Career Coaching Secrets

Nature-Based Coaching & Healing Leadership with Raynelle Rino

• Davis Nguyen

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In this episode of Career Coaching Secrets, our guest is Raynelle Rino a nature‑based, transformational leadership coach and founder of Rino Consulting Solutions, whose “Hike It Out Coaching” and “Radical Nature Framework” blend her background as an ecology field researcher, environmental justice educator, and ancestral healer into deeply healing, outdoor leadership development and healing‑hike experiences.

You can find her on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raynelle-r-693b47b/ 
https://www.rinoconsultingsolutions.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hikeitoutcoaching/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rino-consulting-solutions/


You can also watch this podcast on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/@CareerCoachingSecrets

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SPEAKER_01:

And I said yes to the full certification program. And I hired a business coach to help me set up my business. So I just went all in and I said, I feel like this is where I'm going to challenge myself and say, like, I could be a coach full-time.

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Career Coaching Secrets, the podcast where we talk with successful career coaches on how they built their success and the hard lessons they learned along the way. My name is Davis Nguyen, and I'm the founder of Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to$100,000 years hundred thousand dollar months and even hundred thousand dollar weeks before purple circle i've grown several seven and eight figure career coaching business myself and have been a consultant at two career coaching businesses that are doing over a hundred million dollars each whether you're an established coach or building your practice for the first time you'll discover the secrets to elevating your coaching business

SPEAKER_03:

Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Career Coaching Secrets Podcast. I'm your host, Regan, and today's guest is Reno, CEO and founder of Reno Consulting Solutions, a nature-based coach, consultant, and facilitator who blends healing, leadership, and social transformation in powerful ways. With more than a decade of experience in environmental education and nonprofit leadership, Reno has developed a unique coaching practice that takes leaders outdoors through her healing hikes and nature-based programs to help them reconnect with themselves, navigate difficult conversations, and walk confidently in their identities. Her work is justice-centered, trauma-informed, and deeply rooted in the belief that nature offers profound models for resilience, equity, and collective healing. And it's a pleasure for me to have her on the podcast today. Welcome to the show, Reyna.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_03:

So I wanted to learn a little bit more about your beginnings as a coach. So focusing on the coaching side, first of all, what inspired you to become a coach and start your own coaching business?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I think the career journey for me has been one that revealed to me where I truly can contribute to the world, right? And I thought at some point I was going to do ecology research. So I went that route to be a field ecologist. Someone took a chance on me and I asked me to design, someone at Stanford University asked me to design an education program for a high risk youth. So these were youth in the Bay area who are at risk of not graduating and they needed some kind of like hands on outdoor environmental curriculum. And I started to realize that like, maybe I'm not so much a researcher, but I'm an educator. I was really reaching these young people with just translating my college education to them in the sciences. And so then I went to nonprofit work with environmental justice and education, teaching young folks there. And realizing in my leadership as a person I am working in these small grassroots organizations, I was dealing with like a lot of people skills, right? A lot of challenges in organizations serving under-resourced communities. Myself being one that identifies with middle-class living in the Bay Area as a woman of color as well. That, you know, I cultivated my leadership throughout almost 10 years of nonprofit leadership and got myself to a point of like deputy director in a nonprofit. But a lot of the limitations of nonprofit work is funding. We all know that. So multiple times of me being laid off in the middle of me trying to build my life and build my family. The last layoff I had with a nonprofit, I said, you know, I can't live this way. This is not sustainable for me to have uncertainty. But I didn't know I wanted to stick with nature work, right, like working in the environment. And it wasn't until my colleagues, the network of people that I had created as my social capital, right, my network of professionals proposed to me, I had gone through many years of development for myself, maybe you should try coaching in the transition of like trying to figure out what my next move was, it was something that I could make money off of and sustain my family well. So they introduced me to like a three day beginning sort of like intro to coaching and said, you could start coaching from there. But I was at a point where I was raising a young child, the breadwinner of my family. I said, I need this to be like serious form of income. And I'm coming from nonprofit leadership, but I had entrepreneur friends and they were watching me navigate my life. And somebody said, you should try hiring a business coach. coach, if you want to make coaching a sustainer for you. So I knew that I was going to get laid off. And what I did was like, you know, the three day intro course to coaching. Actually, I've been coaching my staff the whole time when I was in nonprofit leadership, this was the method I just, I didn't have the structure, I didn't have some of the formalities of a coaching practice, right. But that's what the three day gave me was a sneak peek into making that sort of like a series service that I can offer. So what I did was I took my severance package that I got laid off and I said yes to the full certification program. And I hired a business coach to help me set up my business. So I just went all in and I said, I feel like this is where I'm going to challenge myself and say like, I could be a coach full time. I believe it was like a nine month coaching certification that transformed me as well. And it convinced me, okay, I've always been a coach. This is kind of like part of my nature to like support people in this way. And I'm also working through my own personal stuff that I'm healing through so that I could show up fully for my clients. So, and then the aspect of business coaching gave me the structure to fit the livelihood and the sustainability into something real and now become a business owner. So that was also a part of me that I didn't realize I i had was entrepreneurship and that actually aligned a lot more with like how i move around the world so it just kind of was a win-win for me i was like oh this makes so much sense

