Scaling Simplified: How Focus Transforms Your Coaching Business

In the fast-paced world of coaching and entrepreneurship, it’s easy to get caught up in the allure of new ideas, projects, and opportunities. Many business owners find themselves juggling multiple ventures, constantly feeling like they are working on the wrong thing. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many options or struggled to make real progress, you’re not alone. The secret to success, as many top entrepreneurs have discovered, is not in doing more—it’s in doing less, but with focus and intention.

Why Simplicity Scales

It’s a common misconception that working on multiple businesses or projects simultaneously leads to faster success. However, what often happens is the opposite. Spreading yourself too thin can lead to slow growth, lack of clarity, and an inability to systematize your processes effectively.

Imagine running multiple businesses or offering different services that cater to entirely different audiences. Each requires a unique marketing strategy, different messaging, and separate operational processes. Instead of making progress, you spend time managing complexity, leaving little room for real growth.

One of the best pieces of advice for entrepreneurs is to focus on one thing at a time. Before expanding into other ventures, ensure that your core business is running systematically, generating results, and can operate independently. The moment you can step away, and it still grows, that’s when you know you’re ready to take on something new. Until then, simplicity scales.

How Overwhelm Can Sneak In

For many entrepreneurs, overwhelm isn’t just about workload—it’s about decision fatigue. The more options you have, the more mentally exhausting it becomes to make choices.

Have you ever sat down at your desk with a long to-do list, only to feel paralyzed because everything seems urgent? You start working on one thing but feel guilty for not addressing the others. This cycle leads to inefficiency, stress, and frustration.

Instead, consider this shift in perspective: What is the one thing that, if done consistently, will bring the biggest impact to your business? By identifying and prioritizing this key action, you can channel your energy into something that truly moves the needle.

The Power of Systems and Processes

Once you’ve narrowed your focus, the next step is to systematize your processes. Creating repeatable, scalable systems allows you to grow without constantly being in the weeds of your business.

Think about the core activities that drive your coaching business:

• Lead generation and client acquisition

• Onboarding and nurturing relationships

• Delivering your services

• Retaining clients and encouraging referrals

Each of these areas can be turned into a streamlined process. If you’re constantly reinventing the wheel, it’s time to build a system that works without you having to micromanage everything.

For example, if your lead generation process currently involves sporadic social media posts and inconsistent follow-ups, consider automating your outreach, creating templates for client communication, and setting up a CRM to track leads and follow-ups. The more structured your business is, the easier it becomes to scale.

Reframing Failure as Learning

Many entrepreneurs struggle with focus because they are afraid to commit fully to one path. They fear making the wrong decision, so they hedge their bets by juggling multiple ideas. The reality? Not choosing is actually a choice.

Growth happens when you commit. Even if you make mistakes, you’ll learn faster because your energy isn’t divided. Instead of fearing failure, reframe it as an essential step in the process. Every misstep brings clarity and gets you closer to what works.

Three Key Steps to Stay Focused and Avoid Overwhelm

If you find yourself pulled in too many directions, here are three practical steps to regain clarity and scale your business with focus:

1. Define Your North Star
   Identify the primary goal that drives your business forward. This could be a revenue milestone, a specific number of clients served, or creating a signature offer that can be scaled. Every action you take should align with this overarching goal.

2. Create a “Not Now” List
   Shiny objects and new ideas are inevitable. Instead of chasing every new opportunity, keep a list of potential projects for the future. This allows you to acknowledge new ideas without letting them derail your current progress.

3. Build Systems for Everything
   If you find yourself doing the same tasks repeatedly, create a system for it. Whether it’s a checklist, automation, or delegation, the more structured your business operations are, the easier it will be to grow without burning out.

Final Thoughts

Focus isn’t just a productivity hack—it’s a strategy for sustainable success. The most successful entrepreneurs and coaches aren’t the ones who chase every opportunity. They are the ones who commit to a single vision, refine their process, and master the art of execution.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and evaluate where your energy is going. What can you simplify? What can you focus on that will truly drive results? By narrowing your focus, building systems, and committing to a clear path, you’ll find that scaling your business becomes easier, more effective, and far less stressful.

