Shownotes
Joanna Lott is a business coach for qualified coaches, and in this episode, Joanna explores the quiet moment just before action, the pause that looks harmless but quietly stalls momentum. She breaks down what’s really happening in that split second and how it shapes the growth of your business.
Timestamps
[00:00:00] The quiet pause before action
[00:01:45] Why this isn’t a motivation problem
[00:03:10] Never pausing momentum
[00:05:20] Failure as experience, not proof
[00:06:40] The three things the pause protects you from
[00:07:50] Shortening the gap between knowing and doing
[00:09:10] The question that changes everything
This episode is for coaches who know what the next sensible step is in their business, but keep hesitating at the exact moment it matters most.
This is about recognising the moment that keeps repeating, naming what’s really happening in your body and mind, and learning how to move anyway.
Useful Links
Join The Practice 2026 Cohort | Doors open once a year, and we start on 12 January
Learn about The Business of Coaching programme
Download the Free Digital version of Coaches' Planner (NEW edition 2026)
Grow Your Business Without the Tech Overwhelm - One Stop Coach Shop
Free Essential AI Toolkit – 2 Must-Have Prompts for Coaches
How to secure more coaching clients' free training
Download the 12 ways to get clients now
Rate and Review the Podcast
If you found this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
If you’re kind enough to leave a review, please do let Jo know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: joanna@joannalottcoaching.com
Enjoyed This Episode?
Don’t Miss the Next One! Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app to be notified each time a new episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.
Transcripts
I want to talk about a moment
that doesn't get much airtime.
2
:It's not a big thing.
3
:It's not burnout.
4
:It's not a full-blown confidence crisis.
5
:It's that quiet pause right
before you take action.
6
:And that actually is a big
thing because action is what is
7
:going to build your business.
8
:Often we can know exactly what the
next sensible step is in our business.
9
:Send the follow-up message.
10
:Post the thing that we've
already drafted many, many times.
11
:Contact the person that's
been on your mind for weeks.
12
:Say that thing more clearly on
your website or your sales page.
13
:Instead, you don't.
14
:You tidy something else.
15
:You think you'll create another social
post in case that one wasn't right.
16
:You tell yourself you'll
come back to it later.
17
:You need to cook the dinner, clean
the house, anything, but do the thing.
18
:You decide to think
about it one more time.
19
:Not dramatically, not noticeably, but
just enough to stall your progress.
20
:I see this all the time
with brilliant coaches.
21
:Coaches who are doing loads of things
right, who are putting loads of effort in.
22
:Yet the really scary part, which is
having contact with real life humans.
23
:Sounds hilarious when you say it like
that, but it is scary because we all have
24
:that fear of being cast out of the tribe
or being a nuisance or all of the things
25
:that we've been brought up to believe.
26
:And here is the important part.
27
:It isn't a motivation issue.
28
:It's a moment issue.
29
:Because what is actually happening in
that pause isn't a lack of strategy.
30
:It's an internal job.
31
:It's a very fast, very quiet one, and the
sorts of things that may be going through
32
:your mind, even if it's unconscious, is.
33
:Will this work?
34
:What if it doesn't work out?
35
:What if they don't reply?
36
:What if no one likes it?
37
:What if I try and I still don't succeed?
38
:What if this confirms the fear that
I've been trying not to look at?
39
:So instead of risking that
micro discomfort, you delay.
40
:And the delay feels really sensible.
41
:But essentially you are delaying the pain.
42
:Maybe you tell yourself you're being
considered, strategic, you want to
43
:get things right, but over time these
tiny pauses really stack up and that
44
:is where businesses quietly plateau.
45
:I held my small group accelerator
today with my new business of coaching
46
:clients, and someone mentioned, should
I pause everything I've been doing up
47
:till now in terms of onboarding clients
and other things so I get these things
48
:right and get my offer right, get my
pricing right and all of the things.
49
:And I was like, never pause, never
pause anything under any circumstance.
50
:Because pausing to wait for the
right offer, the right price, is
51
:just going to make you lose momentum.
52
:So there will be messiness where you have
to onboard someone at what may be a lower
53
:price than you'll eventually charge.
54
:But that's business and we can't
really start at the perfect offer
55
:because it's something you build up to.
56
:If I think back to my own offers
that I've created over the years.
57
:You start from selling by the hour at
really low rates, and then you maybe
58
:create an offer and then you realize that
doesn't work or it's priced too high,
59
:priced, too low, all of the things, but
you have to go through those messy things
60
:to really get to that amazing offer.
61
:So whilst yes, we'll work on it,
and yes, I know that what we create
62
:will be amazing in comparison
to what's currently in place.
63
:We would never want you to
wait for that perfection.
64
:So a quick thought on
the 'what if it fails?'
65
:Is you may think that was a complete
waste of time, may be trying to launch
66
:a group program or whatever it is that
you maybe have been trying to do that
67
:didn't work out, but actually instead
of you being in a worse position
68
:after the supposed failure, you are
actually in a better position because
69
:now you have experience and there is
nothing more priceless than experience.
70
:Now you are one step closer to success
because you've tried something and
71
:you've learned something versus stalling,
never launching the thing and then never
72
:really knowing how you can move forward
and what would work better next time.
73
:So know that you will either win or you
will learn in every single thing you do.
74
:Never wait for perfect.
75
:Perfect never comes.
76
:So let's zoom in on that edge for
the moment because most advice,
77
:skip straight past it, including
mine, which is be consistent.
78
:Blanket things that we hear all the time,
but none of it helps if in the moment your
79
:body is already saying, this feels risky.
80
:Here is what I invite you to notice
next time this happens for you.
81
:That pause isn't neutral.
82
:It's usually protecting you
for one of these three things.
83
:The first is exposure.
84
:People, seeing whatever it is you have to
share and being able to reject you by not
85
:supporting whatever it is you're sharing.
86
:The second is responsibility.
87
:Once you act, you have chosen a direction.
88
:And the third is disappointment,
because trying properly and not getting
89
:the result is even harder sometimes
than actually not trying at all.
90
:So these three things, the avoidance
of exposure, the avoidance of taking
91
:responsibility and making a decision,
and the risk of disappointment are
92
:the three things that this pause is
doing to keep you safe in that moment.
93
:But it also keeps you still.
94
:And this is where I would love to reframe
what progress actually looks like.
95
:Shortening the gap between knowing
what to do and actually doing it.
96
:There's a big difference in
thinking, you know marketing than
97
:actually implement it consistently.
98
:So the quicker you can take action,
the more likely it will be that
99
:that thing will actually happen.
100
:Another new client asked me today.
101
:"What tips do I have when I think
back to my most successful clients?"
102
:So most of us procrastinates.
103
:Kate, on the other hand, precrastinates.
104
:She takes action before she
even has time to procrastinate.
105
:I have to be very careful because
it will be done before the words
106
:are out of my mouth, she will have
done something to implement them.
107
:Whether or not she knows it's the right
course of action, she will just try
108
:it and she will get so much further
than somebody who is too scared or
109
:overthinks the thing, and then you
lose the momentum and you lose that
110
:precious moment where you actually
were excited to implement something.
111
:This is why I care so much
about a monthly check-in.
112
:A place that is grounded and not busy.
113
:Structure that doesn't
rely on perfect timing.
114
:A place where you actually
get to speak out loud and tell
115
:somebody, how did it go last month?
116
:Did you do what you
said you were gonna do?
117
:If not, why not?
118
:What else came up for you?
119
:What were the fears in that moment?
120
:What now feels like the priority?
121
:What did you learn from that?
122
:And where you have somewhere
to bring these moments, they
123
:will quietly stop running the
show because you are in charge.
124
:So here is a simple question
I will leave you with today.
125
:What is one small, sensible action
that you already know needs to be
126
:done next, and what feelings show
up right before you do that thing?
127
:The feeling isn't the problem.
128
:It's just information
that we can work with.
129
:And learning to work with it
is one of the most important
130
:business skills that there is.
131
:I hope this has left you fired up to go
take that action, or at least write down
132
:or identify what is the fear that is
in the way of you and your dream life.
133
:If you would love this monthly
rhythm, you have just three
134
:days to get into The Practice.
135
:My new monthly rhythm program before we
start on Monday, the 12th of January,
136
:it's only open once per year so if you
want that monthly rhythm to come back
137
:to, to be coached every single month.
138
:To coach another coach every single
month so you keep your momentum
139
:up and know you're not alone.
140
:To connect with a community of
ambitious coaches just like you then
141
:do jump in before the doors close
on Monday, the 12th of January.
142
:It is a new offer for me and something
that my work has been slowly leaning
143
:towards for a really long time so
I'm super, super excited about it.
144
:If you know you need more support than
that monthly rhythm, and you want my
145
:personal advice on your niche offer,
marketing, all of the things, then The
146
:Practice is also included in my business
of coaching program and in my mastermind
147
:so you do not have to choose between both.
148
:Have a wonderful rest of your
week or weekend, depending on
149
:when you are listening to this.
150
:And like I say at the end of
every episode, trust yourself.
151
:Believe in yourself, and be the wise
gardener who keeps on watering the seed.
152
:Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):
Thank you so much for listening to this
153
:episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.
154
:I have a mess of free resources on
my website joannalottcoaching.com.
155
:That's Joanna with an A
and Lott with two T's.
156
:joannalottcoaching.com.
157
:And I'll also put links in the show notes.
158
:Let me know if you found
this episode useful.
159
:Share it with a friend and
leave me a review, and I will
160
:personally thank you for that.
161
:Remember to trust yourself, believe
in yourself and be the wise Gardner
162
:who keeps on watering the seed.
163
:Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.
