The Sandy and Dave Show: Coaching Conversations for Coaches

In this episode, we revisit the 30-minute session and what to expect when you are working for one of these big coaching companies that offer only 30-minute coaching sessions. Dave dives into the research (of course he does) and Sandy has a few rants about profile photos (including her own...). SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) where do we find these 30-minute sessions - and why 30 minutes?? Sandy goes on her soapbox about coaching bios and profile photos what 30-minute session structure look like for us how coachability comes into play when working for these big coaching companies what we strive to do - and what we might skip - in these shorter sessions what advice we would give to coaches new to these platforms The study Dave mentioned: Behaviors and Structures for Coaches to Maximize Effects on Coaching, Coaching Research Institute LLP, 2013: https://researchportal.coachingfederation.org/Document/Pdf/519.pdf Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

The concept of trust and safety seems soooo simple, and yet... there is a lot to it regarding coaching conversations and how we show up for our clients! In this episode you'll hear areas of growth to consider when cultivating trust and safety, Dave's joy when it comes to word definitions, and some of Sandy's pet peeves about coaching over video. Enjoy! SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) the definitions of trust and safety rapport - is this the same as trust or safety? the ICF competency on trust and safety the National Board guidelines - do they even mention trust?? Sandy's breakdown of 3 areas to cultivate trust with clients Dave's thoughts on what he does to create trust in and out of sessions 5 things Sandy hears in student recordings relating to trust and safety Sandy's pet peeve about video environments and how this can affect a feeling of trust or safety in clients The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Markers can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers The NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines (Competencies and "Observables") can be found here: September 2022 NBWC Practical Skills Guidelines Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Wait, leading? Isn't that BAD in coaching sessions? Yes, and no. Leading *without leading* is pretty much in our job descriptions as coaches. We'll discuss this, why it can be good OR bad, and offer our two-point failsafe method to "lead without leading" that we use in our sessions. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) What do we mean by "leading"? What do we mean by "leading without leading?" What Dave prefers to call this Discussion of why this is good - and bad - and how to do it using Dave's patented "lead without leading" method Sandy shares what ICF PCC markers speak to this topic The three things Sandy hears in session reviews from new coaches How to practice this skill The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Markers can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Chemistry sessions. What are they? What should they include? What SHOULDN'T they include? And why does Sandy dislike that term, ""chemistry"" (major air quotes there)? These answers and more are discussed in this episode! Be sure to scroll down if you'd like a copy of Sandy's First Session Road Map if you need some structure to your initial sessions with potential clients. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) The purpose of chemistry sessions Length of these sessions Do we charge for these initial sessions? Structure of chemistry sessions Thoughts on coaching during this first session Thoughts on "selling" to potential clients Have we ever said "no" to a potential client? Chemistry sessions when working for a coaching company (BetterUp, Modern Health, Spring Health, AbleTo, etc) - do they even exist in this realm? If so, how are they different? People.... people who need.... people... listen to this volume UP to hear the way this song should be sung. By Jule Styne and Bob Merrill featuring the original Funny Girl herself. ICF Guidelines on referring a client to therapy NBHWC (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches) does not have any resources regarding therapy referrals that we could find. CLICK HERE for Sandy's First Session Road Map Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Let's talk LANGUAGE! We're all taught to "use your client's language", but what about the coach's language? And what if you purposefully use language that is *opposite* of the words your client just spoke, what happens then...? What the heck is NLP, anyways, and why are we obsessed with it?? All of this and more in this episode. Enjoy! SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) What's important about language in coaching sessions Thinking/feeling language How trust/rapport come into play when using language Using different language than your client - on purpose Internal vs external language Away vs towards language Flourishing vs languishing language Violent language and metaphors Cultural differences and coaching in a second language Practices for coaches to try in their sessions Holistic Coach Podcast (interview with Sandy) Introduction to NLP (book) The Power of Language Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