The key to success isn’t in doing more—it’s in doing less, but better.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Nate Tudis and His Expertise

02:04 The Power of Simplicity in Business

06:27 Nate's Journey into Sales and NLP

09:35 Key Qualities of Effective Coaching

14:00 Building Trust and Communication in Coaching

Full Transcript:

Nate Tutas (00:00)

I don't want my team to feel safe. Like I want them to be striving to move forward. I want them to be bold. I want them to be courageous. I want them to do all this.

Amanda Kaufman (00:26)

Well, hey, welcome back to the Amanda Kaufman show and we are continuing our series on the coaches that don't suck. So obviously I had to invite my friend, Nate Tudis to the show. Hey Nate, how's it going? So good. my pleasure. My gosh. We have needed to do this for so long. I'm glad we finally got to do it. So.

Nate Tutas (00:39)

Hey, I'm doing great. doing great. Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.

Amanda Kaufman (00:48)

Dear listener, Nate Tudis helps coaches and consultants unlock the potential in their business all while staying in their zone of genius. By combining strategy with disciplined execution, he applies the Mindvault business system to help his clients attract, acquire, and ascend their ideal clients and then automate their process so they can streamline lead flow, optimize customer journeys, and build scalable results.

with over 15 years in complex B2B sales, mastery of NLP. Like this guy's a deep nerd on NLP, just to go off script a little bit here. But he has proven his processes and brings systems, strategy, and discipline needed to unlock your full potential. So for those ready to close the gap between where they are and where they want to be, Nate provides the clarity, systems, and support to make it happen.

So friends, you need to know that I call my dear friend Nate here, Nateflix. This dude is nuts smart and I'm so glad to have you on the show. So Nate, catch us up a little bit on what are you working on now? And like, I know you've been in the space and the industry for a few years, but like, what are you working on now and what really inspired you to get here? Like, why is this such an important thing?

Nate Tutas (02:04)

Well, what I'm working on right now is simplicity. Simplicity scales. And as you know, I have a lot of things that go through my mind. So over the years, I've taken a ton of stuff and just gone after absolutely everything. Like you probably recall from conversation we've had last year, I was starting two new businesses onto what I already had and was growing and building. And I got to a point where I think it was like mid-November where I was like, what am I doing? Like I literally had a moment.

Amanda Kaufman (02:18)

Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

Nate Tutas (02:32)

in a mastermind, sat there, had the hot seat, asked the question, and Dean Graziosi was like, okay, so you want to start new businesses. How's the first one doing? Like, if you walk away, is it going to exist tomorrow? Is it going to continue to grow? Is it going to continue to scale? And I was like, no. And he's like, okay, set those other ideas aside, focus on that one thing until it is so systematic, you can step away and it can run without you.

Amanda Kaufman (02:58)

That's so good. And you know, Nate, it's so funny because like, if there's anybody that I would bet on for being able to run two or three horses at once, it would be you. Cause you're crazy disciplined. You're insanely smart. You're passionate about what you do. I have...

to imagine that you heard that advice somewhere before, that you needed to focus. And I'm just so curious, because this happens for all of us, I think, as entrepreneurs, as we hear a piece of advice or something gets repeated to us over and over again. What do you think was unique and special about that moment when you heard it and you heard it? You're like, got it. I'm going to make a change here, and I'm going to focus. What do you think was different about this?

Nate Tutas (03:43)

I think what was different was, and I'm trying to remember, it was John Czaplak who said it, so I have to give him credit, but it was, because that time when I heard that from Dean was like two years ago, right? So I listened to Dean for like eight months and then was like, you know what? I'm getting frustrated that the business I'm working on currently isn't growing and systematizing as fast as I want it to, so I'm to go over and pay attention to this shiny little object over here, right?

Amanda Kaufman (04:05)

Mm.

Yeah.

Nate Tutas (04:11)

And as you know from also knowing John, like he is all about like work works. You got to focus, you got to put in the hard work and you got to get it done. And something about he and I were having a conversation that that November. And I remember just being like, I screwed up. Like to your point, I was able to handle all those different things, but the focus and the energy of my brain power wasn't going towards just that one thing.

