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Private Coaching (1-on-1) – The Ultimate Guide

Give your clients a focused, personalized experience — without juggling emails, files, chat threads, and Zoom links.

Written by Emre Atmaca
Updated over 3 weeks ago

In private coaching, every conversation matters. So does every follow-up.
But keeping everything in one place? That’s the hard part — until now.

With upcoach, you can run your entire coaching flow — sessions, tasks, notes, resources, voice messages — all in one place. No more tool-switching. Just clarity, focus, and real progress for both you and your client.

How to Use This Guide 🔍

Open this article in one tab, and your upcoach Admin Panel in another.

Start by reading the full guide from top to bottom to get a clear overview of what’s possible.

Then revisit the sections you want to apply — each one includes a short video to walk you through the setup.

Need help along the way? Just click the 💬 blue chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of your admin panel to reach out to us.

✨ Why upcoach is Perfect for 1-on-1 Coaching

Your coaching practice is unique — but some things are universal:

  • You need to follow up consistently

  • You need your clients to take action between sessions

  • You want all notes, tasks, and progress in one place

  • You don’t want to babysit tools or chase clients across apps

That’s exactly what upcoach is built for.

“I used to run my coaching business across five different tools. Now, it’s all inside upcoach — and my clients love it even more than I do.”
— Sarah, Productivity Coach

And yes — you can still run group programs, online courses, or communities later.
But first, let’s master your 1-on-1 foundation.

🧭 Run Your Program Your Way

There’s no single “right” way to do coaching.
Some coaches follow a proven framework. Others prefer a session-by-session flow. Most blend both.

upcoach flexes to fit your unique style. Here are just some of the ways you might use it:

✳️ If you're structured and goal-driven:

  • Preload agendas and topics for each session

  • Release exercises weekly through course modules

  • Ask clients to check in with Smart Documents on a set rhythm

  • Set clear task deadlines and define expectations for chat communication

✳️ If you're more free-form and adaptive:

  • Use Meeting Notes to capture what naturally emerges in each session

  • Send spontaneous voice feedback through chat

  • Assign tasks and reflections on the fly, based on real-time needs

💡 Pro Tip:
Many coaches start sessions by reviewing the client’s Smart Doc or habit tracker from the past week.
Wrapping up with a co-created Agenda note helps build clarity and keep momentum going.

➡️ Ready to bring this to life?
Let’s build your first private coaching program — together.
👇

🚀 Let’s Build It Together

Step-by-step to launch your first private coaching program in upcoach.

You’ve seen the big picture — now let’s put it into action.

In the next few minutes, you’ll:

✅ Set up your private coaching space
✅ Add essential tools
✅ Create a version you can duplicate for every new client

This is where coaching with upcoach becomes real.

1️⃣ Create a Sample Client

If you haven’t already, start by creating a test client.
This will allow you to assign tasks, events, Smart Docs, habits — and experience your program exactly as your clients will.

📹 Video: Watch how to create a sample client account in upcoach.

2️⃣ Create Your Private Coaching Program

Let’s start with the container — your client’s personal space.

Steps:

  1. Go to Admin Panel > Programs

  2. Click the ➕ Create Program button

  3. Click on Design to start from scratch

  4. Name your program — e.g., James – 90-Day Coaching or Sarah | Deep Focus Coaching

  5. In the setup modal, select the following blocks:
    ✅ Tasks
    ✅ Habit Tracker
    ✅ Drive
    ✅ Events

  6. Toggle on (enable) Chat

  7. Click Create

💡 Naming Tip:
Use naming conventions that help you and your clients stay aligned.
“Method + Client Name” or “Goal + Timeline” work well.

Examples:
Daniel – Founder's Reset
Emily – Wellness Spring 2024

💬 Should I Enable Chat?

Short answer: Yes.

upcoach Chat is asynchronous and designed specifically for coaching — not for endless back-and-forths like WhatsApp or Telegram.

💡 Why it’s worth enabling:

  • All messages stay within the program — no more scattered threads

  • You can send voice notes 🎤 — clients love hearing your tone and energy

  • Perfect for midweek check-ins, quick follow-ups, or spontaneous encouragement

  • You set the boundaries: let clients know when you usually check messages (e.g., Mondays & Thursdays)

🧠 Pro Move:

Start the conversation with a simple message like:

“Welcome to your coaching space! Feel free to use this chat to check in, ask questions, or share wins. I usually check messages every Mon & Thu — so drop thoughts in any time.”

