Listen as Jason Koop, Yago Alcalde and Katie Malone discuss the business side of coaching and what sets top coaches apart as businesses and for athletes.
Whether you’re a coach looking to navigate the business landscape or an athlete considering hiring a coach, this episode offers valuable insights and perspectives from seasoned professionals.
Three diverse coaches in business structure, sport type and location open up to shed light on their sources of income, ranging from subscription-based coaching to book royalties and bike fits. Learn the differences between U.S.-based and European-based coaching businesses. They discuss the challenges and opportunities coaches face in the marketplace and where they see the future of coaching going beyond an increased focus on personalized services.
Standout Quotes
“The coaches like myself, our Olympic level coaches that had won any number of different world championships and things like that, were the ones that also retained their athletes the most. And the singular character trait that we could trace back towards those coaches that were retaining all of their athletes is they just simply cared about the athletes more.”
— Jason Koop
“The longevity of the relationship that I have with an athlete… the better my business is going to be… this business is about people.”
Katie Malone
“Building relationships has allowed me to learn a lot. But it’s continuous education, and it’s not just what I have to have, it’s what I know I need… honestly, there are so many books out there that I’ve read. I have a huge library of triathlon at my house that I refer back to constantly. It’s never-ending, but really, when it’s all said and done, I’ve learned the most from all of the athletes that I’ve coached.”
— Katie Malone
“We do some training camps, too, and we don’t make a lot of money, but we have so much fun with our clients. And I think through these training camps, we get new people coming in, and it helps to keep these clients with us for longer because we create this great bond because they are training and riding with their coaches for three days, four days, and with other clients.”
— Yago Alcalde
“”I get more out of talking to my fellow colleagues ten times more easily just by going around the room [at coaching conferences] talking to people about their business…that networking piece of it…is immensely valuable.”
Jason Koop
“I think that whoever gets some education in good marketing is going to be the one who is going to have good success because we are good coaches. But I’m not a great guy in marketing, so I think that if you are good at marketing, you’re going to be good in the market.”
— Yago Alcalde