So I wasn't getting the huge leaps in progress that I should have been getting. And case in point, I focused and literally between mid-November and now, I've systematized more things in that short, not even two month timeframe than I probably did in the last five years.

Amanda Kaufman (04:50)

That's outstanding and congratulations on all that progress. And I love this story because so many of us do face the same thing where we're hearing advice, we know what the advice is, but then...

You know, you just kind of sneak into those old ways, those old ways of thinking or those old beliefs because we're just like hanging on to the old way. And you know, I had a really similar sort of a transition recently as well of needing to just like focus on one, like pull it into one. And even though I had just the one brand and you know, really the one avatar, I was running three very desperate and different offers.

So

always felt like I had to promote in this way to these people and to that way with those people and to that way with those people. And one of the frustrations that I was having was I just, I always felt like I was working on the wrong thing. Like every time I sat down at my desk, there were two other things that needed work and even if I was working on the one thing, I was like split. And so I went through a super similar thing where I was like, wait, hang on a second. One.

one unifying model, one unifying structure.

one unifying methodology and really like one avatar. So I do still have choices in my company about how people can work with me at different levels of commitment because that's just the nature of how we are and I think it's really suitable to the customer journey for my particular client. But boy boy like the relief of that focus, my gosh, so good. So talk to me a little bit about your Genius Zone. So you got into

Nate Tutas (06:09)

Mm-hmm.

Amanda Kaufman (06:27)

Give us a little backstory, like why sales, why this, why NLP, why systems?

Nate Tutas (06:32)

Ooh,

so I'll give you the, I'll try to give you the shorter bridge version because these aren't 90 minute podcasts.

Amanda Kaufman (06:39)

I know that

they're fun, there's like a little pressure.

Nate Tutas (06:42)

Yeah, I was the guy that

like, I went to college because I was kind of forced to, right? Like I didn't want to, but I was the youngest of four and it was like, nope, the other three kids have gone, you're going to go. So was like, okay, fine, I'll go. But my dad was in sales all of my life. So I always saw sales as like this and he was a bit of a workaholic, right? And so I didn't inherit any of that whatsoever, but he would work.

like crazy. I just remember when I went into college being like, well, the one thing I don't want to do is sales. Like I don't want to get into selling. That's not where I want to be. All that kind of stuff. And then as you know, would happen when I got out of the Marine Corps into the civilian world and was working, the owner of the business that I was working for saw that I was really good in front of people because we had to train people whenever we got done installing a system. We installed fall protection when people, you know, worked at heights and things like that. And he was like, hey,

you know, I think you'd be really good at sales. There's a great earning potential. So I moved into that shortcut a number of years of me growing and moving through different companies and whatnot, and just, getting skilled at it. I started working for a CRM company and customer relationship management for those who don't know what CRM is. And it was complex B2B sales. So we were working on sales processes that were

Sometimes the process literally was a 24 month sales cycle from start to end. was two years. was, you know, tons of engineering, tons of stakeholders involved, all that kind of stuff. So I had to get really, really good at digging in and understanding the process and where the gaps were and where that process would start to fall apart so that we could kind of fill that gap with a step and usually a checklist of some kind. So that's what our tool is really, really good at. And then building the training around that as well. So,

That's kind of how the sales and the process side of it came to be. And then the NLP, I literally, was reading Tony Robbins, Awake in the Giant Within. He referenced one of his mentors was a guy named Dr. Richard Bandler. And I remember thinking in my head, like, if he was a mentor to Tony, like Tony's 20, 30 years my senior. So I'm like, Dr. Bandler's got to be 20, 30 years Tony's senior. So there's no way he's still even alive, but I'm, I like to swim upstream. So I'm like, I'll find the source. I Google and he was offering a sales training in Orlando.

And the sales training was starting two days before my wife and I were already scheduled to fly in for a vacation that we had planned for months.

Amanda Kaufman (08:58)

That's kismet, you know? Don't you just love those moments? That's amazing.