🛠 What’s Next?

Now that you’ve set up the foundation of your program, it’s time to bring it to life:

✅ Add your sample client to the program.

📹 Watch the video to see the different ways you can add a client to a program.


🧑‍💻 Run Your Sessions Smoothly

How to use Events, Meeting Notes, and Agendas inside your 1-on-1 program.

Your sessions are where transformation happens.

Whether you're exploring limiting beliefs or mapping out a quarterly action plan, upcoach helps you structure every meeting and capture what matters — with clarity and ease.

Let’s set up the core tools you’ll use around your live calls.

3️⃣ 📅 Add Your Coaching Sessions as Events

📹 Video: Watch how to create a single event and send invitations —

✅ Now, go to the program you're working on and create your first one-time event!

Here is how the invitation email you and your client will receive look like 👇

💡Heads up:

Some clients may need to manually accept the invite the first time.
Remind them to check their inbox — and their spam/junk folder just in case.

🧠 Pro Tip:

Use recurring events to establish a predictable rhythm (e.g., every Monday at 4 PM).
Less scheduling back-and-forth, more coaching flow.

4️⃣ 🗒 Capture What Happens: Meeting Notes vs. Agendas

upcoach offers two powerful ways to capture what happens in your coaching sessions.
Use one — or both — depending on your coaching style.

Option A: Meeting Notes (Lightweight & Fast)

  • Automatically attached to each event

  • Both you and your client can write in it

  • Ideal if you prefer simple, quick notes — or pen & paper during sessions

  • Great for summaries, key takeaways, or action points

Option B: Agendas (Structured & Interactive)

Agendas are blocks you add inside your program. They shine when:

  • You want to prepare talking points in advance

  • You review outcomes from previous sessions before starting

  • You assign tasks or Smart Docs as follow-up

  • You want to co-create notes live while screen-sharing

  • You want to track weekly wins and open questions

💡 Best Practice:
Start your session by reviewing your client’s Smart Doc or task list from the previous week.
Ask them to add their wins — or add some on their behalf if they haven’t noticed their own progress.
Invite them to log their questions, too.
Wrap up by typing reflections together into the Agenda.
This builds alignment — and accountability.

📹 Video: Watch how to design an Agenda — then go and create your own, just like in the video.

📹 Video: Watch how to attach and use an Agenda in an Event — then go and attach your own, just like in the video.


🌟 Optional: Embed Your Scheduler

upcoach doesn’t have a built-in scheduler yet (coming later this year!) — but you can easily embed external tool Calendly directly into your program.

📹 Video: Learn how to embed Calendly using Calendly block in upcoach.

Steps:

  1. Add an Calendly block to the end of your program

  2. Paste your Calendly embed link

  3. Add a headline like:

    “Need to book a call? Schedule below 👇”

Now clients can book sessions with you — without ever leaving the platform.

⚠️ Please note: Events created through external scheduling tools like Calendly won’t appear in the upcoach Events block automatically — you’ll need to add them manually.


✅ Keep Clients Accountable Between Sessions

Use Tasks, Habits, and Smart Documents to help your clients stay on track.

Coaching doesn’t just happen during the session.

Growth happens between the sessions — when your client follows through, reflects, and puts ideas into action.

upcoach gives you a complete toolkit to keep momentum going — without making you feel like a micromanager.

5️⃣ 📝 Assign Tasks and Projects

Tasks in upcoach are simple, flexible, and powerful.

📹 Video: Watch how to create tasks and projects

Try it yourself:

  • Now go ahead and assign a few to your sample client.

  • ​Try experimenting with Projects as well — see how grouping tasks can bring clarity.

💡 Use cases:

  • Prep work for the next session

  • Weekly action steps

  • Recurring habits or routines

  • “Stretch” challenges based on recent insights

🗂 Pro Tip: Use Projects

Projects help you group related tasks under a single goal or theme.

Example:
Project: Launch Your Website
Tasks:
• Write About Page
• Set up Stripe
• Schedule launch post

This way, you and your client can see both the big picture and the detailed steps.

6️⃣ 🔁 Build Consistency with Habit Tracking

Habits are perfect for daily or weekly actions that create long-term change.

📹 Video: Learn how to create different types of habits, how to input data, and how to track progress over time.

Your turn!

After watching, go ahead and add 2–3 habits to your sample client’s program.

