The AC Podcast

This is no ordinary episode! This week we hit a remarkable milestone: 300 consecutive weekly episodes without missing a single Monday and to celebrate, the podcast team, Maxine Bell, Smaranda Dochia and Rob Lawrence look back on six extraordinary years of the Association for Coaching podcast. Together they reflect on a journey that has brought together 295 guests, 26 guest hosts, and 33 coaching topics, such as health and wellbeing; marketing; mental health; technology and innovation; creativity; leadership; neurodiversity in the workplace; climate coaching; love; coaching outdoors and getting started as a coach. What began as a show dedicated to the coaching profession has grown into something far greater: a thriving global community where connections, collaborations, and even five international conferences have been sparked by the conversations hosted here. As one listener put it: "I honestly think the podcasts from the Association for Coaching are some of the best quality and content I have ever come across. The range of topics you offer is huge and so relevant to my coaching practice." That spirit of breadth, quality, relevance and genuine usefulness is exactly what this episode celebrates. We have always believed that coaches deserve a space to feel less alone in their practice, a place that champions professionalism, ethics, reflection and growth but also recognises the everyday lives and practice of coaches across the world. And now, to honour everything the podcast has become, comes an exciting new chapter. From this episode, the show officially rebrands as Coaching Voices: The Association for Coaching Podcast. This new name better reflects its inclusive, diverse, and global reach, and the many coaches it has helped find their own authentic voice within the profession. With new hosts, new topics, and the ever evolving coaching landscape ahead, including AI, systemic change, and much more, the team is as committed as ever to meaningful conversations. New episodes drop every Monday on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. We look forward to the next 300! You will learn: · How six years of consistent, weekly conversations have shaped and strengthened the global coaching community. · Why platforming diverse voices — across backgrounds, topics, and experiences — lies at the heart of everything the podcast stands for. · What's next for Coaching Voices, and how you can be part of the next 300 episodes, as a guest or host. "What I find particularly meaningful about this podcast is that it's never been just one voice or one perspective; it's always been a platform for many voices across the coaching profession." Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-special-episodes-300-coaching-voices

Have you ever felt the weight of being the "strong one" — the person everyone else leans on, while you quietly wonder who you can lean on? In episode 2 of our Coaching Men podcast series, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Vicky Kelly, a coach who has spent over 15 years specialising in working with men. Vicky shares how, after launching her coaching business in 2009, she found herself naturally drawn to male clients and discovered a profound gap in the support available to them. Her insights into why men often delay seeking help, and what happens when they finally do, are both eye-opening and deeply human. Vicky works primarily with high-performing professionals and CEOs, who from the outside, appear to have it all together. But beneath the success, many are running on empty, held back by invisible pressures: societal expectations around strength and vulnerability, stress responses that hijack their best thinking, and long-held stories about who they are and what they deserve. Vicky explains her approach of building genuine psychological safety, regulating the nervous system, and gently but powerfully challenging the narratives that keep her clients stuck. The conversation also ventures beyond the boardroom. What happens when you've climbed the ladder and find yourself asking, "Is this it?" Vicky shares how she helps clients reconnect with forgotten passions and rediscover who they are outside of their professional identity. She also introduces her upcoming group programme, The Capacity Project, designed to help high performers sustain their success without burning out. You will learn: · The Safe Space Paradox - Men are often slower to seek coaching but once they commit, they go all in. · How your nervous system is running the show. Vicky's work with high performers isn't just about strategy; it's about helping men to learn to regulate themselves, so they can actually access the best of their thinking. · Questioning the Stories We Tell Ourselves Vicki offers a deceptively simple but powerful question to start dismantling them: "What am I believing here that might not be 100% true?" "So, it's multiple different demands and a lack of resources: how do I carry myself through all of this without dropping the plates that are spinning or without just sort of spontaneously combusting?" Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-coaching-men-safe-space-high-performing-leaders

