Scaling the Human Center: Tim Harrison on AI and the Future of Coaching

On this episode of the Coaching Studio, Tim Harrison, founder and CEO of the Coaching Innovation Lab, joins Lyssa deHart to explore what AI is changing in coaching, and what still requires a human being. Tim shares his path from Division I basketball into coaching and psychology, shaped by an early experience of being coached during a major identity shift. That origin story informs his focus on widening access to meaningful developmental support.

A core thread is scale without losing the human center. Tim describes building EPOG Academy and running into the practical limits of time and cost, then discovering how quickly AI could expand access when used thoughtfully. He argues that for many people the real comparison is not “AI vs. a human coach,” it’s “some support vs. none,” and he’s candid about the disruption that creates for the profession.

The conversation turns practical: how coaches can use AI without getting diluted. Tim shares what research suggests about AI’s “compression effect,” why authenticity matters (people want your voice, not generic polish), and why hybrid models are likely. He offers two frameworks coaches can apply immediately: his “Four A’s of Innovation” (automation, augmentation, amplification, adaptation) and a “Model T” mindset, rethinking the work rather than just bolting AI onto old workflows. The episode closes with Tim’s spoken word piece, “Final Slumber,” a reflection on mortality, meaning, and choosing a life that’s lived on purpose.

Season 5

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC
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Website Lyssa deHart

Producer: Michele Logan

Video Editor: Sebastian Crespo

Social Media: Lizana Guillen

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

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