“I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, CEB

Where the Spirit leads, we know to follow. So it is with deep gratitude and anticipation that I step into a new chapter as the next President of Coaching4Clergy.

I don’t take this call lightly. Coaching4Clergy has shaped the lives and leadership of thousands of pastors and church leaders across continents and languages. It has changed the conversation about what it means to lead well, helping people to serve with courage and to live out the call of ministry in our time. For that, we have Val Hastings to thank. His vision, his wisdom, and his unwavering belief in the power of coaching have built something truly remarkable.

I’m honored to carry that legacy forward.

I come to this work after more than two decades of pastoral ministry, years spent walking alongside congregations through joy and heartbreak, growth and change. Learning how to pastor with a coaching perspective became my primary perspective in that journey. It clarified my call, restored my imagination, and gave me the tools to help others thrive. That’s why I believe so deeply in this work. I’ve lived its impact.

As we look to the future, I remain rooted in the Church and committed to building a global coaching movement that is accessible, theologically grounded, trauma-informed, and Spirit-led. I believe the Church is still being shaped, and coaching is one of the most faithful tools we have to help leaders shape it well.

To those who have walked with Coaching4Clergy since the beginning: thank you. To those just finding your way here: welcome. I can’t wait to journey with you.

And one last thing: as an invitation into the new portal space, the first level 1 and 2 classes of 2026 will be 50% off. Contact me at Alice@Coaching4Clergy.com

Grace and peace,
Rev. Alice Ford, PCC, NBC-HWC

I’ve been reflecting on some of the things I wish someone had told me sooner as a new coach, like make sure to leave space between coaching sessions, and get out of the house once in a while.

I’m amazed at how many people who are planning to become a full-time coach haven’t done the math to calculate how much they’ll earn per month or on an annual basis. On the other side of the equation, they don’t know how much they spend, and therefore how much they need to earn through their coaching business.

One thing I recommend is to plan for a 10-month year. That means instead of dividing up your desired annual revenue over 12 months of earning, you’re going to set a target of 10 months.

Why a 10-month year? Well, you’re going to want to take some time off. It might not be 30 days of holidays, but between getting ready to leave and getting back into the swing of things when you return, you can definitely count on 30 days of downtime, or more.

Next, you can plan for at least one month in the year to be a lower-earning month. Maybe the clients in your target market have a busy season when they’re less likely to hire you. Then there’s the natural ebb and flow of the marketing and prospecting process.

So between time away and low earning times, if you plan for a 10-month year you’ll be covered.

Of course, you don’t just need to just cover your personal, family, and business spending, you also have other expenses like health insurance, life insurance, pension, and taxes. Here in the U.S., you’ll likely need to be bringing in at least $100,000 a year – or $10,000 a month.

Most people are shocked to hear that, especially when you consider that the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study found that the average income for coaches around the globe was $51,000, and in North America was $61,900.

Remember, though, that not all of those coaches were full time. And there’s nothing wrong with starting on a part-time basis and working up to full time. A financial advisor can help you put together a strategy and determine when you’re ready to make the leap.

I wanted to launch full-time in 2000, and it took me until 2004 until everything was lined up and I was ready to go – probably longer than it takes most people, but that’s what it took.

It’s a bonus that you can start a coaching business without spending a lot of money, but don’t use that as an excuse to jump in without thinking things through in terms of your finances.

Aside from a financial planner, you’ll also want to meet with a tax accountant and lawyer, at minimum, to make sure you and your business are set up in a way that your personal assets aren’t at risk, and your agreements are solid.

I know you may be sick of working at your job and wish you could just quit and be a full-time coach already, but what if we look at this differently? This job that you’re bored and frustrated with is supporting you financially while you’re getting valuable coaching experience and getting your ducks in a row. Celebrate that and be thankful.

It’s going to take some time for you to build up your client base anyway, so use that time to do the math.

There are some things no one tells you when you start coaching – at least no one told me. When I first started, for example, I’d book coaching calls one after the other, but I eventually realized that I needed some breathing space in between.

There are important things to do in order to bring closure to one client call and prepare for the next. Some are logistical, like making notes about the previous call or reviewing notes before the next call.

Ideally, I can get outdoors for some fresh air to breathe, relax, and rejuvenate myself. All of these tasks are important to get my whole person ready for that next session.

It’s just as important to properly end the previous session – set it aside, wrap it up, and let go of any residual thoughts or feelings. Some coaches have in-depth rituals for this – they may light a candle, or do some yoga poses or stretches.

The goal is to do whatever you need to do to be fully present for the next coaching conversation. And allowing yourself enough time and space to do those things. You need to learn this about yourself and know what you need and how long that takes. And then to honor that in your schedule.

