Exclusive Preview: What It's Like to Get Coached by an Action Coach

Whether you’ve been a loyal listener or just tuning in, you might be curious about who I am beyond the microphone. In this surprise episode, you'll get to know Debbie not just as a podcast host and business strategist, but also as a dedicated Action Coach.

Listen in as Thais Glenn, the mindset coach inside the Business Building Boutique, takes the reins and spills the tea on Debbie. Hear from three special guests—Sherri, Lori, and Deborah—who share their transformative journeys with Debbie's coaching and the BBB program. 

From authentic guidance to practical strategies to the power of group coaching, discover the impactful role Debbie plays in their success. Get ready for an episode filled with inspiring stories and actionable insights that celebrate Debbie's influence on her clients' journeys.

👉 Check out my new and improved FREE Canva Workshop and learn how to create stunning graphics for your coaching business!  

👉 Create a profitable business that looks good and sets you up to be respected through the Business Building Boutique. Use our proven 4 Phase Business Building Blueprint for growing and building your Life Coaching Business.

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Transcript:

 Preview: Even though we all may be on the group call, she knows what's going on with everybody. Sometimes you can be in a group setting and now tell me again, what is it that you do? She already knows, and because she knows, she immediately can give you some advice about your situation. She's not my, well, let me think about it. And there's some things you may have to think about, but for the most part, it's like, have you thought about this? So have you thought about that? She's quick on her feet to do that. And we need that because we don't know what we don't know and what we need.

Intro: Hello, I'm Debbie Shadid, the host of the Life Coach Business Building podcast. If you are ready to have more clients in your life coach business, then you're in the right spot. Each week I'm gonna teach you super simple strategies to grow your business without feeling overwhelmed and without spending money on paid ads. If that sounds interesting. Stick around and let's get started.

Thais: Hey guys, welcome to the podcast. I am Thais Glenn. I am the business mindset coach inside of the business building boutique. And I am here with three special guests and we are here to talk all about Debbie behind her back. Now here's the kick. She doesn't know that we are doing this. So a total surprise for her.

That's probably why you are not very familiar with my voice and you have no idea what I'm doing here. So we will talk all about Debbie, what it is to work with her, how it is to Have her as the coach because she's quite a different coach, right? She's definitely not a mindset coach here. And, um, she'll seriously tell you what to do.

She will coach you on the actions the whole time. We say that she's a strategist. She's the masterminder here. And I have three very special clients that I absolutely love working with. And I invited them to come and we will gossip a little bit behind her back. 

So let's start by saying hi to Sherry.

Sherry, why don't you tell us a little bit about you? 

Sherri: Hi, Thais. Thanks for having me here. I'm a, um, sexual betrayal and gaslighting recovery coach. And I found, uh, Debbie's program about seven or eight months ago. I actually just renewed, um, because I love it so much. And so, yeah, I just found so much help in this program.

Thais: That's right. You are with us for another six months. Awesome. Thank you, Sherry. How about you, Lori? 

Lori: Hi, I'm Lori. I'm a mindset and goal strategy coach, and I'm also a contemporary abstract artist. I love Debbie's program. I think I've been in about, I don't know, four or five months now. I've kind of lost track of the time.

Thais: Yeah. It's easy to lose track, isn't it? Yes. Yeah. How about you, Deborah? So Deborah is a little bit special in a different way because she's not with us anymore. And I invited her because she worked with us for six months. And I have some special questions for her about this. So Deborah, tell us a little bit about you.

Deborah: Hi, I'm Deborah and I'm a Heart Matters Life Coach. That's what I call myself because I deal with issues of the heart. And, um, this program came at a time. When I was stuck and needed to move forward and I don't know how Debbie started getting in my emails, but all of a sudden she was in my emails and I started watching her and her energy was so inviting that I said, I want to be a part of this. You know, I need this in my life. And so this journey has really, really been beautiful to take me to the next level of where I'm going. So, yes, 

Thais: That's awesome. Thank you. Okay. So let's just gossip behind her back. What I love to do with women is that I like to see myself, it's like how I would like other people to talk about me when I'm not present, right? So even the ways that I use words to describe myself, in a way, it's how I would like other people to describe me. So for you guys, how do you see Debbie? 

Lori: Her energy is just phenomenal. She just seems super authentic. I don't know. I think I came into her world from her Canva workshop and just, as ever, didn't watch for a while and wanted to be a part of it. She came to me when I was in the process of separating my art and my coaching, um, from under the same umbrella. And so I was creating a new website. And I just loved her practical hands on, you know, step by step, tell me all the things to do and we'll do it kind of strategy for me.

Sherri: Authentic is the first word that comes to mind. I found Debbie. I don't even know how she started showing up in my feed, but I know I did a couple of her free workshops and just, um. Like Laurie said, her energy and her authenticity was just, it just, you know, shine through and so I signed up. I'm like, okay, I'll do the free call. I'll do a free discovery call.

And I told myself, I'm not joining a program. I can't. I had just lost my job. The company I was working at, my regular job, I was coaching as well, but the company closed. And I had been slowly building my private coaching practice. And I'm like, I just lost my job. I can't spend a dime. And I think I was on my call with Debbie for maybe two or three minutes and she did not try to sell me and I was like, Oh, I have to do this.

And it was her authenticity. You know, she really wanted to get to know about me and it wasn't just a sales thing. That's continued in the, you know, seven months, you know, or so that I'd been with the program. She really is very action oriented. She takes the time, though, to get to know each client and their niche, even if she's not, you know, she obviously can't be an expert in every niche, but she knows the questions to ask.

She knows how to keep you moving forward, which has been my struggle with business because it seems like there's so much to do, but she really breaks it down and then she just keeps encouraging you to, to just take that one step. And it's just so powerful. And you know, that first call I did with her, she was giving me tips and that was before I told her I was going to sign up or whatever.

And she was just so invested and interested and I have not regretted it one bit. And I am very cautious with my money and what I spend. So I think that speaks a lot. And, uh, that's why when my. Membership came up. I wanted to continue on just for the environment, honestly, you know, I've gotten, I know all the tools and what I need to do, but just having that support and that, that way, Debbie's so hands on and responsive and over delivers, I would say there's so much value, so much value, and she's just, she's a great person.

Thais: You see, that's how I got into her world was one discovery call too. And I was her client for six months and I was amazed by her professionalism, how she showed up on camera, right. And how she was talking to me and selling so authentically that I didn't even feel like she was selling. It was just her being so interested in my business that I got out of the call.

It's like, I need that. Not only the strategist for my own business, but also I wanted to do that. It feels so slimy to be selling your business, right? Selling your coaching. I wanted people to want to buy from me. And I feel like what you're saying, Sherry, that's how I got with her too, was that she was selling me without selling. It was just this authentic conversation that made me so excited. Authenticity is so important. 

Sherri: You know, that's how I love to show up for my clients. And so I think that's what really spoke to me is just having someone be authentic. And, and that's why it doesn't feel like selling. Cause you could tell she cares. You could tell she wants you to succeed and she's just there. And Thais as well. 

Deborah: Well, thank you. I agree with that because that first call with her, it was like she had researched me because she started telling me all of these things that I was doing. I was like, yeah, I do that. I do that. And her energy for me to succeed was like, Over the top, like, and it wasn't like she was being pushy or you need to do this program and all of this kind of stuff, but she was like, yeah, you can do this.

And have you thought about this? She was giving me advice even before I signed up, you know, for the program, it wasn't to sell the program. It was to remind me of all that I had already done and how I could move forward. You know, not necessarily with her, but just things to think about to take it to the next level kind of thing.

Her interest in you, you know, she's, she's very interested in you. She's not trying to sell herself or the program. She's interested in making you feel better. And it's like, Ooh, you know, because she's always a burst of energy, you know, she's got all this energy and she's like, no, you can do this. You got this, this, this, you know? So that really, really makes you feel really, really good. 

Thais: So I don't know if you guys know this, but she's actually holding a group, kind of like a consultation call in a group now on Mondays at 2 PM central time, I believe, and she does that. So the people that would like coaches who would like to experience.

What it's like to be coached inside of the business building boutique, right? And so she's doing what we're talking about here, this consultation, but in a group. So if you don't really know what to be coached on, or if you don't know what to ask her, it's in a group setting. So I would like to ask you, how would you describe group coaching? Why is that different from a one on one? 

Lori: I really love the group calls, and when Deborah was just talking about her, her vibrant energy that Debbie brings to the call, one thing that also stands out to me is her patience. So it doesn't matter what somebody brings to the call. She really wants to make sure she's understanding their question, and then takes it as long as it needs to go with that person.

And she just demonstrates extreme patience, I think, with people, and that she genuinely wants to help. And the other great thing about groups is that, you know, often we don't know what questions to ask ourselves sometimes. And so when somebody else presents a question, it's like, Oh yeah, I was wondering that same thing, but I didn't even realize, or I didn't know how to articulate it. And I think it's just so valuable. I mean, one on one is awesome as well, but I think having a combination of both, it's really great. 

Thais: What I like about this, the way I described potential clients is that they still get the personalized feedback and personalized. You know, steps and actions in a group setting. And I find it so difficult to understand when you have never done that before. Like, how do you get this personalized step by step to your business, in your niche, in your level of business within a group setting? That's what you're describing, right? 

Lori: And even though you might be in a different niche than everybody on the call, so many things are applicable across niches. So it doesn't even necessarily matter. And you know, when everybody's working on, say, creating a website, they're all going through that same roadmap. A lot of times they're going to be repeated questions and it lends itself to the whole group atmosphere. And even when there are repeated questions, Something can be answered differently, or somebody can chime in with their experience and how some things work for them. It's just really win-win all the way around. 

Deborah: Yeah, I definitely agree with that because, you know, as they say, iron sharpens iron. And even though we may be in different niches, it's something about the encouragement that we get from one another. Because even if we're talking about somebody, somebody else may post a comment to you, you know, saying that sounds good or why don't you try this? So getting that kind of feedback from your peers is good as well as, you know, the one on one coaching. So it really, really works. And that kind of, you know, And by I was a little hesitant about it at first about a group kind of thing, because some I've been in other group coaching sessions and they didn't go too well for me.

But this one was very inviting. Even if you don't have a question, you get to listen to other people and be there for that support because we all need that. So we become a support system for each other. And it's very, very good. 

Lori: Yeah, I feel like she really creates an atmosphere of collaboration and not competition among the coaches. Everybody's willing to just collaborate and share what's working for them. They're not holding back on I don't want to tell this because then somebody else can get from it or something like that. 

Deborah: And the other thing I noticed was like, even if I felt like I didn't have a question, she'll pull you into the conversation anyway. And what are you working on? You know, so that you're not left out and it's like, okay, I'm, I'm still in. So she'll pull you in. Even if you try to drift back a little bit, you know, and feel like you don't have anything. 

Thais: And that's the accountability piece, right? Sometimes you just need to even at that time, start noticing what am I working on? Especially when you're building the business, it's so easy sometimes to go week and week and weeks, and you're really not doing anything like to progress, to, right, to be different and do more. You're just doing the bare minimum because you just don't know what the next step will be. 

Deborah: Exactly. Yup. It's really, really good. And it doesn't seem long. Again. As you all were saying, she takes her time with each person, you know, so it's not like you're being rushed. It's like, no, we're going to get to the bottom of it. And then if you start drifting off, she knows how to pull you back. Wait a minute. Let's stay focused on what you're going to fall.

Let's stay focused. And so she knows how to pull you back in so that you'll stay focused on that specific thing, as opposed to. Drifting off, you know, down the road and to other things. And so that's really, really good. Cause it's like, we don't know what we'd be talking about half the time. And she helps us to get centered, you know, back with it.

Thais: Laurie, I know you need to leave. Quite soon. So let me just ask you one question.  What is your favorite thing about Debbie? 

Lori: I just love her energy and I love her willingness to tell the how. A lot of coaches, they're all about just, you have the answers inside and they, you know, just keep asking questions, which is great.

It's great to be curious. And as I said, sometimes we don't know what questions to ask ourselves, but there's real value in someone telling you, you need to do this and then this. And then that's what I do with clients. It really resonates with me and. I appreciate her willingness to do that and her willingness to maybe sometimes get it wrong like she always offers, this is just my suggestion if it doesn't resonate with you.

You do not need to do it but based on my experience I would do a B and C and Usually she's spot on all the time. Actually, she's fun. So yeah, there's so many things I love about her, but it's really refreshing to have somebody That's going to tell you the how. It's helpful, 

Thais: Isn't it? I am a mindset coach. So of course I know the mindset is extremely important and sometimes you just need the strategy, right? Like just the mindset by itself won't, if you don't know how to make the business work, or if you don't know how to create a website, it's not just thinking positively that would get you where you want to be.

Lori: Right. You can think positive all day long, but if you don't know how to work Canva, you don't know how to work Canva. Right. That's right. Right. You know, as all the things she's just going to take you through step by step so that you don't let that kind of stuff hold you back. Because the real things that hold you back are the mindset things. But that technical stuff isn't an excuse. It's like, here you do. It's that step by step. 

Thais: And we give you guys the step by step. That's what I mean. Yeah. 

Lori: Yeah. Just, and so that that doesn't hold you back. You can't say, I don't know how, because she's telling you how. 

Thais: Yeah, we just launched the BBB university where we have all the Canva flow desks, like most of the Calendly, a lot of the tools that we invite the clients to start using. And it's like in two minute videos, right? Just like really, really fast. Little pieces and we give that to you included in your program. So you can get past that, you know, I don't know how to do something because we want to give this strategy and how to achieve this strategy. 

Deborah: Exactly. And that works really, really good. And they're not like you said, there's still two minutes. Kind of thing. It's not, they're not that long, so it's long enough for you to get the little part that you need so that you can keep moving, you know, 

Thais: So Sherry, how about you, what is your favorite part of working with 

Sherri: Debbie? You know, like I said earlier, I think her authenticity, just, she doesn't have to try and it just comes off as very, very genuine and I appreciate that. I have not a lot of tolerance or, or space for inauthenticity. And it's just, you could tell she cares. Um, her energy is motivating and compassionate. You know, she is adaptable. She will encourage you, but also understand, you know, if you're stepping back for a second or something's going on and she just really takes the time to get to know you.

And your niche, I've never felt like a number. She will connect in the groups or in the Facebook group. Sometimes if someone else, like we were talking earlier, there's no competition, she'll connect someone else, you know, two people that are in the same niche, you guys should collaborate. You should talk and just, she really wants you to succeed on the discovery call I did with her. She talked about a former client of hers who was in a similar, uh, niche and she's like, I should connect you with her.

She found out months down the road that the, that coach was hiring for her business and it wasn't the right fit, but she did connect me with her and, uh, recommended me and I just thought, I felt that was above and beyond Debbie goes above and beyond, and you can just tell she cares. And I think what's so helpful about that is that while more people are starting to understand what coaching is and embrace it, there's still a lot of people that don't.

So in everyday life, when you don't have people in your life that understand or support what you're doing. It's really nice to have someone who does. That keeps you going and keeps you motivated. Um, and that's what the group does too, you know, being with like minded people, even if you're feeling tired or overwhelmed, it's so centering and so helpful to just talk to people, um, who understand and Debbie leads that, you know, she will support you and encourage you and, uh, it's just, it's invaluable.

Thais: We do have a good group of clients, don't we? 

Sherri: Absolutely. 

Thais: I find it like, even when we were talking to potential clients, we can see the ones it's like, Oh, you would fit so perfectly well in the group because we have this, you know, you see all of the clients that she has interviewed here in the podcast before, you can see how.

Sweet and authentic and just a loving person. And that is, I'm so happy. Those are the types of people we definitely attract. Now, Sherry, one thing that you said really caught my attention and I just wanted to point out to make sure everyone can hear this, you said you've never felt like a number and that is so important to us, that we really see all of the clients as a person, as a coach, as someone who has, you know, the fears of starting the business.

And we really want to treat every single client with the utmost respect. Right. And love. So even on our, and I have the privilege of seeing this on the other side of the group, right, where I'm speaking to her about you guys and about your businesses. And we can see how much the two of us love you. Like we really love and respect your business and we want the best for you. So I'm so glad that you mentioned that, Sherry, that you've never felt like a number. That is a big thing for us. 

Sherri: Yeah. And I kind of knew that from the first call with Debbie, you could just tell again, that authenticity. And, uh, you know, I did as the program grew and we have more people coming in.

I remember getting nervous, like, are you going to have time to address everything? And. I don't think there's ever been a time where Debbie hasn't gotten anything for that call. And you know, she takes as much time as you need, but she also stays focused and will keep you on track because it's easy to get off track. So that comes definitely your vision and Debbie's vision comes through on this end. At least I'm speaking for me. I can't speak for everyone, but I would think that that's a pretty universal feeling. Oh, that's wonderful. 

Thais: How about you, Deborah? 

Deborah: Yeah. There's a lot of things I like about Debbie, but if I had to pick one, I would say her attention to detail. And Sherry just said, you're not a number, you're a person. And so even though we all may be on the group call, she knows what's going on with everybody. Sometimes you can be in a group setting and now tell me again, what is it that you do? She already knows, and because she knows, she immediately can give you some advice about your situation. 

She's not my, well, let me think about it. And there's some things you may have to think about, but for the most part, it's like, have you thought about this? So have you thought about that? She's quick on her feet to do that. And we need that because we don't know what we don't know what we need, but her ability to bounce back like that from each person that she's talking to. It's just really, really amazing. 

To me she's a pusher. She pushes you, you know, and before you realize it, you're like, wow, I can do this. I've got this. Yes. That makes sense. You know, and, um, like I shared before, um, It's like I tell people about Debbie, my coach, Debbie, you know, I tell people about her. She said this and she said that, you know, and it makes a difference when you're trying to build something and you have that kind of support. So, it's like, at any time you talk to her, you know, that if you have a question, she's going to give you an answer and it's going to be a good one. It's not going to be fluff.

It may step on your toes a little bit. It may make you think about something. It may make you, you know, it's like, yeah, you know, cause that day that she told me, stop waiting for perfection. It was like, Oh my goodness. It would have been like something came down from heaven and spoke to me, you know, just like, yeah, like. Makes so much sense. You know, it just makes so much sense. And so that's how she is. Yes. 

Thais: I remember that call. I do remember. And I remember it was almost like giving you permission to stop looking for perfection. Yes, yes, 

Deborah: That's all I needed. And I had struggled for like two weeks trying to do a logo. Trying to make it perfect, trying to make it, and somebody's not going to like this. I wouldn't have taken it. I wanted, you know, being real indecisive. And when she said that, it was like my freedom hit. I'm good now, you know? And I tell other people the same thing now, you know, I can share that. Because that was like a big thing for me. And that's the type of thing that she gives us. She's awesome. She really, really is. 

Thais: Oh, that's awesome. Okay.  So just before we go, let me ask both of you, because you guys are quite special in different ways. Sherry, you have done six months of the fast track coaching experience with us. And you decided to resign, but Deborah decided to finish her six months and not resign. So since you're now talking behind Debbie's back, tell me why, what happened, Sherry, that you stayed? So I didn't need to resign. 

Sherri: I feel that the six months I got all the tools, I know what I need to do. I've implemented a good part of it. I'm still working on things, but I could have walked away with everything I needed to feel really confident, um, that I could successfully do this. I wanted to resign the connection of the group and with Debbie and you Tyese and the support. The motivation, again, like I said earlier, doing this, you know, having your own business, it can be lonely that not a lot of people have that mindset. Right. And especially when it's coaching. So just the support and the connection is invaluable to me.

And it wasn't, I think I kind of knew a few months ago that I was going to resign just because I don't want to give up that connection and that support. I'm not ready to do that yet. And I could. Have ended and been fully prepared. And like, I more than got my money's worth from those six months and there's so much available. And I, you know, if you take advantage of all of it, there's just so much support and so much content it's helpful, but like others were saying, you know, it's, it's small bites, easily digestible outline steps on what to do. 

Thais: Well, we are so happy that you're here. We're so happy to have six more months with you. How about you, Deborah? What happened? 

Deborah: I truly enjoyed the program. It was a program like no other that I've been through because a lot of programs give you the materials. And then you're on your own. There's no one on one sessions. There's no group going on. You just get the materials and you go through the modules and you're all by yourself.

And this program wasn't like that. And I received so much that I'm still feasting on what I received. So when I got to the end of the program, there was a decision that I needed to make, should I go forward or, you know, keep going on. But I felt at this stage in my life, I'm good. That I don't need to be handheld as much if I can put it that way, it's not that anything was wrong or anything like that.

