CoachAccountable’s First Decade
I sprung for the fancy 10 candle that has TWO wicks. Pullin’ out all the stops.
Well now, that’s a milestone that many businesses do not meet.
And what a delight to have done so! Goodness, how time can fly. I still quite vividly remember taking a deep breath and clicking the button to officially “launch” CoachAccountable from my kitchen table in Cusco, Peru so long ago, wondering if the 2.0 go around would take.
Oh, how it has.
Today I am as honored and humbled as ever that my creation serves the work of thousands of coaches, and contributes to the experience and results of tens-of-thousands of their clients.
A couple of notable things happened in CA’s tenth year:
Overall the lion’s share of coding I did on CA this year was further refinements that make it that much more elegant, intuitive, user friendly, powerful, and perfect.
What’s strange (but perhaps this is just a great sign) is that after such a long time of listening for what would be useful from our community and evolving CA accordingly, there really weren’t many big new features that stood out as worth adding these past 12 months.
Make no mistake, there are still worthwhile advances to be made. It’s just that with the maturity and completeness that CA has attained over the years, “new features” is now more a matter of chasing a long tail of increasingly disjointed requests, rather than filling in the obviously beneficial-yet-missing pieces that a comprehensive coaching platform should have. Gone, it seems, are the days of me having a burning desire to build and release X amid a steady stream of requests for it. Those X’s are already done, launched, and well polished.
But opportunities for still further polish aplenty.
The new, more modern design was well received.
Further refinement to Appointments that further narrow the gap between CA and commodity appointment schedulers, including email invites to events (for folks who haven’t or can’t sync their calendars), more detailed rules for allowing scheduling, and unlimited splits in ones availability. With these, CA is now truly poised to be the way to wow your free intro call prospects into paying customers in ways conventional schedulers simply can’t.
This year Jaclyn started the official CoachAccountable user’s group, which has taken off as a hub for coaches to ask questions and share ideas and experiences. Set up as a CA Group itself, it brought with it some great dog fooding of CA’s own Groups feature1, leading to numerous enhancements like the Group Activity Digest, quick access to group member profiles, and comment replies.
Speaking of Jaclyn, she’s gone off on indefinite maternity leave. I love that she chose family over work, but I miss her all the same. And speaking of team departures, Morgan, my number 2 of four years, went off to start Accountable Hero, a high level consultancy of helping coaching firms setup and better their practices with CA. I delight in recommending her to folks, knowing they’ll be in very good hands.
Amid those change ups, I found myself in the unexpected position of having no team, and took the opportunity to give myself a break from being a manager of people and instead return to, metaphorically speaking, being an artist rather than art teacher.
My being in no rush to hire again may appear a curious decision2. For now I’m genuinely pleased to be, paradoxical as it may sound, able to do more of the heads down creative work than I was before.
And on that note I’ll say what I always say in these annual missives: CA continues to be for me a thrilling labor of love and I continue to work on making it even better. Can’t wait to show you what I’ve got in store for the coming year. :)
Here’s to the first decade; it’s been (and remains) an honor to serve you!
- “Dog fooding” is term of art in the software business: use your own product to see and empathize with what it’s really like, as opposed to just making it for others to use with no sense for how gross it might actually be. ↩
- I promise the business is fine. If you have concerns, I can assure you my accountant does not share them. ;) ↩
More recently: Company Agreements
Previously: So good, robots don’t believe what humans say about it
Hey John,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU AND YOUR BRILLIANT COACH ACCOUNTABLE BABY! (Big shouty caps to make me louder cos I am all the way Down Under in Australia!).
I’ll admit, I had a moment earlier this year when I had to review the value of CA against some other software (not because I was dissatisfied, mind – I just had to steady the flow of cash going out…) – but nothing stood a chance against the value, the support and the sophistication of Coach Accountable; the software and the team.
So a big THANKYOU and another huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you! Keep up the brilliant work and enjoy the creativity and life-kudos of doing something you love!
Here’s to (at least) another 10 years!
Sally
August 30, 2022 @ 5:59 pm
Congratulations on 10 years! Prosper in All Things celebrated 10 this year as well. Whew! I congratulate you on a great platform which as a coach to coaches I recommend often. I will truly miss Jaclyn and Morgan they were amazing – your customer service wowed me!
Praying YOU have another great decade and more ahead.
Praying YOU prosper in ALL things
Brenda
August 30, 2022 @ 6:00 pm
Happy Birthday Coach Accountable! In the Hawaiian language: Hau’oli la hanau
What an achievement and here’s to the next 10 years. Thank you for your continued attention, support and education. For me CA is a Goldilocks solution ~ just right!
August 30, 2022 @ 6:16 pm
Happy birthday CA! I’m so grateful that I found you and that I am able to grow my business with confidence because of your support.
