The Coaching Cafe Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In our final Coaching Café Podcast for the year, we take a moment to reflect on what has been another extraordinary series. 

In 2025, we’ve explored everything from Trends in Coaching and the ICF Credentialing Exam, to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report, coaching for performance conversations, coaching and psychological safety, the new ICF Core Competencies, and of course, our much-loved Coaching in Action series featuring PCC and MCC-level demonstrations. All with free Continuing Coach Education (CCE’s) attached. 

Across over 30 Coaching Café Podcasts, with only a handful of breaks, you have joined us from all around the world —to connect, learn, and reflect on coaching practice and the profession…and of course to give us the weekly global weather report! 

This week, we celebrate the year that was: 
 ✔️ A countdown of our most popular Coaching Café podcasts of 2025 
 ✔️ The themes and topics that sparked the most conversation 
 ✔️ Insights and moments that shaped our collective learning 
 ✔️ A look ahead to what’s coming in 2026 

Whether you’ve joined us every week or tuned in occasionally, this final Coaching Café podcast is your chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate our global coaching community. 

Let’s swap the coffee for a glass of champagne and celebrate the difference we’ve made—together. 

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
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• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
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• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

As we approach the end of the year for the Coaching Café Podcast, we continue to share valuable insights for our coaching community. The 2025 ICF Global Coaching Study Final Report has just been released, offering one of the most comprehensive views of the global coaching profession to date. 

Featuring data gathered from over 10,000 coaches worldwide—including, importantly, managers and leaders who coach—this 73-page report provides a rich picture of where the coaching industry stands today and where it’s heading. 

We know many coaches don’t have time to read the full report, and that’s where we come in. 

Join us for this Coaching Café Podcast as we synthesise the key highlights, focusing on what’s most relevant for Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia-Pacific region, while also exploring the global trends shaping the coaching profession for our international followers. 

You’ll walk away with: 
✔️ The latest data on industry growth, trends, and demographics 
✔️ Insights into coaching opportunities in our region 
✔️ A global perspective on the evolution of the coaching profession including managers and leaders as coaches 
✔️ Inspiration to help you feel a part of the global coaching profession. 

Whether you’re an experienced coach, a manager or leader who coaches, or an emerging practitioner, this session will help you stay informed, inspired, and connected to the wider profession. 

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

In the Coaching Café Podcast last week, we listened to the first half of a coaching demonstration focused on the PCC level of coaching competency. We invited you to tune in deeply—listening for presence, partnership, curiosity, evoking awareness, and how the coach explored thinking at a deeper level. 

This week, we will listen to the second half of the session and debrief what you heard. 

Join us as we reflect on the conversation and explore:
✔️ What coaching at the PCC level really sounds like 
✔️ How the ICF Core Competencies were demonstrated
✔️ What deep presence and partnership actually sounds like in practice 
✔️ How you can apply these insights to grow your own coaching 

Whether you’re preparing for a credential or simply want to take your coaching to the next level, this is a powerful learning opportunity. 

Let’s listen. Let’s reflect. Let’s grow—together. 

🎯 Continuing our professional development as coaches. 

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

So many managers tell us that they want their team members to demonstrate ‘more resilience’.  Sometimes it’s said with frustration, in a kind of ‘wish they would just get on with it’ manner.  But we know that resilience means more than this and more than just bouncing back.

Darren Cahill, former ATP World No. 22 tennis player, tour coach and legendary television commentator said, ‘I think anyone can coach in any sport or business when things are going well; that’s the easy part.  But when things are difficult, how do you address those issues?’ 

Darren is just one of the world’s leading tennis, sport and business coaches interviewed by our friend and colleague, super-star Coach Emma Doyle for the book: What Makes a Great Coach? co-authored with Natalie Ashdown.

What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices.  So join Emma and Natalie for this Coaching Café this week where we share the research and stories around resilience from the book.  And most importantly key questions that we can all use to reflect on how we coach around resilience and help managers overcome their frustrations.   

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

You can view a recording of the live webinar on our website

When our friend and colleague, super-star Coach Emma Doyle has asked over 500 of the world’s leading tennis, sport and business coaches: What Makes a Great Coach? empathy sits firmly in the top five in terms of responses.

For example, empathy was mentioned by former WTA World No.4 tennis player Helena Suková; founder of Women’s Tennis Coaching Association (WTCA) and tennis tour coach Sarah Stone; and Australian Rules Football coach David Wheadon. Natalie and Emma also listed empathy in their top three practices.

Empathy easily beats out characteristics that you might expect people to nominate, such as challenging, charismatic, confidence, dependable, dynamic, persistent, and progressive, to name just a handful. 

What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices.  So join us for this Coaching Café this week where we share the research and stories around empathy from the book.  And most importantly key questions that we can all use to reflect on how we bring empathy to our coaching and our work.   

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

You can view a recording of the live webinar on our website

What does legendary coach Judy Murray, OBE think makes a great coach? 