In this episode of our Day in the Life podcast series, we meet Françoise Olivier, a life coach who specialises in supporting adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs). Françoise brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work, having grown up with a father who was alcohol dependent, she understands firsthand the deep and often invisible marks that a parent's addiction can leave. With warmth and honesty, she shares her personal journey alongside practical insights, creating a conversation that is moving and informative. Françoise explores the lasting traits many ACOAs carry into adulthood — hypervigilance, low self-worth, shame, and a disconnection from their own needs — and how these patterns, once understood, can become the foundation for profound transformation. She speaks candidly about the ongoing, daily nature of healing: learning to ask what she actually wants, unpicking long-held beliefs, and choosing to own her story with pride rather than embarrassment. She also highlights the vital distinction between coaching and therapy, and the importance of trauma awareness in holding a truly supportive space for clients. Crucially, Françoise celebrates the superpowers that so many ACOAs develop: the resilience, empathy, and strength that emerge from navigating such complex childhoods. Françoise also reminds us, community is everything. Discovering organisations like NACOA (the National Association for Children of Alcoholics) was a turning point for her where she recognised that she was not alone and had nothing to be ashamed of. It's a message she now carries into her coaching practice every day, helping clients move from pain to purpose, and from silence to self-compassion. An inspiring conversation from a coach walking her talk with courage and care. You will learn: · Healing starts with owning your story. For many ACOAs, shame and secrecy are heavy burdens carried for years. Françoise's own turning point came when she chose to step into her story with pride. · Some of the traits developed in survival can become our superpowers. · The unique power of working with a coach who shares a similar background where the story doesn't always need to be told from the beginning, because the coach simply gets it. 'I want to make sure that when I am working with other ACOAs that, not only are we acknowledging what's happened in the past, but celebrating all the brilliant, wonderful things, and the superpowers that we've developed as well.' Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel_day-in-the-life-of-coaches-adult-children-of-alcoholics-trauma-aware

In episode 6 of our Coaching for Health and Wellbeing podcast series, hosts Ana Paula Nacif and Christian van Nieuwerburgh are joined by GP and positive psychology coach, Dr Amrita Sen Mukherjee, who supports healthcare professionals and coaches to prioritise their own wellbeing. Drawing on her personal journey through grief and health struggles, Amrita offers a candid and deeply human perspective on why those who dedicate their lives to caring for others so often neglect themselves. The conversation explores the cultural norms within helping professions, including coaches, that have historically placed the needs of others above the practitioner's own, and why this is both unsustainable and ethically problematic. A central thread throughout the episode is the power of reflective practice and self-compassion. Amrita discusses how metacognitive awareness — the ability to observe and examine your own thinking and emotional responses — can uncover blind spots and unconscious patterns that affect both personal wellbeing and professional effectiveness. She challenges the stigma that many healthcare professionals feel around seeking help, reminding us that professional identity should never become a barrier to accessing support. The hosts also explore the role of emotional literacy, meaningful connection, and the importance of understanding that wellbeing naturally fluctuates over time. The episode rounds out with a rich discussion on the ethical dimensions of coaching, including the ongoing debate around regulation of the profession. Amrita emphasises that transparency, ongoing reflection, and creating intentional space to reconnect with your personal identity are not luxuries, but necessities for anyone in a caring role. You will learn: · You cannot pour from an empty cup. Sustainable, empathetic care for others is only possible when practitioners actively tend to their own wellbeing. · Reflective practice and self-compassion are essential core skills. · Why professional identity can be a barrier to getting help. "I just felt that there was something in my medical practice that didn't allow me to really and truly connect with people and understand them in a way that I can now." Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-coaching-for-health-and-wellbeing-self-compassion-reflective-practice

How do you move from telling your team what to do to truly empowering them? In this episode host, Rosie Nice sits down with Jan Doyle, a specialist in leadership coaching and organizational development, to explore what it really takes to embed coaching into teams and organizations. Jan demystifies the idea of a coaching culture, drawing a clear distinction between professional, 'pure' coaching and the everyday coaching approaches leaders and managers can use to unlock performance. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful mindset shift: moving from telling people what to do to asking the kinds of questions that help them think, learn and take ownership. Jan highlights the conditions that allow coaching to thrive, particularly psychological safety, empathy and a genuine commitment to growth. She explains that when leaders take a coaching approach, feedback lands differently: people are not only more open to hearing it, but they also understand its purpose and see its value for their own development. Jan shares common challenges such as securing senior management buy-in and overcoming resistance to change and illustrates her points with real-world examples. She also highlights practical strategies and ongoing support that help coaching habits stick, reinforcing her key advice: ask, don't tell. This approach empowers teams, drives growth, and demonstrates that coaching skills have value not just at work, but in personal and professional relationships more broadly. You will learn: · Why building a coaching culture starts with a shift from directive leadership to curiosity and questions. · How psychological safety, empathy and a coaching style help people recognise the value of feedback for their growth. · Simple, practical ways to embed coaching habits into everyday management and overcome resistance to change. "It's shifting from telling to asking and applying the principles of coaching without being a true coach: about using that coaching approach in the workplace." Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-building-coaching-cultures-practical-tips-insights-leadership **Join us for the AC 2026 Global Conference: 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 - a two-day virtual event for leaders and coaches who want to build thriving, high-performing organizations.

