizational cultures.

• Coaching in leadership often involves navigating a tension between control and collaboration.

• Humility is central to a coaching posture and essential for effective leadership.

• Leaders frequently face pressure to have all the answers, but coaching invites shared exploration.

• The importance of slowing down in conversations to give space for others' thinking.

• Organizations may superficially embrace coaching while still defaulting to top-down, directive leadership styles.

• A true coaching posture prioritizes listening over telling and curiosity over certainty.

• Leadership is most transformative when it empowers others rather than asserting control.

• Shared authority doesn't mean giving up leadership—it means leading differently.

• Slowing down your responses and allowing others to process can create more meaningful and insightful conversations.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 476 The Most Important Question (Rebroadcast) Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC and Chad Hall, MCC Date: July 31, 2025

In this episode, the hosts dive into the deceptively powerful question: "What’s the simplest way to do it?" Inspired by Pat Flynn and Tim Ferriss, the conversation explores how simplicity can lead to more effective systems, communication, coaching, and even business practices. They share personal anecdotes, client stories, and organizational examples to highlight how a bias toward complexity can hinder progress—and how simplicity often brings clarity, momentum, and better outcomes.

• The Power of One Simple Question: The episode centers around the life-altering question from The 4-Hour Workweek—"What’s the simplest way to do it?"—and its usefulness in nearly every domain.

• Simplicity as a Core Value: The hosts argue that while not everything is simple, simple usually beats complex in systems, relationships, communication, and business.

• Real-World Coaching Applications: They illustrate how overcomplicating coaching systems, like building frameworks or using advanced apps, can stall progress—sometimes it’s better to just start and build as you go.

• Organizational and Institutional Over-Complexity: From school systems to churches to marketing strategies, the episode uncovers how institutions often lose sight of their core mission by adding unnecessary layers of complexity.

• Simplicity in Marketing and Sales: The discussion wraps with advice on making client acquisition simpler—often it’s not about having the perfect website or funnel but about having real conversations and asking directly.

• Ask the Simplicity Question Often: "What’s the simplest way?" is a powerful coaching and decision-making tool that can cut through clutter and increase effectiveness.

• Avoid the Sophistication Bias: Organizations and individuals often equate complexity with value—but simplicity often leads to better results.

• Manual is Okay (at First): Starting small, personal, and manual—like texting clients—is not just acceptable but often preferable until scale demands more.

• You Don’t Need a Full Framework to Start: Just start coaching. You can build the structure as you go.

• Talk to People: In both coaching and fundraising, the simplest and often most effective path is direct communication—just ask.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 475 Cracking the Code of Client Growth, with Adam Witmer Host: Brian Miller, PCC Guest: Adam Witmer Date: July 24, 2025

In this episode, Brian sits down with business strategist Adam Witmer to explore the foundations of creating a successful business strategy. From Adam’s early roots in music and discovering a passion for business to the development of his “Buyer’s Journey” framework (outlined in his upcoming book The Buyer-Centric Small Business), this conversation offers a thoughtful and highly practical breakdown of how small businesses can attract, convert, and retain customers. At the heart of the discussion is the FEEL Framework—Find it, Experience it, Engage it, Love it—which maps out the essential stages of turning a stranger into a raving fan.

• Adam Witmer’s Origin Story: Transitioned from a music major to a business strategist by discovering his love for the operational and strategic side of music and band promotion.

• Importance of Strategy: Many entrepreneurs launch businesses on passion alone, but Adam emphasizes the need for a clear, structured business strategy.

• The FEEL Framework: A four-stage model—Find It, Experience It, Engage It, Love It—to guide prospects through a buyer journey.

• Hope Marketing vs. Intentional Marketing: Businesses often rely on hope ("Hope people find us"), but Adam outlines six practical entry points for customer discovery.

• Customer Conversion & Loyalty: Offering experiences and small engagement products helps build trust and leads to long-term loyalty and advocacy.

1. Find It – Discovery Is Everything If people can't find you, they can't buy from you. Adam breaks down six categories of entry points—from online and referrals to events and PR—encouraging business owners to stop relying on "hope marketing."

2. Experience It – Give Them a Taste Just like food samples at a mall food court, giving potential customers a way to experience your offering (e.g., sample coaching sessions) helps them build trust and see your value firsthand.

3. Engage It – Start Small to Go Big Early engagement doesn’t need to be a big commitment. Entry-level products or services allow prospects to get comfortable before buying into larger offerings.

4. Love It – Build Raving Fans Once trust is established, provide quality, perks, and consistent value to create loyal customers who not only return but also refer others.