The new ICF Credentialing Exam is on the agenda for today! Dave is going to interview Sandy about her recent experience taking this exam, and Sandy is going to offer lots of things to consider and think about before, during, and after the exam. She also has a bright shiny new resource to help YOU prepare for this exam. Enjoy! SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) The new exam vs the old Coach Knowledge Assessment (CKA) Exam and we remember (or not) about the CKA What you need to get in order before taking the new exam What is actually IN the exam How to best prepare for the exam Sandy shares her experience in the world of proctored exams Tips for best and worst answers Sample question dissection/discussion Barriers to passing the exam BASIC INFO FROM THE ICF ICF EXAM CONTENT and SAMPLE QUESTIONS ACC PILOT EXAM INFO (Jan/Feb 2024) ACC CANDIDATE GUIDE PCC CANDIDATE GUIDE COACH THE PERSON, NOT THE PROBLEM - book by Marcia Reynolds SANDY'S 7-PAGE ICF EXAM RESOURCEPALOOZA and STUDY GUIDE Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Let's talk METAPHORS! This was a fun episode as we tried to cram in as many metaphors as we could, lol... we invite you to take a listen and write down the ones that you hear, and visit our website (no peeking!!!) to see if you got them all! SHOW FLOW and LINKS Sandy and Dave discuss why using metaphors can be really useful in coaching conversations Sandy lists a few well-known (at least here in the US) metaphors and gets into "violent" metaphors Dave talks about using a client's profession as a place to gather metaphors How *we* use metaphors in our coaching sessions How coaches can improve their metaphor use Go to our website (The Sandy and Dave Show) to see a list of all the metaphors we used in this episode! Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

What do you do when a client has a strong emotion in a session? Do you acknowledge? Offer space? Uncomfortably shift in your chair and secretly wish the session would end sooner rather than later? This episode is about how to use, deal with, and/or avoid (ok maybe not avoid) emotions that come up in coaching conversations. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) The definition of emotion Emotions vs. feelings "Faux feelings" – what are they? How to sense emotion in a client Some things that might get in the way of sensing emotions in clients How Sandy works with emotions in her sessions How Dave works with emotions in his sessions Using "neutral language" to share observations about emotions Managing strong emotions from clients during sessions What Sandy sees in student sessions when it comes to emotions Loss and grief – why these emotions come up so often in sessions. Candace Pert – The Molecules of Emotions Karla McLaren – The Language of Emotions Lisa Feldman Barrett – How Emotions are Made Emotional vocabulary/feelings wheels: Feelings and Needs Wheel created by Bret Stein (based on Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg, PhD) The Feeling Wheel by Gloria Wilcox The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Markers can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers The NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines (Competencies and "Observables") can be found here: September 2022 NBWC Practical Skills Guidelines Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

This episode is all about gratitude! What it is, how it's different from thankfulness, how to cultivate gratitude, and what toxic gratitude is (who even knew toxic gratitude was a thing??), and more. We'll also offer several gratitude practices that you can share with your clients - or make your own. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) The definition of gratitude Gratitude vs. thankfulness Gratitude and positive psychology Things that can keep us from feeling gratitude Toxic gratitude (aka "attack of the shoulds") Tools and practices to help cultivate gratitude Some excellent quotes on gratitude. Gratitude Vs. Thankfulness: Is There a Difference? Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well‐being among workers: systematic review Neural correlates of gratitude Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: A randomized controlled trial 10 Ways to Apply the 3-To-1 Positivity Ratio Mel Robbins - Toxic Positivity Tara Brach - Gratitude: Entering Sacred Relationship Hidden Brain (2 episodes): https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/where-gratitude-gets-you/ https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-enemies-of-gratitude/ Ideas for appreciation Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com

Let's wrap it up! With kittens! This episode is about how to properly and gracefully close a coaching session, and hopefully Sandy's orange boy cats will behave during the recording... This Episode is part of our "Coaching Session Structure" series, where we will lead you through a coaching session's structure. Check out Part One, How to Start a Session, and the rest of the previous episodes to catch up. SHOW FLOW and LINKS Dave shares some ICF (International Coach Federation) competencies regarding closing a session Sandy talks about the NBHWC (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches) Practical Skills Guidelines and closing a session What to cover when closing a session What to do when a client "reopens" a topic at the end of a session What to do when you are running out of time in a session What Sandy sees in student sessions when it comes to closing a session How Dave and Sandy close their sessions. The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Markers can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers The NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines (Competencies and "Observables") can be found here: September 2022 NBWC Practical Skills Guidelines Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Let's make a plan! This episode is all about helping your client plan action steps/goals, accountability, and support with those goals. This Episode is part of our "Coaching Session Structure" series, where we will be leading you through the structure of a coaching session. Be sure to check out Part One, How to Start a Session, and the following episodes to get all caught up. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) Dave shares the ICF (International Coach Federation) competency "Facilitating Client Growth" and the three markers that speak to planning and support Sandy talks about the NBHWC (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches) Practical Skills Guidelines How to move from evoking awareness to planning and support Getting specific with action steps – if there are any! Accountability and finding a way to be accountable that does *not* include the coach How to navigate this stage of a coaching conversation within the confines of a 30-minute session What WE do in our sessions during planning and support The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Competencies (8) and Markers (37) can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers The NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines (Competencies and "Observables") can be found here: September 2022 NBWC Practical Skills Guidelines Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Evoking awareness is the "meat" of the any coaching session! We got lots to say (as always) about this topic, and here we give our thoughts and tips on how to work on this important skill. This Episode is part of our "Coaching Session Structure" series, where we will be leading you through the structure of a coaching session. Be sure to check out Part One, How to Start a Session, and the following episodes to get all caught up. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) What is evoking awareness? Dave shares the ICF definition Some examples of how evoking awareness shows up in a session How curiosity comes into play when it comes to evoking awareness Some skills and techniques that are useful for evoking awareness Tips for new coaches to improve this skill How evoking awareness shows up in the NBHWC (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches) Practical Skills Guidelines (linked below) The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Competencies (8) and Markers (37) can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers The NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines (Competencies and "Observables") can be found here: September 2022 NBWC Practical Skills Guidelines Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

