In this episode, Glenn Smith and I explore the journey of building a successful coaching practice and what it really takes to sustain meaningful work over time. Glenn shares wisdom from his own coaching journey, including the challenges, mindset shifts, and personal growth required to create a practice that aligns with both purpose and impact.

We discuss:

• What defines a successful coaching practice
• The difference between building a business and living a calling
• Why authenticity matters in coaching
• Trust, relationships, and long-term growth
• The importance of self-awareness and personal development
• Common struggles coaches face early in their journey
• Finding alignment between values, purpose, and work
• Coaching as transformation rather than performance
• How meaningful conversations create lasting impact

This conversation offers encouragement and practical wisdom for coaches, leaders, and anyone seeking to build work that is both sustainable and deeply meaningful.

#Coaching #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #GlennSmith #CoachingPractice #Transformation #Purpose #Podcast

In this final conversation with Paul Burns, we explore the "Social" dimension of the GPS discipleship framework. Paul explains how a secure relationship with God and growing personal maturity free us to genuinely love and connect with others.

We discuss:

• Why empathy is central to spiritual maturity
• The connection between security and healthy relationships
• Moving beyond codependency
• Loving others for their sake instead of our own needs
• The social implications of discipleship
• Sacrificial and unconditional love in the way of Jesus
• Emotional freedom and relational connection
• How discipleship transforms communities and relationships

Paul unpacks how deepening discipleship ultimately leads to greater compassion, empathy, and the ability to love others more fully and authentically.

#Empathy #Discipleship #Relationships #PaulBurns #SpiritualFormation #ChristianCoaching #Faith #Podcast

In this second conversation with Paul Burns, we focus on the "Personal" dimension of his GPS framework for discipleship. Paul explores how spiritual growth involves becoming the person God created us to be rather than remaining trapped in the patterns and insecurities shaped by the world.

We discuss:

• The movement from worldly identity to God-centered identity
• Emotional maturity and spiritual formation
• Insecurity, fear, and personal growth
• What it means to become a child of God
• The importance of self-differentiation
• How attachment to God creates internal freedom
• Why discipleship includes emotional and psychological growth
• Letting go of unhealthy patterns and mindsets

This episode connects discipleship with emotional health and explores how God transforms not only our beliefs, but our identity and way of being in the world.

#Identity #Discipleship #SpiritualGrowth #PaulBurns #EmotionalHealth #ChristianLeadership #Faith #Podcast

In this episode, Paul Burns and I begin a month-long conversation on deepening discipleship. Paul shares his understanding of discipleship as a growing relationship with God rather than merely acquiring religious knowledge or behavior modification.

We discuss:

• Why discipleship is fundamentally relational
• The difference between knowing about God and knowing God
• Attachment theory and spiritual formation
• Moving beyond performance-based spirituality
• How security in God changes personal growth
• The role of trust in spiritual maturity
• Why transformation happens through relationship
• The connection between discipleship and emotional health

Paul introduces the foundational concepts behind his GPS framework — God, Personal, and Social — and explains why a secure attachment to God changes everything else in life.

#Discipleship #SpiritualFormation #PaulBurns #ChristianCoaching #Faith #Transformation #AttachmentTheory #Podcast

Podcast Notes — CAP 519 with Rey Spadoni

In this episode, Rey Spadoni and I explore the Camino de Santiago and the deeper human longing for pilgrimage, meaning, and transformation. Rey shares insights from his experiences walking the Camino and reflects on why ancient spiritual practices continue to resonate in modern life.

We discuss:

• What draws people to the Camino de Santiago
• Pilgrimage as both an external and internal journey
• The role of uncertainty, solitude, and reflection in transformation
• How walking changes the pace of thinking and awareness
• The connection between coaching, spirituality, and personal growth
• Why meaningful conversations emerge differently on the road
• Ancient practices that still speak to modern challenges
• The difference between achievement and deeper fulfillment
• Community, vulnerability, and shared humanity along the Camino

This conversation is reflective, practical, and deeply human — whether you've walked the Camino yourself or are simply searching for greater clarity and meaning in your own journey.

#CaminoDeSantiago #Pilgrimage #PersonalGrowth #Coaching #Transformation #Spirituality #Meaning #Podcast #ReySpadoni #ConversationsThatMatter

🎧 Podcast Notes: Narrative Coaching with Motoki Asai

Connect with Motoki Asai Find Motoki on LinkedIn to learn more about his work with CAM Japan.

