Hi Jay,

"Start a Group Coaching Program..." I've been asked this over and again for the last 4 years. **I will not do it!**

Community trumps Group Coaching every time. I feel called NOT to start a program, but to steward a community.

I perceive three significant drawbacks to group coaching. Let's contrast group coaching with community.

First, consumption vs. participation. Group coaching is premised on those being coached consuming the material and self-applying it to their personal situation. The content and delivery are one-size-fits-none. Community invites members to participate fully. Consumption leads to conformity, while participation leads to transformation.

Experts vs. peers. Real expertise manifests in narrow, niche applications, yet most of us lead multi-faceted lives requiring creative, individualized solutions across disciplines. Small business owners are experts in their own lives and benefit from the community's outside perspectives.

One-Direction vs. multi-directional. Healthy 1-1 coaching requires conversation, negotiation, and mutual learning. Group coaching devolves into unidirectional lecturing, controlling, and demands. Community fosters a web of back-and-forth conversations and interactions. Carefully cultivated interaction patterns create a Group Genius that elevates everyone involved.

We need not more lectures or people dictating what to do. To genuinely grow in all life areas, people need human connection inviting self-discovery, care-based accountability, and whole-person, mutual support.

Thank you for your participation; this makes a true community.

Adventuring together,