SPEAKER_03:

when it comes to the clients that you work with right now if there's a portion of that type of client listening how would you describe the ideal client profile is there a certain industry or a certain demographic or psychographic how would you describe them if they're listening

SPEAKER_01:

you know i've owned into this a little bit more because i identify as one of them, but I tend to coach disruptors. These are leaders who like have such fire in them to contribute meaningful contributions. It may not feel like they're making progress, but they have such a passion for making change in the world, like actually challenging status quo. That's how they show up. And so when we say disruptors, it's like the outspoken one or the one that when they've spoken, they get shut down because what they're telling is the truth and they want to move forward with a truth in what they believe is right, the change that we need to see in the world. So I tend to get leaders who are challenged. Maybe they've been ostracized in some way in their workplace, or maybe they've been silent because they're not sure if it's safe to speak those things out. Where in my sessions, this is a place where you could vent it all out. You can speak the truth without retaliation. And you'll also see alignment with what you're seeing needs to be done with how naturally the world needs to heal. And also, we need to get it right this time, right? We need to do better. Those aspects of a leader that show up and they need a space to really be truly themselves as disruptors. A lot of that energy in sessions is like, yes, I align to that. And I know how to support so that they're actually making strategic moves instead of maybe they're making reactions that result in getting shut down. We want to be able to honor that disruptor character, but make an impact rather than create more barriers.

SPEAKER_03:

And you have a very unique, and when I say unique, I've spoken with more than 250 coaches in this podcast. When we say nature-based programs, I've only had one other coach do this. Can you expand a is important, why that is a focus for you?

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, the love of nature systems has always been something. I feel like I was kind of born with this affinity to wonder about how nature works. I think it's important to understand nature because our connection to it has been disrupted. I talk a lot about the impacts of colonization on our identities. And part of that identity is to be told that we're separate from nature when we're actually a part of it, right? Like we're in the animal kingdom. How can we even comprehend that we're the same as another mammal? You know, like those things we learn in biology and things like that, but to actually feel like, oh, that's why I feel better when I walk outside after a hard day. There's an actual biological connection and there's also and emotional and I also think it's important to acknowledge that there's also a spiritual connection that we have to nature so when we get into these places where we're ready to challenge ourselves and be like okay I feel like something's not right with me or maybe this is not quite the right work I want to do there's no doubt like I've had times where it's like okay well maybe we get rid of like the walls and let's sit outside and maybe nature has something to offer us in what we know about ourselves. But we have to be there in our mind, get back into natural places. Like we can bring our mind to that meditation or we actually sit. Let's just be quiet and look at the water for a second. Maybe something inside you will be triggered to say like, aha, like that's the answer or that's what I've been waiting for. So I think it's important to not disregard that nature is a tool for us for discovery and exploration it's something we know like we hear people say it all the time I need to go for a walk okay well you're going to nature for that

SPEAKER_03:

yeah I totally agree with that same for me like going for a walk makes such a big impact on how I feel versus like if I were to take a nap or something like that going for a walk actually works out much better in a similar way also working out but going for a walk you kind of like I don't know what's happening but it's basically you're more relaxed and you ready to tackle a stressful situation with a higher energy or generally better and maybe less stressed. So I totally agree with that. And so how does it for the people who work with you, how is the engagement like? Is there a program of a certain length? Is it one-on-one group coaching? How would you describe the engagement?

