3 Steps to Building Your Signature Coaching Framework so You can Stand Out in Your Niche with Amanda Walker

0:01Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire. Brought to you by the HubSpot. Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals with great shows like The Product Boss. Today, we'll be breaking down three steps to building your signature coaching framework so you can stand out in your niche. To drop these value bombs, I brought Amanda Walker into EO Fire Studios. Amanda is a framework building ninja, helping coaches build their signature frameworks and grow profitable coaching practices. She is the host of the Best Damn Coach podcast. In today's foundation, we will be talking about why frameworks matter.

0:37We'll talk about fluffy frameworks and how to avoid them. We'll talk about attention and a purple duck and so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Amanda and our sponsors. Hustle and Flowchart, hosted by Joe Feer, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Join Joe as he discusses systems, mindset tweaks, reframes, and strategies to help you build a business that gives you freedom and fuel for your life. A recent episode on using AI for effortless content creation is a must listen. Listen to Hustle and Flowchart wherever you get your podcasts.

1:12Amanda, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. Well, hello, Fire Nation. Thank you for having me. I think the thing that comes up for me when you ask this question is that most people would believe that you have to sacrifice your family to create success. And I think it's the absolute opposite. I started my business with two little toddlers at home and I designed my entire business around the mom that I want to be. And so I think most people think there's that sacrifice that has to happen and it does not. Fire Nation, it absolutely does not.

1:50I have a little four and a half month old baby Bo Arthur Dumas downstairs and he only makes me focus on spending my free time more wisely because I have so much less of that now. Yeah, that's it. It's about being wise. Well, I think that's actually what we're talking about here today too, is creating the right frameworks for what we're doing in our lives with health, with wellness, with business, with relationships, with family, et cetera. So I personally have always loved frameworks, but I want to hear your perspective. Why do frameworks matter? Frameworks for me matter strictly because of human behavior, first off.

2:25The unconscious mind, like we just love step-by-step processes, right? It helps things bring more clarity. Even if we talk about making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is we want to go step-by-step. And so the same thing applies, especially if you're in a service-based industry, even if you have employees and you're teaching them SOPs. So frameworks help support the natural human process in the brain. But second to that is frameworks are like your sweet sauce. So frameworks are how you uniquely solved a problem. And if we can identify what your frameworks are, they truly do set you apart from anybody else doing what you do in your niche.

3:01Now, I think that we need to avoid the fluff. I mean, there's a lot of fluff in this world when it comes to pretty much everything. But what exactly and specifically makes a fluffy framework? Fluffy frameworks are just imagine like a cute, clever acronym that somebody slapped on because their brand is maybe wrapped around the word love or brave. And so they kind of force some words in there. And it's not really a framework. It's just a clever acronym. But the reason it's fluffy is because it doesn't actually get clients results. And I believe that, you know, clients are our market, our ideal audience, they're getting smart, right?

3:42They were starting to understand marketing more and more. And so they're wanting to test drive our services and products a little bit more. and they actually care about getting results because many have PTSD from investing in places where they signed up and it didn't end up being what they wanted. And so fluffy frameworks get results and those that are fluffy, I think are slowly fading over time and we're demanding a higher value and higher intention. Fire Nation, avoid the fluff because in today's world, it's all about attention. So I really want to do a deep dive here, Amanda. Let's talk about how frameworks can actually help us stand out.

4:23Frameworks help you stand out two ways. I mean, especially when it comes to the coaching world, which is where I spend my time. There's a lot of quote unquote experts out there. So they're trying to find their voice and they're just trying to, in the beginning, especially they just become kind of a watered down version of maybe mentors and experiences that have led to bring them into this moment. And so that makes you look and sound like everyone else. And so when you take a step back and start to ask yourself, I think a really high level question, not how to content, but how do I in your content, then what that says is how did I, Amanda, or you, JLD, specifically solve the problem myself?