‘Someone who listens’

That was the answer to What Makes a Great Coach? given to us by Judy Murray OBE, legendary coach and the mother of Andy Murray, former ATP World No. 1 in men’s singles and Jamie Murray, former ATP World No. 1 in men’s doubles.

And 

By one of the best tennis players of all time, Roger Federer.

Of course, this will come as no surprise for most of you reading this.  But if you are like our friend and colleague, super-star Coach Emma Doyle and Natalie, it’s true that we were not always good listeners!  

This week we build on our momentum in the lead up to the launch of our new book called: What Makes a Great Coach? And it’s also exciting to be getting ready for the book launch on Friday 9th September at 12noon (Melbourne time or Thursday night 8pm if you are in the US).

What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices.  So join us for this Coaching Café this week where we share the research and stories around LISTENING from the book.  You will find out who in the elite world of tennis and business answered ‘listening’ as their top quality of a great coach.  And most importantly key questions that we can all use to reflect on how we can focus on listening in coaching and our work.   

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

You can view a recording of the live webinar on our website

How exciting to share with you last week that we have a new book coming out called: What Makes a Great Coach? And it’s also exciting to be getting ready for the book launch!

Over the past 6 years, our friend and colleague, super-star Coach Emma Doyle has asked over 500 of the world’s leading tennis, sport and business coaches: What Makes a Great Coach? and together with Natalie they have distilled this down to the top 10 practices.  

This week we are going to explore the number one practice: Passion. We are not talking about ‘ra ra’ passion, but the authentic, genuine passion that becomes a driving force.  As legendary former AFL Coach and premiership captain David Parkin said:

‘Coaching is about passion. You need plenty of it if you are going to survive in this world.’  

What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices.  So join us for this Coaching Café this week where we share the research and stories around passion from the book.  And most importantly key questions that we can all use to reflect on how we bring passion to our coaching and our work.   

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

You can view a recording of the live webinar on our website

We have a very exciting announcement to share with you at this week’s Coaching Café.

Join Natalie and our friend and colleague, super-star Coach Emma Doyle as they announce their new book What Makes a Great Coach?  and tell you how you can be a part of the book launch.

Over the past 6 years, Emma has asked over 500 of the world’s leading tennis, sport and business coaches: What Makes a Great Coach? and together with Natalie they have distilled this down to the top 10 practices.  

Told through the eye’s of Emma’s own personal and raw journey towards elite coaching, What Makes a Great Coach? features stories, quotes, and inspiration from past and current coaching legends, including the coaches of many former World No. 1s.

Over the next four weeks we are excited to introduce you to some of the key insights around What Makes a Great Coach?  from the research.

 Join us for the Coaching Café this week where we share the background to the research and Emma’s inspirational story that led to the book being created.  We will also tell you all about the book launch and how you can be involved.  

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

You can view a recording of the live webinar on our website

During our recent Coaching Café’s we’ve been focussed on what good coaching looks like. Particularly focussing on good coaching questions that make a difference.  For our Coaching Café this week, we change tact, and will take a look at what not to do during your coaching conversations.

Join us to see two coaches, who have both been coaching for nearly 20 years, actually try to do bad coaching. The result is a hilarious and cringe-worthy attempt at doing all the things we know we aren’t meant to! Jumping into the space, cutting the client off, picking the topic for the client and making suggestions.  

But for those of us who are coaching managers to coach their teams, they are likely to be doing all these behaviours, without even knowing it.  

Join us for this Coaching Café where we will definitely have a laugh, and most importantly remind ourselves of what not to do during a coaching conversation.  

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!

You can view a recording of the live webinar on our website

It’s nice to be back with you! We pick up our Coaching Café this week, refreshed after a bit of a break and tackle our most popular topic: coaching upwards.  

We often get asked during our coaching programs: can I use these techniques to coach my manager or my Boss?  And it’s not uncommon that a participant will set their goal for the program as: getting more tools to coach upwards.  

So, we asked Open Door’s Resident HR specialist Paula-Jones Hunt to lead the Coaching Café this week and share her nearly 20-years of experience with coaching team members to have upwards conversations with their manager. 

Whether you need to do a bit of coaching upwards or you are coaching staff to have upwards conversations, this is a webinar that we are all going to benefit from.

Without a doubt, one of the best things about our Coaching Café is the ability to learn from each other. We are so privileged that the Open Door Alumni (made up of past and present students) and all of you who read this email, come together every Friday to explore and stretch our coaching knowledge and skills. It’s only 30 minutes, but it is a highlight of our week to discuss key topics with such a talented and insightful bunch of people.

This year we are super excited to feature Open Door Alumni, who are both experts and authors. So please contact us if you would like to be featured on the Coaching Café.

Transcripts can be found here: 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the podcast please leave us a 5 star review wherever you listened to us! It helps promote the podcast to streaming services and other listeners. 

Watch the webinar of this episode on YouTube or read the blog by visiting our website.

Want to join us live on Friday? Register Here! 

Engage with The Coaching Café Podcast

• Stay up to date on our socials 
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
• Check out the YouTube Video of this podcast. 
  • YouTube
• Email us at learn@opendoorcoaching.com.au

Thanks for listening!