In this episode of Founders Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, we sit down with Rusty Tugman, founder of Rusty Tugman Coaching and Consulting, as he shares his unconventional journey from accidental entrepreneur to ICF-certified leadership coach. What began as a favor for a friend struggling with team dynamics blossomed into a thriving side business, with Rusty revealing how he maintains quality by intentionally limiting himself to just 3 clients at a time. He breaks down his signature 6-session coaching framework (spaced every other week) and why giving clients "off-ramps" creates better outcomes than rigid long-term contracts.

Rusty offers rare insights for service-based entrepreneurs on balancing passion projects with full-time work, including the unexpected advantage of selective client intake ("The luxury of saying no"). As the conversation turns to AI's impact on coaching, he shares how he's proactively experimenting with emerging tools while staying grounded in the human connection that makes coaching transformative. For anyone considering the leap from employee to entrepreneur, Rusty's measured approach to scaling—and his hard-won advice to "focus on adding value, but first know your value"—provides a refreshing alternative to hustle culture.