Six simple ways to set yourself up for a powerful 2026
As the year winds down, you might be noticing that familiar tension. The desire to finish strong combined with the reality that you are tired. You need a break.And if you are like many coaches, you might also be feeling the pressure to build the “perfect” strategy for 2026 so you don’t start the new year on the back foot. This episode (and indeed the new few episodes on this series) are about how to do both. To honor the fatigue of the end of year AND to use our time well to prepare..And so I am pleased to share six intentional and coach friendly actions you can take before the year ends that will strengthen your identity as a business owner, expand your future capacity and set you up beautifully for a powerful 2026 without adding hustle, urgency or overwhelm.These are small, doable shifts that support both your business and your wellbeing.Check out the episode now and let me know which ones feel supportive for you as 2025 winds down.If you’re ready to grow your executive coaching business and work with more of your ideal corporate clients, join the Corporate to Coach Accelerator. It’s a 12-month,hands-on programme that helps you replace your corporate income sustainably.👉 Book a call at elliescarf.com/bookacall or learn more at elliescarf.com/cca.And connect with me on LinkedIn.
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Presence, possibility and growth with coach Lisa Saunders
I’m thrilled to be joined in this episode by Lisa Saunders. Lisa is an extraordinary and experienced coach, supervisor, team coach and facilitator whose career spans more than two decades across corporate HR, leadership development and deep transformational coaching work.
In our conversation, Lisa shares her journey into coaching and consulting via a senior HR roles. She talks about the pivotal moments that shaped her path as well as the serendipity that propelled her business.
Lisa brings so much depth to her clients through executive coaching, due in no small part to her deep passion and commitment to her continued personal growth.
Here’s what we cover:
✅ Lisa’s corporate to coach story✅ The power of coaching for leaders in roles that seem impossible to sustain✅ Why authenticity, safe exploration and unfiltered thinking matter in effective coaching✅ How Lisa works at a transformational level by going beneath the conscious layers to unlock impact✅ The surprising influence that competitive horse riding has had on her coaching presence, relational skills, leadership lens and resilience✅ How the pandemic transformed her business and why it ultimately became a gift✅ What it looks like to build a coaching business that supports the life you want✅ The balance between deliberate effort and being in the right place at the right time
If you’re building your coaching business or supporting high performing leaders, this episode offers a refreshing and very human perspective on growth, resilience, presence and the power of saying yes.
You can connect with Lisa Saunders on LinkedIn to explore her work in leadership coaching, supervision, team coaching and equine facilitated development.
If you'd like support to help you grow your business, you may like to join Lisa with me inside The Corporate to Coach Accelerator, a 12-month hands-on program designed to help you replace your corporate income more quickly and sustainably.
Book a call with me at elliescarf.com/bookacall or learn more at elliescarf.com/cca.
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Growing your brand as a coach and leader, with Janine Manning
I’m delighted to be joined in this episode by leadership and branding expert Janine Manning, who brings nearly two decades of experience supporting executives and entrepreneurs to show up with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
In our conversation, Janine shares how she helps new and emerging executives as well asbusiness owners navigate visibility challenges. From imposter syndrome to personal brand development and beyond, authenticity is key in Janine’s approach to tackling these challenges.
You’ll also hear all about Janine’s career journey, from PR and marketing roles to executive coaching - and how that has shaped her passion for helping others lead and communicate.
Here’s what we cover:
✅ The three anchors every leader and entrepreneur needs. ✅ How imposter syndrome shows up for executives and coaches (and how to work with it). ✅ Why visibility isn’t about being loud. ✅ The importance of understanding your strengthse. ✅ How to navigate comparisonitis. ✅ Practical ways to stay connected to your purpose and track your wins.
Janine also shares her journey of transitioning from corporate leadership to running her own coaching business, including what she’s most proud of, how she manages the tech and systems side of entrepreneurship, and the mindset shifts that helped her grow sustainably.
If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, comparison, or the challenge of being more visible while staying genuine, this conversation will give you a grounded, strength-based approach to showing up as the leader and business owner you want to be.
Connect with Janine Manning at janinemanning.com or on LinkedIn, where she shares valuable insights on leadership, confidence, and executive presence.
