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The Courageous Coach Podcast

The Courageous Coach Podcast

Written by: Melissa Hague
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 A weekly interview podcast hosted by Melissa Hague features Courageous Coaches who explore the grit and bones of what it takes to be truly courageous. Whether you're a coach, consultant, or a leader, join us each week to explore what it really takes to be transformational in your coaching practice, your business, and your life.(c) 2025 Melissa Hague Economics Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Season 2 Episode 24 - The Courageous Coach with Kate Chastey and Melissa Hague

    Season 2 Episode 24 - The Courageous Coach with Kate Chastey and Melissa Hague
    Oct 9 2025
    About The Episode Host:Kate Chastey is a business mentor and marketing strategist known for helping solo business owners (especially women) build financially stable, emotionally sustainable businesses rooted in clarity, courage, and joy.After 15 years building her own freelance business into a respected franchise, The Passionate PA, Kate made the bold decision to close that chapter in 2024. That transformation was supported by Melissa Hague through the Dare to Lead™ programme—a pivotal experience that helped Kate realign her future with greater authenticity and purpose.Now, through her consultancy, Kate offers mentoring and strategy for service-based solo business owners who want more than just income—they want impact, intention, and a business they don't need a holiday from. Her specialisms include marketing strategy, outsourcing advice, and business growth mentorship, particularly supporting freelancers and consultants to move past the £5k/month barrier with smart strategy and mindset support.Kate lives on a small farm on Dartmoor and runs her business from her "office with a view," often accompanied by her Barketing AssistantThis podcast episode represents a full-circle moment for Kate—from being coached by Melissa to now interviewing her, bringing insight, warmth, and curiosity to a conversation about courage, leadership, and personal evolution.Connect with Kate:Website: www.katechastey.co.ukLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katechastey/About The Episode:Welcome to episode 24 of the Courageous Coach podcast—something a little different this time! Host Melissa Hague has handed over the mic to the brilliant Kate Chastey, business mentor, marketing specialist, and someone who has walked her own incredibly courageous path.In 2024, Kate made the bold decision to close The Passionate PA, a franchise business she had built from the ground up over 15 years, to step into more aligned and meaningful work. This transformation was supported by Melissa through the Dare to Lead™ programme—a pivotal experience that Kate describes as her biggest arena moment.Now the tables have turned, and Kate brings her insider's perspective to interview Melissa about her journey from employed life to entrepreneurship, the pivotal moments that shaped her career, and what it really means to be a courageous coach. This conversation offers a rare glimpse into Melissa's own vulnerability, her arena moments, and the ongoing work of building courage both personally and professionally.It's a full-circle moment that beautifully illustrates how courage builds courage, and how the work we do on ourselves ripples out to transform others—and sometimes comes back to us in the most unexpected and beautiful ways.In this episode, you’ll learn:Self-awareness is just the beginning: Melissa emphasises that while coach training teaches models, techniques, and tools, the real transformation comes from doing your own inner work. You can't just tell people to be courageous—you have to role model it authentically, which requires knowing yourself deeply and doing the ongoing work of personal development. Loosen your grip on perfectionism: One of Melissa's key insights for coaches is learning to trust yourself earlier and hold less tightly to rigid structures. If you don't know the answer, that's okay—you're not meant to know. If you've forgotten where you are in a coaching model, that's fine too. This trust and flexibility creates more flow and ease in coaching relationships. Arena moments happen daily, not just in big life transitions: While we often think of courage as grand gestures, Melissa reminds us that arena moments happen all day, every day. Every new client conversation, every vulnerable share, every time you step into uncertainty as a coach—these are all opportunities to practice ordinary, everyday courage. The transformation happens between sessions, not during them: A crucial realisation for coaches is that the biggest breakthroughs and "aha moments" typically don't happen in coaching sessions; they happen in the spaces between, when clients are processing, reflecting, and applying what they've explored. This takes the pressure off coaches to create immediate transformation. Who you are is how you coach—so get deliberate about knowing yourself: This isn't just a nice coaching philosophy—it's a practical imperative. Melissa advocates for being intentional and deliberate about your own development work rather than just hoping you'll figure it out along the way. The more consciously you do this work, the more authentic and effective you become as a coach.Go Deeper with The Courageous Coach ProgramIf these conversations are resonating, you might be ready to go deeper. The Courageous Coach program is designed for qualified coaches in the early years of building their independent practice. If you want to coach with more courage, clarity, and humanity and grow a business that truly reflects who you are, this is for you.You...
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    51 mins
  • Season 2 Episode 23 - The Courageous Coach Round Table Talk

    Season 2 Episode 23 - The Courageous Coach Round Table Talk
    Oct 2 2025

    About The Guests:

    This roundtable features five members of the Courageous Coach community:

    • Amy Wilkinson – A down-to-earth, real-talk advocate for ditching coaching snobbery and embracing imperfection.
    • Jane Gilham – Speaks powerfully about grief, transition, and finding courage in life’s hardest seasons.
    • Donna Ward-Higgs – Brings heartfelt insight into the power of safety, self-awareness, and returning to community as a restorative act.
    • Kathryn Smith – Shares her reflections from inside the NHS and academia, anchoring herself in the idea that she’s already enough.
    • Gayle Tong – Champions the idea of community without comparison, and of learning who you truly are beyond corporate life.

    And of course, your host Melissa Hague, whose vision, vulnerability and human-first ethos shape the Courageous Coach experience.


    About The Episode:

    In this heartwarming, laughter-filled, and deeply honest roundtable, host Melissa Hague is joined by five founding members of the Courageous Coach community: Amy Wilkinson, Jane Gilham, Donna Ward-Higgs, Kathryn, and Gayle Tong. What started as an experiment became a powerful conversation about what community really means in the context of coaching beyond credentials, beyond branding, and into what it means to simply be human together.

    This episode explores the behind-the-scenes of building a values-led coaching practice while staying anchored in authenticity, connection, and courage. Expect real talk, no polish, and a powerful reminder that you're not alone on the path.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Community isn’t noisy, it’s nourishing: The Courageous Coach community isn't about constant WhatsApp pings or forced interaction. It’s a space to ebb and flow, show up when you need to, and know someone’s got your back without the pressure to perform.
    • Courage is contagious (and deeply human): When one coach dares to be vulnerable, it opens the door for others to drop the mask. These conversations are rooted in real-life grief, identity shifts, imposter syndrome, and the courage to keep showing up anyway.
    • We are humans first, coaches second: The magic of this community lies in not needing to posture. There’s no model-off, badge flex, or acronyms-as-armour. Coaching here starts with humanity, not hierarchy.
    • You’re already enough, and still becoming: Many of the coaches speak openly about comparison, chasing qualifications, and wondering, “Am I doing this right?” The consensus? You grow as a coach by being yourself, not by collecting more letters after your name.
    • Ongoing development is an anchor, not a tick-box: Whether it’s returning to a gathering, revisiting the programme themes, or simply staying connected, the work of being a courageous coach isn’t one-and-done. It's lifelong, evolving, and sustained by community.


    Go Deeper with The Courageous Coach Program

    If these conversations are resonating, you might be ready to go deeper. The Courageous Coach program is designed for qualified coaches in the early years of building their independent practice. If you want to coach with more courage, clarity, and humanity and grow a business that truly reflects who you are, this is for you.

    You can find all the details here: https://www.melissahague.com/courageous-coaches

    Connect with Melissa

    Come and find Melissa on LinkedIn. Whether you have questions about the program, want to share what resonated from this episode, or just fancy a chat, she'd love to connect.

    Support the Podcast:

    • Follow & Subscribe: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.
    • Share with a fellow coach: Know someone who could use a little courage boost? Pass this episode on—courage is contagious, after all.

    Thanks again for listening. Until next time, stay curious, stay human and keep choosing courage.
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    53 mins
  • Season 2 Episode 22 - The Courageous Coach with Melissa Hague

    Season 2 Episode 22 - The Courageous Coach with Melissa Hague
    Sep 25 2025

    About The Guest:

    This episode features no guest just the honest, encouraging voice of the show’s host: Melissa Hague. Melissa is a coach who helps others lead with courage, show up more fully, and build meaningful practices from the inside out. Her work is rooted in integrity, self-awareness, and the belief that being human is more than enough.

    About The Episode:

    In this solo episode of The Courageous Coach, host Melissa gets beautifully vulnerable as she reads a heartfelt letter to her past self, the version of her just starting out in the coaching world. This isn’t just a pep talk. It’s a grounded, soul-nourishing reminder of what it really takes to build a coaching practice with heart, humanity and courage. Whether you’re new to coaching or simply circling back to your “why,” this is a letter worth hearing.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Courage doesn’t wait for readiness: You don’t need to feel “fully qualified” or confident to begin coaching. Courage shows up when you do - uncertain, imperfect, and still willing to serve. The transformation starts not when you feel ready, but when you choose to begin anyway.
    • You’re not missing a magic credential: That urge to do “just one more training” before calling yourself a real coach? It's a distraction. Real coaching is built through presence, care, and a willingness to keep growing, not through an endless list of certifications.
    • The business side requires its own kind of bravery: Building a coaching practice is one thing. Turning it into a business? That’s a whole other dance with vulnerability. Pricing your work, being seen, and saying “this is who I am and what I do” takes guts, and it gets easier with practice.
    • Marketing can be human, slow, and values-led: You don’t have to sound like a marketing guru. You don’t have to manipulate. Just speak from your truth. Let your content be a generous invitation rather than a polished performance.
    • Slowness isn’t failure - it’s part of the rhythm: Quiet seasons with no new clients or visible progress can feel like failure, but they’re often where integration, healing, and refinement happen. Long-term success isn’t always loud; it’s consistent, honest, and sustainable.


    Go Deeper with The Courageous Coach Program

    If these conversations are resonating, you might be ready to go deeper. The Courageous Coach program is designed for qualified coaches in the early years of building their independent practice. If you want to coach with more courage, clarity, and humanity and grow a business that truly reflects who you are, this is for you.

    You can find all the details here: https://www.melissahague.com/courageous-coaches

    Connect with Melissa

    Come and find Melissa on LinkedIn. Whether you have questions about the program, want to share what resonated from this episode, or just fancy a chat, she'd love to connect.

    Support the Podcast:

    • Follow & Subscribe: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.
    • Share with a fellow coach: Know someone who could use a little courage boost? Pass this episode on—courage is contagious, after all.

    Thanks again for listening. Until next time, stay curious, stay human and keep choosing courage.
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
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