Mastering Coaching Skills

Hosted by Lindsay Dotzlaf

Business Education

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Episodes

316

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

If you want to compete in the coaching industry, you need to be GOOD at coaching. But there are some things you simply couldn't know when you were training to be a coach - and while it's tempting to keep studying, take another course, or dive into a certification program, you really need to build the practical skills and confidence to handle whatever your clients throw at you. Each week life coach Lindsay Dotzlaf shares stories, tips and advice to continually develop your skills as a coach. She knows what it's like to feel overwhelmed and anxious about coaching in the moment, and will teach you why shifting your mindset around your own abilities as a coach will make all the difference. If you've got clients but want to become the absolute best coach you can be, you'll find answers, advice and support here. Learn more at lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 27, 202631 min

312. Why You Don't Have to Agree with Your Coach

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

October 20, 202623 min

311. The Coaching Skills You're Overlooking

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

October 13, 202643 min

310. When You Think You Are the Problem

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

October 6, 202629 min

309. Unfinished: The Episode I Regret

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

September 29, 202632 min

308. Unfinished: What to Remember When Learning Something New

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

September 22, 202641 min

307. You Were Never Supposed to Do It on Your Own

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

September 15, 202639 min

306. Unfinished: Will the Coaching Industry Stand the Test of Time?

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

September 8, 202659 min

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

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

September 1, 202619 min

Unfinished: The 2 Ingredients Your Coaching Business Needs

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

August 25, 202656 min

304. Unfinished: Coaching, Equity, and Evolution with Trudi Lebrón

Your work doesn't have to stay the same just because the version you've built has been successful. As your life, capacity, interests, and priorities change, the way you coach and the business you build can change right along with them. In this episode of the Unfinished series, I'm joined by my friend, colleague, and mentor, Trudi Lebrón, for a wide-ranging conversation about her work and how she approaches coaching. We explore Trudi's expansive definition of coaching, what makes equity-centered coaching different, and how to hold a vision for your clients without deciding for them what that vision should be. For full show notes, transcript, and to submit your question, go to: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/304 Learn more about The Complete Coach here: lindsaydotzlafcoaching.com/the-complete-coach Follow along over on Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaydotzlaf Learn more about Trudi's work here: trudilebron.com

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