How to honor time in a coaching session

To protect the starting time, make sure you have caller ID! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been waiting for a client to call when other calls came in and I’d be tied up on the line.

Now, how do you end a call on time? What I teach students is that as the coach, I am responsible for keeping the time. What I typically do at about 8 to 10 minutes before the end is to say something like, “Well, we’ve got about 8 minutes to go, where do we go from here?” or “What are the next steps for you?”

Then with about 2 minutes to go, I’ll again say, “Well, we’re just about at the end, so what are you learning or discovering from this?” or “What was most helpful to you in our call?” or “What will be different going forward now as a result of our coaching session?” or “How will these great insights you’ve had play out in the next few days?”

These questions are an intentional signal to the client and to myself. We’ve been both holding on to the baton during the coaching and now I’m going to let go.

What if the client launches into a new story or topic? This happens, and if it’s really important, I’ve created the space to allow that to happen by scheduling some breathing room in between. Rarely, though, is it really crucial that we have that conversation right then and there.

I might say, “Wow, that sounds really important. Since our time is up, why don’t you give that some additional thought and maybe send me an email? Then let’s pick it up next time.”

I’m convinced that when it comes to coaching, less is more. Let’s keep to those bite-sized chunks of coaching – we don’t need those smorgasbords. Let’s just chew on something and move on.

A lot of students struggle with this; they want to give the client more time. Even an hour doesn’t seem like enough – but it is! I suggest that all new coaches hold themselves to an end time for their sessions. Practice sitting in that discomfort. And give yourself the space to do it.

On February 20, 2025, Senator Mitch McConnell said, “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter.” Those words have been on my mind as I share some important news about my own journey.

On January 1, 2026, Coaching4Clergy will welcome a new president — Alice Ford, PCC, and United Methodist Clergy.

Leading Coaching4Clergy for the past 25 years has been one of the greatest joys and honors of my life. What began as a dream has grown far beyond what I ever imagined — reaching across five continents, translated into many languages, and impacting thousands of ministry leaders. I will forever be grateful for every person who has been part of this story.

When Alice and I first spoke about this possibility last Spring, I knew almost immediately that she was the right person to lead us forward. Her experience, faith, and passion for empowering ministry leaders make her an ideal choice for this next chapter.

As Alice takes the helm at Coaching4Clergy, I’ll be focusing my energy on Coaching4TodaysLeaders, where I will continue offering coaching, coach training, and coaching supervision to corporations and business leaders.

Thank you for allowing me to serve, to dream, and to grow alongside this incredible community. The future of Coaching4Clergy is bright — and I can’t wait to see where Alice leads it next.

No one necessarily tells you this before you start a coaching business, so I’m telling you now. It can be hard to work from home all day, especially when you work primarily on the phone or online. I discovered this about 18 months in when I realized I didn’t like how things were unfolding.

Unlike those who work remotely from home as part of an organization, coaches and solopreneurs don’t have a built-in group of peers and colleagues. And we need those interactions. As a coach you’re always helping other people; you need the chance to get out and be in other roles – not just the helper or the professional.

I once read in a study that the least effective place to work is sitting at a desk in your office, and I think that applies to a home office as well. We need the stimulation of seeing, hearing and doing different things. We also need to be moving, changing things up physically as well.

I know of one coach whose clients have to walk while they talk to her, even if they’re both on their cell phones – driving doesn’t count, you have to be moving on your own power.

Personally I need to get out of the office and be around people on a regular basis. I’ll take my laptop to a coffee shop and do some work there, or I’ll go for a walk, or I’ll go to the gym. Sometimes I’ll just go and walk around the mall even if I don’t have anything to buy. Being around all that hustle and bustle changes up the energy for me.

What are some other ways you can get out and be around people?

• Join your local ICF chapter. This gives you a group of peers you can be in the same room with to make personal connections. Virtual friends and meetings are wonderful, but they’re just not the same.
• Join a local service group through a group like Rotary International.
• Volunteer in your community.

If you’ve been losing steam in your coaching practice or you feel like something’s been missing, try getting out of the house and changing things up! It sure works for me.

One of the great things about being a solopreneur is that you get to set your schedule, and that’s also one of the most challenging things.

Twenty years ago when I started coaching, my mentor coach impressed on me that it was my job to design the schedule I wanted. If it didn’t work, or if it stopped working because things had changed direction, it was my responsibility to tweak things.

I find this happens about every two or three years. My cue is usually that my desk is overrun with post-it notes that just keep stacking up because I’m not completing the tasks I’ve written on them.

If I’m not getting things done, I need to ask myself: What do I really want to accomplish? What are the things only I can accomplish? Am I delegating the tasks that distract me from those?

It sounds simple, but it’s not as easy as it seems.

