Mastering Coaching Skills

Latest Episodes:

313. How to Improve Your Coaching Without Judging Yourself Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

You can be a great coach and still have things you want to improve. But when you start looking at what could be better, it's easy to turn that into a judgment about yourself or your abilities. What if you could approach those opportunities with curiosity instead of making them mean something has gone wrong?

In this episode, I share a different way to think about improving your coaching and the experiences you create for your clients. I explain why I believe there's always room to make things better, how I approach collecting feedback even when I know my clients are happy, and why being willing to acknowledge mistakes can open up so much learning.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: https://lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/313

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

312. Why You Don't Have to Agree with Your Coach Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

It's easy to look at another coach and assume they have something you don't. Maybe they're getting results you want, showing up in ways you admire, or teaching something that sounds like the answer you've been looking for. But when you start treating their way of doing things as the only way, what happens to your own ideas, strengths, and judgment?

In this episode, I'm exploring how the way we think about other coaches can influence our confidence, decisions, and the way we run our businesses. I share why it's important to recognize the work behind someone else's success, what happens when we start treating their opinions as absolute truth, and how our admiration can sometimes turn into disappointment or criticism.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/312

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

311. The Coaching Skills You're Overlooking Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Some of your most valuable coaching skills might be the ones you barely notice. When something comes easily to you, it's tempting to assume everyone else can do it too. So you keep looking for something new to learn, something more impressive to teach, or another skill you think you need before you're ready.

In this episode, I explore why coaches so often overlook their natural strengths and how that can affect the way they coach, teach, and build their businesses. I share a story about two very different dogs that illustrates what happens when we focus on abilities that don't come naturally instead of recognizing the ones we already have.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/311

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

310. When You Think You Are the Problem Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

When something isn't working in your coaching business, where does your brain go first? Maybe you think you're not smart enough, you're too much, or there's something about you that needs to change before you can succeed. But when you decide that you are the problem, it becomes almost impossible to see what else might be going on.

In this episode, I'm exploring how self-blame keeps coaches stuck, even when they're taking action and trying to improve. I'll share examples from my own clients, why familiar beliefs about ourselves can be so difficult to question, and how the qualities you've been trying to hide might actually be some of your greatest strengths.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/310

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

309. Unfinished: The Episode I Regret Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

There's one episode out of more than 300 that I've wanted to delete for years. Not because I no longer believe the topic matters, but because when I look back at why I recorded it and how I delivered it, I can hear something very clearly that I couldn't fully see at the time: I was defensive.

In this episode of the Unfinished series, I'm revisiting a previous episode where I shared criticism I had received online and taught a framework for responding to it. I look back at what I regret about that episode, why I ultimately chose to leave it up, and how a recent experience with my daughter showed me just how differently I respond to criticism today.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/309

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

308. Unfinished: What to Remember When Learning Something New Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Learning something new can make it feel like you're starting from zero. Whether you're building a business, developing a new skill, or trying something you've never done before, it's easy to focus on everything you don't know yet and overlook how much you're already bringing with you.

In this episode of the Unfinished series, I'm sharing one of the most important skills I've learned while growing my coaching business: starting with what you already know. I show you how skills and knowledge from different parts of your life can give you a head start, and why remembering what you've already learned can make something new feel much less overwhelming.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/308

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

307. You Were Never Supposed to Do It on Your Own Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

There's a thought that comes up all the time when we're struggling with something: I should be able to do this on my own. Maybe you think you should know how to do it by now, shouldn't need so much guidance, or should be able to figure it out without asking for help. But where did we get the idea that doing something alone is the goal?

In this episode, I explore what actually happens when we learn and develop new skills with support from other people. I share some of the science behind social learning and deliberate practice, along with examples of how feedback, outside perspective, and learning alongside others can change the way we develop new skills.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/307

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

306. Unfinished: Will the Coaching Industry Stand the Test of Time? Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

The coaching industry has changed a lot over the past several years, and it will keep changing. But when you're building a business inside an evolving industry, it can be easy to wonder whether those changes mean something bigger. Is coaching really going to stand the test of time?

In this episode of the Unfinished series, I'm answering a listener question that deserved more than a quick response: Do I believe the coaching industry has longevity? I explore what makes coaching valuable in the first place, how AI fits into the conversation, and what may be behind some of the uncertainty coaches are feeling right now.

For full show notes, transcript, and to submit your question, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/306

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

305. Unfinished: Stop Fixing, Start Understanding with Brig Johnson Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

So much of coaching can become an attempt to fix what feels wrong. A difficult thought shows up, an old pattern returns, or you react in a way you wish you hadn't, and suddenly the goal becomes getting rid of it. But what if the more useful place to begin is understanding why it's there in the first place?

In this episode of the Unfinished series, I'm joined by my friend and fellow coach Brig Johnson to talk about how her coaching has evolved, why safety and capacity matter more than simply adding more discipline or skill, and what she has learned about helping clients understand their patterns without turning those patterns into proof that something is wrong with them.

For full show notes, transcript, and to submit your question, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/305

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

Learn more about Brig's work here: brigjohnson.com

Unfinished: The 2 Ingredients Your Coaching Business Needs Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

A successful coaching business isn't only about choosing the right strategy or working harder at the one you're already using. After a recent mastermind conversation, I couldn't stop thinking about two ingredients I see in coaching businesses that are working right now: enjoyment and hunger.

In this bonus episode of the Unfinished series, I break down why you need both and what can happen when one is missing. I share why the things that feel easy and natural to you may actually be valuable data for your business, how enjoyment can create consistency, and how hunger helps you turn what you love into an intentional, repeatable strategy.

For full show notes and transcript, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/304.5

Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach

Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf

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