What is the "topic" or "focus" of a session? Isn't this the same as the "agenda" or "agreement"…? Let's compare the ICF and NB competencies and figure out how to set a good agenda/agreement! This Episode is part of our "Coaching Session Structure" series, where we will be leading you through the structure of a coaching session. Be sure to check out Part One, How to Start a Session. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) Dave explains what we mean by the "topic" or "focus" of a session How we as coaches can help clients unearth what's beneath the topic Explanations of the terms agenda, agreement (and later, contract!) Sandy and Dave compare the ICF (International Coaching Federation) Competency 3: "Establishes and Maintains Agreements" and its 4 markers VS the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC) Practical Skills Guidelines for agenda (see below for links to both of these resources) Things for new coaches to consider when setting the agenda/agreement Our thoughts and experiences when setting agendas The ICF PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Competencies (8) and Markers (37) can be found here: November 2020 ICF PCC Markers The NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines (Competencies and "Observables") can be found here: September 2022 NBWC Practical Skills Guidelines JUST STOP IT !!!!!!! (what our sessions really look like) 😉 Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Welcome to a special episode of The Sandy and Dave Show! Gather 'round the fire and listen to our tales of "nightmare clients", why some of these clients might actually be uncoachable, and how Dave misses Sandy's reference from 2001: A Space Odyssey at the top of the episode. Spoiler alert: We believe that there's no such thing as a "nightmare" client, however, there may be uncoachable clients. Everything else may be an indicator that the coach needs to do some work on themselves to get to a place where they can meet their clients in whatever challenging situations may appear in their coaching conversations. Some examples of clients we discuss include: the talker the one-word responder the emotional client the UNemotional client the wandering agenda client the no-show ....and lots more! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it - and be sure to head on over to our website to see our costumes (if you want to be truly frightened by some bad wig action). Happy Halloween everyone! Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Special thanks to Purple Planet for our spooooky Intro music, and thanks as always to JuliusH for our Outro music.

What is the best way to open a session? With breathing exercises, grounding exercises, checking in – or none of the above? We got some pet peeves to share here as well as good practices for keeping a session 100% client-led from the very start. This Episode is part of our "Coaching Session Structure" series, where we will be leading you through the structure of a coaching session. Stay tuned for Episode 6, where we will talk about the Topic/Focus and Agenda/Agreement of a session. SHOW FLOW and LINKS (some may be affiliate links) Starting a session starts BEFORE the session Our thoughts on "chit-chat" at the start of a session Sandy's pet peeve that many new coaches do at the start of a session (rant warning!) Skillfully asking about progress/checking in at the top of a session Some things Sandy sees when reviewing student sessions Dave's thoughts on starting a session when you only have 30 minutes (spoiler alert: skip the chit-chat!) We share some examples of "good session openers" Health Coach Training Institute (If you are a new-ish coach looking to start or further your ICF training, ask about the "Advanced" course – there is also a basic course for those who are beginning their coaching journey) Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

