Episode #962: How to Grow Your Email List Without Paid Ads in 2026

Ever felt like you're waiting for the "perfect" moment to launch your podcast, only to watch months (or years) slip by? Today, Matt Mawhinney of PodAssist steps out from behind the scenes to reveal how he launched his own show in less than a week, and gives his expert podcast tips and strategies from over a decade in the podcast trenches. If you're tired of the imposter syndrome and the "podfade" trap, Matt is breaking down the exact sustainable systems he uses to build authority, ditch the need for a million-dollar studio, and finally get your message out to the world. It's time to stop performing for others…start walking the walk! What You'll Hear In This Episode: How Matt went from "never in a million years" wanting to host a show to having his podcast live on all platforms in less than a week. Why waiting for the "perfect" setup, or re-listening to your own episodes, is the fastest way to kill your podcasting momentum. The staggering statistics on how many podcasts quit within the first 8 episodes and how Matt's sustainable approach keeps shows running for the long haul. Why he chose the solo format for his own podcast to establish authority, and why he warns against listening too much to the opinions of others. The key reasons Matt advises against recording 20 episodes before even launching, and how to avoid punching yourself out in "Round One." A reminder that you don't need a professional-grade studio to sound great, and the tremendous opportunity that exists for experts to launch podcasts right now. How joining the right community, and specifically the Coaching Jungle VIP was the catalyst that shifted Matt from a behind-the-scenes expert to public-facing creator. Why sharing the episodes you appear on isn't just "nice to do" - it's an essential part of podcasting etiquette that helps both the host and the guest.   LINKS Matt's Podcast, Podcast Permission Slip  03: Flying Solo: Busting One of the Biggest Podcast Myths 06: The Name Game: How to Name Your Podcast (Without Overthinking It) Need help launching a podcast or editing your current show? This podcast is proudly sponsored, edited and produced by PodAssist. Visit their website below for more info!  http://www.podassist.com Understanding Your Voice: Insights with Neil Degrasse Tyson   Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com   Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com   If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com

Ever felt like a chicken with its head cut off, jumping from one task to another? Today, Marc is sharing a productivity hack that has been a game-changer for his business over the years: batching.  If you're ready to stop being reactive and start working with intention, he's breaking down the exact systems he uses to protect his headspace and finally get the right things done! What You'll Hear In This Episode: The "23-minute Rule" and why task-switching is killing your productivity. The specific system Marc used to record over 350 podcast episodes in a single year! How he protects his Mondays and Fridays to ensure his content never feels shoehorned in. Marc's end-of-day strategy for handling emails and messages without getting knocked off course. A tool he uses to brick his phone and keep pesky apps from sucking away his attention. The low-tech blue box alternative to using your phone as a timer. Homework for you, and Marc's ruthless audit to help you see what you should stop doing entirely. LINKS BRICK  Need help launching a podcast or editing your current show? Visit PodAssist for more info!  http://www.podassist.com    Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com   If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com   Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com  

Ross Alcorn is the founder of Itinerary Boss and helps business owners optimize their everyday spending to earn points and miles that translate into luxury travel for free. He's built a successful coaching business in a unique niche and shares his approach in this episode!  What You'll Hear In This Episode:  -       How Ross' love of travel started young, organizing group trips to Europe and snowboarding destinations for friends in his 20s, learning the logistics and credit card points game along the way.  -       How Ross learned the ins and outs of hotel loyalty programs and airline miles firsthand, which became the foundation of his expertise.  -       Ross breaks down the competition in his space: travel agents and concierge booking services, while he focuses on the higher-level strategy of optimizing business spend to maximize points, cash flow, and even tax deductions.  -       The strategy that Ross used to build his business quickly: leveraging his sales background, hiring a VA early, launching a podcast (called "Points, Cards and Travel"), and investing in coaching - which he credits as the biggest accelerator of his growth.  -       What his biggest mistake was, and how he fixed it …  -       Ross' thoughts about AI vs coaching!  LINKS  The 5-Step Roadmap to Your Next Free 5-Star Luxury Vacation http://itineraryboss.kit.com/the-5-step-roadmap-to-your-next-free-5-star-luxury-vacation-the-1-card-that-gets-you-there Points, Cards and Travel Podcast  http://open.spotify.com/show/1mmMJ6z3JdEOUJKUjLh8bD?si=db17ffbb2c5246d6&nd=1&dlsi=29f4de1f73d54514 Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com      

In this episode of Natural Born Coaches, Marc interviews Ian Gatzky, the founder of Implement AI, to discuss how AI helps coaches improve client engagement and completion rates in their programs.   What You'll Hear In This Episode: -       The brutal truth about course completion: Only 4% of people who purchase an online course actually finish it … a staggering problem that affects client results, testimonials, and your business growth. -       What companion GPTs actually are: Custom AI models trained on your coaching content that guide clients through doing the work in your programs … -       Real business impact: How one of Ian's clients condensed her 12-week program down to 8 weeks using companion GPTs, allowing her to run 6 cohorts per year instead of 4 - adding $60K in annual revenue. -       What AI should NOT be doing: Ian draws a clear line - don't give AI decision-making power for things like pricing, discounts, or critical business decisions. That's not what these tools are for. -       The ripple effect of completion: Higher completion rates lead to better testimonials, happier clients, repeat business, referrals, and customers who are more likely to buy your next program. -       Why coaches need this: Every coach Ian's worked with got into coaching to help people - but you can't help people if they don't do the work. Companion GPTs bridge that execution gap! LINKS Register for Ian's live workshop on Wednesday, March 11th at 2 pm EST: http://www.naturalborncoaches.com/dothework   Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com   If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com   Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com  

In this episode of Natural Born Coaches, Marc discusses strategies for growing email lists in 2026 … ones that don't cost a penny! What You'll Hear In This Episode: -       Why email lists trump social media … -       An important tip if you're participating in online summits! -       How to turn your community into paying clients. -       An underutilized tactic to get unexpected people into your world … -       The alternative to producing AI slop and boring content! LINKS Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com    If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com   Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com   If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com

In this episode of the podcast, Marc shows how to push past resistance to increase your coaching fees and teaches a simple exercise to make it easier to sell your offers at higher amounts! What You'll Hear In This Episode: -       The undercharging epidemic: Why the majority of coaches are charging too little … -       Coaches and money guilt: How some coaches shame others for wanting to earn well, and treat profitable pricing as "greedy" -       The real value of coaching: From saving marriages to extending lives through health coaching, you're not selling air! -       Finding your pricing ceiling: Charge as much as you can until it feels off, but don't let fear set the limit too early -       Only sell what you love (it's easier that way!) -       The big psychological shift that happens when someone actually pays you more … LINKS Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com   If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com   Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com   If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com

In this episode, Marc shares four acronyms and the lessons that coaches can take from them! What You'll Hear In This Episode: -       Why showing up on time for scheduled calls separates professional coaches from amateurs. -       The dangers of keeping Zoom open and multitasking while waiting for late arrivals. -       Why the trust deficit is worse now than 5 or 10 years ago and what it means for your marketing. -       The island vs. ocean metaphor - Why building an online community is more effective than relying solely on your social media profile. -       How making consistent offers increases your chances of sales! d For links mentioned in this episode, go to www.naturalborncoaches.com/episodes    *    

Marc shares five recommended books that he read in 2025, and the big takeaways from them!   What You'll Hear In This Episode: -       Why waiting for inspiration is killing your coaching business - and what to do instead according to legendary music producer Rick Rubin. -       The Matthew McConaughey strategy: How cutting two major priorities helped him go from B-level performance in everything to A-level success (and why you're probably doing too much) -       Why Ray Kroc didn't achieve massive success until age 52 - and what that means if you think you're "too late" to the game! -       The video game approach to building your coaching business - gamification tactics that actually work, from Nerd Fitness founder Steve Kamb … -       "Be judged or be ignored" - why haters and trolls might actually be a sign you're doing something right. -       Marc's #1 book recommendation of all time came from a random Facebook post … and it's one you've probably never heard of! -       Why reading books from completely different industries (like fast food empires) can give you better business ideas than another coaching book …   LINKS Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com   If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com   Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com   Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com  

Marc shares the strategy he uses to deal with cold outreach in his inbox, which will save you hundreds of hours every year!  What You'll Hear In This Episode: -      The main types of cold emails/messages that you get, and Marc's proven system for handling them.  -       Why engaging with vague small-talkers can haunt your inbox forever … -       How to flip cold pitches into revenue instead of just deleting them! -       Learning to identify low-value emails that don't deserve replies.     The annoying trend that salespeople are currently doing, and why Marc doesn't reply to those people.     Avoiding "time vampires" who will drain your energy.     A powerful three-step homework assignment to do after this episode!     LINKS Book a no-obligation 1:1 strategy call with Marc for your coaching business: http://www.chatwithmarcm.com  If you'd like more coaching clients without sending cold messages or spending money on ads, the Natural Born Coach Program is for you. Get the details here! http://www.nbcprogram.com Join The Coaching Jungle Facebook Group! http://www.thecoachingjungle.com  Become a Coaching Jungle VIP member which includes special posting perks in the group to reach almost 30,000 potential clients! http://www.myjunglevip.com  Grow your business with The Coaching Jungle Mastermind! http://www.coachingjunglemastermind.com If you have a product or service that helps coaches, and you'd like to get it in front of 100,000 of them: http://www.jvwithmarc.com

In this episode of Natural Born Coaches, Marc talks about the dangers of telling yourself negative and limiting stories - and gives his advice for how to identify and change the habit so you can get better results!  What You'll Hear In This Episode: The danger of accepting defeat before you begin - How one coach wrote off 2026 entirely after losing a single client, and why that's a self-sabotaging mindset. Words create reality - Zig Ziglar's "alarm clock" vs. "opportunity clock" concept and why the language you use matters more than you think. "I'll give it a try" is a red flag - Why weak, tentative language like "we'll see how it goes" virtually guarantees failure before you start. The rubber band technique - A method to break negative self-talk patterns by physically snapping yourself out of it. Behind the camera to in front of it - How Marc's brother Matt transformed his "I'm a behind-the-scenes guy" story and launched a podcast in just 6 days! Sales myths destroyed - Why "nobody buys in _____/month" is a self-fulfilling prophecy that costs coaches thousands in lost revenue …