How a Burned-Out Teacher Built a 6-Figure Coaching Business on 10 Hours a Week

You started your business to escape the grind. But here you are, juggling client calls, late-night emails, and endless hustle.

Scott Maderer knows the feeling.

After burning out as a high school teacher and corporate strategist, he designed a coaching business that runs on autopilot. Today, he works 10 hours a week while earning steady income from retainer clients in 16 countries.

Here’s how he traded hustle for leverage, and how you can steal his system.

The Wake-Up Call

Scott's life looked picture-perfect on paper at Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Here he managed teams, hopping on cross-country flights, and cashing those impressive six-figure checks. But underneath that glossy corporate success story, he felt like he was living someone else's dream.

The turning point

Coaching colleagues energized him more than boardroom politics. He realized:

• Corporate life was “self-employment with one client.”
• Coaching offered freedom—if he could solve the income rollercoaster.

His 2017 leap from corporate comfort into coaching felt like trading his steady paycheck for an entrepreneurial rollercoaster.

Like so many of us when we first start out, Scott found himself riding the waves of ups and downs. One month swimming in clients, the next wondering where they'd all gone.

The Retainer Model That Created Predictable Income

Scott refused to accept unstable gigs as the norm. He rebuilt his business around retainer relationships, clients who pay monthly for ongoing support.

How it works:

1. Flat-fee retainers
   Clients prepay for 30-60 minute monthly check-ins (no last-minute cancellations or chasing payments).
2. Steady cash flow
   Predictable income replaces the desperation of chasing one-off clients.
3. Scalable delivery
   All sessions are virtual (Zoom), eliminating commute time and administrative bloat.

“Retainers let me focus on results, not sales calls. I stopped trading hours for dollars.”

Scott’s Authority-Building Playbook

Scott ignores cold outreach and complicated funnels. Instead, he focuses on three strategies to attract ideal clients:

1. Leverage his network
   • Asks happy clients for referrals (no scripts, just genuine conversations).
   • Example: “After helping a client streamline their finances, they introduced me to 3 CEOs needing similar guidance.”
2. Share free value
   • Guest podcasts (like this one) and LinkedIn posts position him as an expert.
   • Nonprofit board roles build credibility while expanding his network.
3. Write books
   • Authored multiple books to cement authority (no pressure to hit bestseller lists).

His secret:

“Marketing isn’t chasing strangers. It’s showing up where your clients already gather—then listening more than you pitch.”

The Daily Rituals That Prevent Burnout

Scott protects his time with “bookend routines”:

Mornings start with gratitude journaling (3 things he’s thankful for), a 20-minute walk, and planning 3 daily priorities. Evenings end with a shutdown ritual—reviewing wins, adjusting tasks, and disconnecting fully.

“Routines create stability. Without them, I’d drown in distractions.”

Why This System Works for Time-Crunched Founders

Scott’s model solves the top struggles of entrepreneurs like you:

Your Problem	Scott’s Fix
Income rollercoaster	Retainers create predictable cash flow.
Marketing overwhelm	Authority-building replaces cold outreach.
Burnout from hustle	Protected mornings/evenings prevent overload.

Your First Step Toward Freedom (10 Minutes)

You didn’t start your business to become a prisoner of your calendar.

This week

Convert one client to a monthly retainer:

1. Review your client list. Who needs ongoing support?
2. Pitch a flat-fee package for weekly/monthly check-ins.
3. Use Scott’s script:
   “I’ve noticed you often need [specific help]. What if we set up a monthly plan to streamline this? You’ll save time, and I’ll prioritize your goals.”

No more hot and cold. Just steady progress.