Inside the OPEX Method Week 10 Recap: A Simple Marketing System Coaches Will Use
Most coaches don’t struggle because they lack skill. They struggle because they can’t explain what they do in a way that feels clear, honest, and easy to act on. Week 10 of Inside the OPEX Method focused on fixing that problem, then pairing it with a simple way to bring in leads without turning coaching into a second job.
In this recap, Kandace and Carl Hardwick (CEO of OPEX and CoachRX) closed out a 10-week mentorship with 40 coaches, shared what Week 10 covered, and explained why the program stays small and hands-on.
Week 10 in the OPEX Method: what the final week focused on
Week 10 built directly on the momentum from Week 9, where coaches worked on content strategy and how they show up both in person and online. The final week took that foundation and turned it into a practical system coaches can run consistently.
The big priorities were:
Clarify the offer (what you do, who it’s for, and what changes for the client)
Say it in your own voice, without copying influencer-style marketing
Set up a minimum viable marketing system that increases lead flow
Qualify and convert leads efficiently, while protecting time for coaching
This was also the last week of official course material. The cohort wrapped with office hours, and coaches moved into final projects, which Carl grades individually.
The Week 9 marketing foundation: content strategy that matches who you are
Week 10 only works if the message is already strong. That’s why the previous week mattered.
In Week 9, coaches worked on a content strategy that helped them:
Present themselves clearly, online and in person
Explain the value they bring as a coach
Speak to the right people by naming the real issues those people face
A key idea carried into Week 10: marketing doesn’t have to turn you into someone else. The point is to be fully yourself, then get very clear on what that means in practice.
Carl highlighted this shift in how many coaches see marketing. A lot of them came in assuming marketing would feel pushy or fake. By the end of these two weeks, many realized it could simply be communication with intention.
Week 10’s core: message + offer + a simple lead system
Week 10 pulled three things together:
1) The offer (what you’re actually selling)
The offer is the service coaches learned to deliver throughout the program. It’s not just “coaching,” it’s a method, with standards, structure, and a clear client experience.
When the offer is clear, it becomes easier to talk about it without hype. You don’t need clever wording. You need accuracy.
2) The message (how you explain it)
The message connects the offer to one specific type of person. It answers questions like:
Who is this for?
What are they struggling with right now?
What do they want instead?
Why should they trust you to help?
Candace emphasized that these basics become the foundation for everything else a coach communicates, sales, content, referrals, and retention.
3) A minimum viable marketing system (so leads keep coming)
Instead of building a big marketing machine, Week 10 focused on a lightweight system that coaches can set up fast and run without burning out.
Candace described it as something a coach could set up in a couple of hours, then maintain easily. The goal was simple: increase lead flow, qualify those leads, convert the right ones, and keep enough bandwidth to coach well.
Why OPEX emphasized Instagram and YouTube for coaches
For this cohort, the marketing focus stayed close to where most coaches already spend time: social platforms.
Kandace called out Instagram and YouTube as primary platforms because that’s where many coaches are already active, and where potential clients already consume content.
The point wasn’t to pressure coaches into becoming full-time creators. It was to give them a realistic structure they could follow without feeling overwhelmed.
Carl shared feedback from office hours that made the impact clear. One coach said their social media had been “dead” for years, and now they felt excited to restart it. The difference wasn’t motivation alone, it was having a plan and knowing what to say.
How to increase lead flow without a huge tech stack
A major theme in Week 10 was reducing friction.
Kandace taught a process that doesn’t require building a complex setup with extra tools, especially early on. The system aimed to help coaches avoid adding layers that slow them down, like:
An email marketing system right away
A full CRM build-out
A long chain of steps that adds work before results
Instead, the approach centered on real conversations and clear messaging, with a simple method for:
Responding to inbound interest
Qualifying whether someone is a fit
Presenting the service in a way that feels direct and respectful
The goal was to remove the feeling that you have to “convince” someone. When the offer and message are clear, the conversation becomes simpler: if it fits, great. If it doesn’t, no hard feelings.
Protecting coaching time while still growing
One of the most practical benefits of a simple system is time.
Kandace called out a problem many coaches face: spending too much time chasing leads, taking calls that go nowhere, and getting pulled away from the work that keeps clients for the long term.
