Episode Highlights:

• [00:00] Recalibrating Morning Routines
  Learn how small adjustments to your morning routine can improve focus, alignment, and set the tone for success.
• [02:58] The Power of Specificity in Goal Setting
  Discover why setting specific, actionable goals leads to greater clarity and better results.
• [05:48] Time Management and Alignment
  Tips to prioritize your schedule, avoid burnout, and create alignment with your personal and professional goals.
• [08:47] State Over Strategy and Demanding the Best
  Understand why maintaining a positive state of mind is more critical than the perfect strategy and how raising your standards can fuel growth.
• [11:44] The Importance of Proximity and Environment
  Uncover how your surroundings and relationships directly impact your mindset, progress, and success.

Welcome to our very first State of the Podcast episode as we reflect on the first year of this show and everything we have planned for its future. We begin with assessing the numbers from 2024, and we are extremely proud of the 246,000 downloads from our 43 episodes. We unpack everything we’ve learned as first-time podcasters, the changes we’ve made due to listener feedback, how both of our histories and personalities have influenced The Coaching Equation, and what surprised us as business veterans being podcasting newbies. We’d also like to give a huge shout-out to Alison for holding down this show – it couldn’t be done without you – and after detailing what we have planned for 2025, we also remind ourselves of why they pour our hearts and souls into this podcast.

Key Points From This Episode:

• 2024 in numbers.
• What we learned from launching a podcast for the first time.
• A shout-out to Alison for keeping this podcast alive.
• Key takeaways from the feedback we received from listeners.
• How Ryan’s running of the show inspired Brook to want to do more.
• The way our interests and concerns influenced the direction of this podcast.
• Understanding the value of having a solid plan with clearly defined intentions.
• What surprised us from working on this show for a year.
• Everything that we have planned for 2025.
• We reminisce on why they’re here and why they give so much to this show.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

Email Us

Empire Partners

Empire Academy

The Coaching Equation Podcast on iTunes

Happy 2025, we’re super excited to be here with you! We start the year with Fast Five for Friday as we explore various self-management strategies for improving one’s mental state and working conditions in the workplace. We discuss the impact of your mental state on your ability to create winning business strategies, what a power cabinet is and how to use it effectively, the dangers of always comparing yourself to others, and why success is best measured by personal growth. We also unpack the importance of cleaning out your closet and why this is a vital step in starting fresh, and we learn about the role of transparency in improving communication efforts among fellow employees.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How your mental state affects your sales (and overall business) strategy.
• What it means to utilize the power of your cabinet.
• The dangers of comparison, and why we always need to look inward first.
• Cleaning out the closet, and why this is a necessary step for a fresh start.
• The importance of transparency and great communication among colleagues.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jordan Peterson

Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

Empire Partners

Empire Academy

The Coaching Equation Podcast on iTunes

This is the final Fast Five For Friday of 2024! Today, we reflect on the incredible joy of seeing our coaching take root and bear fruit. Join us as we discuss the power of leading from an attitude of service and the revolution that happens when you find the right partnerships and work in them. Hear why in-person events have found relevance again, how to tap into knowing when it’s the right time to make a move, and receive an important reminder: bigger is not necessarily better! Join us for key insights on the past year and celebrate the learnings that came from 2024.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why there truly is far more joy in giving than receiving.
• What changes when you approach leadership as a service.
• The incredible value of finding and creating the right partnerships.
• Why in-person events are back from 2024 leading into 2025.
• Following your intuition when you know it’s time to make a move.
• Understanding why bigger is not necessarily better.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

Empire Partners

Empire AcademyThe Coaching Equation Podcast on iTunes

Welcome to another Fast Five for Friday, the holiday edition! Today, we discuss five incredible gifts you can gift yourself or ask a loved one for this festive season. Hear all about our favorite grounding items, best tech picks, incredible virtual assistants, and more! You’ll even gain insight into our favorite online checkout platform, Spiffy Checkouts. Finally, we remind you of the importance of finding a community for yourself and your business. Thanks for listening, and happy holidays!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Five things we love that you can gift yourself (or ask for) this Christmas.
• Some unconventional picks: earthing mats, crystals, and a blue light manager.
• Why Ryan loves his virtual assistant and how to get one for yourself!
• A bit about Stream Deck and Ecamm.
• Reasons to try Spiffy Checkouts if you do any online checkouts.
• The vital importance and benefit of community.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Earthing Mat