What clients can track:

  • A number (e.g., hours slept, pages read, sales calls made)

  • A checkbox (Did it? Yes or no)

Example habits:

  • Complete morning ritual

  • Write 250 words/day

  • Check in with accountability partner

  • No screen after 9pm 🙈

🧠 Use this if...
You're helping clients build consistency, track behavior patterns, or reinforce mindset shifts.
Especially effective for productivity, wellness, or mindset-focused coaching.

7️⃣ 📄 Use Smart Documents for Forms, Reflections & More

Smart Docs are interactive forms you design once and reuse forever.

You can use them to:

  • Ask open-ended questions

  • Embed videos or audio

  • Collect short or long-form responses

  • Gather input via multiple choice, single choice, or linear scale questions

Examples:

  • Intake Form

  • Weekly Review

  • Goal-Setting Template

  • Post-Session Reflection

  • Monthly Alignment Check-in

📹 Video: Watch how to design a Smart Document

📹 Video: In this second video, you will learn:

  1. Add a Smart Documents block to your program

  2. Make a specific Smart Doc available inside that block

  3. Assign it to your sample client for them to complete

This walkthrough will show you the full flow — from setup to client-facing experience — so you can start using Smart Docs as part of your coaching process right away.

Unique to upcoach:
You can allow your client to create their own document based on a template you provide.
This is ideal for things like daily journaling, self-tracking challenges, or personal weekly planning — all without extra work on your part.

🧭 What’s Next?

You now have the three core tools of accountability in place:

Tool

Best for

Tasks

Clear next steps + deadlines

🔁 Habits

Repeating behaviors + consistency

🧠 Smart Docs

Reflection, structure, and form-based flow

Next, let’s move on to training — because sometimes, your coaching includes teaching, too.


🎓 Bring Teaching Into Your Coaching

Use Courses and Smart Docs to deliver learning alongside transformation.

Many coaching programs include a teaching component.
Sometimes it’s a concept to introduce. Sometimes it’s a mindset shift.
Sometimes it’s simply: “Watch this, then let’s talk about what came up.”

Whether you call it training, curriculum, or homework — upcoach helps you deliver it clearly and tie it directly into your coaching flow.

8️⃣ 🎥 Create and Deliver a Course

Courses in upcoach are more than just video libraries — they’re interactive learning experiences.

Each lesson can include:

  • Video or audio

  • Text content

  • Tasks

  • Smart Docs

  • Habits

  • Files

That means: Your client can watch, reflect, complete a task, and check in — all within the same lesson.

📹 Video: Watch how to build a course

📹 Video: Watch how to add a course to your program.

🧠 Pro Tip: Use drip settings to control the pace of learning:

  • Unlock everything at once

  • Release lessons based on calendar dates

  • Unlock the next lesson after the previous one is completed

  • Or release manually, week by week

9️⃣ 📄 Use Smart Docs as Micro-Learning

Don’t want to build a full course? No problem.
Smart Docs lets you create mini-lessons — fast.

Examples:

  • Share a short video + 3 reflection questions

  • Embed a podcast + ask: “What resonated most?”

  • Add a tip list + prompt: “Pick one thing to try this week”

This is ideal for:

  • Journaling prompts

  • Reflections after a session

  • Bite-sized learning

  • Coaching challenges

  • Guest speaker follow-ups

Why it works:

Micro-learning = less effort for you, more digestible for your clients.
And you can reuse Smart Docs across multiple programs — forever.


Program Editor

1️⃣0️⃣ 🧱 Customize with Pages & Blocks

When you first created your program, you selected blocks like Tasks, Events, File, etc.

Now let’s refine how everything is laid out.

📹 Video: Watch how to use the Program Editor. Then apply what you learn to shape the layout of your own program.

Pages = Navigation

Pages appear in the left-hand menu — this is how your clients move through your program.

Tips:

  • For simplicity, use a single page (like “Dashboard”)

  • For clarity, break things up into themed pages:

    • Sessions

    • Accountability

    • Training

    • Resources

To manage pages:

  • Click “Manage Pages” in the editor

  • Add, delete, rename, or reorder pages as needed

  • Changes appear instantly in the sidebar

Blocks = Functionality

Blocks live inside pages and give each one its purpose — tasks, habits, videos, text, files, and more.

Tips:

  • Drag & drop blocks to reorder them

  • Add new blocks from the panel on the right

  • Click any block to rename or delete it using the settings panel

🎨 Want to match your brand?

  • Change block header colors

  • Apply your global brand colors in Admin Panel > Organization Settings

🧠 Best Practice:

Before inviting clients, take 10 minutes to plan your structure.