The second episode of Building Successful Coaching Cultures explores what it really takes to embed a coaching culture inside a high-performance sales environment. Host Rosie Nice is joined by Jo Richards, Head of Education at L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty, who shares her first-hand experience of shifting sales leadership from a traditional, directive management style to a sustainable coaching-led approach. Together, they unpack the realities of introducing coaching within fast-paced, target-driven teams—without compromising commercial results. Jo discussed the cultural and practical challenges faced when embedding coaching at scale, from gaining senior stakeholder buy-in to supporting middle managers as they develop new coaching capabilities. She explains how a clear vision and the MAGIC coaching model helped them weave coaching conversations into everyday sales practice, performance management, and team leadership. The conversation highlights how engaging every level of the organisation is critical to building trust, accountability, and long-term career development. This episode is packed with practical insights for leaders, coaches, and organisations looking to build a strong coaching culture that drives both people development and business performance. Jo shares actionable advice on training managers, sustaining momentum through ongoing learning, and balancing coaching with ambitious sales targets—demonstrating how coaching can enhance team dynamics, strengthen relationships, and support consistent high performance over time. You will learn: · How to successfully transition from directive management to a coaching-based leadership approach in high-performance sales teams · The business and people benefit of introducing a coaching culture in the workplace · Practical ways to integrate coaching into everyday leadership and performance conversations "The goal is still the same. You need to hit your sales targets—nothing changes, just your approach." Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-building-coaching-cultures-high-performance-sales-teams **Join us for the AC 2026 Global Conference: 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 - a two-day virtual event for leaders and coaches who want to build thriving, high-performing organizations.

In this episode of our A Day in the Life series, host Maxine Bell interviews new coaches and life partners Amanda Pennington and Chris Bibbo. They share their journeys into coaching after long careers in the nonprofit sector and reflect on how coaching supported them through major life transitions, including a bold move from the USA to Portugal. The conversation offers an honest, inspiring look at how coaching helped them navigate uncertainty, personal change, and professional reinvention. Amanda and Chris also speak candidly about the realities of building a coaching practice, from attracting clients to hosting their first live offering, the Life Blueprint Workshop, where they found immense joy witnessing their clients' breakthroughs. They explore the emotional heart of coaching, emphasizing self-awareness, courage and compassion to help clients find purpose and meaning in their lives. Their story highlights how coaching is not only a professional path but a powerful tool for resilience, growth, and meaningful connection — for both clients and coaches. Amanda and Chris's warmth and passion for coaching will encourage new coaches, enthuse experienced coaches and ignite those of you looking for authentic, meaningful coaching. You will learn: · Coaching is an impactful, supportive tool for courage and resilience in life transitions. · Building a coaching business requires persistence, experimentation, and a willingness to learn through doing. · How coaching assists, us to listen to our courageous hearts, and not just our 'monkey minds.' 'Seeing a client's life open up brings me so much life. It's an honour and a privilege to be part of that.' Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel_day-in-the-life-of-coaches-new-coaches-transitions-growth

In this solo closing episode of the Love in Coaching series, Helena Clayton weaves together the key themes from previous conversations, reflecting on how coaching is evolving beyond performance-driven outcomes towards deeper, more human-centred practice. She explores the importance of coaches doing their own inner work — developing self-awareness and understanding how personal histories and relationships with love shape the way we coach. Helena considers the ethical and relational implications of bringing love into coaching, including flexible contracting, empathy, and the courage required to work more boldly in organisational contexts. She also reflects on gender dynamics, particularly the role of men supporting men in this work and invites coaches to consider whether explicitly naming love is necessary — or whether it can be embodied through practice. The episode widens the lens to include broader social, global, and spiritual perspectives, highlighting love's connection to meaning and presence in coaching. The episode concludes with practical reflections on how love can be embodied through care, deep listening, and acceptance, alongside book, podcast, and workshop recommendations and an invitation for listener engagement — affirming love's growing significance in coaching practice and the wider world. You will learn · How coaching has evolved from performance focused to deeper explorations of identity, meaning and human connection and why love is involved · Why coach's self-awareness and inner work are essential to understanding how love shows up in practice · Bringing love into coaching requires ethical courage, relational sensitivity and awareness of wider social and spiritual contexts "I have a feeling that conversations about love are the most important ones to be having right now." Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content. For the episode resources and guest bio, please visit: https://www.associationforcoaching.com/page/dl-hub_podcast-channel-love-in-coaching-love-matters-leadership