5. Strategy Over Serendipity Business success isn’t just about being good at what you do—it’s about designing the buyer journey intentionally so that prospects are guided every step of the way.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 474 Getting Real About What You Want Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC and Chad Hall, MCC Date: July 17, 2025

In this episode, Brian Miller and Chad Hall explore the deceptively simple yet profoundly important coaching question: What do you want? They unpack how naming desires—whether deep, superficial, or somewhere in between—can transform both coaching conversations and personal spiritual growth. Drawing parallels to biblical stories and real-life examples, they reflect on how acknowledging and expressing desires can lead to clarity, healthier goals, and deeper self-understanding.

• The Question at the Core of Coaching

  • Asking “What do you want?” often uncovers hidden motivations and unmet desires driving a client’s behavior.

• The Fear of Shallow Wants

  • Many people worry that naming their wants will make them seem selfish or superficial, but it often leads to deeper, more meaningful goals.

• Desires as Hidden Forces

  • Unacknowledged wants can quietly steer decisions; bringing them into the light allows more intentional action.

• Spiritual Dimensions of Wanting

  • Expressing desires honestly before God can deepen faith and reveal truer longings over time.

• The Three Essential Questions

  • From Scott Adams: What do you want? What will it cost? How willing are you to pay the cost?

• Naming what you want, even if it feels messy or embarrassing, is the first step toward clarity and growth.

• Coaching should be a safe space where clients can express raw, unprocessed desires without judgment.

• Sometimes getting what you want reveals that it’s not what you truly need—leading to healthier desires and better decisions.

• Coaches can model the unconditional acceptance shown in the story of the prodigal son, staying open and curious rather than offended by a client’s wants.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 473 It’s Not Just Complicated It’s Complex w/ Dr. Kevin Krosley Host: Brian Miller, PCCGuest: Dr. Kevin Krosley, CCLC, PhD Date: July 10, 2025

Brian Miller from Coach Approach Ministries talks with Kevin Krosley of Catalyst Leadership about the Complexity-Capacity Gap—a framework for understanding why some leaders or organizations struggle to keep up with the demands of their environment. They explore what makes an organization complex versus complicated, how leaders’ individual and collective capacities can match (or fail to match) their challenges, and practical ways to assess and improve organizational effectiveness.

1. Complex vs. Complicated Work
   • Simple tasks are easy and repeatable.
   • Complicated tasks are multi-step but solvable with expertise.
   • Complex challenges have no clear path, with many interacting elements and uncertainty.
2. Three Streams of Complexity
   • Competitive Complexity: Added by strategic choices (e.g., new markets, products).
   • Requisite Complexity: The minimum necessary to operate effectively.
   • Confounding Complexity: Unnecessary complexity that clogs systems.
3. Leaders Have Varying Capacity
   • Each leader has a unique ability to handle complexity, influenced by both innate traits and development over time (based on Elliott Jaques’ research).
4. Collective Leadership Capacity
   • Even strong leaders can underperform if their team lacks trust, commitment, or accountability—drawing on Lencioni’s model of cohesive teams.
5. Complexity Requires Appropriate Solutions
   • Oversimplifying complex challenges often leads to ineffective solutions. The goal is to make things as simple as possible—but no simpler.

• Assess Complexity Honestly: Ask whether a problem is truly complicated (solvable with expertise) or complex (requiring adaptive approaches).
• Identify and Remove Confounding Complexity: Audit unnecessary processes, traditions, or bureaucracy that add friction without value.
• Develop Leaders’ Capacity: Invest in coaching and experiences that expand individuals’ ability to handle greater complexity.
• Strengthen the Leadership Team: Focus on trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and results to amplify collective capacity.
• Align Strategy with Capacity: Before pursuing ambitious initiatives, evaluate whether the organization’s current capacity can realistically handle the added complexity.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 472 Distinctions as the Key to Insight Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC and Chad Hall, MCC Date: July 3, 2025

In this episode, Brian Miller and Chad Hall dive deep into the concept of distinctions in coaching—the practice of helping clients untangle and clarify similar ideas that are often conflated. They discuss how distinctions can evoke awareness, expand thinking, and lead to more precise actions. With examples ranging from assertive vs. aggressive to interests vs. positions, they illustrate how a coach’s role goes beyond asking questions to offering lenses for clearer perspective.

• Defining Distinctions: A distinction separates two similar but different concepts. Helping clients see these can unlock new insights.

• Examples in Practice: Common distinctions include want vs. need, assertive vs. aggressive, candid vs. kind, and toxic vs. imperfect.

• Role of the Coach: Coaches aren’t just question-askers—they are thinking partners who offer observations and distinctions that facilitate awareness.

