Matt Fried, aka Coach Matt, is a health, nutrition, and fitness coach who helps men and women in their 40s get fit and keep the weight off.

On this episode of The Coachability Code Podcast, Jordan and Matt dig into client-centered coaching, sustainable change, and how to build confidence that lasts long after the program ends.

Connect with Matt Fried

→Vitality Community on Skool: https://www.skool.com/vitality/about

→Social: @CoachMattFried→LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmattfried/

What this episode is about

→Why most diets fail and how client-centered coaching fixes it

→How to help clients create sustainable change through trust and self-awareness

→Why being "fit over 40" is not a dream, it’s a decision

Who this helps

→Coaches who want to build deeper client trust and accountability

→Anyone over 40 who’s tired of yo-yo results and ready for lasting change

Key takeaways

→Most diets are one-size-fits-all. Coaching works when it’s personalized, collaborative, and rooted in behavior change.

→"Responsible to you, not for you." Coaches guide, clients act.

→Use Ready, Willing, and Able (1–10 scale). If a task is below a 9, shrink the step.

→Progress is usually squiggly line, not a straight drop. Expect fluctuations, not failure.

→Words matter. Replace "I was bad" with "I made choices that didn’t serve my goal."

→Feedback is fuel. There is no failure, only feedback.

→Build trust through empathy and silence. Listen more than you talk.

→Confidence is the true graduation. Clients who can decide what works on their own have won.

→Long-term success comes from small, sustainable actions, not quick fixes.

→Being fit over 40 is absolutely possible with consistency and patience.

Quotables

→"Good coaches ask good questions. The answers are already inside you."

→"Be direct with the problem, soft with the person."

→"There is no failure, only feedback."

→"Slow the step down until it’s a 9 or 10 on Ready, Willing, Able."

→"Most people don’t need more information, they need better support."

→"Confidence is built by doing small things well, over and over."

Practical tools and frameworks

→Client-centered intake: start with "Why are we on this call right now?"

→Ready, Willing, and Able: 1–10 scale to size habits properly

→The "weight window" mindset for long-term consistency

→Reframing language from shame to curiosity

→Creating a safe, judgment-free container for feedback

Books mentioned

→The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin

→The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Cixin Liu

→Nonviolent Communication by Wayland Myers

Hosted by Jordan Ring

→Ghostwriter, Book Coach, Author, and Host of The Coachability Code Podcast

→Connect: https://jmring.com

Subscribe if this conversation helped you rethink what it means to be coachable, and share it with someone who’s ready for sustainable change.