Wondering who the best life coach in Toronto is?
As an avid blog reader, I think one way to find out is to look at content coaches put out.
Can the quality of a blog reflect the quality of a coach’s work?
I believe the answer is “Yes.”
That said, here’s a review of the blogs that come up first in Google.
Use it to find the best life coach in Toronto or good self-help advice.
Criteria
These are some of the criteria I look at:
- quality of information
- having a distinct “voice”
- frequency of posts
- readability
Although I don’t assign a specific place to each blog, I do list them in the order of my liking.
1. Guy Reichards (The Breakthroughs Blog)
2. Nicola Holmes
3. Kaitlyn Dinner
4. Jeffrey Fenton
5. Jonathan Thomas (Toronto Performance Coaching)
6. Adele Spraggon
7. Susan Hobson (Elite High Performance)
8. Sarah Lang
9. Brigid Deneen
10. Bruno LoGreco
11. Lisa Jeffs
1. Guy Reichards (The Breakthroughs Blog): the best life coach in Toronto?
https://www.coachingbreakthroughs.ca/theblog/
Pros
Nuanced information
Guy writes in a way that stands out in the mainstream, dumbed-down self-help information.
He picks up non-trivial topics such as the importance of ending on a high note.
And he writes about them with a high degree of depth.
For example, in the post above, he references gurus like Martin Seligman and Daniel Kahneman.
Structured and logical writing
His train of thought is always logical.
As an analytical guy myself, this approach appeals to me.
And that’s what I like about blogs: they give a preview of what I will get as a client.
For example, as a potential coaching client looking at two blogs (Guy Reichards’s and, say, Lisa Jeffs’), I’d prefer Guy’s blog because I like his ideas, presentation, and thoughtfulness more.
Readability
Guy’s posts are organized with subheadings, bold formatting, italics, and links.
I especially enjoy his strategic use of italics: he uses them for pinpointed highlighting and doesn’t overuse them.
Cons
Emotion
The blog might sound a little bit dry and the author admitted some time ago:
So far on this site, I’ve held back from sharing my own reflections.
Frequency
One post in the last 2 years. ?
Last post
April 22, 2020.
(As of the date when I’m doing this review.)
Conclusion
Definitely my favorite blog on this list.
A great example of how a blog can be a helpful tool as you’re looking for a life coach.
From Guy’s blog, it’s clear what kind of coaching style he uses and how powerful his coaching is.
2. Nicola Holmes
https://www.nicolaholmes.ca/news
Pros
Raw emotions
Nicola has an engaging writing style.
That’s what I want in a life coach: passion and motivation that ignite a spark in clients.
Sharing many personal experiences makes her relatable.
For example, in the post INVITE – DON’T MUSCLE – YOUR WAY TO CHANGE Nicola tells about her recent struggle with the morning routine.
The entire 2,000-word article is one big personal story.
Which is wonderful because stories make it easier for readers to absorb self-help information.
Depth
I love how deep Nicola dives into the topics she’s covering.
A good example is another long post (about 2,500 words) about choosing new directions.
That’s a lot of insights packed into one article, with a thought-provoking conclusion: we need to trust our intuition more.
Readability
Nicola usually uses one sentence per paragraph which makes reading easier.
Subheadings, bold formatting, and italics emphasize key points.
Last post
April 4, 2020.
Frequency
2 posts per month.
One gem
“I know we’re not meant to go it alone, the way our hyper-individualistic, hyper-materialistic culture promotes. I also know that we can literally re-wire our brains, hearts, bodies, and living systems to shift our limiting personal and collective patterns and create new realities – together.”
3. Kaitlyn Dinner
https://www.kdlifecoaching.ca/blog/
Pros
Depth
It’s clear that Kaitlyn is an expert and—what’s even more important—she lives it.
She does those things that she teaches every day.
Like an exercise to become mindful quickly.
Or writing a list of reframes to override scarcity mindset thoughts.
Or struggling with setting her boundaries by saying “no” to people.
Authenticity
I love how Kaitlyn is authentic—to the point when posts feel like a flow of consciousness.
By reading just a few posts, I felt I could relate a lot to her.
That’s great for someone who’s looking for a life coach: authenticity makes it easy to see whether she’s a good fit for us.
Cons
Readability
Kaitlyn’s posts could benefit from more images, bold formatting, italics, and shorter paragraphs.
But that’s the price of being authentic.
With just a little bit of editing, the blog could have an irresistible combination of authenticity and readability.
Audience engagement
There’s no commenting or subscription function.
But I love how readers can like posts right on the blog rather than on social media.
The blog conveniently shows the number of likes and views.
Last post
May 6, 2020.
Frequency
2 to 3 posts per month.
One gem
“Being clear with people is kind. Be honest and open and truthful. It may be tough, but give good feedback and it will be helpful for everyone.”
4. Jeffrey Fenton
https://www.jeffreyfenton.com/getinspired
Pros
Personal and relatable
Jeffrey sounds personal and relatable. For example, in the post “What My Coach Helps Me With (And How It Differs From Therapy),” he talks about his experience of working with a coach. His personal examples make it easy to understand his point.
Exercises
I like how Jeffrey gives exercises to his readers. In the post “On Your Way To Burning Out? Ask Yourself This One Question,” he offers an exercise to uncover all of the positives and negatives of working hard. And he also explains how dangerous overworking yourself can be.
Readability
Jeffrey’s posts are well-organized with subheadings and lists. His paragraphs are short and sweet, making them easy to read on the phone.
I also like the clean, uncluttered design of the blog. Very easy to use.
Cons
Some posts are short and feel like they lack substance to me. But it might be just me—I prefer longer posts that really delve deep into the subject.
Last post
June 10, 2020
Frequency
5 to 6 posts per month.
5. Jonathan Thomas (Toronto Performance Coaching)
https://torontoperformancecoaching.com/blog/
Pros
Engaging, non-instructional style
Unlike most other coaches, Jonathan doesn’t offer too many instructions such as “to beat anxiety, do this and this.”
Each post is more like a conversation with a reader.
He sounds like a friend rather than a teacher.
Personal stories
Jonathan relies on personal experience to explain self-help concepts.
It makes information more engaging and easier to implement.
One example is his account of keeping himself depressed intentionally once.
He explains that he did it to meet his basic human needs.
Another impactful story is about his playing hockey and observing fellow players.
Jonathan realizes that successful players are those who can master their mental game just as well as the physical one.
Showing off his knowledge
The nuanced information Jonathan shares demonstrates his depth of knowledge about life coaching.
For example, he uses Tony Robbins’ concept of 6 human needs to explain anxiety.
I also loved his analysis of how Tony Robbins helped Andre Agassi make a comeback after an injury.
I don’t know if he is the best life coach in Toronto but he surely projects an image of being one.
Cons
Readability
You might find it challenging to read his posts—with no images, subheadings, bold formatting, italics, or links.
I’d also prefer shorter paragraphs.
Posts could be longer
Smaller posts—like this one about 6 human needs—feel like with 250 words, Jonathan is scratching the surface.
Last post
February 6, 2019.
Frequency
2 to 4 posts per year.
One gem:
“You’ll hear time after time about athletes being superstitious and having specific routines on game day. What they’re really doing is recreating the state of mind that they find to be the best for their performance. It’s not that the same meal or dirty jockstrap brings them luck, it’s that those things allow the athlete to create and follow the mental pathway to success.”
6. Adele Spraggon
https://adelespraggon.com/thought-leader-blog/
Pros
Engaging the audience
Adele talks to her audience like a friend would.
She also asks her readers a lot of questions.
Confidence
I like how she exudes confidence in her writing.
If we’re looking for the best life coach in Toronto, it’s exactly the kind of confidence we want to see in a coach.
And it also helps potential clients have a feel for her coaching style.
Readability
Most paragraphs are just one sentence long, making the blog easy to read.
Adele’s posts are also organized with subheadings, bold formatting, italics, and links to videos.
Cons
Lack of depth
A few Adele’s posts felt like I wasn’t getting much out of them.
As if she was in a hurry writing them.
For example, Adele calls herself a “repatternist,” but from about 10 posts that I read, I couldn’t understand what she means.
Take The Dangers of Positive Thinking, for instance, where she says that repatterning is better than any mindset techniques but she doesn’t explain what it is.
Last post
February 20, 2019.
Frequency
1 to 2 posts per year.
7. Susan Hobson (Elite High Performance)
http://www.elitehighperformance.com/blog/
Pros
Chunking
She takes a topic like flow and writes several posts about it.
That’s a good approach because it allows going deeper into each aspect of a given topic.
Emphasizing the main point
I like how Susan adds an image with the main idea of a post right in the beginning.
This helps readers preview the post quickly.
This image also visually emphasizes the main focus of the post, making it easier to remember.
Cons
Lack of depth
For an analytical guy like me, Susan’s short posts raise questions rather than answer them.
Take, for example, this post which is 191 words long: What takes you out of flow?
Readability
I love how Susan consistently makes paragraphs one sentence long.
Her posts could benefit from a little bit of organization, though: subheadings, bold formatting, italics, and links.
Especially links.
For example, she starts a post by saying “Now that we’ve covered how to find and get into your flow state, it’s time to chat about what takes you out it.”