Here are five questions that will help you design the best schedule for you:

1. Which activities feel rushed and pressured, or do you tend to put off? These may be self-care actions like eating mindfully, taking a walk, or getting to a medical appointment, or work tasks like session notes, invoicing, or business planning. Take a look at what might be going on, and what support you might need to make these part of your schedule. Also, question whether any of them should be delegated to someone who can do them faster and more joyfully than you ever could.
2. What are your business hours? Some people are fine working evenings or weekends. Personally I only work evenings maybe four times the entire year, otherwise I walk out of my office no later than 5:00 p.m. and often by 4:00 p.m. Since my first day as a coach I’ve had a three-day weekend (Fri-Sun), unless I’m out of the country doing a training.
3. When do you have the most energy, focus, and creativity? If I have a task I need to concentrate on, I try to schedule it for 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. By the afternoons when my energy is winding down, I need to be conscious of what I’m doing. I can still coach at those times, but I’ll stand up and walk around to keep my blood flowing and my mind more focused.
4. How can your schedule better accommodate your natural pace? We sometimes need more or less time for the same task, and this also changes over the years. On the one hand, we may get quicker at repeated tasks, but on the other hand, we may challenge ourselves to raise the bar and do things more thoroughly.
5. How much space do you need in your schedule? We need space between things, to stop and think. Sometimes we rush to fill in that space with what we assume are “mindless” tasks like scrolling through email, but then oops! We forget an attachment, or reply without reading carefully and get into a misunderstanding. Space is also important for needing travel time to and from an appointment.

A schedule can be a tool that works for you, not the other way around. It’s all about making sure the things most important to you get done. The key is to keep your schedule fluid and flexible. Things will get added, and they may be really important. That’s when you can decide what to take away or delegate.

What if you started your schedule by blocking out time to eat, sleep, be with your family, and rest? What if you only scheduled 85% of your time, or 75%, or even 60%, for those inevitable items you haven’t planned? These choices are up to. If you somehow end up with extra time in your day, that’s okay too. There’s always something to read, something to do, or someone to call.

At Coaching4Clergy and Coaching4Today’sLeaders, we spend a lot of time teaching the core competencies and what it takes to be an effective coach.

Beyond that, each coach also has the opportunity to bring the beliefs and principles of coaching into the culture of our workplaces and other communities. Here are some of the most important elements to include:

1. There’s greatness in every person. Ben Zander gives every student an A at the beginning of the school year, provided they can tell him who they will have become by the end of the course that will justify that grade. How could this belief of innate greatness show up in the workplace? We would consciously try to draw it out in others, or “turn up the volume” on what’s already there. Acknowledging greatness gives us a richer, fuller take on things. It creates a sense of mutual respect and collective responsibility, and the empowerment to do more of the same.
2. We all have something to contribute. Instead of the expert versus non-expert roles we usually use, we look at what the other person is seeing and what they can offer from that perspective. It’s more than just their opinion; it’s their contribution. This makes people responsible for their own work and means the leader doesn’t have to always have the answers. This creates a more collaborative work environment with buy-in and ownership across the board. Plus if everyone is made to feel they have something to contribute, they’ll have more courage to speak up and suggest new, innovative things.
3. Questions are more helpful than answers. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it can bring new life to people in the workplace. Instead of quickly assessing or judging something as right or wrong, possible or not, a coaching approach uses questions. In the workplace this allows us to explore new possibilities and build something together that no one person could have come up with on their own.
4. Things keep growing. There is no “there” here. Coaching-inspired employees are continuous learners and committed to improvement. They practice apprenticeship, no matter how senior their role. When everyone’s always moving forward, it creates a dynamic environment where continuous learning is a core value.
5. There’s a special energy. At some workplace meetings, it’s like things have already been decided before you even get there. In a coaching-inspired workplace, we’re always asking questions because we genuinely want to hear from each other. We expect greatness from ourselves and each other, we’re all looking to grow and improve, and you can feel the possibility in the air.

Do you recognize these qualities in your own workplace? What can you do differently today to express these ideals?

I’ve been running my coaching business for nearly twenty-five years, and during this time, I’ve relied heavily on word-of-mouth to attract new clients. It’s a method that has served me well, and I believe it can be incredibly effective for others too.

When I talk about word of mouth, I often refer to the concept of connectors—people who know a lot of other people and have a knack for making things happen. Building relationships with connectors has been a cornerstone of my business strategy. These relationships are built on trust and mutual respect, and they often lead to referrals.

One of the key advantages of word of mouth is that it helps build a solid reputation. If you want to be around for twenty or more years as a coach, your reputation is going to matter. Over time, word gets out, and people start talking. They share their positive experiences with others, which can lead to new opportunities.

