I’m not the most festive guy in the world, but I do have an early Chrimbo pressie for you…
If signing clients feels harder than it used to, you’re not imagining it.
The coaching market has shifted. What worked in 2020 won't work in 2026.
The early boom is behind us, and we’ve entered a phase where clarity, specialisation and structure carry more weight than hustle.
🔎 The Three Pillars You Need for 2026
- Be Different
Generalist coaching is disappearing. Clients want a specialist who understands their exact problem and can solve it. - Be Seen
Visibility isn’t about volume any more. One strong weekly asset, repurposed well, outperforms constant posting and burnout marketing. - Be Valuable
Retention is the new growth strategy. Strong onboarding, thoughtful touchpoints and a better client experience make your business more profitable and more stable.
These three pillars sit at the heart of my new 2026 Coaching Industry Report. I think you’ll find more than a few useful triggers for what needs tightening as we move into the new year.
I’ll be sharing deeper insights over the next few weeks, breaking each pillar down so you can apply it to your business.
In the meantime, click the image to grab your copy 👇
“How can I actually be found by the right people and turn that into business?”
Most coaches are asking a version of that question.
For better or worse, the answer right now sits at the intersection of search engines and AI tools – what’s starting to be called Answer Engine Optimisation.
Why “being findable” is changing
Prospective clients are no longer just Googling; they’re asking AI tools for recommendations, step‑by‑step plans, and even which coach or program to choose.
When your content is clear, specific, and structured around the questions your ideal clients are asking, you give both search engines and AI “answer engines” something solid to surface and recommend.
The impact is very real: when you consistently publish useful content, enquiries increase; when you fall off the wagon, they slow down.
That isn’t an algorithm punishing you, it’s simply fewer answers out there with your name on them for people and AI tools to find.
A simple, implementable shift for this week
Instead of trying to post “everywhere, all the time,” pick one core question your ideal client is asking and create:
- One clear, practical answer as a blog or article on your site.
- One or two short posts or emails that point back to that answer.
Make that content:
- Specific (solve one problem in detail).
- Actionable (steps, checklist, or example).
- In your language (so AI tools and humans both get a sense of who you are).
Do that consistently and you start building a library of answers that AI and search tools can trust – and that’s what keeps you discoverable over time.
Your next step
Next week’s newsletter will dig into the churn and burn of coaches trying to keep up with content creation, and how to stay visible without burning out.
In the meantime, go deeper here: “Answer Engine Optimisation: What Coaches and Digital Business Owners Need to Know Right Now”
🤔 “I thought I knew who I was…”
So, I took a personality test recently.
Not because I was desperately searching for meaning, but because curiosity got the better of me, and I assumed it would just confirm what we all already know about me.
- Strong here.
- Blind spot there.
- Classic Andy.
Except it didn’t.
It held up a much sharper mirror than I expected.
The language, the patterns, the motivations - it all hit a bit too close to home. The kind of accuracy that makes you rethink a few things over your morning coffee.
And instead of filing it away like every other “helpful self-discovery tool,” I did something different.
I used the result as a brief to train ChatGPT on how to work with me.
Since then, the quality of the responses has changed completely.
Ideas land better.
The tone matches mine.
And the whole thing feels less like a robot blowing smoke up my backside and more like a thinking partner who actually gets how I operate.
If you want to run the same experiment, start here (it’s free):
And if you want the exact briefing I gave ChatGPT - just say the word. I’m happy to share it so you can tune your own setup and get much better answers out of it.
Our Kajabi Life: A Little Ride Down Memory Lane
We took a trip back to our old stomping ground in Sotogrande last week.
Six months since we left, but it still feels like yesterday.
We caught up with friends, jumped on the trusty Engwe e-bikes, and rode 40 km for what might be the best ribs in Andalucía. Worth every pedal stroke.
The ride home - not quite as smooth.
I bagged a puncture right outside our favourite Venta in Castellar.
Jules took one look, ordered me a cerveza grande, and let me get on with changing the tyre (while she chased peacocks around the car park - I kid you not).
It was a great trip, full of familiar faces and old roads.
But the interesting bit?
As good as it was to visit, we were genuinely happy to come home.
It’s the same in business.
It’s fine to look back at where you were.
Just don’t stay there too long.
The real progress happens when you keep moving forward.
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