Still Human · Meet the Coaches · Episode 1
Chris Perkins read that line in a book and saw himself. In his late forties, with family pressures and a lot of travel, he needed a coach and didn’t have one. Today he is that coach, for senior professionals in midlife.
● ScotlandWorking with Chris
Coaching with Chris comes with a few extras that carry your work between and beyond your sessions.
In the session
No notebook in the room. With your consent, CoachNova takes the notes, so Chris can listen. I would often struggle to read my own writing.
You agree in your first conversation with Chris, before any session.
After the session
The same day, in your own app: a summary, the key themes and what you said you’d do. Something really tangible to be able to reflect on.
Work with Chris
Chris coaches senior professionals through the five big challenges of midlife: happiness, relationships, meaning, health and career. Your first call with him is free: 45 minutes on video, no pitch, no pressure.
Behind his practice
Chris calls CoachNova “my executive assistant in a coaching session, much more than a note taker”. When he started, he asked his most cautious client first.
Before
What’s worth remembering from last time, ready when he is. The session prep for upcoming sessions is just remarkable.
Suggested opening
“John, you’ve had a few weeks now of actually living with the boundaries and decisions you made with David. How is that landing for you, and what’s shifted since we last talked?”
Over time
Themes across sessions, beyond the surface level. It’s acting as a catalyst for my own development.
For himself
Private reflections for supervision, a feature he asked for and got within weeks. Terrific.
Reflection for supervision
Watch Chris
Chris on being present in the room, and on the client he asked first.
The question
Chris Perkins, a midlife transformation coach in Scotland, explains the tool before the first session and asks for consent. He started with his most cautious client, who checked the security and privacy setup and was completely comfortable. Every client since has agreed.
In his words
“I explain CoachNova in the initial discussion, before the first session, and get their consent to record.”
LinkedIn showed Chris one of Louise’s posts. He wrote that morning and booked a call for the Tuesday. Soon after, he was the first coach to email us asking where he could pay.
His advice to coaches new to AI
“You have to try it and see what happens and be open to learning and experimenting and be curious about it.”
One small experiment, with one client. Whatever happens, you learn something.
A living page
Every few months, a new short and what Chris is learning with his clients.
His first client on CoachNova was his most cautious one. Every client since has said yes.
A new short, and what has changed for the people he coaches.
Will a year of patterns make him a better coach? He thinks so. We’ll ask.
Chris: I read something a while ago. The author said a lot of coaches coach who they used to be. I look back at my career, and the time I most could have done with a coach was in my late forties, going through a really rough patch: family pressures, lots of travel, lots of other things going on. I thought, I bet I'm not the only one in that situation. Those are the people I can help best.
Chris: I think of CoachNova as being my executive assistant in a coaching session, much more than a note taker. It does an amazing job of summarizing the sessions. But what is even more valuable is the themes and patterns it recognizes, logging client commitments, and the session prep for upcoming sessions is just remarkable. So I can be more present in a coaching session. I would often struggle to read my own writing when I used to take my own notes, so all of that's gone away.
Chris: I explain CoachNova in the initial discussion, before the first session, and get their consent to record. I have the utmost confidence in the level of privacy and security built into the platform. So far, all of my clients have been happy to use it. I thought initially there might be some resistance, but that hasn't been the case.
Chris: I was working with a very risk averse client at the time, and I thought, if anyone is going to have an issue with this, I'll try it with this client. He looked into what you've set up around security and privacy and was completely comfortable using it.
Chris: I am learning things about how I coach from the patterns and the themes it's recognizing, things beyond the surface level. It's acting as a catalyst for my own development. Two years worth of that and I think I will be a better coach as a result.
Chris: The design thinking principle of prototyping and experimenting applies here. You have to try it and see what happens and be open to learning and experimenting and be curious about it. It can be a small experiment, a small test, and whatever happens, you will learn something.
Chris: I suggested a notes feature for me as a coach, notes that don't go to the client, for my own reflection or to take to supervision. You built it within a matter of weeks, and instead of just notes it records a voice note. Having it all in one place has been terrific.
Chris Perkins explains the tool in the first conversation, before any session, and asks for consent to record. He tells clients what they gain: no note taking, and a summary with the themes and commitments after every session.
In Chris's experience, yes, once they can see how their data is handled. His most cautious client looked into the security and privacy setup and was completely comfortable.
Chris explains the tool in your first conversation, and you decide before any session. You get a summary of every session in your own app, with the key themes and what you said you'd do, so you have something tangible to reflect on between and beyond your sessions. Chris's own reflections for supervision stay with him.
Small. Chris applies design thinking: one small experiment, curiosity, and learning from whatever happens.
CoachNova
Session prep, notes and every client’s commitments in one place, and a summary your client has the same day.
