The Confident Coaching Podcast

Balance is never really the goal- it's learning how and when each part of you takes priority. In this episode, Gillian talks about what it actually looks like to hold the identities of coach, business owner, and mother at the same time, without trying to do it all at once (or trying to do it like you did before kids)

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why "balance" is the wrong word for what you're actually trying to do, and what makes more sense
• How social media f*cks with our idea of what motherhood and running a business actually looks like
• The uncomfortable money conversation you might have to have with your partner
• How to make space for the parts of you that are neither "coach" nor "mother," and why that space is what makes you good at both

Plus: Gillian shared the pivot she's making in her own business to help mothers grow their businesses as nutrition and fitness coaches.

Connect with Gillian:📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri⁠⁠⁠📧 Email list: ⁠https://bitesize.kit.com/baby ⁠

Email Gillian directly: [email protected]

If you started your coaching business before you had a baby, you are not in the same position as coaches who started their business after having kids.

And I don't think we talk enough about the growing pains of what it takes to run a business AND be a parent at the same time.

In this episode:

• what actually happens to a nutrition or fitness coaching business when a baby enters the picture
• guilt and shame around not being able to do things in the same way as before baby
• the identity shifts that need to happen and the frustration
• why the solution is often surrender instead of trying to control
  

Connect with me on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri⁠⁠

5 Communication Mistakes Coaches Make That Hold Back Client Results (free training): https://bitesize.kit.com/lit 

Enquire about 1.1 mentorship: https://forms.gle/TMjm33awjU7Juc767 

Your client ghosted their check-in again. Or they showed up, said all the right things, "yes, totally doable," and then... nothing changed. And now you're lying awake wondering if you're actually a bad coach.

In this episode I'm breaking down what's actually going on when a client isn't getting results, why it triggers this weird two-headed fear (what if they find out I suck, what if I actually do suck), and the belief that changed how I coach entirely: your clients are autonomous human beings, and their results are not your responsibility.

But — and this is the part coaches skip — that doesn't mean you're off the hook completely. There's a real difference between "I'm holding space and my client isn't ready" and "I've been quietly trying to control every move they make because their lack of progress makes me anxious." We're getting into both.

• [00:41] The two fears underneath every "my client didn't get results" spiral (hint: one's about your reputation, one's about your competence)
• [03:22] Why your clients being autonomous adults changes what you're actually responsible for as a coach
• [04:07] The boundary every coach needs: what's your end of the bargain, really?
• [05:28] Scenario 1 — when it might actually be on you (overdirecting, over-tweaking, treating coaching like control)
• [07:46] Scenario 2 — when you've done everything right and they still can't take action, and what to do with that
• [10:11] My honest take: your client's lack of results might be your fault if you're doing this one thing
• [10:47] The COM-B model — capability, opportunity, motivation — and why it matters more than your plan
• [11:20] Sitting with the discomfort of not being able to control people (and why that's the actual work)
• [12:08] What to do instead: reflect, adjust, and stop just buying more courses

Confident Coaching Pathway interest list: https://bitesize.kit.com/ccp26 

(free podcast series) Five Communication Mistakes Coaches Make That Hold Back Client Results: https://bitesize.kit.com/lit 

The Confident Coaching Pathway is my small-group mentorship for coaches. We build out your onboarding, check-ins, goal setting, and progress tracking — without leaning on macro tracking or the scale to prove your coaching works. You'll leave with motivational interviewing skills, better-worded intake forms, and a way to support client autonomy so you're not chasing people down or force-feeding them a plan.

Questions? Send me a DM on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri 

Confident Coaching Podcast is hosted by Gillian Bennett, a coach mentor helping fitness and nutrition coaches move away from control-based coaching and toward client-centered, autonomy-supportive practice.

Keywords: client not getting results, coach imposter syndrome, client accountability coaching, why clients don't follow through, client autonomy in coaching, motivational interviewing for coaches, COM-B model behavior change, confident coaching pathway

The coaching alliance matters more than what you know...

In this episode:

• What the coaching alliance actually is and why it matters for client results
• What it looks like when the alliance is weak- clients holding back, coaching that feels like pulling teeth, ghosting
• Why positioning yourself as "the expert" or "the savior" can undermine client autonomy
• Two sides to listening better

• The difference between healthy personal disclosure and making the conversation about you

If you'd love to build your own repeatable coaching flow so you can stop recreating the wheel for every client (or over-rely on macros and numerical data for results), this is exactly what we work on inside my group mentorship, the Confident Coaching Pathway.