But I think you guys have given me what I needed. The mindset coaching part was very, very important along with. The life coaching part. And so with those two together, I feel that I'm in a place where I can move forward. Do I have it all together? No, it's still coming together, but I feel like I have what I need at this point to keep going without investing more money in this, this part of it. So that was my reason, but it was bittersweet to say goodbye. 

Thais: Of course, it was so hard for me to say goodbye. 

Deborah: I cried. It was bittersweet because you meet so many interesting and beautiful people, but my life is kind of busy right now. You know, I've got a lot of  hands in the fire, a lot of things in the pot. And so I'm juggling all of these kinds of things. So this part of it. So that was my reason for not continuing, you know, with the program. The program is excellent. 

Thais: Here's why I asked this question to both of you. It's always awesome to have the support, right? And keep the support going when you feel like You need it at these moments. And I'm so grateful that you Sherry, you decided to stay, but also we want the clients to go and do it on their own. It's not the type of program that you need to keep on resigning. So then you see the result, you see the results during the six months.

If you want the extended support level, please stay. We welcome you. If it's your time to go and fly, please go. And we still love you so much. So Deborah, that's why I wanted to hear your perspective and your, the way you're thinking, right. To say, this is the time and we absolutely support that too. We want the clients to be good to go when they feel like it's their time to do their business on their own. They can always come back. 

Deborah: We're always here. 

Thais: Well,  my friends, thank you so much for being here with me this morning. I'm so grateful. Lori had to hop off a little bit early, but I'm grateful you two stayed and we got to talk a little bit. And at the end of the day, we just wanted to celebrate Debbie.

She is a phenomenal coach. She's so wonderful, very authentic, like you both said several times and Lori. And I just feel like sometimes we need this, for her. So Debbie, I know you're listening here. I know you, this is a big surprise for you and we're just so happy to, you know, be able to express ourselves and really share gratitude for all the things you have done for all of the clients, for me included, as your client and now the mindset coach inside of the business building boutique. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. So last words that you have to share before we go. 

Sherri: No, I've been hearing a lot this past week about Debbie 2.0. And that's really interesting because I love Debbie 1.0 and I'm really excited to see what Debbie 2.0 brings to the table because she's just always growing and improving and just really, um, Trying to bring so much value to her clients. And you could tell that that's just the authentic way. She was excited to be continuing and see what you have to offer moving forward. 

Thais: What the 2.0 is, right? I'm curious too. I love watching her evolve. Absolutely. 

Deborah: I agree with everything Sherry just said. To know somebody like Debbie, you can call her a friend. She's that personable, you know, she's, she's not just somebody out there, but she's somebody that you can call a friend. You know, she's somebody that you can, if you run into her, she'll have coffee with you, she'll talk to you.

And I appreciate that. And her style is just the love that exudes from her, the love for people. She wants you to succeed. It's not about money with her. Cause like they say, if you love what you do, the money will come anyway, but she loves to see people and she's going to work with you to get you to that point. And we need more Debbie's, you know, like that we need more Debbie's and I'm just happy about the changes, even the changes. Because as we evolve, she evolves too. And as she evolves, she said, well, maybe we need to tweak this, or maybe we need to change that. Or maybe so. She's constantly. Seeking to make things better, which is good as opposed to saying, Hey, I got a little nest egg here.

Let's just keep running it like this. She's ready to say, no, let's elevate this or when she made the change where she wanted to do the Canva and different things on one day and the group coaching on another day, that made sense because she was, you know, seeing where things needed to be. So I love her. I thank her. I pray the best for her and all her future doings. And like you told me, don't be a stranger. So I'll be checking in every now and then or keeping you posted on what I'm doing because I feel like I'm a permanent part of the group. 

Thais: Yes, you are. Well, thank you so very much for being here. Debbie, happy birthday. And we'll see you soon. Bye. 

Outro: Okay, ladies, that is it for today. Before we go, I want to invite you to head over to debbieshadid.com. I have this incredible Canva training, specifically designed for life coaches where I'm gonna teach you how to use Canva to create beautiful graphics to market your life coaching. All right. Have an amazing week. I'll talk to you very soon. Bye bye.