Shungite

F.lux

Coaching Assistants

Stream Deck

Ecamm

Spiffy Checkouts

Contact Empire Partners

Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

What if the key to lasting success as a coach isn’t just mastering your craft but surrounding yourself with the right people? Joining us today are three world-class coaches, Chad Cooper, Melissa von Musser, and Andrew Devlin, to discuss why it’s so important for coaches to invest in having their own coaches and how to build support systems to avoid operating in isolation. Chad, Melissa, and Andrew have over 45 years of coaching experience combined, and they draw on that knowledge today to share their insights on how to grow as a coach and move beyond your island of one. We delve into the importance of finding community as a coach, the risks of isolating yourself, and how not having a coach could hold you back. Our conversation unpacks what it means to grow together as a community, leveling up your peer group, and why just being good at coaching isn’t enough to ensure long-term success. We also discuss the transition from an employee mindset to a CEO mindset and why this is particularly important for coaches. To hear all the fascinating details of today’s conversation with Chad, Melissa, and Andrew, be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How to avoid becoming an island and isolating yourself as a coach.
• The power of community and getting a coach if you are a coach yourself.
• Insights on the need for congruence and accountability as a coach.
• Ways coaches limit themselves if they try to go at it alone.
• Why you have a responsibility to surround yourself with people smarter than you.
• Lessons from Andrew's mountain bike training on always leveling up.
• Key insights on growing together as a community.
• Why you can’t find long-term success if you’re only good at coaching.
• How to find congruency as a coach and live in alignment with your values.
• Navigating the transition from an employee mindset to a CEO mindset as a coach.
• Parting words of wisdom from Chad, Melissa, and Andrew.
• How to get in touch and learn more.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Chad Cooper

Chad Cooper on LinkedIn

Melissa von Musser on LinkedIn

Andrew Devlin
Andrew Devlin on LinkedIn
Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

Email Empire Partners

Empire Partners

Empire Academy

The Coaching Equation Podcast on iTunes

It’s time for another Fast Five for Friday episode, and this week, we’ve got something extra special for you! We’re sharing the five most impactful takeaways that we’ve walked away with after another one of our in-person events here in the beautiful north of Colorado. The truth is, in today’s world, people are craving real-life connections more than ever—and we’ve seen some of the best progress and biggest breakthroughs from our clients after attending in-person events. Tune in to learn what our five most impactful takeaways were after another one of our in-person events.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The importance of having recovery time.
• Power of proximity and the reality of people craving more connection than ever.
• The power of CANI: Constant and never-ending improvement.
• Rolling up your sleeves and taking time to actually do the work.
• Learn to serve your team, and not just your clients.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tony Robbins

Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

Empire Partners

Empire Academy

The Coaching Equation Podcast on iTunes

Today is all about books. But we’re not just talking about reading or writing; we’re focusing on the marketing side of things and converting readers into clients. This is a game-changing topic for coaches and entrepreneurs, and we are thrilled to be joined by the seasoned writer, editor, publisher, CEO, and Founder of Date with the Muse, Annalisa Summea. Annalisa is here to show how you can turn your knowledge and experiences into powerful tools for influence and growth, and she begins by explaining how she developed her obsession with storytelling. We discover when she first realized that she also wanted to teach, how she converts her lived experiences into teachable moments, her framework for writing an excellent story, and the role of discipline in producing excellent written works. We also unpack why books are powerful tools for establishing authority and credibility, how anyone can learn to become a great writer even with all the challenges, where AI fits in, and how to defeat imposter syndrome to become a first-time author. To end, Annalisa describes her training program for helping writers become published authors, and we get more helpful advice for becoming a bestselling author with your first attempt.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Annalisa Summea explains where her love for storytelling came from.
• Understanding when she realized that she also wanted to help other people tell their stories.
• Her process of converting her knowledge into teaching moments and materials for others.
• Why she felt obliged to become an entrepreneur and more specifically, a coach and mentor.
• Annalisa shares her best practices and common pitfalls to avoid when writing a book.
• The role of discipline and determination in a book’s success.
• Why books are powerful tools in establishing authority, credibility, and familiarity.
• The challenges of writing a really good book, and how anyone can learn to be a great writer.
• Unpacking the role of AI in modern storytelling.
• How to become a first-time author with tips for overcoming imposter syndrome.
• A detailed look at Annalisa’s writer training program.
• Common publishing misconceptions, and why self-publishing should be carefully considered.
• Final words of wisdom for becoming a published author.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Annalisa Summea | Date with the Muse

Annalisa Summea on LinkedIn

Annalisa Summea on X

Annalisa Summea on YouTube

Annalisa Summea on Facebook

Annalisa Summea on IMDb

Laurel Elite Books

Close Everyone

Take the Stairs

Procrastinate on Purpose

Ryan Lang on LinkedIn

Brook Bishop on LinkedIn

Empire Partners

Empire Academy

The Coaching Equation Podcast on iTunes