Business Building Workshop
Facilitators: Prof Dev Team
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: MN Humanities Center, St. Paul, MN
Description:
The workshop will include a light breakfast and lunch as we learn to advance our coaching businesses. This workshop will offer sessions for all experience levels.
Workshop Schedule:
9:00am-9:30am - breakfast and networking
9:30am-9:45am - Intro of ICF MN, light icebreaker, and further instructions
9:45am-11:45am - Sessions 1-4
11:45 - 12:45 - Panelists and Lunch
12:45 - 1:00 - Surveys, good-byes, and thank you's
Session 1 - Starting your Coaching Business Foundations for Success
Todd Fonseca and Betsy Van Hecke
Participants will:
1. Learn the basic logistical requirements for setting up a coaching business.
2. Explore tools for business management, client scheduling, and payment processing.
3. Develop a focused action plan for immediate next steps.
By the End of This Talk, You Will Have...
1. A clear checklist of the steps required to set up your coaching business.
2. A curated list of tools and resources to streamline operations.
3. Confidence in taking the first steps to operationalize and grow your business.
Session 2 - Get Found Online: SEO Basics for Coaches
Lisa Zufall
Your dream clients are out there… but they can’t find you. Why? Because Google thinks you’re playing hide-and-seek.
This 45-minute session will pull your coaching business out of internet obscurity and slap it onto the first page of Google—okay, maybe not instantly, but you’ll get the tools to make it happen. We’ll cover the SEO basics every coach actually needs to know (no tech wizardry required), from keywords and on-page optimization to local SEO magic. And because we’re living in the future, I’ll show you how AI can do a lot of the heavy lifting—like generating keyword-rich content, spying (ethically) on competitors, and making SEO feel like a breeze instead of a brain drain.
By the end of this session, you’ll:
1. Know what SEO is and why it’s not just for nerds in hoodies.
2. Discover AI-powered keyword hacks so you can rank without wasting hours researching.
3. Learn sneaky (but ethical) ways to optimize your website, blogs, and social media.
The internet is basically one giant popularity contest—time to make Google your new BFF. In this workshop, you'll walk away with three simple, AI-fueled SEO tactics you can implement immediately.
Session 3 - The Power of Strategic Networking: Leveraging Relationships to Elevate Your Coaching Practice
Kelly Jahner-Byrne
Discover innovative approaches to networking that position you for more referrals, partnerships, and opportunities in the coaching and corporate world.
Three KEY takeaways
1. Build Meaningful Connections for Long-Term Success – Learn how to cultivate authentic relationships that go beyond transactional networking, leading to more referrals, collaborations, and business growth.
2. Position Yourself as a Valued Resource – Discover strategies to showcase your expertise and credibility in a way that attracts corporate clients, partners, and coaching opportunities.
3. Create a Networking Strategy That Works for You – Gain actionable insights on how to identify the right networking opportunities, engage effectively, and leverage your connections to expand your coaching practice.
Session 4 - Social Media for Coaches: Getting Maximum Impact Online
Lisa Zufall
Posting and praying is not a strategy.
You know you should be on social media, but let’s be real—it’s overwhelming, constantly changing, and sometimes feels like screaming into the void. This session cuts through the nonsense and teaches you how to show up strategically, sell yourself effortlessly, and actually enjoy the process. We’ll also introduce AI tools that make content creation, scheduling, and engagement easier than remembering your Netflix password.
By the end of this session, you’ll:
1. Finally know which platforms are worth your time and which ones you can ignore without guilt.
2. Master AI-powered strategies that create, schedule, and optimize content so you don’t have to.
3. Get the inside scoop on tools that make you look like a social media genius (even if tech isn’t your thing).
Your coaching business deserves more than just likes—it’s time to turn your online presence into a lead-generating, client-attracting.
Bios and Photos of Speakers:
Todd Fonseca is a certified professional co-active coach and former medical device executive with over three decades of experience. His expertise lies in helping leaders at all levels, from first-time managers to C-Suite executives, as well as leadership teams, navigate complex organizational landscapes while fostering personal and professional growth.
As the founder of Thriving 9 to 5, Todd provides specialized coaching using his ASPIRE model, focusing on Authenticity, Seeking respect, Psychological safety, Inspiring trust, Results with accountability, and Elevating fulfillment.
Todd is also an accomplished author and speaker, having written two books and been featured on several podcasts discussing leadership and coaching.
With his unique blend of corporate leadership experience and coaching expertise, Todd is dedicated to helping professionals and teams be authentic, lead brilliantly, and transform everything.
Betsy is passionate about helping people grow. She specializes in working with professionals who want to increase their impact and thrive in their careers.
A former practicing attorney and senior legal executive at a Fortune 100 company, Betsy brings unique insight into coaching for growth, performance and career satisfaction. She was consistently recognized as one her company’s premiere talent developers. Her dedication to bringing out the best in people ultimately led her to executive coaching.
With nearly 20 years of leadership experience, Betsy applies deep personal insight to every coaching engagement, helping clients create meaningful and lasting change. She has logged hundreds of hours of coaching professionals at all career stages, from early career to retirement planning. Betsy’s clients include corporate executives in sales and marketing, operations, finance, strategy and scientific roles. She is also experienced in coaching lawyers and compliance professionals in-house and in firms.
Betsy has helped her clients:
Drive results more consistently
Communicate more effectively
Establish themselves swiftly in new roles and situations
Navigate complex organizations with confidence
Enhance work-life balance
Manage burnout
Develop fulfilling, sustainable career paths
Betsy has a strong drive to serve the communities she engages with. She is a director on several non-profit boards, including ICF Minnesota, where she participates in the professional development working group.
Lisa Zufall, is an accomplished tech industry veteran and consultant. With a keen eye for innovation and a passion for marketing, Lisa has helped numerous entrepreneurs and small businesses leverage the power of AI and digital marketing to create, launch, and build successful online ventures. Her dynamic speaking style and deep expertise make her a sought-after speaker and consultant in the digital marketing space.
Kelly Jahner-Byrne is an international keynote speaker, seasoned executive coach and entrepreneur with a proven track record of success in leadership, sales, and business development. With over two decades of experience, she has built and scaled multiple businesses to over $1 million in revenue and raised more than $8 million for nonprofits. She hosts the podcast, The HOW Show and has coached podcaster to produce in excess of 350 episodes and she is a two-time author. As the CEO of The HOW Companies, Inc., Kelly empowers individuals and organizations to take action, build confidence, and achieve measurable results.
A dynamic and engaging speaker, Kelly has taken the stage at countless conferences, including her own eight-time, sold-out event, TheHOWConf. She is passionate about helping coaches, executives, and entrepreneurs sharpen their skills in sales, negotiation, leadership while growing revenue.