Get on the interest list here: https://bitesize.kit.com/ccp26

Free private podcast series (Five communication mistakes coaches don't realize they're making): https://bitesize.kit.com/lit⁠ 

This episode is a peek into my new private podcast series to help coaches develop the most important skillset a coach can have... communication.

In this episode, you'll hear the first mistake in the podcast series, and if you'd like to access the other four communication mistakes + fixes (plus a bonus episode) ⬇️

Get the private podcast series here: https://bitesize.kit.com/lit 

Connect with Gillian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri

In this episode, Gillian breaks down why the "tell it like it is" approach to coaching tends to backfire, what's really going on when a client says they want tough love, and what to do instead when a client is frustrated with their lack of progress.

In this episode:

• Why tough love produces short-term behavior change at best, and shame at worst
• What it usually signals when a coach feels the urge to "have a come-to-Jesus conversation"
• The difference between introjected motivation and genuine, lasting behavior change
• How to use the spirit of motivational interviewing (partnership, acceptance, compassion, empowerment) to have honest, direct conversations without the fallout
• A real example of how to reframe a frustrating client conversation

Resources mentioned:

• Free client communication guide with MI basics: https://bitesize.ck.page/4a43f6f9a2 
• Confident Coaching Pathway — https://bitesize.kit.com/ccpapril
• 1:1 mentorship with Gillian — DM on Instagram to chat

In this episode, I’m breaking down what structure really looks like in a one-on-one coaching setting...

and why trying to force week-by-week curriculum into personalized coaching can create friction in the coaching relationship.
Structure in 1:1 coaching isn’t about rigid timelines or delivering new education every week.

It’s about creating systems, touchpoints, and flow that allow you to be responsive without feeling reactive

Inside this episode, we cover:

• Why “week 1, week 2, week 3” coaching models don’t work in 1:1 settings
• The difference between structure vs. rigidity (and why that matters for client results)
• How to create coaching that feels personalized and repeatable
• What actually should stay consistent across all clients (and what shouldn’t)
• Why over-education is often a sign of missing coaching skills—not lack of knowledge

• A simple shift to help you build flexible structure with continuity in your check-ins and coaching process

Want support building this into your coaching?

Enquire about 1.1 mentorship: https://forms.gle/TMjm33awjU7Juc767 

Confident Coaching Pathway waitlist: https://bitesize.kit.com/ccpapril

Free coaching tips/insights in your inbox weekly: https://bitesize.ck.page/coach

Almost every coach I've ever mentored has had the thought "am I doing enough?" pop up... and in this episode we're going to talk about what that actually means and if you are truly doing enough... or not.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why the “I’m not doing enough” feeling is so common in coaches
• How traditional coaching models reinforce over-delivering
• Why giving more plans, tools, and information often backfires
• Why accountability isn't what clients actually need

• What’s really going on when clients aren’t following through
• A simple reframe to help you stop second-guessing yourself as a coach

Links & Resources:
Join the Confident Coaching Pathway interest list: https://bitesize.kit.com/ccpapril
Want weekly coaching tips in your inbox? https://bitesize.ck.page/coach

Follow me on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri

Caring about helping other people is often why we get into coaching in the first place, but without emotional regulation and structure, it can lead to burnout, anxiety, and feeling like coaching is taking over your life.

In this episode, I break down what’s missing and how to support your clients without sacrificing your own well-being.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why caring more doesn’t always make you a better coach

• How emotional regulation changes the way you show up with clients
• The difference between reactive coaching vs. structured coaching
• What a flexible (but consistent) coaching framework actually looks like
• Key systems coaches need for stability in coaching: onboarding, goal setting, check-ins, and offboarding
• How to stop reinventing your approach for every client

👉 Join the interest list for the Confident Coaching Pathway: https://bitesize.kit.com/ccpapril
👉 Just want to stay in touch? Join my email list for free client/coach resources: https://bitesize.ck.page/coach

Or send me a DM on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri

Many coaches come to me because they've reached a point where selling fat loss no longer feels aligned… but they also aren’t sure how to clearly communicate what their coaching actually helps clients achieve.

In this episode, we break down the concept of a program promise and why it’s the missing link between your coaching philosophy and your marketing message.

In this episode, we cover:

• What a program promise actually is (and what it’s not)
• The difference between tangible outcomes and emotional outcomes in your messaging
• Why terms like food freedom or relationship with food might confuse potential clients
• How unclear messaging creates expectation mismatches with new clients
• A simple exercise to help you identify the visible changes your clients experience after coaching

Interest list for the Confident Coaching Pathway: https://bitesize.kit.com/ccpapril

Weekly coaching tips in your inbox:
https://bitesize.ck.page/coach

Send me a DM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitesizenutri