Episode 23

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Published on:

12th Oct 2023

Overcoming Business Development Challenges: Insights and Strategies for Coaches - Featuring Heather Gwaltney

We need to define success in a different way, not only financially, but also incorporating the social and environmental pieces for a more balanced, holistic way to define success. - - Heather

Heather Gwaltney is an accomplished professional with a diverse marketing, communications, and organizational development background. With over 25 years of experience, she has honed her skills and expertise in these areas. As the founder and CEO of the Center for Mindful Business, Heather has successfully combined her passion for mindfulness and sustainability with her business acumen to create a unique platform for coaches. She holds a master's degree in organizational development and is certified as a mindfulness teacher and permaculture design expert. Heather's extensive experience includes directing a documentary, authoring a self-help book, and teaching courses as an adjunct professor. Her dedication to bridging the gap between wellness professionals and clients is evident in her mission to provide resources and support for coaches facing business development challenges. Heather's knowledge and insights make her a valuable asset to the coaching community.

She has developed an evidence-based mindfulness training program for businesses and, through the Center for Mindful Business, is certifying coaches to deliver those programs which will bring opportunities to those coaches. This is a unique offering that is needed for both businesses and coaches and for these reasons, she's a member of the Mindful Coach Association and a guest on the show.

You can connect with Heather at The Center for Mindful Business and via her Linked In profile.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Mindful Coach Podcast

The Mindful Coach Association produces this podcast. An association for coaches and other helping professionals who value mindfulness in life and work. The association was created to help create community, and provide resources and ongoing learning for those aligned with its published principles and practices. If you're aligned with this work, join us at https://mindfulcoachassociation.com or contribute to our work with link provided. All funds go directly to cover costs and growth.

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About the Podcast

The Mindful Coach Podcast
Turning ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences
Imagine you could uplevel every conversation you will ever have for the rest of your life. What would be the impact—professionally and personally?

How we show up in conversations—our presence, communication, and awareness—is the fastest way to improve the quality of our personal and professional lives. Yet, few people are ever taught how to cultivate this presence intentionally.

That’s what The Mindful Coach Podcast is all about.

In each episode, we explore the power of mindful communication—how awareness, somatic intelligence, and deep listening can turn ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences. Through real conversations with coaches, leaders, and professionals, we uncover practical ways to build resilience, reduce reactivity, and create deeper connections with those we serve.

This podcast is also a gateway to a supportive professional community—the Mindful Coach Association (https://mindfulcoachassociation.com)—where mindful professionals gather to learn, connect, and grow in a space dedicated to authentic connection and skillful presence.

If you're ready to take this work further, check out my flagship program:
Mindfulness Communication and Presence for Professionals—an immersive training designed to help you cultivate presence, master communication, and transform your interactions in work and life.

If you're a coach, leader, or professional who values mindful communication and presence, visit The Mindful Coach (https://themindfulcoach.com) to learn more.

Join us as we explore what it truly means to show up—for ourselves, our clients, and the world.

Together, we are a mighty force.
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About your host

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Brett Hill

I'm a mindful somatic coach and coach trainer. I'm on a mission to help coaches be the best they can be, and the best way I know to do that, is to promote and encourage coach mindfulness. I created the Mindful Coach Method to help coaches learn the many great techniques and practices I've had the good fortune to learn and employ over the years.

But my interests go beyond training coaches and private practice.

I founded the Mindful Coach Association so coaches and other helping professionals who value mindfulness in their work can connect and collaborate. To help members be successful and tell their stories to the world. I launched the Mindful Coach Podcast.

Strangely enough, my interests in mindful communication align with my passion for technology.

After graduating with a degree in interpersonal communication, I became a technology expert and enjoyed a distinguished technical career. I frequently presented at technical conferences worldwide for companies like Microsoft, authored books, and was awarded Microsoft’s distinguished “Most Valuable Professional” award for nine years.

All my life I've been fascinated with how things actually work. That means looking deeply and seriously inside as well as at the world. How do our minds work? What are the limits of the human capacity to learn and understand? What creates unhappiness or joy?

I studied many inner practices, from common forms to very esoteric. I taught mindfulness and meditation in many forms. One of my most immersive studies was in Hakomi, a mindfulness-based somatic psychology, with founder Ron Kurtz. Also group dynamics under the guidance of Amina Knowlan, creator of Matrix Leadership. In addition, I taught beginning and advanced meditation for several years at the Lotus Center in Okla. City and established the Quest Institute meditation center in Dallas.

After obtaining several coach certifications, I created and teache The Mindful Coach Method to help “bridge the gap” so coaches can experience and use coaching presence, coach-centered mindfulness, and the somatic techniques he has found so essential in his work, yet are often missing in coach training.

I'm on a mission in my work as a coach, teacher, speaker, and author to help people be more present and connected to their authentic voice, and the world itself. I specialize in mindful communications and coach training so we can connect authentically, speak truly, and listen deeply. What does the world need more than this?

Certifications include International Coaching Federation, Somatic-Wellness & Mindfulness Coach, and Mindful Facilitator by the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness. He’s also an alumnus of the Inner MBA by Sounds True, and has hundreds of hours of training in Hakomi, Matrix Group Leadership, Martial Art, Contact Improvisation, and others.