Janine also shared details of 2 books on Imposter Syndrome:
The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women - Dr Valerie Young
Own Your Greatness - Lisa Orbe-Austin
If you’re ready to grow your executive coaching business more of your ideal corporate clients, I’d love to support you inside The Corporate to Coach Accelerator. It’s a 12-month hands-on program designed to help coaches to replace their corporate income quicker.
You can book a call with me at elliescarf.com/bookacall or learn more at elliescarf.com/cca.
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How to Build a Consistent Pipeline of Corporate Coaching Clients
If you’re an executive or leadership coach who loves the work but feels stuck when it comes to growing your business with corporate clients, this episode is for you.
You might notice that you’re doing some of the right things like updating your LinkedIn, attending webinars, or working with a few associate contracts, but it’s not translating into steady, predictable clients. You might be wondering, “What am I missing?”
In this special episode, I’m sharing the full Executive Coach Business Growth Masterclass, where I walk you through exactly what it takes to create a consistent flow of corporate and organisational clients without constantly selling.
Here’s what we cover: ✅ The 10-part Executive Coach Pipeline Model that forms the foundation of a sustainable coaching business. ✅ How to reverse-engineer your revenue goals so client generation becomes a numbers game, not guesswork. ✅ The power of warm outreach and how just five conversations a day can completely change your results. ✅ The mindset shifts that stop perfectionism and fear from holding you back. ✅ Practical systems to bring rhythm, accountability and joy back into your business.
You’ll also hear about common challenges coaches face, from sales resistance and overthinking to losing confidence when outreach doesn’t get a quick reply, and how to navigate them with structure and self-trust.
By the end of this session, you’ll see how to connect your network, offers and credibility into one clear funnel that fuels consistent growth so you can focus on the work you love instead of chasing clients.
If this episode sparks something for you and you’re ready to grow your executive coaching business with more corporate clients, I’d love to support you inside The Corporate to Coach Accelerator, my 12-month, hands-on program designed to help you build your client pipeline and a marketing system you can sustain in under five hours a week.
For a limited time, you can still join at the current discounted price and secure your bonuses before enrolment closes. 👉 Book your call at elliescarf.com/bookacall to see if it’s the right fit for you.
I’ll be back next week with more strategies, mindset tools and business foundations to help you grow your executive coaching practice with clarity and confidence.
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Transformation through coaching with Louise Zawada
If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to leave a successful corporate career and build a thriving coaching practice, this conversation with Louise Zawada will resonate deeply. Louise has spent her career leading large-scale transformation projects, guiding executives through uncertainty and building high-performing teams. Today, she brings that same depth of experience to her coaching work, helping leaders navigate complex organisational change.
In this episode, Louise shares her honest reflections on moving from employee to business owner, how she balances variety and structure in her work, and the role of community, relationships and systems in creating sustainable success.
Here’s what we cover: ✅ How Louise’s career in HR and transformation naturally evolved into executive coaching.
✅ What it felt like to take the leap from corporate life into entrepreneurship and why it felt inevitable.
✅ The lessons she’s learned about managing self-doubt, fear and the pressure to do it all.
✅ How she balances variety, structure and systems to create calm and consistency in her business.
✅ The power of connection and why genuine curiosity is her most effective business strategy.
✅ What she’s most proud of in her journey so far, and what she’d tell new coaches just starting out. If you’re a coach, leader or professional in transition, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that clarity, courage and connection can guide you through any season of change.
Connect with Louise Zawada 🔗 Website: louisezawadaleadership.com💼 LinkedIn: Louise Zawada
**We have reopened doors to the Corporate to Coach Accelerator for just 48 hours based on lots of requests! You can book a call now at www.elliescarf.com/bookacall to find out if the Accelerator is a good fit for you and also to get access to that discounted launch pricing.**
The executive coaches out there know that coaching is very rewarding, but the business of executive coaching can be confusing, frustrating and unnecessarily opaque.
Join senior executive coach Ellie Scarf each week as she shares practical business advice, tips she’s learnt from her mistakes and her mentors, and the latest business ideas translated for the executive coaching context.
Join Ellie and her guests and be inspired by the possibilities for your executive coaching business!
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