How do we know when a person is "coachable"? What are the essential traits of a truly coachable client? What is the "coachability index", and who the heck is this Thomas J. Leonard guy, anyways?? These questions and many, many, more are answered in this episode. SHOW FLOW and LINKS What is coachability? Thomas J. Leonard's "Coachability Index" – his 10 questions that he asked all potential clients Sandy's thoughts on TTM (Trans-theoretical Model aka Stages of Change) and coachability Dave's experience with coachable clients in working for a coaching company What we look for in potential clients in terms of coachability Thomas J. Leonard's Coachability Index Research and thoughts on coachability: Forbes: What is Coachability and How Can I Embrace It? Forbes: Why Genuine Coachability Matters and How to Achieve It European Mentoring and Coaching Council: How Coachability is Defined by Coaches Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Things every brand new coach should know before embarking on a coaching career, including the "CYA (Cover Your A**) Trifecta", Dave sharing some math fun (much to Sandy's chagrin), and Sandy singing AGAIN (much to David's chagrin). SHOW FLOW and LINKS The essentials that need to be considered if you are a new coach setting up your business Dave shares some thoughts on math(s) and making money as a new coach The average rates companies pay coaches (fall 2022) Sandy shares what to look out (sneaky employers!) for when job searching Where the money is in the coaching world The basics of what you need to get started if you are "going it alone" Sandy's "CYA Trifecta" to protect your business Our thoughts on websites and what to have even if your website is a one-pager The importance of finding your way of communication and marketing in a way that's fun and authentic to you Thoughts on continuing education and certifications What to NOT get caught up in when starting your coaching business Passive action vs. Massive action What worked for us when we first started out What didn't work for us when we first started out Our thoughts, tips, and resources LINKS (some may be affiliate links, we thank you for your support!) Insurance – Sandy uses CM&F Group – there are others out there that work well for coaches Client agreement – there are many examples out there, here's one from the ICF Lisa Fraley has a lot of resources on her website Website Building/Graphics&Logos: Wix WordPress Kajabi MailChimp 99Designs Fivver Upwork Scheduling platform: Practice Better Peer Coaching: ReciproCoach State laws for health coaches (Council of Holistic Health Educators) Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Should you have a coach if you are a coach? Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes, you should. Every good (and great) coach has at least one mentor, business, or another type of coach to help them work on coaching skills as well as personal issues. SHOW FLOW and LINKS The three types of coaching you can get as a coach What mentoring coach is – and isn't! Some bad habits Sandy and Dave worked through with the help of a mentor coach An important skill that we didn't learn in our coach training that we later learned with a mentor; other skills we improved after working with a mentor Why working with more than one mentor coach can be helpful Why personal development is just as important as working on coaching skills How emotions, energy and intuition can help – or hinder – your coaching What Sandy sees when reviewing student PSA (Practical Skills Assessments) and how coaching can help Benefits of working with a mentor one-on-one vs. in groups When mentor coaching is a requirement How group mentor coaching works How to find a mentor coach Things that could get in a coach's way when it comes to getting coached themselves RaeNotes Transcription tool for coaches ICF "Find a Coach" tool Better yet, work with one of us! Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!

Demonstrating all of those coaching competencies in a short amount of time can be a challenge, but it can be done! We'll walk through just how to do this; we'll also talk about the 30-minute coaching session in a workplace/corporate environment, share our tips for coaches to feel more comfortable in these short sessions, and more. SHOW FLOW and LINKS Sandy talks about PSAs for health coaches NOTE – the NBHWC has changed its guidelines for PSAs; there are now 18 skills that new health coaches should strive to demonstrate (changed from 17 as Sandy mentions in this episode). Your coach training organization PSA guidelines may offer slightly different skill markers or competencies for their training purposes. Current NBHWC Skills Guidelines can be found here (2022) Sandy speaks of the importance of having a "good PSA client" The most important thing Sandy thinks you can do during a 30-minute session (ANY session, really!) The issues Sandy sees when reviewing PSAs Sandy's pet peeve about reflections and summaries Sandy's top three tips when recording a 30-minute PSA Dave talks about 30-minute sessions when working for a coaching company Dave's explanation of how this all works and the types of clients he works with How Dave navigates sessions when clients just want information, not "proper" coaching How Dave's private practice clients differ from the clients acquired through coaching companies What happens when Dave runs out of time with those 30-minute clients – is he stressed and feeling the pressure? Does the client notice or care if markers/competencies are demonstrated? Dave's top three tips for a coach starting work for a coaching company that offers 30-minute sessions Dave shares some research on where the 30-minute session time length came from. ICF Research Another research project and findings Keith Webb – shorter, more frequent sessions are better Find Dave at coachdshen.com Find Sandy at swansoncoaching.com Visit The Sandy and Dave Show website Intro and outro music by JuliusH. Thanks Julius!