Week 10 kept pointing back to what matters:
Strong delivery
Happy clients
Long-term retention
Marketing supports that, it shouldn’t replace it.
Speed to implementation: the standard across the mentorship
Both Kandace and Carl came back to one guiding value for this mentorship format: speed to implementation.
It’s not enough to understand principles. Coaches need to take action quickly, learn what happens in real life, then refine.
That’s also why Week 10 wasn’t presented as a giant, complicated marketing curriculum. It was designed to get coaches moving, fast, with enough structure to stay consistent.
Why the OPEX Method cohort stays small (and why that matters)
Carl explained that the cohort is intentionally kept small and “tight.” The goal isn’t to scale it as big as possible. The goal is to help as many coaches as possible, as well as possible.
If the cohort jumped from 40 to 140, the experience would change. Coaches would lose the chance to:
Ask questions live
Get personal help during office hours
Build relationships with peers and instructors
That small-group environment came up as a value in office hours too. Coaches benefit from being around others who are committed to getting better, at different stages, asking questions they might not even think to ask yet.
How OPEX personalizes each cohort using intake forms
Even though the program teaches consistent principles, the cohort experience isn’t treated like a copy-paste class.
Before Week 1, Carl reviews intake forms to understand who is coming in, including:
Coaching background and experience level
What model they coach in
What they want to get out of the cohort
That last point matters most. Once instructors know what problems coaches are trying to solve, they can teach the same principles in a way that matches real situations coaches are in right now.
Carl described it as teaching the same core ideas, but adding “flavor” through examples, language, and emphasis that meets the group where they are.
Knowledge vs wisdom: what the cohort is built to deliver
Near the end of the recap, Carl made a distinction that shaped the whole conversation.
The digital content provides knowledge. The cohort experience is meant to provide wisdom, meaning practical application, guided reps, and real feedback based on what coaches are doing week to week.
That’s also why the program includes multiple touchpoints each week, and why implementation inside CoachRX ties into the learning process.
Want to join the next OPEX Method cohort?
Enrollment was shared as open for the January cohort, with enrollment closing on January 9, and the cohort starting January 13.
For coaches who followed these recaps and want to see the program details, OPEX directed viewers to the official program page: OPEX Method program details and cohort information.
Candace also encouraged coaches to talk with the education team, even if they aren’t sure it’s the right time. The goal of those conversations is clarity, plus direction to free resources that may help right away.
Extra resources: a coach’s weekly vlog perspective
Candace also pointed viewers to additional content on the OPEX Fitness YouTube channel, including weekly wrap-ups and a weekly vlog series from Dr. David Skolnick (strength coach and DPT), who went through the full 10 weeks.
The value of that series is simple: you get to see how an experienced coach applied the material in real time, and what stood out week by week.
Conclusion: a simple system, clear message, and confidence to act
Week 10 wrapped the OPEX Method by bringing marketing back to what it should be: clear communication, done consistently, without losing your identity as a coach. Coaches finished the program able to explain their offer, speak to a specific client, and run a basic lead system without adding a pile of extra tools.
If you’ve been holding back because marketing feels fake or exhausting, this recap offers a different idea: start with clarity, keep it simple, and put your time back where it belongs, with clients.
The livestream runs across YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Questions are welcome during the stream and after. If you have a question, add it in the comments where you watch.
The team reviews them and answers in the next live session. There are no silly questions. If something is blocking you, someone else is likely stuck on the same thing.
Curious about joining a future cohort or want the full curriculum?
Get the overview and next steps inside the OPEX Method mentorship and CCP Level 1.
Next Steps
Become A Professional Coach.
Wherever you are on your coaching journey, learn a repeatable and proven system to simplify program design and build a sustainable career. See how the OPEX Method Mentorship can help you find your version of success as a professional coach.
Elevate Your Coaching Business
CoachRx empowers fitness coaches to excel in program design, nurture client relationships, and scale their businesses with unparalleled efficiency and insight. Discover why CoachRx is the preferred choice for fitness coaches seeking to differentiate and deliver exceptional services.
Continue To Learn & Grow
Whether you want to write better training programs, increase your knowledge of nutrition & lifestyle protocols, or work on your coaching business, LearnRx has got you covered with courses, playlists, tools, and resources on demand. New content added monthly.
