I translate complex cybersecurity and AI concepts into engaging, trust-building content that drives action—turning non-technical business leaders into informed decision-makers.

Think Your Business is Safe? Cybercrime is the World’s Third-Largest Economy.

In the IT world, I've seen cybercrime grow exponentially, almost as large as the economies of the US and China.

Imagine if Your Business Had 16 Days of Downtime. 
A typical business grapples with 16 days of downtime during a cyberattack. 

That’s over two weeks of potential revenue loss striking without notice!

Moreover, the implications extend beyond initial disruptions:
-> Operational Shutdown: Imagine your business grinding to a halt due to a cyberattack.
-> Trust at Stake: A single data breach can erode the confidence of clients and partners.
-> Financial Impact: The cost of cyber incidents goes beyond immediate expenses, affecting long-term revenue.
-> Client Loss: Customers seek security; they'll move to competitors if your systems are vulnerable.
Compliance Challenges: Keeping up with legal requirements is key to uninterrupted business growth.

But... There's Hope.

Cybersecurity: My Mission, Your Peace of Mind

At Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS), my mission aligns with our goal of providing uncompromised safety.

We do more than defend at ITS. We boost your business' resilience.
-> Robust Defense: Our top-tier security measures shield you from diverse digital threats.
-> Continuous Business Growth: Our support ensures your business thrives, uninterrupted.
-> Tech for Profit: We use technology not just for safety, but to increase your efficiency and profitability.
-> Team Empowerment: We educate your staff, turning them into cybersecurity advocates.
-> Compliance as an Edge: Adherence to regulations becomes a unique competitive advantage for your business.

Partner with ITS for Future-Proof Security:
-> Customized Protection: Security solutions crafted to fit your specific business needs and budget.
-> Friendly, Professional Support: Our team offers round-the-clock monitoring for cyber-resilient IT infrastructure.
-> Invest Wisely: Each security enhancement with us is a strategic step toward more peace of mind.

Act Now to Secure Your Business's Future
Your company's security isn't optional—it's a necessity in today's world. 
Don't wait for a breach to take action!

Book a Free Security Risk Assessment
Message me for a free security risk assessment and secure your peace of mind.

PS: Cybersecurity isn't just a line of defense; it's a critical business strategy. Secure your future now.

Rob Schenk

I had the privilege of joining a panel at the National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA) annual conference last week, and I left with a lot on my mind.
 
Conversations like that one are rare. The people in that room are running real businesses, dealing with real risk, and asking genuinely hard questions. Being invited to contribute to that discussion meant a lot.
 
What struck me most was the tension in the room between excitement and anxiety.
 
Everyone sees what AI can do. Faster inspections. Better fraud detection. Smarter lead qualification. The opportunity is real and the industry is starting to move.
 
But there was also an honest acknowledgment that the guardrails are not keeping pace.
 
Employees uploading lease agreements and customer data to public AI tools without realizing the exposure. Automated bots submitting hundreds of fraudulent lease applications in a single night. Threat actors compromising a business network rapidly through targeted identity-based attacks. Many businesses don't detect these quickly enough.
 
The dealerships and lessors who come out ahead will not necessarily be the ones who adopted AI first. They will be the ones who built the foundation to use it safely and scale it responsibly.

Special thanks to Tarry Shebesta and the National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA) and fellow panelists, Constantine Yaremtso  Mike Francis: thank you for putting together a conversation worth having. Already looking forward to Arizona.

Intelligent Technical Solutions Mike Rhea🔒🛡️ Dave Dyas Jason Fontana

Helping Companies Not Get Hacked | Cyber/AI Guy Who Speaks Human | Protecting 500+ clients since 1996.

When I started in IT 30 years ago, clients had one question: “How do we get on the Internet without getting burned?”

The threats were simple. Virus infections. Basic malware. The occasional employee clicking something they shouldn’t.

Our job was to build walls. Put safeguards in place. Keep sensitive data protected from the outside world.

For a long time, walls were enough.

Then something shifted.

Attackers stopped trying to break through the walls.

They started walking through the front door.

Today the threat I worry about most isn’t a virus.

