Why I Switched from ChatGPT to Claude (And Got Scammed Along the Way): Embracing AI in Coaching

I have a confession to make. I almost published an entire podcast episode about switching to Claude... only to discover I'd been using a scam platform called Chatly the whole time. Not my finest moment — but honestly, it turned into one of the most valuable lessons I've learned about navigating AI as a coach.

In this episode, I'm sharing the whole story: what happened, what I got wrong, and what I've learned now that I'm actually using the real Claude. I'm also diving into why I made the switch from ChatGPT in the first place, what's genuinely different about the two platforms, and how you can make the transition yourself if you're curious.

Here's what I'm covering:

  • The Chatly scam and why I'm sharing this story (hint: you might be next if you're not careful)
  • Anthropic's ethical principles and why they matter to me as a coach
  • The real differences between Claude and ChatGPT — what's actually true vs. what I thought was true
  • How to move to Claude without falling for third-party s
  • ...
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How to Know When You’re Ready to Create a Group Coaching Program (And What to Create When You Do)

At some point, almost every coach wonders:

“Should I be creating a group program?”

It sounds scalable.
It sounds leveraged.
It sounds like the “next level.”

But group coaching is not a shortcut. And it’s not automatically the right move.

In this episode, I break down:

  • The three signs you’re actually ready to create a group coaching offer
  • Why 1:1 experience matters more than you think
  • How burnout in 1:1 can (and can’t) justify a group pivot
  • The different types of group programs you can create
  • Why your first group offer should be simpler than you think

If you’ve been coaching for a while and are feeling the pull toward something more scalable — this episode will help you make that decision strategically instead of reactively.

Listen to FULL EPISODE HERE

Episode Links + Resources:

👉 Learn more about the BBB (Business Building Bootcamp for Coaches) and JOIN us at the next Open House:  www.wendymccallum.com/bbb

👉 Learn more about +/or register for the 8-week Self-Guided CCC ...

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Selling Coaching in a Trust Recession: Why Urgency Isn’t Working Anymore

In this episode of The Coaching Edge, I’m sharing a real-time observation from my own business — and what it reveals about the current coaching market.

For years, offering a limited-time bonus after my BBB open house worked. People enrolled within the deadline. Urgency moved decisions.

But recently?

That pattern has changed.

People are still joining — but not because of urgency.

They’re joining when they feel ready.

In this episode, we explore:

  • What the “trust recession” looks like inside a coaching business
  • Why bonuses and deadlines aren’t driving decisions the way they used to
  • The rise of longer sales cycles and readiness-based buying
  • Why this shift is actually healthy for coaches and clients
  • How to adjust your marketing approach without resorting to pressure tactics
  • What I’m personally experimenting with in response

If you’ve been wondering why your launch didn’t spike the way it used to — this conversation will help you zoom out, regulate your nervous system, and a...

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Why “Overdelivering” is not “Great Coaching”: It’s Not Helping You or Your Clients

Overdelivering in your coaching practice can feel generous. Responsible. Even strategic.

You answer messages quickly.
You send detailed follow-up notes.
You offer, “Just text me anytime.”
You throw in extra resources, worksheets, bonuses.

And yet… you’re exhausted.

In this episode, I’m talking about the subtle but important difference between being deeply supportive as a coach and over-giving in a way that leads to coaching burnout, resentment, and client dependence.

I see this all the time — especially with newer coaches who are still building confidence in their pricing and in the value of their coaching sessions. Overgiving often sneaks in under the banner of “good coaching.”

But here’s the truth:

Overdelivering is usually a confidence issue — not a value issue.

Adding unlimited access, constant follow-up emails, late-night responses, or elaborate session summaries does not increase the value of your coaching. The value is created inside the coaching session itself.

In this epi...

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When You’ve Outgrown Your Coaching Niche: How to Evolve (Without Rebranding Your Entire Business)

There may come a point in your coaching business where on paper, everything looks pretty good. 

You have clients.
You’re getting results.
Your niche “makes sense.”

And yet…

Something feels off.

In this episode, I’m talking about what it really means when you start to feel like you’ve outgrown your coaching niche — and how to evolve without blowing up your website, scrapping your SEO, or having a full identity crisis.

Because here’s the truth:

Outgrowing a niche isn’t failure.
It’s often growth.

I walk you through:

  • The subtle signs you’re feeling misaligned (resentment, depletion, creative boredom)
  • Why niching is about clarity — not a life sentence
  • How I personally test new ideas and programs without rebranding everything
  • The difference between being pushed by frustration and pulled by expansion
  • Why you’re absolutely allowed to have more than one niche
  • And how your coaching identity — not your niche — is the real anchor in your business

I also share how this evolution has...

