Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Wrede Peterson
Hi Bethany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey to becoming a Certified High Performance Coach™ (CHPC) is quite a winding one. I want to lay it out a bit for readers, because I’m proof that following a linear career path isn’t the only way to be successful.
When I was 13, I was a national champion figure skater in my division. My parents and my skating coaches instilled in me at a young age a strong work ethic, and a desire to strive in the pursuit of excellence. I think this is how I became devoted to personal growth as a lifelong pursuit: I quickly learned that success is possible if you hold the vision for it, show up, get the reps in, and are resilient in the face of setbacks.
Far from coaching, however, I started my career as an interior designer, back in 2008. I lived in London for years, and had the privilege of working for a high end residential firm that designed the homes of A-list celebrities and famous recording artists. While I loved designing, I witnessed a fair bit of bad behavior by clients who thought money could buy away their problems. All the money in the world (and indeed, a perfectly polished interior) can’t make someone truly happy if they aren’t first at home with themselves.
After I moved back to Minnesota, I started my own boutique design consultancy in 2018. I launched my first podcast, ‘ARRIVED.’, the following year to promote my business. The podcast was rooted in topics of personal growth as much as it taught listeners how to design their space. Shortly after this launched, I also started podcast coaching other interior designers.
As a result of this coaching, I quickly learned that what my clients truly struggled with was finding their voice – not simply in their business, but in their lives. Placing a microphone in front of someone and pressing ‘Record’ can quickly derail someone’s confidence. It’s its own form of public speaking, for one. It can also call into question, “Who am I? What do I stand for? And what’s the legacy I want to speak to the world?” Putting oneself out there in broadcast form can be quite existential.
I fell in love with coaching, and realized this was my true calling. Instead of giving clients the ‘Big Reveal’ in their homes (a process that can take years to achieve) I could instead help them navigate their own ‘Big Reveal’ in the form of a profound, life-changing insight – sometimes in the space of an hour long coaching conversation.
In early 2023, I was invited to certify as a High Performance Coach™ under Brendon Burchard (author of ‘High Performance Habits’). Brendon had been a sort of mentor-from-afar of mine for years, and no one’s message resonated with me like his. It seemed like the next natural step, so I jumped at the chance. And now, here I am, coaching others to live into their highest levels of performance.
I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I finally figured out what I want in life. And, crucially, how to serve and contribute to the world in a way that has real impact.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not! I think, with the prevalence of social media, that new entrepreneurs can have a very unrealistic idea of how long it takes to build momentum in one’s business, because we see the viral ‘overnight successes’ on TikTok, YouTube etc. In print media, we love to celebrate the success of unicorn companies and young entrepreneurs (think Forbes’ ’30 Under 30′). So it can be hard to not compare yourself.
As you’ve read, it’s taken me almost 20 years of professional trial and error to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! And when I did, I had to – and still have to – dedicate the time and energy and graft to build and maintain my coaching practice.
I think the real reason 99% of businesses fail isn’t because the business isn’t viable. I think it’s because we give up too soon on ourselves. We expect it to be easy. We expect success to be handed to us, simply because we’ve maybe had success in the past with that nine-to-five, we’ve got fancy letters behind our name, or are considered to be in our ‘top earning potential’ at this point in our lives. The leap from employee to entrepreneur can be extremely humbling.
For me, I had to sacrifice my comfortability – and my ego! I had to battle my ‘chutes and ladders mindset’, as I like to call it.
I lived and worked abroad for eight years. I’ve built a solid international network. I have two master’s degrees; one of them is an MBA from a top business school. And none of that matters. Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t trade any of these opportunities or relationships for the world! But these circumstances don’t automatically guarantee entrepreneurial success. It takes consistent action, commitment, and grit to get your business off the ground. Nothing beats the education of experience. And nothing beats showing up – even when you don’t feel like it.
Equally, I went through a divorce whilst building my CHPC coaching practice. That’s an extremely emotionally difficult circumstance to navigate – even with job security! Suddenly, the ‘luxury’ of having a slow year in my business was no longer an option: I was now a single-earner household, and had a mortgage to pay on my own.
In high performance coaching, we call this ‘raising one’s necessity’. It means to make success necessary – and boy, did I get a crash course in this.
,
Whilst building my coaching practice, I’ve waitressed and I’ve worked in retail. These are honorable jobs. But we are told, societally speaking, career success should be a consistent upward trajectory, and that anything else is going backwards (hence the ‘chutes and ladders’ mindset). Even though I did what was necessary to stay afloat, for a long time, I hid that I took on part time work from most people I know because I greatly feared what they would think of me – especially my network, whom I perceived as being more successful than I was. And I had a lot of judgment of myself, because for so long I told myself that I was a failure for ‘going backwards.’
I had to check my ego at the door, and remind myself that taking these bridge jobs wasn’t a failure. It wasn’t sliding down the chute. It was actually a ladder in service to my dream. It takes chutzpah to dig your heels in and do whatever it takes. And this is all part of the journey – part of the game! Why not enjoy it – even if it is difficult?
When I look at it now, I’m super proud of myself because by showing up, even when I didn’t want to, by getting supremely uncomfortable, and by changing my mindset from self-judgment to self-belief, I’ve been able to 10x my revenue, and create clients that I have the privilege to guide, challenge, and support.
The TL;DR? Entrepreneurship will test your metal. It calls into question: ‘How uncomfortable are you willing to get? How much do you believe in yourself – even with zero evidence of success or certainty or proof of concept at this moment? What are you willing to sacrifice and let go of to make it work?’ And, crucially, ‘How badly do you want it?’
We’ve been impressed with ARRIVED. Coaching, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a speaker, author, and Certified High Performance Coach™. I work with recording artists, music industry executives, entrepreneurs, creatives, and even a few doctors! I coach privately one-to-one, as well as in a small group setting.
Whether I’m working with a singer or a surgeon, all of my clients have two things in common. One: their high-stakes work means they have to perform under extraordinary amounts of pressure. And two, they rarely take a beat to celebrate their wins. Meaning, they don’t give themselves enough credit, or enough grace for their progress – and that
can lead to burnout.
There are a ton of different coaching modalities out there. I love the Certified High Performance Coaching™ model because it’s rooted in positive psychology and it’s backed by science. A three-year research study of the world’s highest performers in 190 countries unearthed distinct habits that set them apart: specifically, they seek clarity, generate energy, demonstrate courage, increase productivity, raise necessary; and develop positive influence. These habits are the foundation of the CHPC framework.
High Performance Coaching™ isn’t about achieving long-term success at whatever cost, however. It’s about doing it in a way that’s sustainable and supports one’s wellbeing and positive relationships. High performers report feeling fully engaged, joyful and confident along their journey to success because they’re giving their absolute best.
Sadly, this is the often the exact opposite of what so many of my clients feel like before they work with me. They’re successful – but they’ve plateaued. They’re burned out, exhausted, stuck. They know they have so much more to give, but they can’t figure out how to hit their next level anymore on their own. So they come to me to help them reach that next level of success. I am paid to push.
My coaching is highly structured, and there are outcomes for each session, based on the research findings. It’s never about just showing up to sessions and asking my clients, “What are you working on? What’s getting in your way?” That kind of coaching doesn’t work for high achievers because they have extremely high expectations. They set exacting standards and deliverables for themselves – and require that of me, in turn.
I believe this is how I’m able to get such extraordinary results for my clients – because the frameworks are proven. We never leave success to chance.
Equally, it’s a very holistic approach. As the old saying goes: “a rising tide lifts all boats” and it’s an honor to serve and to be able to make a real impact with my work.
For example: a client of mine who works in medicine recently told me that the Persuasion Mastery formula (which I taught him in one of our sessions together) has actually helped him save more lives! In learning to uplevel his skills to more effectively communicate with his patients – many of whom he needs to deliver dire warnings to – he has adopted a more compassionate bedside manner. By first acknowledging where his patients are coming from (the first part of the formula), he’s been able to influence and persuade more of them to adopt the crucial lifestyle changes required for their longevity. It gives me goosebumps to think about this impact!
Clearly, I love geeking out on all things high performance and human potential. But when we think of a ‘high performance’ culture, however, we tend to think of bio-hacking billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneurs or Olympic athletes. High performance can be witnessed all around us; it’s not reserved exclusively for corporate leaders in suits or elite athletes.
A total music junkie, I’ve always found recording artists fascinating. It’s no surprise that I now have the honor of coaching those in the music industry. There’s something messy and experimental and raw and real about their creative process that I gravitate to (and that’s still not really ‘allowed’ in interior design). And yet, to be successful long-term – even in creative professions – one also needs to have consistent habits and routines in place .
For example, two of my musical heroes are frontmen Damon Albarn (of Gorillaz; and Blur) and Anthony Kiedis (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers). Albarn is highly disciplined to compose, even if he’s not feeling creatively inspired. Unless he’s on tour or on holiday, he’s in his studio 9:30am-5:30pm, five days a week. Kiedis is legendary for his athletic prowess onstage – and that’s due to his shrewd dedication to his health. At one point in his career, Kiedis enlisted a private nurse as well as renowned endurance coach, Phil Maffetone, to keep him in tip-top shape on tour.*
I’ve not worked with either personally, so I can only speculate, of course. But I believe that’s why, in an industry rife with one-hit-wonders, both artists continue to have such extraordinary staying power: you can actually witness the High Performance Habits in their daily routines and practices.
This is what my first book, ‘When No One’s Watching’ is all about. It pulls back the curtain on the real life behind the legacy of celebrated recording artists and music industry execs, giving readers an exclusive all-access pass inside their lesser-known story: the mindsets, routines, and personal growth habits these visionaries rely upon to ditch their inner critic & rock their highest level of success – even when no one’s watching. Drawing parallels from the six High Performance Habits, it includes a six-week plan for any music lover to rock their own ambition.
The book will hit shelves in 2026, and it speaks to anyone who is propelled by music, for one. But it’s really for anyone who (like me) doesn’t feel like they fit into the typical mold of the high performer. I want to demonstrate for readers that you can be both messy and creative and authentic – and still be high performing.
My other big audacious goal for the book is for celebrated music executive, producer and author, Rick Rubin, to write the forward. It’s a long-shot goal, sure. But there’s no glory in playing small. As I always tell my clients: the first step to achieving a goal is to have the guts to tell others about it. It takes real courage to give voice to what we truly want in life. Courage is my favorite High Performance Habit because courage is what allows us to get out of our comfort zone, take action, and truly go for it!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We’re blessed in the Twin Cities to have such a high quality of life. Compared to other cities like New York or LA, we have a lot more space – and a lot more green. I own a converted 19th century one-room schoolhouse on an acre of land in the sticks about 30 minutes outside of Minneapolis. It’s really peaceful. I wake up to birdsong every morning, and I love the breeze that comes through my windows. It’s unique to have that kind of space and quiet so close to a major metropolitan area. In the Twin Cities, I can enjoy a slower, more affordable way of life. After 15 years residing in frenetic, congested and eye-wateringly expensive cities like San Francisco, New York, and London, it’s a great place to call home.
And, I’m pleased to say that we’re finally getting a decent cocktail scene here. As a cocktail snob (I’ll admit it!), I am very excited about this.
With that said, it was a really difficult transition moving back to Minnesota from London, and suddenly being so far away from the culture of Europe and the UK. I would (probably) never want to live abroad again full time, but the nine-hour transatlantic flight from MSP is really a pain in the arse when you want to see that unmissable exhibition at the Tate Modern!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arrivedcoaching.com
