Emotions are foundational in our overall well-being. They shape our relationships, affect our careers, and influence countless other areas where our clients seek support. Yet, for many of us and our clients, sometimes emotions can feel vague or ambiguous. Why? We were never taught to clearly identify our emotions and still may not have the language to articulate them.

Understanding and accurately labeling the feelings we experience is crucial for mental health. If most people are unable to do this, that means we’ve got some work to do. But here’s the great news: Emotional capacity and intelligence are measurable and learnable–we can build them just like we build muscles. This is the essential skill we'll focus on in today’s podcast episode.

The truth is, we are all going to face setbacks. But your emotional world–your skills, awareness, and connectedness surrounding your emotions–is one of the most vital components of your stability. To help you understand how significant our emotions are, I’ll share insights from the largest study on emotional intelligence and explore the current "emotional recession" impacting us and our clients. I’ll also take you through a relevant analogy to help you understand how emotions act as stabilizers and how to expand our emotional capacity—practically and powerfully.

When we develop our knowledge around the power and importance of emotions–and understand what it means to truly connect with them–we can expand our capacity to navigate life. Building your emotional intelligence muscles as a coach not only allows you to show up powerfully for your clients and cultivate lasting change in their lives, but it also means you are increasing their awareness of the muscles that they need to strengthen. When we do this work—individually and collectively—we have more meaningful life experiences filled with purpose, gratitude, connection, and empathy. I can’t wait to show you how this is possible in today’s episode.

• Key summary points from the State of the Heart 2024 report on emotional intelligence
• The definition of “emotional recession” and how one is currently affecting all of us
• Why many people lack the awareness to understand and label their emotions accurately
• A personal story that highlights the importance of emotional skills as a stabilization tool
• What it really means to be with our emotions and how skilled coaches guide clients through this process

Read the full show notes here.

Molly's Website: MollyClaire.Com

Master Coach Training 2026 Application Open

Have a question or thoughts about the podcast? Don’t hesitate to contact Molly at:

• Instagram | Molly Claire Coaching IG
• molly@mollyclaire.com
• Facebook

Molly’s book: The Happy Mom Mindset:

Some of the most impactful moments in coaching occur when a client bumps up against resistance. Have you noticed this too?!... It can often seem like more of a barrier when our clients experience emotional resistance. However, highly skilled coaches (like my Master Coach client Sondra who you’ll hear from in this week’s podcast) know that resistance is actually a sign that transformation is near. As Master-level coaches, we can use this as a tool to help our clients move forward in the most powerful way. When we recognize it with curiosity and compassion, resistance becomes a powerful ally in the healing process.

Not only is understanding emotional resistance important for our clients, but it’s essential for us as coaches as well. In order to lead with great service and cultivate lasting change in our clients, we need to overcome the barrier of self-judgment and truly be open to a holistic approach to coaching–the importance of which becomes so much more clear when we have experienced it ourselves.

In this blog (and this week’s podcast episode), we’ll explore how emotional resistance offers valuable insight, and how creating a safe, welcoming space allows clients to move through it with confidence and clarity. When we can master the art of navigating deep resistance we create client breakthroughs that make an impact on their lives.

Effective emotional work begins with you as a coach

From creating an effective plan of action to offering tools clients can use in daily life, there is one thing that is crucial for growth: a holistic view that not only uses mindset, but the nervous system and emotions as well. All three are essential, but here we’ll focus on the deep emotional work that so many clients need in order to thrive.

When we support clients in their emotional journey, one of the most powerful things we can do is meet them exactly where they are. As most highly skilled coaches already know, this isn't about changing their emotions–that attitude will most likely be met with more resistance. We must show up for our clients with acceptance so they can recognize they are in a safe place to truly feel their emotions.

Often clients are conflicted and struggling with judgment of themselves when they come to us. When you, as their coach, demonstrate genuine acceptance—free from expectations or opinions about how they “should” be—they begin to trust that it’s okay to show up exactly as they are. They can then let go of some of their self-judgment and start recognizing the deep work that needs to happen.