5:04And so that allows us to crowd out the noise. And then we begin to elevate because our process is different than any other process that exists out there. So that's one is just doubling down on your unique sweet sauce because you did it different than somebody else. But step two, or the reason two that I think frameworks help you stand out is they guarantee consistency in the process that you're giving to your clients to move through or maybe even the people that you're leading on your team. And when we can give consistency to the outcomes, then your clients are getting guaranteed results, right?

5:40They're singing your praises. This leads to more referrals and renewals inside of your business. and I think this is a deeply impactful way to also set yourself up for scaling your business if you want to move maybe into like more of a one-to-one service, into a group to, you know, one-to-many service. And so when we have a framework, it allows us to do that, you know, more seamlessly. Let's go over two specific real-world examples, maybe one that you've actually done over your time in business and then maybe one of your favorite, favorite client success stories that have actually been able to do this successfully?

6:15Yeah, I mean, I have so many, but one kind of just like really touched my heart. I had a coach come in or a mentor. She'd worked in social work for years and she is an adoption expert in the UK. And she had like all of this genius. She'd spent like 20 years in social work, but she had a really hard time articulating her process for helping prospective parents get a yes from the adoption panel in the UK, which is, from what I've come to learn, extremely challenging, but all of her people would get it. And so to be able to walk her through a process that was step by step and watch the magic happen for her clients and be able to scale that was just so powerful.

6:57Cool. So that's one example. I love the detail you share there. Let's go through another one. Another example is honestly just for myself. I mean, I realized that I've been building framework since I was 15. My first coaching job was as a basketball coach. And I built a framework to teach my little five and six-year-old boys at the time how to appropriately shoot a basketball and to have follow through. And I watched before my eyes, that framework completely shift their confidence, right? And that was kind of the trajectory for me to realize, oh, I'm good at this framework thing. So I've used them in all aspects of my business.

7:30Literally every time I teach, I use a framework. But one of my favorites is what we call the best method, which is a framework that I teach all of my coaches to conduct their coaching sessions effectively. So they walk through this framework. It's consistent. Their clients know what to expect, and it guarantees results every time they coach. So you're an athlete. What was the school you went to? I went to Greenway High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Nice. And did you play ball after high school? I didn't, sadly. I went the nerdy route on a full academic scholarship, but I regret that. So that's one of my regrets, to be honest.

8:06Now, what about either one of your sons? Have they had the time yet to take the success tactics that you share with them on the basketball court and apply to real life basketball? Yeah. So what's funny is I have a daughter actually who's 14 and a son who's 12, and they both just started playing basketball. And it's finally where I get to step into my zone of genius in my sport. They've been playing kind of the sports my husband played. So I feel so awesome right now because they're both asking me questions about basketball all the time. Yeah, I'm a huge, specifically college basketball fan. Like I went to Providence College in Rhode Island.

8:38So we're in the Big East. So, you know, we've won like four of the last like seven championships with Villanova and UConn just being super dominant. And it was so cool to see this year how the women's basketball, they actually drew a much, not even just a little bit, like a much larger audience on television for the championship basketball game than the men's did. And that was just fantastic. I know. It's so cool to see some of those ladies really bringing attention to the sport. And yeah, it was so cool. Of course, we geeked out. We watched all of March Madness. We didn't miss a game. In fact, I was flying when the girls championship from a client intensive from Nashville back to Phoenix.

9:19And I was like, I hope I can get live TV right now. And sure enough, I got to. It's pretty cool when you're flying watching live TV because you're like, I'd be sitting on a couch watching this anyways. And now I'm actually flying 500 to 600 miles per hour, getting somewhere, getting somewhere, to watch this as well. Crazy technology. Fire Nation, so much value being dropped by Amanda, and we have just gotten started. So sit down, relax. If you're on a plane, you got nowhere to go anyways. And we'll be right back as soon as we thank our sponsors. The amount of software required to run a growing business can be daunting.