I will continue to refer you to EVERY SINGLE COACH I KNOW.
Here’s to many, many more!
August 30, 2022 @ 6:21 pm
John,
You are the best!
Best wishes,
Courtney
August 30, 2022 @ 6:37 pm
Wow! You’ve hit a 10-year milestone.
Like you said many businesses don’t make it that long. So a big CONGRATS! for your success.
And we all know that success doesn’t happen by chance, but through consistent quality work. So thanks for the work that has been put into making CA such an effective tool for coaches to enhance their services with their clients.
Just a couple of days ago when I sent through an invite for a new client, they commented on how professional the system looked.
I love the way it adds so much more values to clients between sessions.
So John – here’s to many more years of success.
Dave.
August 30, 2022 @ 7:15 pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CA (& John)! I can’t tell you how many times I’m told, “This is cool program!” There would be more but inevitably, user error (programmers’ bane, right?) keeps it from running perfectly. I’m a fan for all time!
Greg
August 30, 2022 @ 7:20 pm
Happy Birthday! Here’s to many more!
August 30, 2022 @ 7:22 pm
Congratulations! I so appreciate the support you have given to me and my business and clients over the years. Your CoachAccountable is the very best and that is 100% because of the care you take with it. Thanks John!
And … I have Elton John’s song “I’m still standing” playing in my head. It was the theme song I played to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of my coaching practice back in 2012.
Here’s Elton singing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHwVBirqD2s
Allison
August 30, 2022 @ 7:30 pm
Only new here. But very impressed with the platform as well as the support. Well done John.
August 30, 2022 @ 7:31 pm
John, Happy birthday to you and your team. I’m so grateful for all that you do. You constantly exceed our expectations. You have the best customer service EVER!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Michael
August 30, 2022 @ 7:36 pm
Awesome job John! What a huge milestone. Thank you for all you do that enables me to do what I do without a hitch!
August 30, 2022 @ 9:52 pm
Wow, John! :) Congratulations on this important milestone in your life and in the CA community of practice you are building. Wishing you continued time for your artistry and passion. May you go from strength to strength! Happy birthday.
August 30, 2022 @ 10:14 pm
Happiest of Birthdays to CA and to you, John! Of course, CA is a VIRGO, it all makes sense now. All the attention to detail should have tipped me off! ;-P
Seriously, I appreciate the work you do to make my life and the lives of my clients easier. The open-hearted soul that you are and I have been blessed to experience through your work with CA. Although this is my first year as a client, I can’t wait to celebrate 20 years with you and all the years in-between.
Blessings
Dianne
August 30, 2022 @ 10:38 pm
Day three in the CA world. I launched a program and got 8 clients onto the system. It was a steep learning curve but I am proud I got through it and excited to have my new tools!!
Happy birthday John and CA. Hi to the community. I am based in Greystones in Ireland.
Best wishes, Justin.
August 31, 2022 @ 12:35 am
Happy 10th Birthday, CA!! That truly is a milestone and is the proof of the pudding. Looking forward to seeing what is in store for this next year.
Warmly, Caroline
August 31, 2022 @ 2:31 am
Happy Birthday John. Keep on rockin’ :)
August 31, 2022 @ 5:08 am
Congratulations and thank you. I am so glad I found this amazing platform. I am coming up to my first anniversary of using it and it’s really transformed how I work. I recommend it whenever I can.
August 31, 2022 @ 5:14 am
Congrats John! So awesome and I am not sure I would still be a coach if I didn’t have Coach Accountable!
August 31, 2022 @ 9:52 am
Congrats John for your remarkable work and Happy Birthday CA!
August 31, 2022 @ 10:00 am
Happy birthday and congrats on this milestone! Looking forward to being a part of the next decade!
August 31, 2022 @ 10:58 am
Congrats and continued success!
August 31, 2022 @ 11:55 am
Happy Birthday, John! What an incredible milestone! Here’s to another decade of artistry and growth!
August 31, 2022 @ 12:05 pm
Warmest Congrats John! Your enthusiasm for CA is palpable, and that inspires all the rest of us entrepreneurs. Excited to be on this journey with you, and looking forward to making this next year of coaching even better — simply through leveraging your great system.
August 31, 2022 @ 2:31 pm
Congratulations John! I am so glad I was introduced to Coach Accountable and thrilled with all the technology you provide!
August 31, 2022 @ 3:25 pm
Happy 10 years, John! I will be FOREVER GRATEFUL that I found you and your baby CA many years ago. You’ve added a unique depth and dimension to the coaching partnerships with my clients that is truly unparalleled. Thank you for all the thought, care, and pure fun you’ve put into building this gem – it shows :)
Here’s to another 10 wonderful years!