Creating a safe, non-judgmental space is crucial to helping our clients move through emotional resistance. But in order to do this, we have to build that capacity within ourselves first. In Master Coach training, there are many skills and concepts that we spend time on to help us be better coaches: we learn about the nervous system, we work on tapping, and we're always talking about how we use cognitive coaching language to create safety and remove judgment. Developing these skills through knowledge is an amazing way to help your clients, but so much of the compassion we have for them comes from having done our own emotional work.

How skilled coaches build trust in themselves

One of the skills we cultivate in Master Coach training–and that I think is imperative for every human being, especially coaches–is to build the self-trust required to...

When I first began my own motherhood journey, surviving each day seemed to be the goal. Can you relate? As women, the degree to which we can feel spread thin and overwhelmed by the emotional overload of becoming a mom can seem unbearable. And yet, I’ve come to learn that while “survival” mode can serve us from time to time, ultimately leaning into thriving is not only possible, but an incredible opportunity to expand our ability to impact our kids.

I love supporting women in my work and have a special place in my heart for motherhood. This began early in my career when I wrote, The Happy Mom Mindset, and today I’m excited to share about a conversation I had with one of my very own Master Coach training clients, Heidi Allsop, on her podcast Raising Boys, Building Men. Heidi is a mom of five boys, and her podcast provides incredible insight into the challenges (and joys) of parenting, specifically when it comes to raising boys. I'm thrilled to rebroadcast this podcast episode and share some of the tools we discussed in this blog.

Personally, I'm a mom to three amazing kids–two young adult boys and a teenage girl. Not only have I coached many women through their parenting challenges, but I have experienced my own firsthand. I know what it's like to navigate boys and their teenage years and all the emotions that come with it. Because of my holistic approach to coaching, I also know how vital understanding emotions is–in general for all of us, but especially when it comes to being there for our kids.

So today, we are diving into all things emotions and teenage boys–a subject that touches many moms in a unique way. Every mom experiences her teenage son differently, so when we talk about teenage boys and their emotions, this can mean a few different things. Sometimes, it's big, loud emotions that present themselves in angry outbursts–an easy emotion for teenage boys to express. On the opposite end of the spectrum are boys with a lot of emotions coming up, but they stay silent and we don't know what they're thinking. The variety and unpredictability of emotions can make navigating raising boys–or any child–as a mom so difficult. So what do we do? How do we help them learn and navigate those emotions so they can keep developing through the years and become great people? After reading this blog, you'll take away strategies to help you.

Whether you're a mom or not–and whether you have boys or not– this conversation will give you incredible insights into our emotional world as human beings–something that every coach needs to be aware of.

Why emotional regulation is essential for moms

As moms, we often have the idea that we must gauge the emotions of the people around us: Where are we today? Are we up? Are we down? We believe there's a certain thing that we should do depending on what mood our kids are in. We end up focusing so much on trying to be a detective about something happening outside of us, and it's not a useful way to direct our time and energy–it's anxiety-producing, and it's not the answer or the solution.

A better question to ask ourselves is, where am I today? When you wake up in the morning, take the time to say, what's my temperature? How am I doing? It is essential to pay attention to how we feel and ensure we're attending to our needs. Creating practices for better emotional regulation for ourselves is the foundation we need to be there for our kids no matter what mood they're in.

Today, we're diving deep into something I have discussed many times from a slightly different perspective. Almost every coach faces challenges when we realize that in addition to doing the work we love, we also have to run a business. The idea and practice of having a coaching business can be overwhelming, but it certainly doesn't have to be.

If you want to build a coaching business that reflects your values—where deep relationships, service, and long-term sustainability are front and center—this blog is for you. It's so common to hear about the goals and strategies of other business owners and coaches and think you need to do everything they are doing. BUT, that’s not true. Not even close. Everyone has different values, different gifts, and different desires. The key to the real success you are craving, is a unique business that comes out of your natural abilities and human connection.