It’s a sophisticated attacker who already has valid credentials to your Microsoft 365 or Google environment sitting quietly inside, reading your emails, watching your invoices, learning your patterns… For weeks or months before anyone notices.

Thirty years ago, I was helping businesses get safely connected to the internet.

Today, I’m helping them find out who’s already inside.

Same mission. Unrecognizable threat landscape.

What’s the biggest shift you’ve seen in how you think about protecting your business?

Intelligent Technical Solutions Mike Rhea🔒🛡️ Dave Dyas ▲ Justin Shanken Sean Harris  Jason Fontana

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𝗠𝗙𝗔 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀.  I know. That’s uncomfortable to hear, especially after years of being told to turn it on.    

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘀:  
-75% of today’s successful cyberattacks bypass MFA entirely.    

Not because MFA is broken…    

Because attackers have adapted.    

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:  The attacker doesn’t try to crack your password.    

They compromise a trusted colleague’s account, someone already inside your organization.    

Then they send an email from that person’s real account.    

Your spam filter doesn’t flag it.     

Your employees don’t question it. It sails straight through.    

𝗠𝗙𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.    

This is why the most dangerous attacks today don’t look like attacks.    

They look like a message from your CFO. Or your IT director. Or a vendor you’ve worked with for years.    The solution isn’t to abandon MFA, it’s essential.    

But it’s not the finish line. It’s the starting line.    

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝟯𝟲𝟱 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, catching anomalies inside the system, not just at the login door.    

If you’re a CEO, CFO, or IT leader and you’d like to know whether your M365 environment has any of these patterns lurking right now, drop a comment or send me a message.    

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝟯𝟲𝟱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿.     

It takes 48 hours and requires nothing from your team except one admin approval click.    

Intelligent Technical Solutions Dave Dyas Mike Rhea🔒🛡️  Jason Fontana

Foreign adversaries are not just hacking your systems anymore. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
 
North Korean operatives are using deep fakes to clear video interviews and gain legitimate access to American companies. Then they steal data, compromise systems, and deploy ransomware.
 
Most organizations have no policy in place to detect this. And we know this firsthand as both of our companies have been targets.
 
On 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰, Earl Fischl and I will be having an important conversation where we will share those 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱, and 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 before it becomes your problem.
 
Free. Timely. 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.
 
🔗 Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gDbF_65i

Dave Dyas Mike Rhea🔒🛡️   Edward Griffin Jason Fontana Intelligent Technical Solutions Field Effect

Open article: Register | Deepfake Interviews Are Here: How to Vet Candidates in 2026 by itsasap.com

Register | Deepfake Interviews Are Here: How to Vet Candidates in 2026

Looking forward to this timely conversation, tomorrow with my colleagues Earl Fischl  and Edward Griffin!

Register below!

Intelligent Technical Solutions Dave Dyas Field Effect Mike Rhea🔒🛡️ Jason Fontana

View company: Intelligent Technical Solutions

Interview fraud is no longer a story you hear happening to a company that you vaguely know of.

Proxy candidates and deepfake interviews aren’t far away from showing up inside your pipelines, often undetected until after access is granted.

Tomorrow, Rob Schenk and Edward Griffin from Intelligent Technical Solutions and Earl Fischl from Field Effect are hosting a candid conversation, sharing real-world experiences and patterns they're seeing across organizations.

You'll walk away with:
- A clearer understanding of modern interview fraud tactics
- Practical frameworks for improving interview integrity
- Actionable, non-technical improvements you can implement right away
- Strategies to reduce risk without damaging candidate experience

One day left to register.

If you're responsible for hiring decisions or onboarding approvals, you don't want to miss this.

Deepfake Interviews Are Here: How to Vet Candidates in 2026
Tomorrow, March 12 | 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET

Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gwZrMmyR

#Cybersecurity #HiringBestPractices #RemoteWork #HR #TalentAcquisition #Deepfake #InterviewFraud

Enjoyed my conversation with Jacqui Barker talking through the latest cyber and compliance trends facing the auto dealership market at the Birmingham UK Auto Show conference. Like and subscribe to hear the latest news affecting the auto market!

Intelligent Technical Solutions Dave Dyas ▲ Justin Shanken Ryan McBride Mike Rhea🔒🛡️ Jason Fontana  Loree Faucett

Global OEM Strategy Director at Keyloop, host of the Drivetime autotech podcast, Barbara Cox Woman of the Year 2024, International Advisor - Empowering Auto (Canada)Host of the Drivetime global auto tech podcast

In the first of another special on the road series from #AMlive Automotive Management (AM) 
We took our studio to the exhibition hall and spent time with some incredible people to share the latest innovations with all of you.
Drivetime Podcast Jon Wakefield Zaki GW William Jackson Rob Schenk

Attention Phoenix! Headed your way soon :)

Are you confident your security program can keep up with AI use across your business?

If you’re unsure, this event was made for you.

We’re hosting an in-person conversation on how leaders can get clear, practical direction on security and AI, without getting lost in buzzwords or fear-driven headlines.

Join ITS as we offer useful insights that can reduce confusion about AI and give leaders a practical path forward.

Confidence in Security: Clarity in AI
Venue: Wrigley Mansion
Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 4:00–7:00 PM MT

We’ll cover how to:
- Set guardrails for AI use that reduce risk and protect productivity
- Strengthen identity, access, and data controls that AI tools rely on
- Make security decisions that leaders can explain to the board and auditors
- Build a roadmap that aligns security, operations, and growth

Send us an email and save your spot now: events@itsasap.com
Limited seats only.

#Cybersecurity #AI #RiskManagement #BusinessOperations #ITStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership

Rob Schenk 
Dave Dyas
Jason Fontana
Mike Rhea🔒🛡️

You're a professional coach running an amateur business.

ICF-certified. 100+ hours. Two to four sporadic clients. Income fluctuates £1,500-£8,000/month.

You transform lives in session. You're invisible in the market.

The certification taught you to coach. Not to build a scalable coaching business.

That's what's killing you.

---

Maria: £100k → £220k in 12 months.
Janneke: €175k 2 years from corporate.
Terri: First client in 4 days after 2 years of nothing.

Same problem. One system fixes it.

---

The 3 C's:

1. Clarity. Finally, own your niche.
2. Confidence. Enrol with integrity.
3. Consistency. Predictable monthly income.

Results: 60%+ conversion from systemized approach.

No more feeling salesy, helping everyone, or praying for clients.

Your business becomes as professional as your coaching.

---

My 90-day Business Integrator is for certified professional coaches who are sick of operating like amateurs.

The gulf between your ability to serve and to be seen, so you're the unmistakable choice.

If you're done being the best-kept secret...

Book a 20-minute call. Just you and me: 

→ www.arnoldferrier.com/contact/

We'll see if this is a fit.

DM "COACH" if you have questions first.

---

One more thing…

Your coaching isn't the problem. You're great in session. Your clients love you.

It’s your business mindset and model.

Those are fixable.

Let's fix them.

Arnold

Arnold Ferrier

Another certification won't make you a smarter coach.

The coaches who stall aren't lacking credentials.

They're avoiding the uncomfortable work.

I don't say that to be harsh, but I've seen it time and again.

Here's what sharpens your edge.

#1 Get coached yourself, professionally.

You can't support someone through a process you've never felt.

When I certified from IPEC, I reached out to Bridgette.

I wanted to sit in the seat.
Feel the experience of being coached.
And achieve specific measurable outcomes.

Something cracks open when you take your own medicine.

#2 Record your sessions and listen back.

Really listen.

Trust me, it's uncommon.
You'll hear the moments you rushed past
Where silence was the missed opportunity.

And the gaps where the real work lives.

#3 Ask for hard feedback.

Most coaches never ask this.

Not the bland, 'how was today’s session?'
Ask your clients where you lost them.
What did they want in that moment.

The ones who do grow faster.

The truth is, certifications give you a framework. And frameworks matter.

But real coaching skill lives in the shadows.

It lives in the awkward pauses you learn to hold.
The questions you stop yourself from asking too soon.
The moments you catch your bias mid-session.

Real growth isn't another certificate on your wall.

It comes from doing the deep work you ask your clients to do

Business Coach for Certified Coaches | You’re brilliant in session. Business sucks. Click my links.

I'm not the right coach for you.

I'll say this out loud.

When someone's interested in coaching, they might not know what coaching is.

They might have read something or heard someone talk about their experience. But they haven't felt it.

And yet we ask them to commit to a program

We ask for real money over months.

Based mostly on what we say and what others have experienced.

And we benefit financially.

The language of coaching is powerful:

Transformation.
Breakthroughs.
Life changing.

I've experienced it myself and with my clients.

But when you're the person being asked to trust, and you've never been through it, that language can sound like a promise that's irresistible to ignore.

I'm not saying it's wrong. I believe in coaching deeply. The structure matters. The consistency matters.

The momentum that builds session over session is real and it creates something scattered conversations never could. 

But that doesn't change how vulnerable the ask is.

I also know that if I'm not honest about the position I'm putting a potential client in, I'm not being the coach I say I am.

I'm asking for trust before I've earned it. And that's a vulnerable place for them, not for me.

So what do I do with that?

I think the answer is humility. Real humility. 

The kind that says 'this might not be right for you' even when you need the client.

It means acknowledging openly that this is a big ask.

It means being willing to let someone walk away without making them feel like they're turning down their own potential.

The coaches I respect most are the ones who hold their profession with deep conviction and hold their clients with open hands.

They believe in the structure. They believe in the process.

And they make space for someone to say not yet, not you, or not this, without making it mean anything about the person's courage or readiness.

It also means saying, 'I'm not the right coach for you, but I know who might be.'

That's where the real power is. 

Not in standing firm on your program structure but in being honest with someone and yourself.

I think the profession gets stronger when we talk about this.

I had no one left to talk to.

My client list was empty and I was panicking.

So I told Bridgette I was stuck.

Her suggestion was almost too simple:

"Go through your inbox, your posts and anywhere someone's interacted with you, make a list and bring it to our next session."

I didn't see how that would help.

But I did it anyway.

Next session, we sat down with the stack.

Then she said something I'll never forget.

"We're not looking for clients. We're looking for problems.

Opportunities where you can serve."

We went through the list.

And I found opportunity everywhere.

- Questions I could answer. 
- Challenges I could solve. 
- Struggles I'd been through myself.

I'd been blind to all of it.

Because I was looking for clients instead of searching for problems.

When I reached back out to those people, it wasn't salesy.

It was genuine support.

Your inbox is full of opportunity right now.

You just can't see it because you're looking for the wrong thing.

Stop looking for clients.

Start searching for problems you can solve.

The work finds you when you stop chasing it.

How do I get clients?

I’ve answered this question multiple times and it’s always the same answer.

Hint: It’s not a pitch, funnel or a lead magnet

When I was a Success Coach for IPEC, I had the privilege of coaching hundreds of coaches.

And more than once, without me asking anything, a coach would reach out and say, "Is there an opportunity for us to work together?" 

That lived experience, that felt sense of possibility, is the most powerful thing you can offer anyone. Nothing I know of comes close.

Give people an experience of what it’s like to work with you.

The second way it happens is when you least expect it. 

You're just talking to someone. Really listening. Creating a space where they feel safe enough to share openly what's on their mind. 

And somewhere in that conversation, you begin to understand their situation. And you start to see one or two ways you might genuinely serve them. 

It's not strategic. It's just human connection grounded in curiosity.

And then there's the third way. The third way is different. 

It requires you to do the work first, which is where a lot of coaches slip up. 

If you haven't had that conversation yet, do your homework. 

Read their profiles and posts. Look at what they're managing, what they're building, what they're wrestling with. 

Because when you understand where someone is, you can meet them there.

I came across a post yesterday from someone I'd spoken to about four weeks ago. 

They're setting up a coaching business. And in that post I saw one clear thing. 

One specific reason they might struggle, and one specific way I could help them get sharper on their positioning and their messaging. 

But I didn't just fire off an email. I don't believe in coaching without permission. 

Instead, later today I'm going to send them a short note, asking whether they'd welcome my observation first. 

Asking permission to share what I saw, before being invited. That's it. 

Because the reality is this. All the DMs and emails in the world don't replace actual conversations. 

And when you make it about the other person, when you share what you heard when you talked, and the possibilities you can see for them, regardless of whether you ever work together or not, that's when something real happens.

Listen first. Understand where they are. Offer what you genuinely see.

If you keep doing that, there will always be somewhere to serve. 

And from service, everything else follows.

Does calling yourself a coach feel slightly icky?

In my journey I’ve introduced myself as:
- A founder
- A consultant
- An active listener

For a while I went with IPEC success coach because it felt more specific, more legitimate somehow.

I cycled through the labels looking for one that would finally sit right.

And then I stopped depending on them.

A taxi driver asked me what I did once. I tried to explain it. 

The bemused look on his face said it all.

And in the back of that cab, I realised the label was never the thing creating the link.

My presence, experience and personality were.

What moves people is harder to name and easier to feel.

When you sit with someone and give them your full, undivided attention, there’s a moment. You feel it. They feel it too.

I've watched someone go from "I don't know how to do this" to "I can figure this out" in a matter of minutes. 

What opens up in them is the feeling that achieving the outcome they want is within reach.

And then the most important thing unfolds. They start to sense possibility.

That the change they want is within reach. Not conceptually but cognitively.

When that happens, whatever you called yourself doesn't matter.

Because something shifted in them before you ever made an offer.

They're more likely to work with you the moment they feel change is within reach. 

Your title didn't do that. Your presence did.

So, if the word ‘coach’ feels icky, that's fine. Use whatever feels honest right now.

Pic is me running an annual strategy workshop for the Association of Business Psychologists (ABP)

I dare you to write one.

It takes 5 minutes but lasts years.

Send a handwritten note to someone today.

Forget email, we’re talking real ink, real paper.

These days a handwritten note stands out in ways we’ve almost forgotten.

I got one from a former client this morning. 

Just to share her appreciation for the time and work we’d done together. 

Her thoughtfulness brought me to tears.

And created a deep connection that digital can never match.

It’s a beautiful way to nurture a relationship and show someone you care.

So, here's my invitation:

Pick one person this week. 

A client, a colleague, someone who made a difference. 

Write them a note. Tell them why they matter.

You don't need fancy stationery or perfect handwriting.

You just need to write from the heart.

Who will you write to?

Cancelling took more courage than showing up ever would.

She sent a message the night before. 

Explained where she was at. Didn’t just go quiet.

My first reaction? Respect.

It would have been easier to show up, say the right things, and go through the motions. 

She didn't do that.

The moments I remember most, are the most human.

She hadn’t slept well. Three weekends away in a row.

Needed to walk Oz, do the grocery shop, clean, get to the gym and read the manual for her new car.

She didn’t send me some BS, overwhelmed excuse. 

She just stated what she needed. In order. Honestly.

That’s someone who knows exactly where they are.

And what their day actually needs to be like.

I hope she gets through the list.

I hope Oz gets a good walk.

I always ask for full payment upfront.

No monthly invoices.
No payment plans. 
No apologies.

Here's why it works for me.

When my clients pay in full, that’s when everything changes.

Their commitment deepens.
They show up differently.
They radiate “I'm all in.”

Little-by-little payments turn something powerful into something casual.
And casual isn't what we're here for.

From my side, it frees me completely.

I'm not chasing invoices.
I'm not tracking who owes what.
I'm not becoming a debt collector.

All that drains energy from the work.
And the work deserves all of it.

Now, full prepayment isn't the right way.

It's my way.

I know brilliant coaches who use payment plans and prosper.

I’ve also had 1:1 clients where we’ve agreed them.

That's what I love about this profession.

You get to choose.
You're not boxed in by rigid rules.
You get to build your practice your way.

So, whatever your policy is, own it.
Say it clearly. Say it warmly.

Your clients will respect it.

No monthly invoices.
No payment plans. 
No apologies.


What if my client doesn't get the result they want?

That question used to keep me awake at night. 

And I mean genuinely awake.

Every time a client set a big goal, I'd feel this weight on me. 

Like I was somehow responsible, whether they'd achieve it or not. 

If they weren't making progress, I'd be carrying it around with me between sessions.

It was exhausting. And I can tell you, it's a hard place to coach from.

It took me a while to get really clear on what I was actually promising.

And it wasn't some guaranteed result. 

Or a specific number I could hand over at the end of our time together.

What you're promising is the best coaching you know how to give.

