When you're new to academic coaching, how do you know if you're doing it right? And when do you stop following someone else's methods and start trusting your own?
Nancy Minolli started coaching in 2018 with one client, a teaching background, and plenty of uncertainty. Eight years later, she has a thriving practice focused on college and graduate students—and a much clearer sense of who she is as a coach.
In this episode of The Academic Coaching Podcast, Gretchen Wegner and Nancy reflect on how her coaching style, confidence, clientele, and business evolved, including what she had to learn through experience.
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One of Nancy's biggest lessons? Every student needs their own approach.
When she started, the Anti-Boring Learning Lab provided tools, training, and a professional community to help her build confidence. Eight years later, she still uses many of those strategies—but she's also learned which ones to adapt or leave behind.
Her relationship with the Lab has evolved, too. She once relied heavily on training and fellow coaches. Today, she participates less frequently but still turns to the community for resources, referrals, and professional support.
Nancy's experience illustrates a central idea behind the Lab: great coaching isn't about following a system perfectly. It's about developing the judgment to know what each student needs.
Questions This Episode Answers
How do you find your own coaching style?
Nancy initially relied on established systems because she wasn't sure what coaching should look like. Experience taught her that students don't all fit the same mold. Finding her style meant learning to adapt her approach rather than following the same process with everyone.
How do you discover your ideal coaching clientele?
Nancy started by accepting almost any student. Over time, she moved from middle school to high school and eventually college and graduate students. Her niche emerged naturally as her students grew older and she discovered which age groups she most enjoyed coaching.
Can you build a full coaching practice without constant marketing?
Nancy's ideal caseload is around ten students, and referrals now keep her practice consistently full. But she spent her early years building professional relationships, educating parents, and establishing her reputation. Those connections continue paying off.
How does coaching confidence develop over time?
Nancy went from wondering, "Am I good at this?" to trusting her professional judgment. That confidence now helps her navigate difficult conversations, including when a student might need to reduce their course load or take a break from college.
How do you know when a student needs more than coaching?
Nancy looks for patterns: missed classes, repeated struggles with follow-through, or growing overwhelm. Sometimes the most helpful conversation isn't about another strategy, but whether the student's current academic path is working.
Which Anti-Boring coaching tools does Nancy still use?
The Study Cycle remains a favorite, particularly for students preparing for exams like the MCAT and LSAT. She also regularly teaches note-taking strategies. Other tools, like the Habit Tracker, became less central as she shifted toward college students.
How does your relationship with a coaching community change?
Early on, Nancy relied heavily on the Anti-Boring Learning Lab for guidance and connection. Today, she's more of a "lurker," but still values having colleagues to consult, resources to explore, and trusted coaches to refer students to.
What would Nancy tell her younger coaching self?
She'd tell herself, "You're good at this," and reassure herself that coaching would be fun. But she wouldn't explain exactly how to work with every student. Learning that each student needs their own path was something she had to discover herself.
About Nancy Minolli
Nancy Minolli is a California credentialed teacher and the founder of Bay Area Academic Coaching. With over 20 years of classroom experience and 10 years of experience coaching young adults, she helps college and graduate students strengthen their executive function skills, build confidence, and take charge of their academic success.
Nancy understands the stresses students face both inside and outside the classroom. When she's not coaching, she enjoys golfing, hiking, and traveling.
Links + Resources
Explore Nancy's academic coaching services: Bay Area Academic Coaching
Get free coaching tools: Anti-Boring Learning Lab Free Resources
Connect with Gretchen: LinkedIn
Listen to the podcast: The Academic Coaching Podcast
Watch the full episode with Nancy: YouTube