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11:39Just go to this exclusive web address right now to try ZipRecruiter for free. ZipRecruiter.com slash fire. Again, that's ZipRecruiter.com slash fire. Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire. Mena, we're back and we're going to stick on this framework thing because you've actually found that framework visuals are powerful. Share why and give us some examples. Well, just to give some context. So I was a high school teacher until I decided after having two little ones, my world was rocked. I was like, I got to create a different life. And so the aha came to me when I would teach, I taught in frameworks, the way I would help my students at the time retain information was building frameworks consistently for me.

12:21And I started to notice when I would collect back their tests that they had drawn the little visuals that I had associated with all of the frameworks. So it's a light bulb moment for me of like, this is the imagery. The imagery is the thing that's allowing them to hold on to the content. And I think we miss this a lot. I don't know if you've ever been listening to a keynote speaker or even a church pastor and they spew all this information and then you walk away kind of like, but wait. And I'm always like, oh, they're leaving money on the table. They could have had a visual or a framework around this.

12:51And so that's why I'm so passionate about when my students come into the lab where we help them build their frameworks. One of the final pieces is building a visual model. And if we just think about basic human understanding is our brain thinks in imagery. And so if I, as a service provider, can show a very quick snapshot of the process and transformation that I'm guiding my clients through, then what it feels like as a client is like, oh, I can do that. That feels simple. And what it also says is that person has authority. They've taken clients through this process already. It's tried and true.

13:27And so that feels safe. And that reduces that barrier of entry to saying yes to an investment. So this piece is often missed, but it's very, it's like the cherry on top in order to be able to communicate a framework that really knocks people's socks off. Okay, let's dive in on this one to a really specific example where you just think, wow, this probably would have failed without it. But with it, man, it was a massive success. I'll use a client example. This is one that's sometimes just surprising for clients when they come through. One of my clients, she's a coach to CEOs who help them with burnout.

14:03And she was on a sales call and she happens to take her sales calls on Zoom. And she got to the objections part of the sales call and she noticed she was having a hard time articulating with words her framework process. She had just recently come through the lab. And so she simply said, hey, would it be okay? I'm just going to share this visual of my methodology with you and just kind of walk you through it. And so as soon as she shared that visual and popped it onto the Zoom screen, that client said, oh, it was kind of like this clarity came. And she was able to show how she takes, you know, her people from burnt out leaders to energized leaders.

14:39Her methodology is called the energized leader formula. And so I think that's the power of it. It's like, yeah, you get clarity on sales calls, you can pop this onto your website, you can talk about it on your social media, and clients can see with their eyes now instead of with words, the process of that they'll be walking through to get to those results. One thing that I've heard in the past, and I've actually read the book myself is Purple Cow from Seth Godin, which, you know, was really an awesome book for a lot of reasons. It made me kind of think in a new way. I actually interviewed him about it over 10 years ago now, which is crazy to think about.

15:14But I've actually never heard anything about being a purple duck. What the heck does that mean? We talk about purple duck, being a purple duck in our community. Because this is kind of, you know, let me use an example. If I go to a coaching certification, and I graduate with 1000 coaches, and we all come out with the framework that that coach has taught us, it's valuable, right? It will get the job done. But I'm still like all of the other coaches, right? So we're all yellow ducks. A signature framework ghost allows you to start to stand out differently, right? It's literally, you are the purple duck.

15:50You look like different now than anybody else doing the work or coming out of a certification or a program or whatever the case is. And so that's what we're always trying to, you know, encourage our students is like elevate yourself to purple duck status. Stop trying to conform to what everybody else is doing. When they're zigging, you're zagging, and you're really asking yourself, what are the steps that I took in this journey to solve this problem and find your way which is different than anybody else's? So let's really take a step back now and think about the topic of today, which is three steps to building your signature coaching framework so that you can stand out in your niche.

16:34So Amanda, on that topic, take the mic, take it away. The first step in the process of building a framework, which is going to completely shift your ability to think and process around your results, is actually starting from the end and reverse designing your framework. Most people start from the beginning. They wing it. And especially in the coaching world, they get through maybe six weeks of a coaching container, 10 weeks of a coaching container. Like, oh, no, I didn't get to everything I wanted. When we start from the end and reverse engineer the exact milestones we want our clients, our employees to have, then we know that we're going to guarantee success.

