The Coaching Lab: Evidence-Based High Performance & Wellbeing

It seems there's a person claiming to be a "coach" around every corner. But what is it like to experience a real coaching session from a credible, nationally board-certified coach with a real client? Today's episode allows you to be a fly on the wall as an experienced Catalyst Coaching 360 coach (Leigh) coaches Suzy. This is a real session. No script. No pre-planning. The real deal.

If you'd like to tap into your own, personal, nationally board-certified coach with additional specialty training in functional mental toughness & resilience, details are available here. If you've considered becoming a coach and would like to explore options through Catalyst Coaching Institute, one of the first NBHWC-approved programs that has been training coaches since 2007, you can access details here.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

What if heat, which as long been treated as something to fear—is actually one of the most accessible tools for a longer, healthier, sharper life? Bestselling Spring Chicken author Bill Gifford joins Brad Cooper to unpack his new book HotWired and the fast-growing science behind sauna use, heat exposure, and heat adaptation.

We dig into the landmark Finnish studies linking regular sauna use to dramatic drops in heart attack risk and Alzheimer's, why "moderate" beats "maximum" for many benefits, and the ideal temperature, time, and frequency Gifford would choose himself. Bill also shares how he trained his heat tolerance to conquer the brutal Hotter Than Hell 100 mile ride, what every endurance athlete should know about heat training and hydration, and why saunas may act on the brain much like antidepressants.

For coaches, athletes, and anyone chasing better long-term health, this conversation separates influencer hype from real evidence—and shows how "easily accessible discomfort" might be the upgrade your routine is missing.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

To celebrate the end of Season 8, we went back to see what was the single most popular episode out of our library of 397 episodes to date. To nobody's surprise, it was the one-and-only Dr. Bill Miller, co-creator of Motivational Interviewing. The story about how it began is fascinating, and the impact it has in the world of coaching, counseling, leadership, addiction recovery and more is powerful. Enjoy!

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

We're told that winners never quit — but what if strategic quitting is the skill high performers are missing? In this episode, Brad sits down with Lindsay Crouse, author of The Case for Quitting and former New York Times editor and writer, to challenge the "never give up" mindset that quietly works against ambitious people.

Lindsay shares her own journey from Harvard to career heights at the Times — including elevating women Olympians' voices to win maternity protections for pregnant athletes and commissioning the Times' first Academy Award–winning film — and how her superpower of relentless perseverance eventually started to undermine her performance and happiness.

Together, Lindsay and Dr. Cooper unpack how perseverance and quitting are companion behaviors, not opposites. You'll learn why "Why am I continuing?" is a more useful question than "Should I quit?", how to tell the difference between healthy drive and fear-based grinding, and how to set "kill criteria" before you're too invested to think clearly. They dig into the spotlight effect and our overblown fear of judgment, why we regret inaction more than action, and the coach's wisdom to never quit on a bad day.

Lindsay closes with a practical framework for anyone standing at a crossroads: picture the morning after you walk away, get clear on what you're moving toward (not just what you're escaping), and build a financial parachute so the choice is deliberate rather than impulsive. A must-listen for high achievers — and the coaches who guide them.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro have reshaped the weight-loss landscape almost overnight — but the way they're often prescribed leaves people under-fueled, losing muscle, and going it alone. In this episode of The Coaching Lab, host Leigh Baker sits down with National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach Erin Chain and triple-board-certified physician Dr. Sheri Poznanovic of Optin Health & Nutrition to unpack what's really happening in the GLP-1 era — and where health and wellness coaching fits into the care plan.

Together they explore why so many people on GLP-1s aren't eating or hydrating enough, how rapid weight loss can mask dangerous muscle mass loss, and why a "prescribe-and-disappear" model falls short. Dr. Poznanovic explains the multidisciplinary approach the Obesity Medicine Association recommends — combining medication, nutrition, body composition testing, VO2 max assessment, and coaching — while Erin shares real-world stories of clients navigating low energy, food noise, protein gaps, medication interactions, and the stigma of being on a GLP-1.

Whether you're a coach, a clinician, an employer weighing GLP-1 coverage, or someone considering these medications yourself, this conversation offers a grounded, human look at doing weight loss in a way that protects strength, health span, and quality of life — not just the number on the scale.

In this episode:
• Why coaching alongside a GLP-1 changes outcomes
• The under-eating and muscle-loss risks no one warns you about
• Protein targets, carbs, and why "anti-carb" advice backfires
• Body composition and VO2 max testing in weight management
• Medication interactions as you lose weight
• Navigating stigma and the joy of food
• What employers and coaches should know before adding GLP-1s

Coaches: Explore CE credits at catalystcoachinginstitute.com
Employers: Learn about Catalyst Coaching's GLP-Whole offering — [email protected]
Join us this fall at the Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium: catalystcoachinginstitute.com/retreat

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

What happens when the toolkit that built your success stops working for the life you actually want to live? In this episode, Brad Cooper sits down with Kathy Robinson — former Wall Street veteran and chief audit executive turned author and coach — for a wide-ranging, rabbit-trail conversation about reinventing the next phase of life.