But there’s no link to the previous post that she’s referencing.
Likewise, there’s no commenting feature although Susan asks for comments.
Last post
June 16, 2020.
Frequency
5 posts per month.
8. Sarah Lang
Pros
Actionable tips
I love how Sarah gives practical pieces of advice.
For example, if we feel stuck, she suggests that we surround ourselves with support first.
That’s a great general recommendation and some coaches would stop here.
But not Sarah.
She provides an actionable tip immediately, too:
“Make a coffee date this week with someone that will love hearing about your ideas.”
Writing about non-trivial concepts
I like how Sarah covers topics that we don’t normally see in life coach’s blogs such as imposter syndrome.
Using quotes
Sarah’s posts burst with quotes from gurus such as Maya Angelou, Michael Balchan, or James Clear and sources such as Psychology Today.
That’s a sign she’s well-read and knowledgeable of the subject.
Readability
Sarah’s posts are well-organized with subheadings, bold formatting, italics, and links.
Most paragraphs are short enough to be easy to read.
Cons
Lack of depth
Although some of Sarah’s posts look monumental, she also has smaller articles that feel like she’s barely scratching the surface.
For example, 10 Questions to Ask Yourself At Mid-Year is just a list of questions you can ask yourself.
But wait, why exactly would I want to ask them?
I’d like to have an explanation for each question.
How can I benefit by answering it?
Last post
May 3, 2020.
Frequency
1 to 2 per year.
One gem
The more often we practice thinking any one random thought (whatever it may be), the more familiar the thought will become and the “truer” it will feel.
9. Brigid Deneen
https://www.brigiddineen.com/blog
Pros
Personal stories
Here’s a must-read account of Brigid enjoying quality time with her grandfather and being very present.
Even though this is not something you are supposed to be proud of by cultural standards.
Another personal story I liked is about sleep.
Not only does Brigid offer tips such as using a weighted blanket or taking a magnesium supplement before bed but the post is also infused with humor.
Lovely!
Podcast
Brigid also has a podcast called Guts & Grace.
Most episodes are interviews with guests who know a lot about personal development.
She publishes about one episode per month.
Readability
Most posts are well-organized with subheadings, images, bold formatting, and italics.
Cons
Too much theory occasionally
Some posts give me a feeling I’m reading a personal journal rather than ablog.
Whereas the sleep post I mentioned is packed with practical advice, here’s an example of a post that has none.
I agree it’s thought-provoking.
But I’d also like to get something practical out of it as a reader.
Last post
May 11, 2020.
Frequency
2 to 3 posts per month.
10. Bruno LoGreco
https://www.brunologreco.com/blog/
Pros
Practical advice
Bruno’s posts strike a balance between theory and practical advice.
A great example is this post which begins with theory about self-awareness and ends with an impressive list of questions we can ask ourselves to become more self-aware right away.
Readability
Posts are easy to read, thanks to lists, subheadings, images, and various highlighting.
Cons
Relatability
I didn’t hear Bruno’s distinct “voice” in some of the posts.
I’d like him to share his personal experiences more.
Last post
November 2, 2019.
Frequency
4 posts per month.
One gem:
Take immediate action. After the final choice is selected, act quickly and decisively to get the ball rolling and to leverage the momentum generated by your keenness to succeed.
11. Lisa Jeffs
https://lisajeffs.com/category/lisa-jeffs-blog/
Pros
Solid information
Lisa offers very useful self-help content.
For example, a post about emotional intelligence provides a thorough explanation of what emotional intelligence is and gives 5 practical tips for improving it.
Readability
Most posts are well-organized with subheadings, images, and internal links.
Cons
I’d like a more unique “voice”
Even though posts are packed with information, I don’t hear distinct Lisa’s voice.
They could be as well published under a different name on a different website—and we won’t be able to recognize them as Lisa’s work.
But when she changes the tone to a more personal one—like in Recreating Yourself—that’s a totally different story.
I’ve found this post inspirational exactly because it is so raw.
Last post
June 1, 2020.
Frequency
4 posts per month.
Finding the best life coach in Toronto
There you go: my top list of the blogs by life coaches.
These blogs aren’t the ultimate factor for making a decision but they still give a rough idea of what to expect.
Check out this podcast episode to learn more about finding the right life coach:
Destroy what’s holding you back with a life coach in Toronto
If you need a life coach in Toronto or a life coach in Mississauga (or any other part of GTA), contact me for a free consultation.
I’ll be honored to help you myself or refer you to a colleague who can help you better.
Click this link to contact me.
Nice article, you wrote this blog very well. Thank you for sharing such wonderful information on how to find the right coach..