You Don't Have a Leads Problem (You Just Think You Do) [pt 1]
The coaches who stay stuck longest are the ones solving the wrong problem. Adam and Jess make the case that leads, tech, and audience size are almost never what's actually broken, and that until you correctly diagnose what's blocking your pipeline, no amount of effort on any of those three things will move your business forward.
"You don't need leads. You don't know what your problem is, and you don't know how to use the pond you're already in."Jess Webber · I Love Coaching Podcast
This week, open your phone contacts, your email list, or your social media followers, and identify 50 people who fit your ideal client profile or who know someone who does. You almost certainly already have them. That list is your pipeline. Stop calling it empty and start calling it underused.
Show Notes + Resources
What You'll Learn
- Why "I need more leads" is almost always a misdiagnosis, and what to ask yourself instead
- The Pareto Principle applied to coaching pipelines, and why the math is more encouraging than you think
- Why coaches look at their leads transactionally when the business actually runs on relational thinking
- Why a tech stack gives you the feeling of progress without actually moving your pipeline
- Why vanity metrics, followers, subscribers, and channel count, have almost nothing to do with whether you sign clients
- Why showing up on fewer channels, more authentically, matters more than showing up everywhere
- What algorithm behavior tells you about selling in your content, and why it's working against you
Key Themes
- Transactional vs. relational thinking: the reframe that changes how you see your entire pipeline
- Tech obsession as imposter syndrome in disguise
- Vanity metrics vs. a filled pipeline: what actually signals growth
- Authentic content beats sales content, and the algorithm agrees
Memorable Lines
- "You're not looking at leads wrong. You're looking at them wrong." (Adam Roach)
- "You don't need leads. You don't know what your problem is, and you don't know how to use the pond you're already in." (Jess Webber)
- "Vanity metrics don't make for a filled pipeline, and vanity metrics don't make you an authority." (Jess Webber)
- "Selling and social are two totally different avenues." (Jess Webber)
Resources Mentioned
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (currently reading: Adam Roach)
- Pack Your Pipeline event (coming soon): DM "PYP" to @adamrroach or @thejesswebber on Instagram to get the registration link when it's live
- Get Paid to Coach free guide: ilovecoachingco.com/get-paid-to-coach
- Sellable Offer Scorecard: ilovecoachingco.com/scorecard
- Instagram: @ilovecoachingco / @adamrroach / @thejesswebber
- YouTube: youtube.com/@ilovecoachingco
Timestamps
- [00:00] Intro: what this new series is about
- [01:00] What coaches say their problem is: leads
- [02:00] Why "I need leads" is almost never true
- [02:48] The Pareto Principle and the pipeline math
- [04:23] Transactional vs. relational thinking (Adam's reframe)
- [06:10] Adam's wife and the art of being a relationship depositor
- [07:02] "You don't know the pond you're already in"
- [08:17] The second perceived problem: tech
- [10:39] What "tech" actually means for coaches
- [11:05] Adam: building a multimillion dollar business without a website
- [12:15] Why AI-generated websites hurt more than they help
- [15:55] Tech as imposter syndrome cover
- [16:45] The third perceived problem: audience size and channels
- [18:48] 971 followers, 400+ podcast listeners: the real numbers
- [19:31] Vanity metrics vs. a filled pipeline
- [20:20] Why selling in your content works against you and the algorithm
- [24:00] Pack Your Pipeline event announcement
- [25:48] How to get notified: DM "PYP"
- [27:17] Preview: Part 2 names the actual problem
Grab the free Get Paid to Coach guide to get the foundations right, then take the Scorecard to see where your current offer might be holding you back.
The I Love Coaching Podcast is hosted by Adam Roach and Jess Webber of I Love Coaching Co. New episodes drop biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts.