Group Coaching or 1:1? How to Choose the Right Path Out of Academia

You know you're ready to leave academia. What you don't know is whether you need a program with a syllabus and a group cohort, or one person in your corner helping you move at your own speed.

Here's the thing: BAE (my group program) and 1:1 coaching aren't "better" or "worse" than each other. They solve different problems. One gives you structure and community. The other gives you speed and total focus on your specific situation.

For example:

One of my 1:1 clients retired from academia this spring. No website, no cohort, no waiting until our program resumes in September.

We spent a month together defining her niche and building her offer—moving at her pace, not a syllabus's pace.

Two weeks after her website went live, she'd landed $8,000 in committed coaching clients. A month in? She'd secured $16k in contracts—almost entirely from the academic network she'd spent decades building.

That's what 1:1 coaching is built for: fast, focused, built entirely around you.

In this week's episode, I walk through exactly how to know which path—group or 1:1—is right for you. If you have questions, reach out.

If you've been waiting for the "right" timing or the right amount of courage to reach out to people who already know you—this episode is your roadmap to move forward.

🎧 Watch the full episode and subscribe for new episodes every week.

Resources Mentioned:

🐦‍🔥 Free 3-day workshop July 13-15, 11am-12pm ET — register at AcadiaEditing.com/live

Interested in 1:1 coaching? Email Paulina: paulina@acadiaediting.com

BAE September cohort — AcadiaEditing.com/map

01:26 My client: from academia into coaching

03:22 Activating her academic network for trust and referrals

05:10 Why she skipped the wait for the next BAE cohort

06:37 From niche to launched website in one month

07:37 The numbers: $1,000 and $2,000/month, $8K in two weeks ($16k in 4 weeks)

10:02 Yes, Paulina does 1:1 coaching too (and what it looks like)

13:48 BAE by the numbers: 2 years, 9 cohorts, 120+ members

16:02 Reason #1: Pace — group syllabus vs. your own speed

20:33 Reason #2: Life happens — flexibility when things get hard

23:54 Reason #3: Group dynamics — community boost vs. overwhelm

26:25 Reason #4: Time zones and scheduling realities

28:42 Who thrives in BAE's group program

35:09 Who thrives in 1:1 coaching

40:31 What working together 1:1 actually looks like

46:15 Paulina's own story: from burnt-out professor to founder

50:03 Wrap-up: free workshop July 13-15 and how to reach out

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