I interviewed Caryn Gillen on the podcast - she is a powerhouse. Caryn helps coaches create businesses they “don't have to recover from.” Wow, if that’s not a statement, I don’t know what is. She shows coaches that their businesses can work for who they are as a person and the life that they have. Your coaching business can serve your clients, you, your family, and the community you live in–and that's what you'll hear about in this blog.

Caryn and I are aligned in our mission in this regard. In fact, this is exactly what called me to reach out to her for an interview. We both believe that a business built with authenticity is one that puts our clients' best interests at the forefront of what we do. I can't wait for you to read more about this here. You’ll realize that you're not just building any business, you are building your business–and there are so many ways to help you make your business work for you so you can do what you love without the overwhelm.

Why your coaching skills are also your sales skills

I want to highlight one beneficial idea for us to consider as coaches building our business. There are activities in our business that are quick-win activities, and then there are activities that are more for long-term growth. There's not an exact line that is differentiated, but one example is the goal of growing your email list–that will promote long-term growth. But if you're focusing all your energy on growing your list, that will probably not bring in a new client immediately. The connections you make and the discussions you engage in will be the key activities that attract your clients.

When it comes to these meaningful relationships, I like to remind my Master Coaches that they are people who want to help and make a difference. We don't become coaches because we are simply “looking for a way to make money.” We begin because we love coaching and connecting with people. Since this is our focus, it's easy to think that we're just not good at sales or marketing. But caring about people–genuinely caring about them–is selling.

You can build a consistent and sustainable coaching business

Caryn has been in business and been a business coach for many years. She has excellent insight into some of the best things she did when first starting and some shifts she made in order to create more sustainability in her coaching business.

When Caryn became a coach 15 years ago, she charged $20 a session. She is still in touch with one of her clients who paid that price, and he has referred people to her who have paid full price now. This story emphasizes the importance of a relationship-based coaching business. Initially, Caryn was willing to say yes to anything that got her working with clients, getting a dollar through the door, and getting her some...

It is so common for high-achieving women to push through despite feeling drained. We have seen this in our clients and have most likely experienced it ourselves in our careers as coaches. When high achievers feel exhausted, it’s easy to think that another cup of coffee is all they need to keep going. But we know that is not the case at all, and they might actually be on the verge of burnout. We hear about burnout a lot--it's become somewhat of a buzzword in our culture. Today, we discuss what this means specifically and how it affects high-achieving women like ourselves and our clients.

Burnout can be a significant issue! As someone who is ambitious and high-achieving, I understand what it’s like not to see it coming. Women are used to taking on so much that we keep going without realizing the cost: their health, relationships, and long-term career success. When women ignore burnout, they often end up in survival mode–operating on autopilot, disconnected from their passion, and resenting the very work they once loved. This cycle continues because high achievers don't want to feel weak by slowing down. However, we can break this cycle–for us and our clients.

Midore Takada is a trauma-informed, master-certified life coach who specializes in helping career-driven women in midlife who feel stuck, overwhelmed, and burned out, including those navigating professional exam prep while balancing demanding careers and personal responsibilities. In this episode, she offers great insights and helpful tools to understand the signs of burnout and how we can use a holistic perspective to support our clients through it.

What does burnout in high-achieving women look like?

For ambitious, career-driven women, burnout doesn't always look like total collapse–that’s why it can be so hard to identify. When high-achieving women burn out, it is often disguised as over-functioning–they still show up, deliver results, and handle it all, but internally, they are running on fumes. As women, we can be really good at over-functioning. It’s unhealthy for us, but we often do it without even realizing it. We have thoughts like, I have to do this. I have to take care of everything. I’m supposed to hold things together. We don't realize when we've crossed over into that place, which is when resentment can creep in. Instead of slowing down when this happens, women push harder and dismiss the exhaustion as just needing to manage their time better. But deep down, they start feeling disconnected from their work and become irritable, unmotivated, and emotionally drained–even if they are still achieving on the surface.

The subtle signs of burnout in high-achieving women

Often, when high-achieving women experience burnout, it can feel like it came on very suddenly. There are several signs to watch for to identify burnout before you–or your client–have reached total exhaustion.