That's it.

You can't promise more than you can give.

And the moment I got clear on that, my coaching felt lighter.

The result gets created by the client. Not by you.

When you trust your client's capacity to do the work, you stop carrying what isn't yours to carry. 

Great coaching brings out the best in people. 

And when that happens, they are far more likely to achieve what they set out to achieve and more. 

Your responsibility is to show up with your best work. Nothing more and nothing less.

One client came to me wanting to develop a one-to-one coaching business.

Through the process, we ended up creating a paid community instead.

It changed her life.

And that mattered more than any goal we started with.

What she came for turned out to be less significant than the thing she became.

Today, I partner with clients on their biggest goals without carrying the weight of guaranteeing them.

I'll share stories of past clients who've achieved similar goals and gone beyond them. But I'm always clear on my role.

The best coaching I know how to give. 

That's all I ever have to worry about doing.

If you're a coach carrying that weight right now, where does your responsibility end and your client's begin?

Being an introvert made me rethink my coaching career.

Not coaching itself. I love coaching. 

It's the part where you have to put yourself out there. That's when my chest used to tighten up.

And I think a lot of coaches know exactly what I mean.

The fear isn't really about talking to people. Introverts are often extraordinary with people. 

The fear is about performing for strangers. And the moment you stop performing and start genuinely connecting, the anxiety fades.

Before any outreach, ground yourself first.

Your nervous system sets the tone before your mouth opens.

Find whatever works for you:
- A walk
- An affirmation
- Five minutes of quiet

People feel your energy before you say a word.

From that grounded place, stop thinking about "all the people" you need to reach.

You're just focused on the next one person. One conversation. That's it.

In that conversation, slow down. Listen harder. Ask sharper questions.

Compassionate conversation is a lost art. It’s so rare these days.

Introverts seldom struggle with connection. They struggle with performance.

The overwhelm doesn't go away through discipline or pushing through.

It fades when you realise you were never meant to perform in the first place.

Connection is your territory. It always has been.

Knowing is the enemy of curiosity.

Before I started training to be a coach at IPEC, I genuinely believed I was an excellent listener.

People naturally confided in me and told me things in confidence.

Then we started the peer sessions and the doubt crept in. I realised perhaps I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

So I applied to join the Samaritans, which is a crisis line for people at the end of the road.

I wanted to find out what listening without judgment or attachment really meant so that curiosity would be present.

No framework. No technique. Just presence.

In the fourth week, I spoke to someone who felt they couldn't go on.

The previous version of me would have tried to fix them. Advise. Find a solution. Counsel my way through.

Instead, I just stayed. No agenda. No "knowing" what to say next. Just pure presence and curiosity.

The irony is that's when I knew.

Knowledge is a noun. It's what you build over hundreds of sessions.

Knowing is a verb. It's what you do with that knowledge in the room.

And you can't be in a state of knowing and genuine curiosity at the same time.

Coaches who create the most impact in the room share something with that Samaritans call.

They're not reaching for what they know. They're staying curious with what's there.

No agenda. No next move. Just presence.

What would change if you walked into your next session without knowing and led with pure curiosity?

"Will a diagnostic or assessment always be part of your coaching program?"

I asked my client this yesterday.

“I think so, Yeah."

Assessments create introspection and innovation.

They give people a framework to understand their differences and work better together.

Not in a simplistic way, but sensitively.

Her reasoning made sense.

I've used assessments too. 

I'm a Lumina Spark practitioner. 

Sometimes I’ll suggest this to a client.

It’s one way to reveal patterns people don't see.

But here's where I get cautious.

The danger is using the tool as a crutch for your coaching skill.

Treating the report as “truth” instead of a discussion.

Over-confidence in assessments can shut down your coaching presence. 

You switch off. 

You think the tool has already told you who they are.

So, I'm curious about your experience.

Do you work with personality assessments in your coaching?

If yes, why? What benefits do you see?

If no, what's your reasoning?

My client is non procrastinatingly brilliant.

She just sent me this:

"I offered a lead magnet on my post today. Already, 83 impressions. 4 people asked for it. I’ve had to down tools to write it now!"

She sold it before she built it.