Ask yourself:

  • What should they see first?

  • Which tools will they use weekly?

  • Where should sessions (Events) live?

This structure becomes the scaffold for your coaching — and it’s worth getting right from the start.

💡 Planning to reuse this layout?

Polish it now — and save it as a template by duplicating the program later.


⚙️ Automate the Onboarding Experience

Make every client feel guided — without lifting a finger.

First impressions matter.
But repeating the same onboarding steps manually for every new client? That’s energy better spent on coaching.

With upcoach, you can set up your onboarding once — and let it run automatically every time.

1️⃣1️⃣ 🧪 Set Up Program-Level Automation

You can pre-configure your program to:

  • Assign tasks, habits, and Smart Docs

  • Send a personalized welcome email

📹 Video: Watch how to set up onboarding automation and apply it to your program.

Example Onboarding Tasks:

  • Complete your profile, upload a profile picture

  • Fill out the intake form

  • Watch the welcome video

You just built a coaching journey starter — on autopilot. 💫


📊 Track Client Progress Like a Pro

Show them how far they’ve come — and why they should keep going.

Your client might not always notice their growth in the day-to-day.
But you do. And when you reflect that growth back — with specifics — it builds trust, motivation, and long-term commitment.

upcoach gives you a full picture of each client’s journey.

👁️ Visit the Client CRM Page

Each client has their own CRM Page — a clear timeline of progress.

What you’ll see:

  • All completed tasks and habits

  • Session notes and agendas (including wins + questions)

  • Attended events

  • Completed Smart Docs — reflections, check-ins, forms, and more

To access:

  1. Go to Admin Panel > Clients

  2. Click on the client’s name

  3. You’ll see their full CRM view

💡 Use this during…

  • 🌀 Monthly or quarterly review calls

  • ✍️ Planning the next coaching phase

  • 💬 Handling hesitations about renewing

  • 💸 Showing ROI to organizational clients (B2B)

“I had no idea I’d done so much until you showed me this.”
— A client, after a 3-month review

🧠 Progress is Retention Fuel

It’s easy to overlook small wins. That’s why it’s powerful to say things like:

“In January, you were hesitant to say no to your clients.
Now, you’ve set clear boundaries with three projects — and reclaimed your weekends.”

Let upcoach be your memory.

📈 Review Questions to Ask (During Progress Check-Ins)

  • What’s shifted since we started working together?

  • Which habits are sticking? Which ones aren’t — and why?

  • What goals have been completed, redefined, or postponed?

  • What’s something they once said “I could never…” — and actually did?

Use CRM insights to guide these reflections.
You’ll be surprised how powerful it is when clients see their growth in writing.


🔔 Stay in Sync: How Notifications Work

Keep clients informed, nudged, and engaged — without overwhelming them.

Good coaching communication is timely, clear, and purposeful.

With upcoach, your clients receive just the right nudges to stay on track — and they’re always in control of what they receive.

Here’s how notifications work:

📬 Email Notifications

By default, clients receive email alerts when:

  • A task, Smart Doc, or habit is assigned

  • An event is created or updated

  • They receive a chat message or comment

  • A course lesson is unlocked (via drip)

💡 These emails are short, actionable, and branded with your name and details.

📆 Digest Email

Digest emails in upcoach deliver personalized summaries tailored to your clients' upcoming activities — helping them stay focused without being overwhelmed.

Here’s how it works:

  • Clients receive a digest email with:

    • Pending tasks

    • In-progress Smart Docs

    • Upcoming events

    • Overdue tasks

  • Digest frequency is fully customizable. You (as the coach) can set it to:

    • Daily, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Every 3 weeks, Monthly

🧭 Where to manage it:

Admin Panel > Settings > Digest
Here, you can choose what’s included and how often it's sent.

🧠 Tip: Many clients find digests incredibly helpful — especially in coaching setups with weekly accountability tasks or regular document check-ins.

📸 A sample digest email 👇

🛎 In-App Notifications

When your client logs into upcoach, they’ll see:

  • A red notification icon with a badge count

  • Updates about tasks, messages, docs, and more

  • Direct links to open the relevant item

The experience is clean, minimal, and designed to keep them focused.

📱 Push Notifications (Coming Soon)

With the upcoming client mobile app, push notifications will support:

  • Events

  • Tasks

  • Course lessons

  • Smart Docs

  • Forum activity (for group programs)

Perfect for real-time accountability — especially in high-frequency coaching formats.

