Episode 95

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Published on:

12th May 2026

AI in Coaching: Tool, Thought Partner or Threat?

John Ball and Angie open the clinic on a question every coach is quietly asking: how does AI fit into what we do, and does it make us better or just busier?

Neither of them is a convert. Neither is a sceptic. What they are is honest about where AI has actually changed how they work, and where it hasn't touched the thing that matters most.

In this episode:

  • Why Angie initially dismissed AI for coaching, and what changed her mind
  • The note-taking problem: how Zoom AI transcripts freed up session presence without replacing judgement
  • Why reviewing session notes in bulk with AI surfaces patterns that even experienced coaches miss over long engagements
  • John's reasoning for giving clients transcripts over recordings: not stepping back into the emotional state of the session
  • How to tell when a client is outsourcing their thinking to AI rather than doing the work
  • Why John's experiment with a "really sarcastic" ChatGPT persona did not go well (and why he's now using Claude)
  • The supplement vs replacement distinction: why human coaching still produces the breakthroughs that AI cannot
  • AI as a thought partner and objectivity tool, not a workhorse

The conversation lands somewhere useful: AI is most valuable for coaches when it handles the administrative and analytical weight so the coach can stay fully present for the work only they can do.

CHAPTERS

00:00 AI Buzz Kickoff

01:03 Skeptic to Curious

02:27 Fears and Pushback

04:36 Easy Not Lazy

06:14 Zoom Notes and Transcripts

08:03 Spotting AI Written Work

10:04 Theme Mining Past Notes

13:17 Tools for Content Creation

15:01 Why Coaches Matter

18:15 Humanity Over Perfection

19:17 Wrap Up and Outro

FAQ Section

How are professional coaches using AI to improve their practice?

John Ball and Angie, co-hosts of The Coaching Clinic, use AI primarily for note-taking, session transcription and retrospective pattern analysis. Angie uploads client session notes into AI tools to identify recurring themes, missed focal points and forgotten frameworks across long coaching engagements. John uses AI-generated transcripts rather than recordings to help clients review sessions, avoiding the risk of clients re-entering the emotional state of the original conversation. Both hosts treat AI as a supplement to their coaching practice rather than a replacement for human judgement.

Can AI replace human coaches?

John Ball and Angie argue that AI cannot replace human coaches because the most impactful moments in coaching arise from real-time human interaction, not from AI analysis. AI lacks the empathy, lived experience and character that constitute a coach's credibility and effectiveness. While AI can surface patterns in notes or produce analytical summaries, it cannot replicate the relational dynamic that produces genuine client breakthroughs. The hosts acknowledge that some clients may use AI for self-guided work, but maintain that the transformation a skilled human coach produces remains distinctly irreplaceable.

How can coaches use AI for session notes without losing objectivity?

Angie recommends uploading accumulated session notes into an AI tool and prompting it to identify themes, focal points, growth opportunities and forgotten tools or frameworks. This approach is particularly useful for long-term coaching relationships where a coach may become too familiar with a client to maintain full objectivity. The AI does not replace the coach's awareness but provides an additional analytical layer, especially useful when reviewing 10 or more sessions where relevant details can otherwise be missed.

What are the risks of over-relying on AI in a coaching business?

John Ball cautions that AI writing is increasingly recognisable and that content produced entirely by AI tends to be "a little too perfect" and therefore not convincingly human. Both hosts raise the risk of clients outsourcing their thinking to AI rather than doing their own developmental work, and note that this is now detectable by coaches familiar with how AI outputs read. The broader risk is substitution: using AI to do the thinking rather than to support and accelerate the coach's own reasoning.

What is the difference between AI as a supplement and AI as a replacement in coaching?

John Ball and Angie draw a clear distinction between using AI to supplement coaching work (handling notes, surfacing patterns, drafting communications) and using it to replace the coach's core function. They agree that AI performs well as an unpaid analytical assistant or thought partner but cannot replicate the human credibility, experience and relational presence that define effective coaching. The supplement framing treats AI as a productivity and objectivity tool; the replacement framing, which both hosts reject, assumes AI can deliver the transformation that human coaching produces.

Want to contact the show? You can leave us a voicemail. It's free to do, and we might feature you on our next episode. All you need to do is go to https://speakpipe.com/thecoachingclinicpodcast and leave us a message. You can also find our clips and full episodes on the exclusive Coaching Clinic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@coachingclinicpodcast

You can send us a video or voice message on LinkedIn:

John's LinkedIn Profile or go to PresentInfluence.com for coaching enquiries with John

Angie's LinkedIn Profile or visit AngieSpeaks.com

2023 Present Influence Productions Coaching Clinic: scale your business, acquire high ticket clients & master coaching skills 95

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About the Podcast

Coaching Clinic: scale your business, acquire high ticket clients & master coaching skills
The show for professional coaches who want to scale their business and master their craft
Coaching Clinic is the go-to podcast for new and experienced professional coaches who want to grow a thriving, sustainable business and get better results with clients. Hosted by veteran coaches John Ball and Angela Besignano, this weekly show delivers actionable coaching strategies, business-building insights, and real-world tools to help you attract clients, master your craft, and scale with confidence. From powerful client conversations to group coaching design, sales, mindset, and marketing—this is your backstage pass to what really works in coaching today.

About your hosts

John Ball

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From former flight attendant to international coach and trainer, on to podcaster and persuasion expert, it's been quite the journey for John.
John has been a lead coach and trainer with the Harv Eker organisation for over 10 years and is currently focused on helping his clients develop their personal presentation skills for media and speaking stages through his coaching business brand Present Influence.
He's the author of the upcoming book Podfluence: How To Build Professional Authority With Podcasts, and host of the Podfluence podcast with over 150 episodes and over 15,000 downloads John is now focused on helping business coaches and speakers to build a following and grow your lead flow and charisma.
You can now also listen to John on The Coaching Clinic podcast with his good friend and colleague Angie Besignano where they are helping coaches create sustainable and successful businesses, and the Try To Stand Up podcast where John is on a personal and professional mission to become funnier on the stage and in his communication.

Angie Besignano

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With early beginnings as an entry-level manager in the sales industry, Angie has spent more than 3 decades building her knowledge and expertise to create her master coaching and speaking brand, AngieSpeaks. After climbing the professional ladder, she started her own company and decided to focus her practice on High Performance Coaching. In doing so, she challenges individuals to elevate and grow, no matter what level they are at currently in their personal or professional lives.
Angie has created a strong following through her “tough” but “pragmatic” approach and challenges her clients to find the space that is holding them back the most. In doing so, their outcomes not only compound, but take root, so that results can be permanent. The tools she provides work in the “real” world and show up in their first interaction.
Angie has an unwavering passion toward the journey that fosters a true transformation for those that work with her. She delivers her content and speaking engagements with an authentic enthusiasm and curiosity that creates trust and rapport, allowing for a heightened experience.