For example, I once landed a significant client through a referral. Before our first meeting, I did some research and found out that he loved golfing and was heavily involved in his church and various nonprofit organizations. This information helped me connect with him on a personal level, even before we had our first conversation. It was a great way to build rapport and establish a connection.

Maintaining good relationships with past clients is also crucial. Whenever I have a slow month, I reach out to people I’ve coached or trained before and let them know I have a few openings. Often, they know someone who could benefit from my services, and this keeps the business flowing.

Word of mouth is a powerful tool for attracting new coaching clients. It takes time and effort to build and maintain these relationships, but the long-term benefits are worth it. A good reputation and strong connections can keep your business thriving for years to come.

In a recent coaching class, the students were asking about marketing, specifically how I get clients. I told them that for me as an external coach, I spend 30-40% of my time every week filling the pipeline and keeping it filled. For those of you who haven’t heard that term, your pipeline is a group of people in varying stages of a relationship with you and your business.

Someone at the very beginning of your pipeline might have found you in a Google search or met you at a local networking event. They’re essentially a stranger. A level higher than that would be someone who was introduced or recommended by someone you know or someone who attended a free talk you gave for a local group or association, or online.

As you keep in touch with these people through the methods we’re about to discuss, they become less and less like strangers, and more and more like friends, fans, or followers. The more they get to know you through various channels, the farther down the pipeline they move towards possibly becoming a client – or referring a client to you.

The goal is to be continually adding new people to your pipeline and then cultivating a relationship with them. One student was shocked that after 20 years I still spend so much time on my pipeline. I think what really shocked this new coach was that he would have to do that much.

Filling the pipeline

For me, this includes everything that keeps relationships warm, from writing blog articles and posting on social media, to picking up the phone once in a while to ask someone how they’re doing and if there’s anything I can do to help.

I also give free 30-minute presentations about coaching? “Still?” they asked, incredulously. Yes, because there are still a lot of people who don’t understand what coaching is.

Keeping it fresh

Some people ask how I can keep doing the same types of things over and over. One answer is that I don’t – I’ve continued to reinvent myself. Another answer is that I seek outside perspectives from experts who specialize in other things, like writing, so I can focus on what’s most important to me and the people in my pipeline.

The truth is I actually enjoy this piece of the business. I like people. I like staying connected to people. Shortly before I started working on this article, I thought about someone I hadn’t talked to for a while. I went on Skype to see if he was online, and he was! We had a nice three-minute conversation and that was that. There was nothing salesy about it; it was almost like calling a friend.

You might be surprised to hear that I’m actually a mild introvert – I need time alone to recharge. Even as an introvert, though, I like to stay connected with people. Part of what I like as an introvert is that I get to choose who I’m going to call and when. I get to do it when I’m in a good place.

How business building builds you as a person

By recognizing that 30-40% of my time needs to be dedicated to my pipeline, it forces me to not over-book or over-coach people. This keeps things fresh in my coaching as well.

Making time for business development makes room for new ideas, new connections, and reconnections. Developing my ideas to write blog posts encourages me to step back and reflect on what’s going on. So what starts as business building, ends up building me as a person.

As I’m making my calls, sometimes to students or graduates of our program, I’ll often get this response, “Oh wow, it’s you!” People aren’t expecting the owner of a company to follow up or check-in. Going this extra mile will give you a huge edge because many other business owners aren’t doing things like this. People respond to that genuine touch.

How can you turn business development into something you enjoy?

People often ask, what’s changed in the 20 years since I’ve been a coach?

One trend I’ve definitely noticed is the shift from future-focused coaching to present-focused coaching. Twenty years ago, and even 10 years ago, almost everyone I was coaching was focused on the future, on moving forward. That was a big part of coaching.

With today’s clients, even as I’m working with someone to come up with their vision forward, we’re also talking about how they can be more in the moment and savor today.

Even as people show up for their session, they often need to take a moment to breathe, get centered, and let the soul catch up with the body.

So coaching has become multi-directional in that way. Or maybe as I’ve grown and developed as a coach I’m more present to a need that’s always been there. Whichever, I think this is a great shift. As a culture we are so caught up in not connecting, not being in the moment, not being present, when this is really called for.

For example, in the past when organizations would hire me to coach their employers, it was about how “we need to drive this bus forward!” Today, I’m brought in to help managers relate to their staff in the moment instead of being so caught up in their phones.

How does being present in the moment help us achieve our future vision? As Max de Pree said, the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. It’s hard to get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re starting from. You can’t program a GPS without telling it where your journey begins.

The other piece is that the future is incredibly fluid; it changes. You’ve got to be in the moment to adapt as the present becomes the future. Ultimately, the future is only as good as the moments that you have getting there.