• Distinctions Create Clarity: When clients conflate ideas (e.g., all managing is micromanaging), clarifying distinctions can change perceptions and actions.

• Language Matters: The words clients use—like calling someone “toxic”—can reflect deeper assumptions worth exploring.

• Distinctions Are Tools: Use them intentionally and contextually to help clients reframe issues and discover new possibilities.

• Beyond Questions: Coaching involves sharing observations, metaphors, and distinctions—not just asking questions.

• Clarity Enables Action: The clearer clients are about what they’re experiencing, the more effectively they can respond.

• Stay Curious, Not Prescriptive: Offer distinctions as lenses, not conclusions—clients still decide what’s true for them.

• Language Shapes Experience: Help clients label experiences accurately to avoid unhelpful assumptions.

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Podcast Notes

Episode 471 Transforming Culture One Crew at a Time with Tara Carbo Host: Brian Miller, PCC Guests: Tara Carbo Date: June 12, 2025

In this episode, Brian sits down with Tara Carbo—a former blue-collar entrepreneur turned leadership coach—to explore how her unique background shapes her coaching philosophy. Tara shares how her deep roots in the flooring industry evolved into a coaching practice dedicated to serving blue-collar business owners. Together with her husband, she’s on a mission to bring leadership development, culture transformation, and personal growth to an underserved community.

• Niche Expertise in Blue-Collar Coaching Tara and her husband focus exclusively on blue-collar business leaders (like contractors and service providers), a demographic they know intimately and view as overlooked in leadership development.

• Blending Spirituality & Practicality Coaching for Tara includes conversations around ego, self-awareness, and higher purpose—but always in language that resonates with where her clients are emotionally and professionally.

• From "Why Are You Here?" to "Thank God You're Here" Tara shares strategies for moving potential clients from skepticism to appreciation, often through speaking engagements and value-first relationship building.

• The Role of Culture & Leadership in Business Health Carbo Coaching emphasizes creating environments where people thrive—through leadership development, improved communication, and clear team dynamics.

• Effective Client Pipeline Strategy Tara offers a practical system for defining and nurturing leads, from casual connections to committed clients—favoring authentic relationships over traditional "speed-dating" networking.

• Meet Clients Where They Are Especially in the blue-collar world, it's vital to translate abstract concepts (like self-awareness or emotional intelligence) into tangible, relatable language.

• Thriving Culture Begins with People Business success starts with viewing employees as the most valuable asset and creating environments where they can flourish.

• Curiosity and Vulnerability Are Strategic Tools Tara embraces not knowing everything—asking questions and learning alongside clients to build trust and connection.

• Speaking > Selling Offering brief, valuable talks at association meetings or company board gatherings has become a core marketing and pipeline-building strategy.

• A “Pipeline” Is More Than a List A healthy sales pipeline consists of people who’ve expressed real interest and are actively working through how to move forward with coaching.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

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Podcast Notes

Episode 470 Conversations That Get Clients Hosts: Brian Miller, PCC and Chad Hall, MCC Date: June 19, 2025

In this episode, Chad and Brian dive deep into the realities of getting coaching clients, debunking the myth that "if you build it, they will come." They explore the importance of having intentional conversations as the primary engine for building a coaching practice. Through personal insights and practical frameworks like the "cold, warm, hot" conversation model, the episode emphasizes authenticity, competence, and consistency as key ingredients in client acquisition.

• Clients Don’t Just Show Up: Unlike some professions like counseling, coaching requires active engagement and conversation to build visibility and trust.

• The Power of Being “Not Needy and Not Weird”: The most attractive coaches (and people) present themselves confidently and without desperation.

• The Cold-Warm-Hot Conversation Framework:

  • Cold: Encouragement-based, genuine interest in others.

  • Warm: Topic-based discussions showing competence.

  • Hot: Proposal conversations aiming for a yes or no.

• Conversations Are the Funnel: Client relationships begin with small talk and evolve—coaching is fundamentally a relationship built through many meaningful interactions.

• Shift Your Mindset: Stop thinking like someone who wants to be hired and start operating like an equal engaging peers in thoughtful dialogue.

• Client acquisition is relational, not transactional. Coaches must consistently invest in genuine conversations to build trust over time.

• Being needy kills opportunities. Confidence and detachment from the outcome make you more attractive to potential clients.

• Encouragement is underrated. Starting relationships with encouragement creates warmth and opens doors for deeper discussions later.

• Warmth precedes depth. Coaches must first be skilled at shallow conversations before diving into deeper, transformational ones.

• Conversations are the marketing strategy. You don’t need to be “in sales” to get clients—you need to connect meaningfully, regularly.

• Website: coachapproachministries.org

• Email: [email protected]

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