What do you do in the moments - or seasons - when your coaching business feels too hard?
In this episode, Ruth Saville, Alex Whitton, and Robbie Swale explore the emotional reality behind building a coaching business: the doubt, comparison, financial pressure, cancellations, unpredictability… and the unexpected beauty that sits alongside all of it.
This episode began with a simple observation: every coach goes through periods when the business feels heavy.
From there, the three of us look at what helps, what doesn’t, and what it means to keep going in a work we care deeply about.
Together we talk about:
The many moments that make coaching feel hard - and why they surprise us every time
Comparison, LinkedIn spirals, and the relief of remembering other coaches struggle too
Cancellations, no-shows, reschedules - and how to respond without collapsing inside
The very personal nature of coaching, and how easily confidence gets entangled with identity
Why ‘you have everything you need’ is easier to say to clients than to ourselves
How to navigate hard seasons with more steadiness, self-respect and perspective
What we each reach for when we hit the ‘break glass’ moment
Why the challenging parts of the journey are often where the growth is
This is an episode for coaches at every stage - whether you’re right in the middle of a difficult moment now, or you want to feel more resourced the next time you hit a wobble.
As always, we hope it helps you feel less alone and more grounded in your own path as a coach.
Oh, and if you like this, there’s a Part II coming in the new year.
Download Robbie’s ebook, An Introduction to The Coaching Business Flywheel, here.
For more information about Ruth, visit https://www.ruthsaville.co.uk/
For more information about Alex , visit http://www.exploregrowbe.com/
For more information about Robbie, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/
Read more about The Coach's Journey at www.thecoachsjourney.com.
Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQg
To support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.
THINGS WE MENTIONED THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
Free Ebook: An Introduction to the Coaching Business Flywheel: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel
Get to know Ruth better: Robbie’s interview with Ruth on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-66-ruth-saville-how-to-be-a-rebel-misbehave-more-and-set-your-sights-on-being-a-master-coach
Get to know Alex better: Robbie’s interview with Alex on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-64-alex-whitton-balancing-the-being-and-the-doing
Robbie’s Subject–Object Move Blog https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2025/4/25/the-subject-object-move-how-we-grow
Alex’s blog post on the impact of how we see difficulty - https://www.exploregrowbe.com/blog/what-is-the-impact-of-when-and-how-we-see-difficulty
Alex’s blog post on what feelings of inadequacy may be telling us - https://www.exploregrowbe.com/blog/what-can-inadequacy-tell-usnbsp
The article Robbie wrote when someone cancelled on him - How I Became a Full-Time Coach Less Than Two Years After Starting My Training: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/writing/how-i-became-a-full-time-coach-less-than-two-years-after-starting-my-training
The same article as a podcast episode: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/100-how-i-became-a-full-time-coach-less-than-two-years-after-starting-my-training
The Coaching Business Flywheel Booster Pack
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel-booster-pack
Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules For Life, and a blog Robbie wrote about it: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/4/8/failure-is-relative-and-heres-how-to-deal-with-that
Robbie’s blog: No One Can Compete With You at Being You: https://www.robbieswale.com/writing/2024/9/22/authentic-personal-branding-no-one-can-compete-with-you-at-being-you
Robbie’s new book, The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World: https://geni.us/powertochoose
The video series Robbie mentioned on Mastering Your Personal Brand: https://www.robbieswale.com/mastering-your-personal-brand
Joel Monk on The Coach’s Journey Podcast
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-6-joel-monk-conversations-at-the-cutting-edge-of-coaching
James Clear – Atomic Habits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Habits
Phil Bolton on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-2-phil-bolton-from-forensic-accountant-to-the-go-to-career-coach-in-london-and-on-to-work-with-ceos-mds-and-founders
The Coach’s Journey Intensive is part of The Coach’s Journey Community – learn more here: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/community
Julie Starr on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-58-julie-starr-the-world-works-from-the-inside-out
TCJ Short: Jennifer Garvey Berger on Comparison: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/93-how-comparison-sets-us-up-to-feel-awful-about-ourselves-tcj-short-with-jennifer-garvey-berger
The Coach’s Journey Podcast episode #99, where Joey stumps Robbie with his own question: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/99-robbie-swale-the-secrets-of-meaningful-productivity-honourable-leadership-and-tilting-the-world-towards-heaven
Joey Owen on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-59-joey-owen-you-never-know-when-the-value-of-a-coaching-session-ends
Sydney Banks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Principles_Psychology
The 3 Principles feature in this episode with Jamie Smart on The Coach’s Journey Podcast
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-16-jamie-smart
Polyvagal Theory: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/9/2/are-you-above-or-below-the-line
Robbie’s article about creating a steady stream of clients
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/writing/the-step-by-step-guide-to-finding-coaching-clients-without-feeling-icky
Joseph Cambell’s Hero’s Journey: https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2021/12/17/the-heros-journey-of-growth
Patrick Quinton Smith on The Coach’s Journey Podcast: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/107-patrick-quinton-smith-clarity-is-revealed-in-momentum-so-build-momentum-and-clarity-will-come