Nate Tutas (09:00)

Yeah. Yeah. So,

went to my wife and was like, how about if I fly down early, I'll go to the training. The training ends like midday on Sunday. You're flying in Sunday, like late afternoon. So I'll just drive to the airport, pick you up. And, yeah, that everything changed after that.

Amanda Kaufman (09:17)

I love that. And know, Nate, you're known for your coaching and your ability, your way with people, you're dang good at it. So one question that I like to ask in this segment is what are three things that help a coach not to suck? What do you think is really important?

Nate Tutas (09:35)

that help a coach not to suck. mean, the cliche is listen, right? but I think, and coming from an NLP background, I think it comes down to what you're actually listening for, right? words have meaning. One of the things I always like to say is that everybody kind of creates their own dictionary. And so I think a lot of times, whether you're talking as a coach or whether you're talking as a salesperson or what have you, you really have to get like,

insanely curious about what that word means for a particular individual, right? So in NLP, we have words that we refer to as ambiguities because they're very ambiguous and someone will say it. And usually the person assumes, I know what they mean by that word. So they just kind of keep going. But I especially learned one of the things that really helped me in sales. And this was one of those that...

Amanda Kaufman (10:10)

you

Nate Tutas (10:24)

For some people, NLP teaches you something new. And for some people, NLP pulls the curtain on back of this is why you're good. And now you can actually understand what you did well and train it to other people. Right? So I kind of got the best of both worlds there. But one of the things I was always really good at is I always assumed I didn't know what they meant when they said they wanted growth. Right?

Amanda Kaufman (10:45)

That is a power move. I actually just did a coaching call today and I had a client who was using the word overwhelm a lot, like a lot. For them it was this punctuating end to the sentence, but it also seemed to be that moment where they gave up.

For me, the word overwhelmed means one thing, but it really felt like it meant something different to her. So I love that. I love that distinction. Keep going.

Nate Tutas (11:14)

Well,

prime example, I had a coaching client that I was speaking to. He's a sales leader that has a team. And one of the things that I always work on in my coaching is something that I learned from a book. I didn't learn it directly from the guy, but Bill Campbell, who, if you haven't read the Trillion Dollar Coach, go get that book and read it. Because Bill Campbell was like the top coach to all of the Silicon Valley for years and years and years and years. And one of the things that every two weeks he would ask the people he was coaching.

is what are you doing, not what are you thinking about doing or what do you have planned, but what are you doing now in the moment to build an environment of psychological safety so that people challenge the status quo, right? Which sounds great. So I was like, cool. And every person I've worked with that I've done coaching, I've asked them that question, it always brings an interesting development. But this particular individual, I asked the question of what he was doing to build psychological safety. And he finally just goes, I got to

I gotta admit, I don't like that word. And I was like, what word? Psychological or safety? And he goes, safety. He goes, I don't, I don't want my team to feel safe. Like I want them to be striving to move forward. I want them to be bold. I want them to be courageous. I want them to do all this.

I'm like, interesting. When I was saying safe, you were taking it as like plain safe and plain small and all that kind of stuff. But I'm like,

pretty sure the way Bill Campbell meant it was like they need to feel safe that they can challenge, that they can be bold, that they can do all that stuff and they're not going to get their head chewed off or they're not going to get fired. Right? So we changed for him now, instead of saying, Hey, what are you doing to build psychological safety? I say, what are you doing to build trust and courage to challenge a status quo? I just flat out say it. And he's had huge growth with his team since then. So.

Amanda Kaufman (12:58)

That's so good.

Yeah, that's such a powerful distinction. This is one of the reasons, one, we're very good friends, but also, I love coaching in general, is there is so much opportunity to develop.

real mastery around, yes, the words you choose and your presence and your technique, your timing, like all of these things really affect your influence and the impact you're gonna have on your client and their results. So real quick, two more things, two more things that a coach should be on the lookout to make sure they don't suck.

Nate Tutas (13:35)

so two more things I would say is, this comes down to my process nature, but look at everywhere in your process where there's a why path. So where is there a moment where your customer can either say yes or they can say no, right? And make sure that you have both of those covered. Most of the time we cover the yes path. We know what happens when they say yes and they go to the next step.