I bet you’ve spent days creating the perfect freebie.

Designing it. Perfecting it. Polishing it.

Only to post it and hear crickets.

She did the opposite.

Posted the offer.

Validated the demand.

Built it for the people who actually wanted it.

That's courage. 

Not hoping people want it. Testing if people want it.

The market tells you what it wants. Especially if you ask before you build.

Forget perfecting in private. Start offering in public.

You don't need a polished product.

You need real people saying yes.

Then you build it for them.

In 10 minutes, my client got 4 yeses from 83 people.

That's a 4.8% conversion rate on an offer that didn't exist yet.

Want to know if your idea has legs?

Offer it today.

Build it today.

Let demand lead creation.

That's how you stop guessing and start knowing.

“Send me some info.”

What do you send as a follow up?

A client asked me this last Wednesday.

You’ve had a chat.
Someone shows interest.
They ask you to send something.

So, you send:

A PDF about your process.
Your bio, your packages.
A link to your site.
(if you have one)

And they ghost.

Surprise, surprise.

They don't need ‘more info’.
They need to feel seen.

Your follow-up should be about them.

What did you notice in your conversation?
What possibility did you see for them?
What breakthrough could be waiting?

Paint a picture of what could shift for them.
Be specific and make it tangible.

Then invite them to talk more.

Show them you were listening.
Reflect what they shared.

If they specifically asked for your bio or how coaching works, fine.

Pop it in the PS.

But the body of your message? 
That's about them.

Your goal isn't to inform, it's to create a relationship.

Less brochures. More connection.

The thoughtful message that makes them want to keep talking?

That's the one you send.

Stop paying another £200 for shiny new tools.

Here are the 8 tools I (actually) use to run my coaching business in 2026:

1. Stripe → all-in-one easy payment gateway, one offs, subscriptions, and client billing on autopilot. Get paid without the awkward follow-up.

2. Claude.ai → session summaries, action items and client follow-ups written in minutes.

3. Otter.ai → replaced manual note taking. Records every session so I stay present. Not desperately trying to remember everything they said.

4. Acuity → replaced the back-and-forth. Clients book themselves. No more "does Tuesday work for you?" emails.

5. Kit → replaced generic email blasts. Nurture sequences, lead magnets, and newsletters that actually convert prospects into clients.

6. Zoom → every discovery call, coaching session, and group program. Zero learning curve for clients. They show up, we coach

7. Sales Navigator → replaced cold outreach guesswork Find your ideal client profile in seconds. No more shouting into the void.

8. ScoreApp → replaced boring lead magnets. Quizzes that qualify leads and tell them something valuable. Cuts tyre-kickers before they book.

The best tool stack is the one you actually use.

Start there.

P.S. What are you paying for and not using?

8 tools I use in my coaching business 2026

Self awareness is the new self-sabotage.

Not the idea, the obsession with it.

I spent an entire month tracking every pattern, trigger, and emotional response.

I could tell you exactly why I made bad decisions.

And I could map the flow from emotional discomfort to restless negativity.

There's a pattern to it. Three stages

Stage 1: You discover self-awareness.

It feels like a superpower. You start seeing your patterns clearly for the first time.

Stage 2: You get addicted to the insight.

Every bad day becomes a case study. Every emotion becomes data. 

You journal, reflect, analyse. 

Why am I self-sabotaging? — then self-sabotage again the same afternoon.

Stage 3: The trap closes. 

Self-observation becomes self-criticism wearing a growth mindset costume.

I caught myself writing "You are better than this" at the end of yet another day where knowing better hadn't translated into doing or being better.

That's not growth. That's punishment dressed up as a pep talk.

I was stuck in that loop for weeks.

The breakthrough didn't come from deeper analysis.

It wasn't an insight at all. 

It was the night I finally wrote: "Stop beating yourself up.'"

That one sentence did more than 60 pages of pattern recognition. 

Because the moment I stopped over analysing everything, I actually had the energy to do something about it.

Sometimes the most powerful act of self-awareness is recognising when self-awareness has become the problem.

The antidote to toxic self-awareness isn't less thinking.

It's smaller, faster action.

Before your mind has time to turn it into another case study.

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Rob Schenk's LinkedIn Performance

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