SPEAKER_01:

Mostly I do one-to-one private sessions. I will put out a course here and there, but I often find that there's a lot of time and effort put into online course development and also community cultivation through marketing. That's a real heavy lift. I tend to do the one-to-one if you're in the local area or I will also be hired through organizations to go out while they're having a staff retreat or a wellness retreat of some sort and they'll bring me out to lead healing hikes. So that's one of the low-hanging fruit services If you're in the local area, I do ask people to get onto my newsletter to find out when the next healing hike is. But it's like I'm taking my coaching session into a group session in nature and we're actually communicating with the elements. So I'll take them through a process, pick a trail, we'll go to a particular park, take them through an opening, relearning of how to communicate with nature because we've always been able to communicate with nature. It's just, we have to be reminded of those instruction. And then I have them walk mostly in silence because they're talking to the element. And then we do a closing and say like, you know, that's where the group coaching happens. Like what came up for you? What significant aha moments have you gotten from this walk together? And that could be another way. So mainly I'm working one-to-one just on a Zoom call or a phone chat for extended period of time, at least six months to a year. Or you could just, you know, do a healing hike and get a feel for the actual immersion into nature and experiencing what it's like to interact and communicate with nature as a tool for guidance that you're seeking.

SPEAKER_03:

Where do you find your clients or what marketing channel works really well for you? Since a good portion of them is local community and there's also a portion of them that are not local, how do you find them?

SPEAKER_01:

A lot of people are coming through me through referrals. I would say one of the barriers for a small business and maybe coaches, particularly in the Bay Area. It's a very high, high cost of living here, right? And our economy is kind of struggling. So it takes a lot more effort for us to go into traditional marketing ads to get clients from that pathway. So a lot of, you know, I've been doing this for nine years as a full-time coach. A lot of where I started was my immediate network of professionals and partnering and becoming part of coach directories for organizations. I'll get calls through being on a list through different organizations of coaches to work with. But my main avenue right now is referral based. People will hear about it or they have heard about my healing hikes and then they want to go into further. I am working on the business end to gain capital so that I can actually create more of robust sort of marketing strategy and system so that I get folks that are not referral-based, but are actually seeing me out in the world as a coach. And I don't have to see you in person for the nature-based piece to be impactful.

SPEAKER_03:

Cool. And so right now, the goal or like think about the future for your coaching business for the next one to three years, what are some specific goals that you're working towards? One of them could be what you just mentioned.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it is one One major thing is like being able to have a consistent flow of people interested in working with me that is not based on referrals or directories. And you know, this whole service of healing hikes can be its own business on its own. So I do want to experiment and I have experimented with having apprenticeships to kind of expand that process of guiding people outdoors. I did do a a leadership program where I was looking to cultivate some other field guides so that I didn't have to hold space myself for all of these healing hikes and that it could be brought out maybe even nationwide. So I want to be able to strategize smartly my expansion in my business so that I can see both things happening and having its own legs, right? Oh, you want to do healing hikes only or bring your group? There's this whole arm of the business that's functioning on its own. And then there's me as the private coach, the facilitator and trainer that has more of like the consulting side that supports individuals and teams on more of the leadership development piece. I want to see a little bit more expansion in how big my business is.

SPEAKER_03:

So overall, further scaling, basically starting off with like having that consistent flow of leads, qualified leads, and then moving on to the next step. So right now, in terms of like throughout the eight to nine years right now, what investments, and this goes to that research that I mentioned earlier, what investment have you seen that you feel like are really good investments that you've done? Either you learned a lot or got a good return from and what investments would you say are not so good investments for you if there's any?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, good investments, I'm going to have to say from the business end of being a coach and making sure that this is sustaining me in my livelihood, I would always have to say whether you're just starting or want to sort of level up your coaching practice understanding how a business runs and how it functions is going to be key in making this sort of like not just a side thing but a main source of income understanding that there's no real difference between a non-profit and a for-profit but as a coach you are the service so how do you actually build the systems your marketing yourself and that you're understanding revenue and cash flow and balancing your income and expenses to the point where you know how to be that business owner. Whatever you can invest in that helps you run the system and not take up your own time. I'm like a recovering burnout workaholic. I can do multiple things, but the realization that I don't have to do all the things is what I started to understand, okay, I'm going to invest on paying for my scheduler so that I don't have to do back and forth emails of when to see clients. I'm going to invest in a monthly newsletter because that's going to keep communications with my community on a consistent rolling basis. And they've been able to market me. They've been able to forward my things and I'm not doing any work, right? Just building your systems out, And then investing in things like a good tax preparer, the education you need to make your efforts really holistic and that you're not spending too much of your time understanding the mechanics of a system or systems that could just be an app that you pay for once a year, right? So schedulers, like Canva is a big tool just to take care of your marketing materials. Things like that are really worth it. And if it is not your skill set, it's worth paying somebody who That's their job.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely. And great advice there. So what would you say have been a challenge right now that you're trying to work on fixing next? Like short term, where is your focus? I can imagine is either lead generation or like making sure that part of the business is running smoothly, but is there something else?