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When Marketing Feels Gross - 10 Things I Don’t Do in My Coaching Business (And Why)

If marketing feels heavy, awkward, manipulative, or exhausting… it’s probably not because you’re bad at marketing.

It’s probably because you’re trying to follow a strategy that doesn’t match your values.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing what values-based marketing actually looks like inside my own coaching business. I’m walking you through 10 things I don’t do — and why.

This isn’t about being moral or superior.
It’s about being congruent.

Because when your marketing aligns with your personal and professional values, everything gets simpler. Decisions get cleaner. Boundaries get easier. And you stop resenting your own strategy.

I share:

  • Why I don’t coach in niches I haven’t personally lived
  • Why I waited a full year post-separation before supporting women through divorce
  • Why I don’t manufacture urgency or use pressure-based launch tactics
  • Why I don’t overprice just because I can
  • Why I ditched ManyChat (even though it worked)
  • Why I don’t automate inti
  • ...
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The Most Versatile Coaching Questions I Use Again and Again

There’s a lot of pressure in the coaching world to ask the perfect question — the one that unlocks instant clarity or creates a dramatic breakthrough.

But in real coaching sessions, that’s rarely how it works.

In this episode of The Coaching Edge, I’m sharing the most versatile, workhorse coaching questions I use again and again — not because they’re clever or flashy, but because they reliably open insight across nearly any topic.

These aren’t scripts or “magic questions.” They’re question types you can adapt moment-by-moment, depending on what your client actually needs.

In this episode, I talk about:

  • Why coaches often over-hunt for the “perfect” question — and why that usually backfires
  • Why versatility and timing matter more than clever wording
  • How powerful questions work because of how and when they’re asked, not just what’s said
  • Five core question buckets I return to again and again in real client sessions
  • Simple go-to questions you can always use when a session feels st
  • ...
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What to Do When Your Coaching Feels Stuck (And You Know Your Client is Trying)

Have you ever had a coaching client who’s engaged, reflective, and genuinely trying — but you keep coming back to the same issue session after session?

In this episode, I’m talking about what’s really going on when coaching feels stuck even though your client is doing the work. This is a common experience for coaches, and it’s not a sign that you’re failing — it’s usually a signal that something important hasn’t been addressed yet.

I walk you through:

  • What I specifically listen for when sessions start going in circles
  • Two of the most common reasons progress stalls with motivated clients
  • How I name patterns (and the "elephant in the room") without judgment or pressure
  • Why this is one of the most challenging — and important — coaching skills to develop

If you’ve ever left a session thinking, “We talked a lot, but nothing really shifted,” this episode will help you understand why — and what to do next time.

FULL EPISODE HERE

RESOURCES AND LINKS

👉  Get all the details and reg...

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What To Do When a Coaching Session Goes Off-Script (and Why That's OK)

There’s a moment every coach knows.

You’re mid-session.
Your client says something unexpected.
The conversation shifts — emotionally, directionally, energetically.
And suddenly, you feel it:

I don’t know what to do next.

In this episode, I’m talking about why that moment isn’t a coaching failure — and why, in many cases, it’s actually a sign that you’re doing real, meaningful work.

We’re unpacking the fear that lives underneath “not knowing,” why so many coaches panic when sessions don’t go as planned, and how much of that anxiety comes from holding an unspoken agenda about where the session should go.

I also explore the difference between agenda-driven, outcome-focused coaching and curiosity-driven, co-active coaching — and why letting go of the need to steer your client toward a specific insight, solution, or action often creates far more powerful results.

This is a conversation about trust.
Trusting the process.
Trusting your client.
And trusting yourself as a coach — even (and espe...

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Be Yourself (On Purpose) Why Real Talk Is Your Most Powerful Coaching Business Strategy

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after more than 15 years of running a coaching business, it’s this: being yourself is not a nice-to-have. It’s the strategy.

And yet… even now, I still catch myself getting pulled toward polishing amd perfecting.

I look around at what other people are doing.
I see beautifully produced content, perfectly worded posts, slick frameworks.
And my very human brain thinks, “Maybe I should be doing it like that.”

That pull never really goes away.
It’s part shiny object syndrome, part comparison, part wanting to get it “right.”

This episode is my reminder — and hopefully yours — that Real Talk has always been part of my brand, and that every time I drift away from it, I feel less aligned, less grounded, and honestly… less effective.

This podcast itself is a perfect example.

If you’re here listening, it’s not because everything I say is perfectly packaged. It’s because the way I speak, teach, and show up works for you. It feels familiar. It feels honest. It f...

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