REALIFE Conversations for Christian Coaches · Teresa McCloy

EP 375 The Hidden Costs of Coaching No One Talks About

April 8, 2026·37 min·3 clips

Teresa McCloy reveals the hidden emotional and financial costs of coaching that no one talks about.

1. REALIFE Conversations for Christian Coaches hosts Teresa and Erica discuss three categories of hidden costs that experienced coaches wish someone had told them in their first one to three years. 2. Teresa is the primary host with over 10 years of coaching experience; Erica is a co-host and certified coach who recently facilitated a one-hour network community session just before the recording. 3. The episode's core argument is that coaching is often marketed as a 'freedom lifestyle' with hidden costs around emotional energy, unpaid time, and business overhead that new coaches systematically underestimate. 4. On emotional and mental energy, Erica explains that preparing to hold coaching space requires intentionally 'laying down and surrendering' personal concerns and asking God to 'empty me of myself' before each session, distinguishing this from ordinary conversation. 5. Clients often bring pain, confusion, and major life decisions to coaching sessions, which means the coach is processing emotionally significant material that has a real before-and-after carry cost. 6. Teresa recommends 15-20 minutes between back-to-back coaching appointments — time for a walk outside, hydration, or a snack — to recover emotional and mental energy, and describes using candle-lighting or breath prayers as transition rituals before sessions. 7. Teresa has set a personal coaching capacity of five client sessions per week based on her broader business responsibilities, including community management, private clients, and network trainings. 8. Erica schedules two time blocks each day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday plus a Friday morning block, leaving seven to nine slots per week available across session lengths of 30, 45, and 50 minutes. 9. Teresa says she has removed her online scheduler entirely and now books next sessions at the end of each meeting or by email with two to three date options, a change she made after realizing she couldn't switch hats as rapidly as she once could. 10. On time costs beyond the session, Teresa notes that coaches doing organizational work may be required to take notes, meet with supervisors, or prepare post-session resources — all unpaid time that the hourly rate doesn't capture. 11. Teresa schedules purposely in her calendar each week to manage margins, rescheduling clients and maintaining a minimum of 15 minutes before and after each session as buffer time. 12. She advises that a one-hour coaching session should be blocked as roughly 90 minutes on the calendar to account for pre- and post-session admin. 13. On financial costs, Teresa acknowledges she carried shame early in her career about money and spent on things she now considers unnecessary, framing financial realism as a form of vulnerability. 14. The coaching industry is unregulated, meaning anyone can market themselves as a coach without credentials; Teresa considers this both a blessing and a frustration, and urges new coaches to invest in legitimate certification. 15. Erica notes practical tool costs including Zoom or Google Meet, scheduling software, intake form systems, and CRM tools for managing client notes across long-term relationships. 16. Teresa estimates monthly overhead for running a coaching business at $200-300 on the low end and $500-600 on the high end, not counting certification, continuing education, or domain and website costs. 17. She mentions that her Accelerator Coach Certification Program costs less than a major certification credential, is limited to four to five people per session, and includes 90 days of community access; the next session is May 21st. 18. Both hosts distinguish coaching from therapy, using the phrase 'not therapy, but it can be therapeutic,' and are clear that coaching is a forward-moving helping profession focused on discernment and growth, not clinical treatment. 19. Christian coaches, spiritual directors, and anyone considering building a part-time or full-time coaching practice who wants honest business and capacity guidance will find this episode most useful. 20. Those seeking theological or scriptural depth, or those already running established coaching practices, may find the foundational framing less relevant.

As heard by us

A practical look at the hidden costs of coaching, from prep and scheduling to margin and continued learning.

This episode looks at the hidden costs of coaching: prep, scheduling, admin, follow-up, continued learning, and the margin required to keep it all going. It stays with the work itself instead of dressing it up, which makes the point land harder.

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Why you'd press play

You need the part of coaching nobody sees but still has to pay for.

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