17:14It's inevitable. So we find this confidence in our work that is really oftentimes non-existent before going through that method. So reverse design is a must. Step two of the process then is looking at how we build signature content. So it's asking that deeper level question of what is my process and how do I do it different than anybody else? We try to crowd out the noise and we honor the influences that have really made us who we are. But then we start building content, whether it's, you know, you know, lessons that we teach our clients, deliverables, checklists, guides. And we really zone in on doing it our way.

17:52One of my favorite things to remind my clients of is that your current vantage point makes you perfectly suited to help your former self. And many of us here are supporting clients that were the old us. And so we've already been there. We've been in the mud. We've done the work. We're giving them a fast track to success. So that totally qualifies you to be the expert that they need. And so we build this signature content in your framework that is different and unique. And then lastly, it goes into that last piece that we were actually kind of just touching on is what I call brand infusion. We create a visual, but I also encourage my people to allow this framework to infuse into every aspect of their business.

18:36I kind of see it. It's like the backbone now of your business. If I pitch myself on podcasts, I'm typically pitching part of my framework. When I build my social media content, if I get on stage, I use that framework and the pieces, that splinter from it to guide everything around my practice. So it creates brand cohesion and clarity. And then you kind of elevate yourself like, oh, Amanda's the framework builder, the ninja. That's what people call me, the framework building ninja. Go to her if you want to build a framework. And so those three steps are really the key to success and building a framework that is effective.

19:12Amanda, I've said it once, I'll say it again, you're dropping value bombs on this podcast. Fire Nation loves it. They're all about frameworks. We're staying away from Fluffy. What is the one thing of everything we talked about here today that you want to make sure our listeners really get? For me is that you have a process, even if you think you don't. and the most important element is to double down on your unique sweet sauce so that your framework is unlike anybody else's. If Fire Nation wants to connect with you, wants to learn more from your great podcast, your great content, share with us how they can do that and then give us your call to action for Fire Nation.

19:55Yeah, I would love to connect with any of your amazing people. The best way to find me is search the Best Damn Coach podcast. We release two episodes a week. Or come chat with me on Instagram. My handle there is awalkmyway. And I would love to give some context and invite your people to something special. And I was thinking, this kind of reminds me of health and fitness. If you go into a gym, you can totally just go into the gym on your own. You can hit up the machines, jump on a piece of cardio equipment, and you're probably going to get a little bit of results, right? But if you actually hire an expert who's helped lots of people have success, they're going to be able to see the gaps inside of your framework or the potential that exists for your success.

20:38And so that's really what I want to invite your people to is I am willing to do a framework audit for your people. And so I'll drop the link here in just a second. But if you have a framework or you're percolating on some ideas or you're not really sure how to build it, don't worry. The audit is for everyone. you can head on over to amanda-walker.com forward slash fire. And I'm just going to ask you to fill out a few questions, give me your ideas, show me your framework. You can even upload examples. And I'm going to make a personal loom for you to show you what opportunities I think exist to make your framework even more awesome.

21:16Fire Nation, you're the average. Of the five people you spend the most time with, you've been hanging out with Adubs and JLD today. So keep up that heat. For links to everything we talked about, just visit eofire.com, type Amanda in the search bar. The show notes page will pop right up. And Amanda, that URL one more time. It's amanda-walker.com forward slash fire. Amanda, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you so much. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Amanda for sponsoring today's episode.

21:53and Fire Nation, are you ready to rock your very own podcast? Check out our free podcasting course where I will teach you how to create and launch your podcast for free. Freepodcastcourse.com. That is freepodcastcourse.com. I'll catch you there or I'll catch you on the flip side. Hustle and Flowchart, hosted by Joe Feer, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Join Joe as he discusses systems, mindset tweaks, reframes, and strategies to help you build a business that gives you freedom and fuel for your life, A recent episode on using AI for effortless content creation is a must listen.

22:27Listen to Hustle and Flowchart wherever you get your podcasts.