Episode Overview

In this final conversation, Brian Miller and Motoki Asai explore narrative coaching—a collaborative approach that helps clients examine and rewrite the stories they are living. Rather than starting with goals, narrative coaching begins with story, identity, and meaning, creating space for deeper transformation.

Key Ideas & Takeaways

1. What Is Narrative Coaching?

• A third-generation coaching approach focused on story and identity.
• Instead of starting with goals, it begins by exploring the client's narrative.
• Coaching helps clients rewrite the story they're living.

2. Start with Story, Not Goals

• Traditional coaching often begins with "What do you want to work on?"
• Narrative coaching asks: What's happening? What story are you living?
• Goals often emerge later—and are deeper and more meaningful.

3. Step One: Situate the Client in the Story

• Who are they in their story?
  • The hero?
  • The victim?
  • A side character?
• This reveals how they interpret their situation and identity.

4. Step Two: Search the Story

• Explore what the story is saying—and what it might be missing.
• Identify limiting beliefs and hidden assumptions.
• Look for alternative interpretations and possibilities.

5. Step Three: Shift the Narrative

• Collaboratively create a new, more empowering story.
• Ask: What story do you want to live going forward?
• This becomes a pathway to transformation.

6. Embody the New Story

• Clients don't just think differently—they practice the new identity.
• Role-play and "serious play" help them step into the new narrative.
• Transformation becomes experiential, not just intellectual.

7. Awareness Changes Everything

• Many clients discover they are the ones reinforcing limiting stories.
• Seeing the gap between perception and reality creates breakthrough.
• Example: A client realizes others believe in her—she just doesn't believe in herself.

8. Coaching as Rewriting Identity

• Coaching helps people recognize the strength and beauty already in their story.
• Often, clients don't realize how meaningful their story already is.
• The coach helps them see—and step into—that truth.

Memorable Moments

• Comparing life to a movie: "What character are you playing right now?"
• The shift from "I'm not good enough" to "I need to receive what others already see in me."
• Practicing a new identity in real time through role-play.
• The reminder: You don't know how great your story is.

About the Guest

Motoki Asai is the founder and director of CAM Japan, bringing thoughtful, innovative approaches like narrative coaching to leaders and coaches across cultures.

🎧 Podcast Notes: Third Generation Coaching with Motoki Asai

Connect with Motoki Asai Find Motoki on LinkedIn to learn more about his work with CAM Japan.

Episode Overview

Brian Miller continues the conversation with Motoki Asai, diving into third generation coaching—a research-based, collaborative approach that shifts coaching from problem-solving to deeper exploration of identity, meaning, and relationship. In a rapidly changing world, this approach emphasizes who a person is becoming, not just what they are trying to achieve.

Key Ideas & Takeaways

1. What Is Third Generation Coaching?

• A collaborative, co-creative coaching approach.
• Focuses on identity, values, and meaning-making—not just goals.
• Coach and client create the conversation together, rather than the coach leading it.

2. The Three "Generations" of Coaching

• First Generation: Goal-focused, problem-solving, linear (GROW model).
• Second Generation: Adds self-development and emotional intelligence.
• Third Generation: Centers on identity, narrative, and meaning in a complex world.

3. Coaching for a Complex (VUCA) World

• Today's world is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
• There are fewer "right answers"—coaching must help people navigate identity and purpose.
• Anchoring in who you are becomes more important than solving any one problem.

4. Coaching as a Collaborative Space

• The coach is not just asking questions but co-creating insight.
• Meaning emerges between coach and client.
• Presence, energy, and relational dynamics matter in the conversation.

5. Beyond Coaching Sessions: A Way of Being

• Coaching shouldn't stay in formal sessions—it should shape everyday conversations.
• The goal is to empower people to have transformative dialogue in daily life.

6. Coaching the Person, Not the Problem

• Moves beyond fixing issues to understanding the individual.
• Emphasizes curiosity, care, and genuine interest in others.
• Reflects a deeper posture of listening and valuing people.

7. Presence and Overflow

• Effective coaching flows from a place of rest and alignment, not striving.
• Living from "overflow" allows coaches to bring calm, openness, and encouragement.
• Who you are matters as much as what you do in coaching.