August 31, 2022 @ 4:39 pm
Happy Birthday to CA and to you as well John! I was thrilled to find CA, quite by accident earlier this year, and even more thrilled when it met practically every req on my practice software wish list! I love the the program, your updates, responsiveness, and quirky/fun emails! (They always bring a smile to my face!).
Coach Accountable is the true definition of the gift that keeps on giving!
August 31, 2022 @ 5:00 pm
WOW! Ten years, a great milestone! A big huge congratulations John all the way from Malaysia! Thank you for being a great partner to my coaching business and for playing an amazing role in helping my clients be accountable to their growth! Thank you again! It is really a labour of love!
August 31, 2022 @ 9:24 pm
Happy BDay!
Thank You for your
September 1, 2022 @ 3:08 am
Happy birthday and well done!
September 1, 2022 @ 7:47 am
Congratulations on the decade of serving coaches. Glad you’re here for us!
Thank you!
September 1, 2022 @ 8:14 am
This is fantastic. Goes to explain how amazing the system is and continues to become due to the dedication and commitment to your clients. Well done. Congratulations on this epic milestone!
September 1, 2022 @ 9:01 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY John and CA!
Hands down, your creation has made the most impact on how effectively I can coach others.
Being able to have ALL of a client’s information, correspondence, files, etc., all in ONE place saves me so much time and stress.
I still have so much to explore within your site.
Thank you for all that you’ve done and continue to do.
It’s obvious what a labor of love this is for you.
In a world that is becoming increasingly complacent and totally okay with “do just enough to get by”, you and your company stand out as the beacon of customer service and excellence!
September 1, 2022 @ 10:14 am
Celebrating CoachAccountable — Woot Woot!
I remember turning 10. Double digits is a big deal. Congratulations and thank you for the tremendous impact you have had on me and my business. Your work is a solid ten!!
Cheers
September 1, 2022 @ 2:10 pm
Hello and Congratulations on 10 years in Business. CoachAccountable is truly a work of art. It has been a lifesaver and wonderful platform for me to use. Looking forward to another 10 years working with you!
September 1, 2022 @ 2:58 pm
Happy Birthday Coach Accountable!!
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already! I feel as if I might have been here for most of that time and that is a testament to the CA Team’s expertise, professionalism, and approach.
I have to admit that I have been, and am, a systems (tart) hopper and I will go where my needs are best served and where I get the best service…. …and I am STILL here!
Congratulations John, you are an inspiration for all small businesses out there who want to be authentic and act with heart and honesty whilst serving their tribe.
Here’s to another 10 years!!
With appreciation, Wai
September 1, 2022 @ 3:37 pm
Happy Birthday John and Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary! Your labor of love results in an amazing platform that keeps getting better. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for the coming year.
September 2, 2022 @ 9:58 am
HBD CA!
September 2, 2022 @ 3:25 pm
Happy Birthday CoachAccountable! Joining this family was one of the best decisions I made three years ago. I wish John many more years of success with this platform.
September 2, 2022 @ 3:52 pm
Congratulations and Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for all you do for us.
September 2, 2022 @ 5:29 pm
Happy Birthday!!
What an awesome milestone and your continued enthusiasm and love for what you do shines through brightly!
Also new to CA, but so impressed with it already and can’t wait to see what the future holds for it.
Well done!
September 3, 2022 @ 1:18 am
John,
Thank you for honoring your passion for making coaching an incredible experience for our clients. Congrats.
September 3, 2022 @ 5:16 pm
Happy Birthday CA!
Its been a wonderful journey and looking forwards to even more incredible experiences. :-)
Thank you John & CA Team.
September 4, 2022 @ 6:44 pm
Congratulations to 10 year CA!!
September 5, 2022 @ 7:58 am
Well done John!
You have established an outstanding model for the role of collaborative software in coaching records, automations and reporting of accountability.
Here’s to the next ten years and then some!!
September 5, 2022 @ 9:10 am
Thank you John for doing what you love, and serving us and our customers so well in the process.
I look forward to the next 10 years together.
September 7, 2022 @ 12:40 pm
Amazing milestone! Big Congrats…
September 12, 2022 @ 2:14 pm
Happy birthday CA (and John). I have only used the platform for a short while but it is impressive what you can do with it. I am diving into the group area now. Wishing CA many more happy years with (John) at the helm.
blessings
September 13, 2022 @ 10:43 am
Hi John,
Again, a delight to read your posts.
Happy birthday CA and to you Daddy John.
What I appreciate about CA is the versiabilty and the BEST customer support EVER!!
Keep ROCKING it
Glenn
September 14, 2022 @ 8:28 am
Happy Birthday – everything is so eloquently stated in the other posts – keep up the innovations and we will keep up coaching – thanks for everything you do
Kev
November 15, 2022 @ 11:34 pm