SPEAKER_01:

From a coach perspective, we're the ones that are always in our way, right? That's always going to be the biggest challenge. It's like, where can I grow myself in the confidence that like I can make these things happen my dreams come true, right? It's always the inner growth that, oh, I have to face my limitations. It's always going to be the biggest challenge for coaches in their practice. Sometimes I come across challenges where people want to trade or, you know, they can't afford my services. And I've gotten into sticky situations where I do feel like that's a take from me is the work trade piece. There's no guarantee that they actually can perform through and you're already giving your very valuable coaching sessions, right? So I don't advise investing in that sort of work trade until it's really, really clear that they're going to perform for you. And I think ultimately for coaches who are also owning their business practice, challenge is always going to be funding. How do you actually pitch your company to get a hundred K loan so that you could just focus on the coaching services. Well, that takes time and effort. If you want to do grant, right, that's a whole job that is going to be volunteer for the most part. So it's really about understanding like where you are and what you're ready to invest in. And if you even have cushion, this is part of like risk taking that we have to get comfortable with, but also finding community in people that are skilled in guiding your strategies whether that's the right time and the right thing to do to move your business forward. Is it the right time to ask for funding? Are you set up to manage that funding if you do get it? One of the biggest blockages for me is like I've been in business for nine years and I struggle to create that formal business plan. It's just so like I don't want to do it, but I know I'm ready and I need to do it. So a lot of the things that are not fun for me, those are the things that are in the way.

SPEAKER_03:

Thanks so much for sharing that right now. And is there any, and this kind of like the final question for the coaches who are listening, who similar to you want to scale their impact? Most importantly, what advice would you give to these coaches? If there's any other advice you'd like to add?

SPEAKER_01:

I think the biggest lesson that I've had and that I noticed in the difference that I have with some other coaches that I'm in community with is that I created my own framework. So if you go to my website, you know that the radical nature framework is some that I developed as this is what makes me nature-based. These are the pillars of our identities that you think about when we're moving through the world. Now, I created that framework so that I have a solid foundation of understanding how I work with people and how I can best show up for them. And this does come from personal life experience, but it also is a blend of things like my spiritual development, my equal Thank you so much. out but having a solid framework is almost saying like well yeah I might have a mission or a vision but here's the structure in my message here's what my core principles and beliefs are about my coaching practice and I find often that that's not really thought of beyond creating a mission and vision statement for yourself well what are you walking your clients through what kind of framework are you presenting to the world that comes from who you are and I'm talking Mm-hmm. that way right so that's like my number one is like what is this whole thing about you can expand who you're working with because you're now expanding your whole definition of how you can contribute to the world

SPEAKER_03:

thank you so much i like that especially i like the fact that imagine we can actually be as authentic as we can and that makes it even from the marketing perspective a lot easier to stand out but also a lot of people are going to find you as that person that they're actually looking for instead of like someone who is speaking the same language as maybe 10,000 other coaches. Thank you so much for coming to our podcast today. It was lovely to have you on the show. For anyone who wants to connect with you or find you, they can go into LinkedIn, look up Raynell Reno, they will be able to find your profile. They can also go into renoconsultingsolutions.com, which is your website, if I'm not mistaken.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep.

SPEAKER_03:

Is there any other way they could connect with you or reach out to you?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm also on Instagram. You can see the fun parts of my work where you see people who have gone on my healing hike, a little bit more personal life, but you could find me, my handle on Instagram is hike it out coaching. That's a fun one. If you want to have a few conversations there, but yeah, LinkedIn direct message me there. I also have a LinkedIn page for my business, which is Reno consulting solutions has its own page. You can follow that for some updates and yeah, My website also links to my YouTube channel and areas where I'm on other podcasts and guest speaking, this and that.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you. Thank you so much, Raynal. Thank you for coming.

SPEAKER_00:

That's it for this episode of Career Coaching Secrets. If you enjoyed this conversation, you can subscribe to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening to this episode to catch future episodes. This conversation was brought to you by Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to seven and eight figures without burning out. To learn more about Purple Circle, Archie community and how we can help you grow your business, visit joinpurplecircle.com.