Memorable Moments

• Motoki connects with Reinhard Stelter (a leading voice in third generation coaching) via LinkedIn—and ends up hosting him in Japan.
• A shared experience (like attending sumo wrestling) becomes part of relational, meaningful dialogue.
• The emphasis shifts from "helping people achieve more" to "helping people become who they are."

About the Guest

Motoki Asai is the founder and director of CAM Japan, equipping leaders and coaches while exploring cutting-edge approaches like cognitive linguistics and third generation coaching.

🎧 Podcast Notes: Cognitive Linguistics with Motoki Asai

Webinar / CTA (if you want to add one later, place here) Learn more or connect with Motoki Asai via LinkedIn (Motoki Asai).

Episode Overview

In this conversation, Brian Miller sits down with Motoki Asai to explore cognitive linguistics—the study of how language both reflects and shapes the way we think. They unpack how the words clients use aren't just descriptive—they open a window into their inner world and can become a pathway for transformation.

Key Ideas & Takeaways

1. Language Shapes Thought (and Vice Versa)

• The way people describe their experiences reveals how they interpret reality.
• Language is not neutral—it actively forms how we see situations and possibilities.

2. Metaphors Unlock Transformation

• Metaphors are more than illustrations—they create access to deeper meaning.
• When a client uses a metaphor, it often signals a moment ripe for change.
• The most powerful coaching move: use the client's metaphor, not your own.

3. The "Inner World" Between Experience and Words

• There's a gap between what happens and how we describe it.
• In that gap lies interpretation, belief, emotion, and meaning.
• Coaching explores this space to create insight and movement.

4. Reframing Creates New Possibilities

• Changing how a situation is framed can open entirely new outcomes.
• Example: "I've hit bottom" → "Now the only direction left is up."
• Reframing doesn't deny reality—it reshapes how we engage it.

5. Expanding Emotional Vocabulary Deepens Awareness

• Many people default to a few basic emotions (happy, sad, angry).
• Greater emotional precision leads to clearer thinking and better action.
• Naming emotions more accurately unlocks new responses.

6. Coaches Listen for Language, Not Just Problems

• Instead of focusing on fixing the issue, focus on how it's described.
• Words give access to the person's inner world in ways nothing else can.
• Observations about language can be more transformative than advice.

7. Language as a Tool for Transformation

• Language doesn't just create awareness—it can initiate change.
• Intentional use of metaphor, framing, and wording opens new futures.
• Coaching becomes less about technique and more about meaningful exploration.

Memorable Quotes / Moments

• "It's hard to transform without a metaphor."
• "The most powerful use of language is to use the client's language."
• "When we change how we look at a situation, new possibilities open."
• "Words give us access to the inner world."

About the Guest

Motoki Asai is the founder and director of CAM Japan and a deep thinker in coaching, particularly in how language, neuroscience, and culture intersect to shape transformation.

Big Idea

Writing isn't just content creation—it's a tool for clarity, growth, and impact. For coaches and leaders, writing helps you think better, communicate better, and ultimately serve people better.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why writing is a powerful tool for coaches and leaders
• How writing helps you clarify your thinking
• The connection between coaching conversations and content creation
• A simple system for generating endless writing topics
• Why short, consistent writing often beats writing a book
• How writing can grow your reach and influence organically

Key Conversation Highlights 1. Writing Helps You Think Clearly

• Laura doesn't think by talking—she thinks by writing
• Writing is a way to:
  • Process ideas
  • Clarify beliefs
  • Discover what you actually think

Key Insight: You often don't know what you think until you write it.

2. Coaching Fuels Content

• Writing topics come directly from:
  • Patterns across coaching conversations
• When something shows up repeatedly (like time management):
  • It's worth writing about

Practical Takeaway: Your best content is already in your coaching sessions.

3. Consistency Beats Inspiration

• Laura writes:
  • At least once a week
  • During scheduled time blocks (Tuesday + Thursday mornings)

System:

• Routine + coffee + prepared topics = momentum

Key Idea: Don't wait for inspiration—build a rhythm.

4. Short, Accessible Writing Wins

• Ideal length: ~750 words
• Why:
  • Easy to read in ~5 minutes
  • More likely to be consumed and shared

Shift: From "write something big" → to write something useful

5. When to Turn One Idea Into a Series

• If a topic has depth → break it into parts
• Series often emerge:
  • Before writing (planned)
  • Or during writing (discovered)

Example: A webinar becomes a multi-part Substack series

6. Writing Expands Your Reach (Without Marketing Tricks)

• Writing attracts:
  • The right audience
  • Future coaching clients

Important Distinction:

• Don't write to get clients
• Write to be helpful

7. Writing as Identity (Not Just Output)

• Over time, writing becomes:
  • Part of who you are
  • Not just something you do

Key Idea: "I write to learn—and to become."