After 33 years in corporate (18 on Wall Street, 15 at a Fortune 250 company), Kathy walked away at 55 — a full decade before she'd planned. Here she unpacks the messy, unmapped "liminal space" between chapters and why high achievers can't think their way through it: they have to feel their way forward.

Along the way, Brad and Kathy dig into doing "the wrong work the right way" versus "the right work the wrong way," why success can be the very thing that traps us, how longevity has quietly rewritten the entire retirement playbook, and why the smartest move isn't burning the ships — it's running parallel until you're certain. Whether you're 37 or 72, dreaming of "someday" or standing at the edge of a leap, this conversation offers a grounded, honest map for finding purpose in the years you didn't used to count on.

Kathy's advice for anyone feeling the pull but held back by responsibility: stay until you're certain, don't do anything reckless, and remember — it's not binary.

Website:  https://athenawellness.com

Free PDF: The Sage Discovery Kit: A Field Guide to Your Future Self

Book:  Walking with the Sage, A Story of Leaving Everything to Find More

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

Many coaches will back away the moment a client's voice cracks. Dr. Michael Arloski thinks that instinct — however well-intentioned — is quietly undermining the behavior change we're hired to create.

Michael has been in the wellness field since 1979. He's a licensed psychologist, a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, an ICF Professional Certified Coach, CEO of Real Balance Global Wellness Services, author of one of the foundational texts in our field (Wellness Coaching for Lasting Lifestyle Change), and the creator of the Wellness Mapping 360 model. Few people alive have watched this profession grow up the way he has.

In this conversation we get specific about the line between coaching and therapy — where it actually sits, versus where anxious coaches imagine it sits. Michael unpacks what happens to lasting change when a coach sidesteps emotional content entirely, what it looks like to tap into a client's emotion without drifting into therapy, and the go-to move he uses when a client is clearly sitting on something they haven't named. We also get into the part nobody talks about: how much of this depends on the coach's own emotional regulation and self-awareness rather than technique.

If you've ever felt under-qualified to sit with a client's emotion, this one's for you.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

Whether you're 25 or 75, protecting and enhancing your brain health matters right now. In this episode of The Coaching Lab, Dr. Brad Cooper and co-host Sabryna Liddle sit down with Trish Turo—brain health educator, researcher, yoga teacher, and National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach—for a conversation that spans every age and stage of life.

As Director of Brain Health with the Virtual Brain Health Center and Director of Wellness with Kenosis Counseling Center, Trish brings deep expertise from her work with leading digital health organizations including Noom, Hinge Health, Together Senior Health, and Linus Health. With a Master of Science in Health Psychology, she's designed behavior change programs for people across the lifespan—from authoring "A Kids Book About Healthy Habits" to building dementia-prevention programs for older adults.

Tune in to discover practical, evidence-based strategies for keeping your mind sharp, the habits that support long-term cognitive wellness, and why brain health is a lifelong pursuit worth starting today. Whether you're a coach looking to expand your impact or simply someone who wants to think clearer and live better, this is an episode you won't want to miss. As a bonus, here is link to a brand new research study Trish was involved in designing/researching.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

What do you wish someone had told you on day one of your coaching career? In this episode of The Coaching Lab, host Leigh Baker sits down with Sabryna Liddle, VP of Coaching Excellence at Catalyst Coaching 360, for a candid conversation about everything they wish they'd known as new health and wellness coaches—drawing on decades in the field since Catalyst launched in 2007.

Whether you're fresh out of your training program, prepping for your board exam, or a seasoned coach looking to grow, Leigh and Sabryna unpack the real lessons that only experience can teach:

• Why taking fewer notes can make you a more present, more effective coach
• The trap of over-structuring sessions—and how to find the right balance between framework and flexibility
• Talking less, listening more, and getting comfortable with silence
• Why you're the expert in behavior change—and how that frees you from intimidation, even with physicians and executives
• Handling "guns-blazing" clients and sensitive topics with curiosity instead of judgment
• How coaching skills transform your relationships beyond work—as a parent, spouse, and friend
• Sabryna's mantra to always be curious and experiment, and Dr. Cooper's advice to "look for the 7s"—those glimpse moments that point you toward your sweet spot

If you're a coach or aspiring coach craving an honest, encouraging conversation between two pros who've watched the industry evolve over two decades, this one's for you.

🎙️ Join us September 25–27 for the 8th Annual Coaching Retreat & Symposium in Estes Park, Colorado: catalystcoachinginstitute.com/retreat

Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Reach out at [email protected]

If this episode helped you, share it with a fellow coach and leave a review—it helps us keep these conversations coming.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more. 

Life is uncertain. How can credible, board-certified health & wellness coaches make a positive difference in the midst of the uncertainty and how might an individual personally benefit from working with a coach? From fears around AI to ongoing life transitions, wellbeing pursuits and more, we take a deep dive in this special episode, featuring Leigh Saner Baker and Sabryna Liddle.

Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ 

Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/

Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here.

YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel

Contact us: [email protected]
Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive
Website: CatalystCoaching360.com

If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218.  This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.