It’s almost embarrassing with the frequency that I say to clients, “I don’t do this, but you should.“
Which puts me somewhere between a chain-smoking, vodka-chugging fitness coach and a sloth putting an order in for some sleeping tablets.
You would think that if I am teaching coaches how to become fully booked, that, to stay fully booked, I should be doing those very same things.
But the reality is that becoming a fully booked coach is exponentially more difficult than maintaining a fully booked calendar.
It’s a bit like the difference between maintaining a six-pack and generating one in the first place.
For me to get a six-pack would require 10 hours a day of hard gym work for the next five years, injecting and ingesting a variety of dubious substances, and a fucking magician.
And even then, I suspect the magician would take one look at me, put down their wand and take up crochet.
But if, in some parallel universe, I have got a six-pack of abs, then maintaining it could probably be done in under an hour a day.
For the most part, I love what I do, and I do it enough to maintain a fully booked client load.
But if I was starting today, the chances of me becoming fully booked, doing what I’m doing, are slightly less than Trump saying, “Look, I’m really sorry everyone, I really fucked up starting a war with Iran. I should have listened to Obama.”
And they’re not good odds.
If you want to know the things that I do and you shouldn’t, here are eight. There may be more.
1. I don’t have a content calendar
Nine times out of 10, when you get an email from me, I’ve literally just written it.
I literally get so excited that even if I had planned to save it for a day or two, I usually end up sending it.
As such, when I get sick or decide to take a few days off, you’re unlikely to hear from me.
This isn’t smart for a new coach.
You should have content queued and ready to go.
And you must be consistent with your writing and be getting in front of people as often as you can.
There is something in behavioural economics called the “mere-exposure effect.“
It means the more people see something that they haven’t formed a strong opinion on, the more they are likely to like and trust it (or you).
2. I don’t offer to give free talks
It can take a long time and require a lot of content to build authority with your ideal audience.
Speaking to a live audience can accelerate that process.
Whenever you get up to give a speech, you are immediately positioned as the authority in the room.
Nobody invites somebody to talk to their audience who they think is a fucking idiot, rather, they invite people who know their shit.
3. I don’t use a quiz on my website as a lead magnet
I’ve been meaning to put a quiz on my website along the lines of “See if a career in coaching is right for you” for about 10 years.
And I’m not even joking.
I love quizzes on websites, and it takes a lot of willpower for me not to fill in every single one I come across.
After all, why wouldn’t I want to know which variety of tomato I am most similar to?
Or, if I was on a desert island starving to death, am I the kind of person who would eat my left foot, right hand or spleen first?
But even though I like them, and I think they’re a great tool for lead generation, I’ve still never got quite around to pulling the trigger.
Maybe I will one day.
When I get my six-pack.
4. I don’t have business cards
Sometime around 2010, I ran out of business cards.
Because I was doing zero marketing offline, I didn’t bother to order any more. I never have since.
However, going old school like that is becoming increasingly important to become a fully booked coach.
Get some business cards. Make sure they have a QR code on them linking to your website, and give them out to everybody you meet.
5. I don’t avoid talking about politics on LinkedIn
I’m a liberal, and I don’t give a shit who knows it.
I support minority rights, I believe in free healthcare, and I think poverty and homelessness are a stain on society.
Talking about my deep dislike of Trump and the far right in general isn’t a marketing strategy, or a decision that’s wise for most coaches.
Especially on LinkedIn, where it is distinctly frowned upon.
I can get away with it because I’m 20 years in with a full practice and can afford to repel people.
You probably can’t….yet.
6. I don’t apply for podcasts
Actually, that’s not entirely true. I think I applied to one at the very start of 2026, because it was a podcast I enjoyed myself.
But I no longer use a podcast matching service or visit a couple of Facebook communities I’m in.
Even though I have generated a lot of clients directly or indirectly from podcasts and I’m not saying I won’t do it again.
Like public speaking, when somebody invites you onto their podcast, they do so because they think you’re an authority, and you can add value to their audience.
Getting in front of other people’s audiences is arguably the fastest way to grow your coaching practice.
7. I don’t do any outreach on social media
If a coach sends me a connection request on LinkedIn, I will always accept it, but I rarely follow up.
That really makes no sense, other than some deep belief that I’ll be bothering people.
If somebody has taken the time to ask to connect with me and presuming they’re not looking to sell me something, then they’re obviously interested in what I have to say.
So, a follow-up DM isn’t me being intrusive, It’s the natural thing to do.
But it gets worse.
Unless they’re a client or I know them fairly well, if a coach asks to friend me on Facebook, I decline.
The shaky logic is because I only use my personal Facebook page for personal stuff.
But from a business standpoint, it’s, yet again, pretty fucking ridiculous.
8. I don’t have a personal/branding video on my homepage
This may be even more important than having a quiz on my homepage.
We’re now in a video-first era.
People not being able to see you and get a sense of who you are quickly can be seriously detrimental to your ability to hold their attention.
If you haven’t got one, get a short video or a proper story on your homepage before you worry about anything cleverer.
At the time of writing (July 2026), I am looking to rectify this situation.
In all seriousness, I do many things right
I do set aside time to learn how to use AI, even if the ChatGPT-generated image of me above isn’t my best work.
I do send out quality content to my newsletter subscribers, and I do give away lead magnets that people actually use.
I do go out of my way to help people on social media.
I do understand the fundamentals of content marketing, and I apply them.
I do still implement good SEO practices.
I do stay true to myself.
And I do have a lot of fun.
Do any of these ring true for you? If so, let me know in the comments.
And since half this post is about me never asking for anything, let me practise what I preach. If you know a coach who would benefit from this post, please send them a link.