Amanda Kaufman (13:50)

Mmm.

Nate Tutas (14:00)

What we don't know and what we miss a lot of times, especially, and I'm talking not just coaching, like the actual art of coaching itself. I'm talking about the business of coaching and actually being a business owner. Right. A lot of times what we miss is that no path. And if you think about all the work you do to get someone to a coaching call, to pay you to coach them. And then you get to a point where you're on a sales call, you have the opportunity to close. You screw up or whatever happens and they say, no.

and then you just kind of let that lead go away, it's like, if you just took the volume of leads that you lose and you saved 30 % of them, that's a huge number, right? So...

Amanda Kaufman (14:42)

This was actually something, Nate, that you really were just of incredible service in helping us see was that we could be way more intentional in our relationships and the loop backs and the friendly asks of new connections and checking in where people are. You have a.

big talent on this. It was so clear. So, dear listener, we sat down for, I wanna say it was like a 45 minute call, and it was just the same thing, like boom, boom, boom. You seem good on the yes side of these why junctions, but.

then where's your loop back? Where's your follow through? Where's your tracking? And we implemented after that call. I gotta tell you, I talked to a lot of coaches and a lot of coaches give me advice. Not too many of them do I like turn around and implement immediately after the call. But it made a massive difference in our results last year. And I actually really loved it mainly because I felt like a better.

person, like the way I was relating to people, just like knowing, knowing that even if it was like a no and not right now or I'm even getting ignored, I'm not ignoring. And that made me feel better in the process. So anyway, I just thought you should know that.

Nate Tutas (15:54)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I appreciate that. And I would say that would probably be the third thing that I would throw in there. I'll just kind of tie a bow around that is when you ask or when you receive a referral, right? Always keep that communication loop together and open, so to speak. Cause one of the worst things you can do is get a referral and coaches a lot of times, especially if you do good work, you get referrals just.

intrinsically, it just happens. But the thing that I see a lot of people screw up on in sales, in coaching, in business, everything, is they get a referral, and then they get so focused on the referral, they forget about the person that gave them the referral. And they never loop back and say, hey, I just want you to know, you recommended Amanda to me. I got a hold of Amanda. We've got a call set up next week. I'll let you know how the call goes. And then when they have the call loop back again and say, hey, just so you know, had the call with Amanda.

Amanda Kaufman (16:29)

Mm-hmm.

Nate Tutas (16:55)

went great, think it's going to be a great relationship. She decided to move forward with the program, whatever. But it's so often that that just gets kind of left. And it's like, well, I recommended the restaurant. Did you like it? Did you not? it like, did I give a good? Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (17:08)

It's 30 seconds

to let somebody know that they were an important part of the story in your day. And that was a huge aha that you shared with us. And I was like, my goodness. I actually felt rude when you said it. I was like, my God, how many times have I missed that? So we're much more diligent about that now.

Nate Tutas (17:28)

Let's get here.

Amanda Kaufman (17:29)

So good. Well, Nate, what's the best way for people to follow you if they wanted to connect to understand more about what you do?

Nate Tutas (17:39)

The best way is probably just to go to Instagram and follow me at NateTutis. I'm obviously active there, so you'll be able to see any of the posts that I make.

Amanda Kaufman (17:47)

I love it. Awesome. Awesome. And, you know, dear listener, we have a little process around this podcast. So if you prefer websites and all of that jazz, you'll find that in the show notes. And before you go, make sure you smash that subscribe button so you don't miss another episode. And Nate really showed up. You know, he is a very prepared person. So I think he deserves five, five stars. Yeah.

Yeah, I think he really does. So if you feel the same way, make sure you leave a review. It really does help people to discover the podcast and discover these episodes. And finally, if you have a friend that would really benefit from hearing about some of the processes that we talked about, the attitudes that we talked about, just share this short episode with them. Just grab the link, send it to them in a text or a DM and spread the love. So thank you so much for joining in the Amanda Kaufman show and we will see you next time.