8. The Craft of Writing

• Writing involves:
  • Voice
  • Structure
  • Word choice
  • Flow

Important Question: Does this sound like you?

9. Progress Over Perfection

• Writing regularly helps break:
  • Perfectionism
• You learn:
  • It doesn't have to be perfect to be valuable

Key Insight: Done and helpful beats perfect and unpublished.

10. Why Writing Matters for Coaches

• Writing helps you:
  • Sharpen ideas
  • Serve more people
  • Extend your impact beyond conversations

Key Takeaways

• Writing is one of the best tools for clarity and growth
• Your coaching conversations are your content strategy
• Consistency matters more than creativity bursts
• Short, helpful content builds trust and reach
• Writing helps you:
  • Think better
  • Coach better
  • Lead better

🔗 Connect with Laura Stephens-Reed

• Website: laurastephensreed.com
• Substack: laurastephensreed.substack.com

Laura is a pastor, consultant, and mentor coach helping leaders grow in clarity, coaching skill, and leadership development.

Big Idea

Great coaching isn't about having the best answers—it's about creating the kind of space where clients discover their own. The difference between average and masterful coaching comes down to mindset, humility, and how deeply you engage the person—not just the problem.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why the coaching mindset requires intentional preparation
• The surprising role of humility in great coaching
• The difference between coaching the problem vs. coaching the person
• What separates ACC, PCC, and MCC-level coaching
• How to help clients create real ownership and action
• Why awareness (not advice) drives transformation

Key Conversation Highlights 1. Coaching Is a Mindset—Not Just a Skill

• Coaching requires a deliberate shift in thinking
• Before each session:
  • Step out of expert mode
  • Step into curiosity and presence
• Core belief:
  • The client is resourceful and capable

2. The Humility Behind Great Coaching

• Strong coaching starts with:
  • "Maybe I don't know"
• Not a lack of knowledge—but a recognition that:
  • The client knows their context best

Key Insight: Coaching isn't about being right—it's about helping the client move forward.

3. Why Advice Doesn't Work (and Ownership Does)

• People rarely act on someone else's solution
• "No one washes a rental car" → people don't invest in what they don't own

Shift: From giving answers → to creating ownership

4. Questions vs. Observations

• Two powerful coaching tools:
  • Curious questions
  • Neutral observations

Goal: Not compliance—but new awareness

5. What Separates Good Coaches from Great Ones ACC-Level (Foundational Coaching)

• Focus on:
  • The problem
  • Action steps

PCC-Level (Professional Coaching)

• More:
  • Client-led direction
  • Mid-session check-ins
  • Learning awareness

MCC-Level (Master Coaching)

• Focus shifts to:
  • The person
  • Beliefs, motivations, identity
  • Internal transformation

Key Shift: From "What should you do?" → to "Who are you becoming?"

6. The Power of Learning in Coaching

• Great coaches ask:
  • "What did you learn about yourself?"
  • "What did you learn about the situation?"

Why it matters:

• Reinforces growth
• Builds confidence
• Fuels better action

7. Coaching the Whole Person (Not Just Words)

• Master-level coaching includes:
  • Tone
  • Pace
  • Energy
  • Body language

Example: "I noticed your pace picked up—what's happening there?"

8. Coaching vs. Therapy (The Line)

• Coaching may touch the past—but:
  • Doesn't stay there
  • Uses it to move forward

Key Idea: You don't ignore deeper issues—you acknowledge them so progress is possible

9. The Goal of Coaching

• Not:
  • Being right
  • Fixing everything
• But:
  • Creating value
  • Helping clients take meaningful, sustainable action

Key Takeaways

• Great coaching is built on humility, curiosity, and trust
• The client must own the solution for it to stick
• Awareness is more powerful than advice
• Master coaches focus less on problems and more on people
• Transformation happens when clients:
  • See clearly
  • Think differently
  • Act intentionally

🔗 Connect with Laura Stephens-Reed

• Website: laurastephensreed.com
• Substack: laurastephensreed.substack.com

Laura is a pastor, consultant, and mentor coach helping leaders grow in clarity, coaching skill, and leadership development.