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Expert Series

The Generosity Flywheel: How Free Work Builds a Thriving Consulting Business

Kate Sargent | KJS & The Plus One Collective

Description:

91% of solopreneur consultants fail in their first year. The usual advice is to hustle harder on business development. Kate Sargent's approach is the opposite: give your best work away for free, on your terms, and let that generosity become the engine that drives paid work.

In this Expert Series conversation, Kate introduces the Generosity Flywheel, a dual-purpose model where strategic pro bono work simultaneously creates social impact and builds your business pipeline. She explains how to structure free engagements so they generate case studies, testimonials, and referrals without crossing into being taken advantage of. She also shares the vision behind the Plus One Collective, a community of purpose-driven consultants building toward a B Corp-style certification for independent practitioners who give back in measurable ways.

generosity flywheel, consulting, solopreneur, purpose-driven business, pro bono, B Corp, career coaching

The Generosity Flywheel: How Free Work Builds a Thriving Consulting Business

Kate Sargent | KJS & The Plus One Collective

Description:

91% of solopreneur consultants fail in their first year. The usual advice is to hustle harder on business development. Kate Sargent's approach is the opposite: give your best work away for free, on your terms, and let that generosity become the engine that drives paid work.

In this Expert Series conversation, Kate introduces the Generosity Flywheel, a dual-purpose model where strategic pro bono work simultaneously creates social impact and builds your business pipeline. She explains how to structure free engagements so they generate case studies, testimonials, and referrals without crossing into being taken advantage of. She also shares the vision behind the Plus One Collective, a community of purpose-driven consultants building toward a B Corp-style certification for independent practitioners who give back in measurable ways.

generosity flywheel, consulting, solopreneur, purpose-driven business, pro bono, B Corp, career coaching

Stop Selling Hot Water: Messaging That Actually Lands Coaching Clients

Cathy Smith | Cathy Smith Coaching, Author of Coaches Marketing Roadmap

Description:

Most coaches describe what they do in language so broad it could apply to anyone. The result is that it resonates with no one. Cathy Smith, a marketing strategist with 35 years of experience and an ICF-certified business coach, calls this "selling hot water" instead of a specific drink someone actually wants.

In this Expert Series session, Cathy dismantles four common messaging myths that keep coaches invisible: that you need to speak to everyone, that narrowing your problem turns people away, that your solution has to sound unique, and that sharing a clear destination means clients will just do it themselves. Using client stories and sharp analogies, she walks through a simple framework for getting specific about who you help, the problem you solve, and why someone should act now.

coaching business, marketing, messaging, niching, visibility, client acquisition

Stop Selling Hot Water: Messaging That Actually Lands Coaching Clients

Cathy Smith | Cathy Smith Coaching, Author of Coaches Marketing Roadmap

Description:

Most coaches describe what they do in language so broad it could apply to anyone. The result is that it resonates with no one. Cathy Smith, a marketing strategist with 35 years of experience and an ICF-certified business coach, calls this "selling hot water" instead of a specific drink someone actually wants.

In this Expert Series session, Cathy dismantles four common messaging myths that keep coaches invisible: that you need to speak to everyone, that narrowing your problem turns people away, that your solution has to sound unique, and that sharing a clear destination means clients will just do it themselves. Using client stories and sharp analogies, she walks through a simple framework for getting specific about who you help, the problem you solve, and why someone should act now.

coaching business, marketing, messaging, niching, visibility, client acquisition

Books

The Possible Self

by

Maja Djikic

The Possible Self: A Leader’s Guide to Personal Development is a science-based roadmap for leaders who are successful on paper yet feel strangely stuck inside. Drawing on more than a decade of research and executive teaching, Djikic introduces the “Wheel of Self” model, showing how lasting change only happens when five parts of the self move together: motivation, behavior, emotion, mind, and our embodied past.

Through vivid case stories and clear explanations, she explains why willpower, mindset shifts, or habit hacks alone rarely stick, and how stalled patterns like overwork, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown can be understood as frozen attempts at growth. Each chapter offers practical techniques to rediscover core desires, restore depleted willpower, process difficult emotions, loosen rigid beliefs, and relearn old bodily patterns so they support rather than sabotage change.

For CoachFinder clients, The Possible Self is both a framework and a toolkit: it helps leaders turn insight into transformation, escape the “success without fulfillment” trap, and build a more grounded, flexible, and humane way of leading themselves and others.

The Possible Self

by

Maja Djikic

The Possible Self: A Leader’s Guide to Personal Development is a science-based roadmap for leaders who are successful on paper yet feel strangely stuck inside. Drawing on more than a decade of research and executive teaching, Djikic introduces the “Wheel of Self” model, showing how lasting change only happens when five parts of the self move together: motivation, behavior, emotion, mind, and our embodied past.

