What your clients are really paying for — and what happens when you’re not fully there.

The “quality of the container” we hold for each other determines how far we can go, how much trust we build, and the results we achieve together.

This is true in any relationship — personal and professional. But in service work especially — coaching, facilitation, consulting, healing, leadership, therapy, and more — the presence we bring to that container becomes everything. 

Your clients may think they are hiring you for your expertise, credentials, or methodologies. But what they’re actually paying for… is your presence. 

They’re paying for how safe, seen, and supported they feel with you.

They’re paying for how clearly and genuinely you hold space for them. 

They’re paying for how intentional and energetic and “clean” you are in your leadership — especially when things get messy.

They’re paying for the container you hold — and your ability to hold your own energy.

This is the difference between good work and great work. Between short-term results and deep, sustainable transformation.

And yet… energy and presence are often the last thing people think about when they are “doing their thing,” providing their services, or interacting with another human being.

What Really Happens When Presence Is Missing

Let’s name it: We’ve all seen (and maybe been) someone who was technically skilled, but energetically absent.

• The facilitator who sticks to the script and misses the real conversation in the room.
• The coach or implementor who nails the frameworks, but can’t sit with a client’s real pain or discomfort.
• The trainer who’s inspiring when things go well, but disconnects when struggle shows up.
• The speaker who tries to command attention with the volume of their voice instead of their energetic presence.
• The therapist who steps over boundaries in an attempt to relate and erodes safety.
• The consultant who is always running late, juggling multiple clients, and starts each meeting sharing how busy and overbooked they are.
• The leader who is physically present in the room or on screen during meetings, but is multi-tasking and it shows.

Each of these scenarios points to a breakdown in presence — and presence is what your clients actually feel. It’s what creates safety. It’s what builds trust. It’s what makes the difference.

The Real Impact of Presence

When presence is missing, here’s what happens:

For the Client:

• They don’t feel safe enough to go deeper or tell you the more vulnerable truths.
• They start to question your guidance (as well as their own instincts).
• They disconnect from you, from the process, or from themselves.
• They look for other support that feels more real, partnered, and solid.
• They lose interest and inspiration in the work.

For the Practitioner:

• Sessions start to feel transactional or draining.
• You may experience emotional whiplash or burnout.
• Clients leave or ghost you — even when the work looks like it’s going well.
• You spend more time trying to “prove” your value than embodying it.
• You feel scattered, disempowered, or misaligned — even if the business is technically “working.”

Presence problems are subtle. But they leak. And whether you are on the giving or receiving end — you can feel it.

Your clients know when you are WITH them and NOT – even if they can’t articulate it.

Do you see how essential, valuable, and special your presence is? Can you see how presence with a client or another person is one of the most sacred opportunities you have to serve with?

Your clients pay you for your presence. Yes, of course, they are paying for your services and expertise, but they are also paying for your devoted presence. And when this is missing, and the container is not “solid enough” to hold them — at best they will not get their optimal results and likely not stay with you, and at worst, you may cause unintended damage.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Most don’t fully understand the implications of presence — until something brings it into focus.

Maybe it’s a client who reflects challenging feedback to us (if we’re lucky).
Maybe it’s a result we’re not getting.
Maybe it’s a moment like this — where we pause, read something, and realize: Oh… there’s more here for me to see.

No matter how it arrives, the moment invites us to do the real work. To look more deeply, be willing to receive and integrate feedback, and to reflect honestly on what we’re really bringing into each client relationship.

When you do this — when you truly build a presence-driven practice — here’s what happens:

• Clients stay longer, trust deeper, and go further.
• Your results elevate because your relationships deepen.
• Your own burnout decreases because you’re no longer trying to “perform” — you’re simply showing up, cleanly and powerfully.
• Your leadership gets lighter and more magnetic because your energy is aligned and sustainable.
• You make more impact, more meaning, and more money — without the cost to your well-being.

A New Pathway Is Emerging

Over the last five years (+), I’ve received and witnessed fellow leaders receive intensive support in business, health, nutrition, mindset, energy work, leadership, sports performance, and personal transformation.

And the biggest breakthroughs didn’t come from the smartest person in the room.
They came from the most present one.

The people who created the most impact were the ones who made their clients feel fully seen. Who held strong, clean, trustworthy containers. Who stayed present — especially when things got messy, vulnerable, or hard.

They didn’t push. They didn’t collapse.
They stayed. And that made all the difference.

These experiences — layered on top of 30 years of working in leadership and transformation — are shaping a new potential application of the IEP Method® for practitioners, facilitators, coaches, and leaders in service-based roles.

Ready to Dive Deeper into this Rabbit Hole with Us?

We’re hosting a free session on June 12th to dig into this topic. We are building what’s possible — a deeper standard, a more honest model of service leadership.

This isn’t just about doing good work or showing up “well.” It’s about rethinking the role of the helping professional.

It’s about how we hold space, build trust, and meet the moment with presence, precision, and energy that serves transformation.

For coaches, consultants, facilitators, and leaders in service-based roles, the ask is changing. It’s no longer, “Can you give advice?” It’s transforming into something bigger — “Can you hold presence that invites someone else’s truth and authentic vulnerability to surface?”

If this resonates, you’re likely already on this path. If you're curious about how to keep going — or to support others in doing so — stay close.

We’re mapping this out now inside the IEP Method® ecosystem — and creating new spaces for practitioners to step in, skill up, and lead at this level.

Register here to join the June 12th session, receive the recording, and stay in the loop as we continue this conversation around presence, leadership, and the evolution of service-based practice.

Get Started with the IEP Method®