Maybe you’re feeling off but can't point out why. Or the work that you were once really excited about now feels draining. You have brain fog, are forgetful, and make mistakes you usually don’t make. Resentment creeps in, and even small tasks feel like a burden. You overcommit without thinking–saying yes automatically, even when you’re overwhelmed and emotionally numb. You get through the day instead of actually feeling present.

For high-achieving women, burnout doesn't scream, I can't do this anymore, but instead, it whispers, why doesn't this feel as fulfilling as it used to? When women can recognize these signs, there are shifts they can make with the help of a coach to stop them from hitting that total burnout. Skilled coaches advocate for a high level of self-care and wellness that will help prevent the crash before it happens. Helping them shift the way they engage in the world and what they expect of themselves...

Today, we’re talking about something so many of our clients struggle with: weight loss. Truly, this goes beyond losing weight–it's about guiding our clients towards figuring out how they can feel good in their bodies. How do we do this? By using a holistic approach to weight loss. When our clients focus on counting calories and following trending diets, the journey to better physical health often stays rooted in mindset. Skilled coaches know that thought work can be a great entry point, but if we only focus on the mind, we miss a huge piece of successfully helping our clients. When we can help our clients connect to their bodies and emotions, it reduces stress and overwhelm so they can make choices about what they eat instead of staying dysregulated and feeling out of control.

I recently got to talk with Dr. Priyanka Venugopal, the master of Burn Stress, Lose Weight and an OB-GYN physician turned life coach. Her mission to help women feel better from head to toe–with science-based information, not fads and gimmicks–helped inspire this blog, and I can’t wait for you to hear her wisdom. This blog and podcast episode center primarily around helping your clients who have a weight loss goal, but it will provide helpful strategies that will allow you to serve any of your clients better. We discuss building awareness, regulating the nervous system, and self-connections–ideas every single coach needs to have tools for in order to help our clients make the transformation they seek.

Priyanka is passionate about helping women and supporting moms. Most coaches are, right? Having these roles is an amazing thing, but it can be stressful–that’s why our clients come to us. They can have all the information about what would help them feel better, but it's not always easy to know what you truly need to make it happen without the help of a coach. Today, we’re diving into the best strategies to help your clients connect their brains to their bodies so they can build awareness and follow through on what they need to feel good.

Help your clients transform using a holistic approach to weight loss

So many people hear stories about incredible weight loss transformations, but it's easy to feel disconnected if that is a journey they have not been on yet. As coaches, we know that lasting change is possible for anyone. So how do we remove this block that our clients have and help them finally feel good in their own bodies and minds?

Priyanka talked about how, when she first started receiving coaching, the idea that our thoughts create our feelings was so profound for her. Many of us have this same experience–it’s a simple concept, but we don't have the awareness of it yet.

Why a holistic approach to weight loss is essential

Our thoughts genuinely do influence our feelings, which is one of the many reasons why a holistic approach to weight loss (and coaching in general) is so important. As coaches, we need to look at our clients' mindsets, but it is equally important to understand where we need to address emotions that are rising in the body. This practice will help them separate their internal experience from what is happening on the outside. That separation is powerful as I help my clients attend to the imprints on their nervous systems or emotions. We could talk about this every week with our clients and ourselves, and it would be a lightbulb moment every time. It’s our job to help them see that their circumstance does not have power over them so we can attend to what's going on in their mind.

How to help your clients

As a coach, do you realize often enough just how valuable your work is?! In an AI-centric world where it appears that computers can solve everything, it can be easy to forget the power of human connection. When you as a coach can be present with your client, hearing them, empowering them, and guiding them to enhance their life… wow. That cannot be replaced.

In this episode, we’re going to explore why coaching for moms specifically is so important. Moms are handed a pretty big job right away- keeping a small human being alive! And yet, that is only the beginning. The emotional care and support that is needed to help kids develop in the best possible way is a task that requires care, conscious decisions, and plenty of support surrounding us.

