The Agile Coaching Exchange, a monthly MeetUp group for Agile Coaches, hosts an annual talk about transitioning from being an Employee to a Self-Employed Agile Coach. This is our 2023 version of our Business of Agile Coaching talk, with Q&A.

1. The Business of Agile
Coaching:
The Post-COVID Story
Alicia McLain
John Eisenschmidt
#ACEWest July 31, 2023
https://businessofagilecoaching.com

2. About: ACE
❑ ACE London, Vienna
❑ ACE West
❑ ACE East
Community
Matters!
https://agilecoachingexchange.com
● 2015-2020 - City-based in North America
● 2020-2022 - Virtual
● 2023-forward - ACE:West/ACE:East
● Why? Community for Agile Coaches
● Resources:
○ Website / MeetUp
○ Slack

3. The Agile Coaching Competency
Framework
9. The Business of Agile Coaching - Knowing more about things like certifications, insurance, getting business, etc…
10. Coach/Leader/Servant - The leadership practices, principles and theories for success

4. THE BUSINESS OF AGILE COACHING:
THE POST-COVID STORY
Post your questions here: http://scrumblr.ca/ace-business-of-agile-coaching

5. Agenda
1.Build Your Business and Team - John
2.TOP 10 - The Small Business Health Check - Alicia
3.Certifications as an Independent Agile Coach - A&J
4.Q&A
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex

6. Build Your
Business
and Team
● Technical Roles since 1998
● Leading Delivery since 2003
● Student of Leadership since 2005
● Entrepreneur since 2007
● Coaching Agile Teams since 2008
● Certified ICF Coach since 2010
● Closed 1st business / started 2nd in 2017
✓ Certified: ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and Mentor Coach, Strozzi
Institute Somatic Coach (SISC), Scaled Agile Program Consultant (SPC), Project
Management Professional (PMP®), ScrumMaster® (CSM) and Scrum
Professional® (CSP-SM), ICAgile Professional Agile Coach (ICP-ACC)
❂ Accredited: LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP), Training From the Back of the
Room (TBR), Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC), Thought
Field Therapy - Causal Diagnosis (TFT-DX)
John Eisenschmidt
http://linkedin.com/in/johneisenschmidt/

7. 1st Order Needs: Ability to Operate
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex
Tip: Keep Business and
Personal Finances separate

8. 2nd Order Needs: Minimize Liability
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex
Tip: You will want sufficient
coverage, but if Personal is less
expensive than Business (e.g. Auto),
don’t overpay. Never over-buy.

9. 3rd Order Needs: Maximize Opportunity Costs
Tip: Use services like
Upwork and Fiverr to
hire experts when you
need them
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex

10. TOP 10
The Small
Business Health
Check
YT - http://bit.ly/SBHC2020
Alicia has over 20 years of experience in
the technology industry. Her focus is on
coaching individuals, teams and
organizations through change and
transformation. Her specialty is with
organizations looking to increase business
and leadership agility. She has a keen eye
for organizational systems and is
passionate about using Agile practices to
build high performing teams and
organizations. Alicia is an
Executive/leadership coach and a Wiley
Authorized partner for the Everything
DiSC integrated suite of leadership
assessments.
CPC, PMP®, Wiley DiSC
Alicia McLain - @AgileLeaderSD

11. If at first, you don’t succeed…..
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex

12. #ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex

13. The TOP 10 – Small Business Health Check
#1 Know Your Numbers
#2 Workspace
#3 Do The Work
#4 Plan Your Work
#5 Set Aside .3
#6 Plan Your Income
#7 Get a Coach
#8 Barter Like A Boss
#9 Give Something Away
#10 Attitude of Gratitude
#11
BONUS
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex

14. 01
02
04
03
Format, Structure
My Take
(Experience Report)
Interviews with Colleagues,
Peers, Professionals (Same
Thumbnail)
VIDEO Description, Links,
References, Tools
#ACEWest | agilecoachingexchange.com | @agilecoachingex

15. #1 Know Your
Numbers

16. #2 Workspace

17. #3 Do The Work

18. #4 Plan Your
Work

19. #5 Set Aside .3

20. #6 Plan Your
Income

21. #7 Get a Coach

22. #8 Barter Like A
Boss

23. #9 Give
Something Away

24. #10 Attitude of
Gratitude

25. #11 –
Partnerships!
#11
BONUS

26. Summary

27. Certifications
● Demonstrate minimum competency…
○ Range from “Stayed alive in training” to “Years of experience”
○ Code of Ethics may not exist, be bolted-on, or be foundational
● As a new Practitioner - may be a barrier to entry
● As an independent Agile Coach - except for specific engagements,
your clients may not ask/care
● As a member of this community, we may hold different perspectives
● Consider mapping your current/aspirational certs onto the Agile
Coaching Competency Framework (example to follow)
● Certifications are not your professional identity:
○ John Eisenschmidt PMP, CSM, CSP, ICP-ACC, ACC, SISC, LSP

29. Certs./Quals./Exp. Overlaid on Agile Coaching Competencies

30. http://scrumblr.ca/ace-business-of-agile-coaching

31. Thank You!
Tell us: How
was this for
you?
https://bit.ly/ACE-retro