⚙️ Clients Are in Control

Clients can customize their own notification settings, including:

  • Which emails to receive

  • When to receive them (hourly, daily, weekly, or muted)

  • Whether to receive digest summaries

And as a coach, you also control what actions trigger notifications —
through your organization-level settings in the Admin Panel.


🛡 Privacy, Data, and Client Trust

Be confident that your client’s experience is safe, private, and yours to control.

Trust is the foundation of every coaching relationship — and that includes how you handle data.

upcoach is built with privacy at its core, giving you full control over what clients see, what gets shared, and how information is stored.

🔐 Who Sees What?

  • Only you, assigned coaches, and admins can access private client data

  • In private coaching, clients see only:

    • Their own assigned programs

    • Their own tasks, habits, forms, and messages

    • Any group content only if invited to a group program

  • Everything is permission-based — no accidental exposure

🧾 Right to Be Forgotten

As a coach, you can:

  • Deactivate a client (removes access but retains data)

  • Delete a client (permanently removes their personal data)

When you delete a client:

  • All personally identifiable information (PII) is erased

  • Shared content (like forum posts) is preserved but anonymized

You’re always in control — no surprises.


🧪 Test It Like a Client

Before inviting real clients, test the experience yourself.
Here’s how:

  1. Add yourself as a client (use a secondary email)

  2. Duplicate your program

  3. Go to Program > Settings > Member Management

  4. Add your “test client” (you!)

  5. Send the invite email

  6. Open the invite in an incognito browser tab

  7. Sign up and explore the program just like a client would

Try:

  • Submitting a Smart Doc

  • Completing a task

  • Watching a course lesson

  • Sending a chat message

  • Triggering a notification

💡 You’ll see exactly what your client sees — minus Admin Panel access.

🧠 Bonus: You can use the “Login as Client” feature anytime to view from their perspective.


💸 Sell Your Private Coaching Like a Pro

Create beautiful checkout pages and onboard clients — hands-free.

Coaches often ask:

“I have the program… but how do I sell it?”
“Can I onboard clients without doing it all manually?”

Yes. That’s what Offers are for.

🧾 What’s an Offer?

An Offer is a built-in sales page where someone can:

  • Learn about your coaching program

  • Sign up (free or paid)

  • Get added to a fully prepared program automatically

You can include multiple program types — onboarding flows, private coaching, even group programs.

🔧 Set Up an Offer for Your Private Program

Steps:

  1. Connect your Stripe account

  2. Go to Admin Panel > Payment & Offers

  3. Click “New Offer”

  4. Give it a title (e.g., Breakthrough Coaching Package)

  5. Attach your 1-on-1 private program

  6. Set your price (one-time for now — subscriptions coming soon!)

  7. Customize your checkout page:

    • Headline

    • Description

    • CTA button text

  8. Click Publish and copy your unique checkout link

✨ You now have a branded checkout flow — no external tools needed.

🧠 What Happens When Someone Signs Up?

  • upcoach duplicates your program (if it’s a 1-on-1 offer)

  • Adds the new client as the only member

  • Triggers all onboarding automation

  • Sends an invite email

  • Onboards the client — without you lifting a finger

You wake up to:

✅ A new client onboarded
✅ Tasks, forms, and onboarding steps already assigned

🧲 Pro Ideas: Use Offers for…

  • Free discovery calls (lead generation)

  • Paid 1-on-1 packages

  • Intensive coaching sprints

  • VIP bonus programs for returning clients

  • High-ticket packages with limited seats


🎉 What’s Next?

You’ve now learned how to:

✅ Design a coaching program around your unique method
✅ Run live sessions, assign tasks, and track progress
✅ Automate onboarding for every new client
✅ Experience the platform as your client would
✅ Sell and scale — all from one place

Now It’s Time to…

  • Invite your first clients

  • Upload or design your key resources

  • Run your first session

  • Start creating transformation — and momentum

💬 Want feedback on your setup?

Click the blue chat bubble inside your admin panel — we’d love to help.


🚀 Ready to Expand Beyond 1-on-1?

Many coaches start here — but they don’t stay here.

From 1-on-1 programs, you can grow into:

  • Group coaching

  • Cohort-based learning

  • On-demand courses

  • Hybrid experiences

And with upcoach, you don’t need to switch platforms — just layer on new formats as your business grows.

“I started with just 5 private clients.
Now I run a paid community, a group program, and a quarterly cohort.
upcoach scaled with me.”

🟦 End of Guide - Thanks for watching.

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