Something few moms know (and even few coaches understand) is that children rely on their caregivers to help them co-regulate. As a mom, your own level of emotional stability and wellness has a direct impact on your kids. (Now listen, no pressure or worry, okay?! We are all human. We are a work in progress). Having said this, too many moms are overwhelmed, exhausted and reactive. I truly believe that every mom should have a coach. Guidance and help from the right coach means more moms can learn to feel more in control of their own emotions and truly give their kids what they need.

Let’s face it, parenting is hard. Every single kid is different, and there is no manual to follow. That’s why I’m thrilled to have one of my Master Certified Coaches Meg Kuhnle share the work she does using a holistic approach to help moms connect to themselves so they can show up better as parents. Even women (and men) who are not moms will have important takeaways. There is so much good here and everyone will be able to learn something to help you become a more highly skilled coach and better serve your clients who are parents or not.

With so many moms being in a “self-sacrificing” mindset, most would think they “can’t justify” a personal coach until later in life. This could not be more backwards (and yet I too have fallen prey to this type of thinking). Let’s talk about why every mom needs a coach now. Starting and continuing personal growth as a woman raising kids means avoiding some of the worst mom traps and ultimately being the best possible parent.

We’re going to go through strategies for how to cultivate energy and understand yourself more so that even during the tough moments where emotions are high, you can still be that person that you're proud of at the end of the day–and help your clients do the same.

Regulate your nervous system for a calmer home

Highly skilled coaches know how important a holistic approach is for our clients, and it’s no different when we're coaching for moms. In the Master Coach Training program, we focus so much on the...

As a coach, you know the work you do is so impactful. And yet, sometimes it can be overwhelming to tackle the financial side, making it difficult for us to take our business seriously. Coaches understand emotions and people–that’s where we feel comfortable and why we gravitate toward this work.

I’ve seen time and again with thousands of coaches that the business aspect can feel like a foreign language. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, you’re not alone! And you’re in the right place.

Yes, you are a coach. And you are a business owner as well. Understanding your business and giving it your attention is essential to your success as a coach. If you're constantly worried about your finances and your business is disorganized, that affects how you show up for your clients. Running a business can feel scary and you may even feel some resistance to the idea, but trust me when I say that more certainty in this area is much closer than you think. The first step is just to commit that you will get the clarity you need in this area.

The lack of business confidence is common for new coaches, but those who are further along are not exempt from this either. I've had my business for 10 years and I still have to clean up certain pieces now and then. It’s okay that it’s not perfect. Messy is okay too; as long as we continue to work on cleaning up and gaining clarity every step along the way.

In this blog and podcast episode, you’ll get direction in this area so you can be a better coach and a successful business owner.

Mark J. Kohler is a CPA, an attorney, a small business expert, a bestselling author, and a podcaster with millions of downloads. Mark makes it so easy to learn the things that he is talking about, and that's why I'm so excited to bring his business advice to more coaches who need it. Mark is experienced with bringing coaching into his business. He has hired life coaches for key people in his organization because he knows the significant impact of being more in tune with yourself. When business and coaching go hand-in-hand, the effect can be so powerful. Not only can your coaching help improve someone's business (even if you are not specifically a business coach) but your coaching will improve when you can get organized and fully accept your identity as a business owner.

In this episode, we're going to go through all the steps to make this happen for you in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming–it just starts with taking the first step forward. When you can give attention to your business, it will free you up to serve your clients and accept the opportunities that are going to make you a more effective, highly skilled coach.

How your business will make you a better coach

We’re going to focus on five steps that will help you take action in your business. When you take the right kind of action–not actions inspired by avoidance–you are going to build your confidence as a business owner.

Being both a business owner and a coach is such a powerful thing. Your reality is going to change when you can feel this empowerment instead of the overwhelm. If you have an underlying, nagging anxiety about your business, this is going to affect your ability to be present for your clients. I want you to feel like being a business owner is a superpower to help you be a better life coach. When you can make money doing what you love and are passionate about, then you can help more people and you can go into your coaching calls more confident and less stressed about the financial and logistical aspects.

It’s okay to feel overwhelmed–we all are sometimes. But I want you to know that the answers are there for you. You don't have to know everything right now, all you need to do