Through vivid case stories and clear explanations, she explains why willpower, mindset shifts, or habit hacks alone rarely stick, and how stalled patterns like overwork, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown can be understood as frozen attempts at growth. Each chapter offers practical techniques to rediscover core desires, restore depleted willpower, process difficult emotions, loosen rigid beliefs, and relearn old bodily patterns so they support rather than sabotage change.

For CoachFinder clients, The Possible Self is both a framework and a toolkit: it helps leaders turn insight into transformation, escape the “success without fulfillment” trap, and build a more grounded, flexible, and humane way of leading themselves and others.

The Possible Self

by

Maja Djikic

The Possible Self: A Leader’s Guide to Personal Development is a science-based roadmap for leaders who are successful on paper yet feel strangely stuck inside. Drawing on more than a decade of research and executive teaching, Djikic introduces the “Wheel of Self” model, showing how lasting change only happens when five parts of the self move together: motivation, behavior, emotion, mind, and our embodied past.

Through vivid case stories and clear explanations, she explains why willpower, mindset shifts, or habit hacks alone rarely stick, and how stalled patterns like overwork, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown can be understood as frozen attempts at growth. Each chapter offers practical techniques to rediscover core desires, restore depleted willpower, process difficult emotions, loosen rigid beliefs, and relearn old bodily patterns so they support rather than sabotage change.

For CoachFinder clients, The Possible Self is both a framework and a toolkit: it helps leaders turn insight into transformation, escape the “success without fulfillment” trap, and build a more grounded, flexible, and humane way of leading themselves and others.

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach: Use Your Knowledge, Experience, and Intuition to Help Leaders Excel

by

Michael H. Frisch, Robert J. Lee, Karen L. Metzger, Jeremy Robinson, Judy Rosemarin

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach is a practical guide that explains what it takes to coach leaders effectively and responsibly. The book introduces a structured coaching model that begins with building trust, clarifying expectations, and defining clear goals that connect to both personal growth and organizational needs. The authors highlight the importance of deep listening, strong observation skills, and asking powerful questions that help clients discover their own solutions rather than relying on advice. Throughout the book, real case examples illustrate how coaches can navigate complex leadership challenges, such as conflict, performance issues, stalled careers, or organizational change. It also covers ethical boundaries, confidentiality, and how to maintain professionalism while building strong coaching relationships. The authors emphasize developing self-awareness in both coach and client, using assessments wisely, and helping leaders turn insights into sustainable habits. Overall, the book serves as a comprehensive foundation for anyone seeking to deliver thoughtful, effective, and high-impact executive coaching.

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach: Use Your Knowledge, Experience, and Intuition to Help Leaders Excel

by

Michael H. Frisch, Robert J. Lee, Karen L. Metzger, Jeremy Robinson, Judy Rosemarin

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach is a practical guide that explains what it takes to coach leaders effectively and responsibly. The book introduces a structured coaching model that begins with building trust, clarifying expectations, and defining clear goals that connect to both personal growth and organizational needs. The authors highlight the importance of deep listening, strong observation skills, and asking powerful questions that help clients discover their own solutions rather than relying on advice. Throughout the book, real case examples illustrate how coaches can navigate complex leadership challenges, such as conflict, performance issues, stalled careers, or organizational change. It also covers ethical boundaries, confidentiality, and how to maintain professionalism while building strong coaching relationships. The authors emphasize developing self-awareness in both coach and client, using assessments wisely, and helping leaders turn insights into sustainable habits. Overall, the book serves as a comprehensive foundation for anyone seeking to deliver thoughtful, effective, and high-impact executive coaching.

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach: Use Your Knowledge, Experience, and Intuition to Help Leaders Excel

by

Michael H. Frisch, Robert J. Lee, Karen L. Metzger, Jeremy Robinson, Judy Rosemarin

Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach is a practical guide that explains what it takes to coach leaders effectively and responsibly. The book introduces a structured coaching model that begins with building trust, clarifying expectations, and defining clear goals that connect to both personal growth and organizational needs. The authors highlight the importance of deep listening, strong observation skills, and asking powerful questions that help clients discover their own solutions rather than relying on advice. Throughout the book, real case examples illustrate how coaches can navigate complex leadership challenges, such as conflict, performance issues, stalled careers, or organizational change. It also covers ethical boundaries, confidentiality, and how to maintain professionalism while building strong coaching relationships. The authors emphasize developing self-awareness in both coach and client, using assessments wisely, and helping leaders turn insights into sustainable habits. Overall, the book serves as a comprehensive foundation for anyone seeking to deliver thoughtful, effective, and high-impact executive coaching.

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Perspective

Nov 21, 2025

The Leadership Power of Gratitude

Brian Vogel | Sundog Coaching