How Dr. Arlayn Castle Built a Transformational Coaching Business

In this interview, we are excited to speak with Dr. Arlayn Castle, the visionary founder of Castle of Knowledge. Specializing in life and transformational divorce coaching, Dr. Castle has built a platform dedicated to helping individuals navigate personal challenges and achieve professional growth. Through a range of services, including employee wellness programs, educational webinars, and personalized coaching sessions, Castle of Knowledge empowers clients to find clarity and transformation in their lives. Join us as we delve into Dr. Castle’s journey, insights, and the unique impact of her work.

Inspiration Behind Castle of Knowledge

SBS – What inspired you to start Castle of Knowledge? Can you describe your journey to becoming a life and transformational divorce coach?

Dr. Castle – I was inspired to start A Castle of Knowledge, LLC several years ago as I served as a mentor and life coach to individuals, particularly divorced professionals struggling with challenges of disappointment, sadness, and the emotional overwhelm of separation and divorce.

As a hurting professional divorcee over 21 years ago, I withered through the emotional turmoil of divorce. It was devasting! I went to counseling for a year and was allowed to talk, vent, and cry in a safe place, and thereafter, I still found myself “stuck” in my head. I put on my psychology hat and eventually figured out what worked. It took some time, but I can remember the day the transformation occurred. I felt lighter, stronger, wiser, and alive! Shortly after that, I started helping my friends and their friends and enjoyed seeing their lives transform, the results of which included realigning with and rediscovering their value, gaining resilience and wisdom from experience, managing their emotions, and feeling empowered and ready to live again!

Core Coaching Values

SBS – What are the core values that drive your coaching philosophy?

Dr. Castle – The core values that drive my coaching philosophy are integrity, commitment, and accountability.

Customizing Coaching Programs

SBS – How do you tailor your coaching programs to meet individual client needs?

Dr. Castle – We have a 10-week intensive program that covers EVERY ASPECT of the hurting professional divorcee’s life. In addition, there are 1:1 meetings and virtual group coaching. Their hands are held during the program.

Client Challenges and Solutions

SBS – What are the most common challenges your clients face, and how do you help them overcome these?

Dr. Castle – Some of the common challenges that my clients face are regrets, feeling betrayed and like their dreams were shattered, not knowing how to move forward in life, and having a fear of the unknown future. Our program goes to the core of these and other feelings and emotions. We provide tools and strategies to our clients and we peel back the onion, dig deep, and address each iteration of their emotional overwhelm.

Benefits of Wellness Services

SBS – How do your wellness services benefit organizations and their employees?

Dr. Castle – Many times, when an employee is going through separation or divorce, every facet of their life is affected. Divorce is a traumatic event, and as such, one is always subconsciously preoccupied with the thoughts and emotions that emanate from it. This can make it difficult to concentrate on work responsibilities and tasks, and inevitably, mistakes (which may start as minor) occur. We contract and partner with organizations to add divorce coaching services as an extension of their employee assistance program (EAP). This benefits the employee in that they receive the coaching and support necessary to thrive forward in their life, and it benefits the employer in that they support and retain the employee while saving money on hiring and training a replacement.

“Life After Divorce” Program Overview

SBS – What are the key components of your “There Really IS Life After Divorce” program?

Dr. Castle – There are several key components, a few of which involve mindset, acceptance, spirituality, and self-care/development.

Measuring Coaching Success

SBS – How do you measure the success of your coaching and wellness programs?

Dr. Castle – We measure the success of clients’ engagement on calls and completion of modules is also tracked. There are many reviews and testimonials, and after completion of the program, clients send emails informing us of their achievements of the goals that were set during the program. *No one has ever complained or requested a refund.

Impact of Corporate Leadership Background

SBS – What role does your background in personal transformation and corporate leadership play in your coaching?

Dr. Castle – My personal transformation after divorce plays a huge role in that I have first-hand knowledge of the challenges and difficulties of hurting divorced professionals. Knowing exactly how my clients feel and what they are going through resonates with them and is priceless at a time when many of their friends and family members just do not understand because they cannot relate. As well, my background in psychology and having served as a leader in many organizations are critical to what makes me a successful mentor and coach.

Staying Updated in Coaching Trends

SBS – How do you stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in coaching and personal development?

Dr. Castle – You may have heard the phrase “coaches have coaches.” Well, it’s true. I have coaches and attend conferences and boot camps to stay on the cutting edge of anything that can be fruitful and helpful for my clients, my business, and my continuous personal development.

Advice for Aspiring Coaches

SBS – What advice would you give to someone starting a coaching business?

Dr. Castle – My advice to someone who desires to start a coaching business would be to:

• First, decide what they want to coach on and write things down.
• Second, decide who they want to help. It’s nice to help everyone but drill down to a particular niche.
• I would then suggest that they join a coaching program to learn about online business, funnels, ads, messaging/ad copy, CRMs, automation, and the like.
• They need to be committed, remember to get started, and not wait for perfection. If they wait for perfection, they will never get it done. As one of my coaches says, “Done is better than perfect!”

Effective Marketing Strategies

SBS – What marketing strategies have been most effective for your business?

Dr. Castle – Ads have been most effective for marketing. However, posting on social media a couple of times a week is a value add in that others can find out more about them and the services that they provide.

Lessons Learned in Business

SBS – What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned since starting your business?

Dr. Castle – Some of the biggest lessons that I learned were:

1. Rome wasn’t built in a day, meaning that building a business is a process.
2. Be willing to Invest in yourself and your business.
3. Just because you have a business and a website doesn’t mean people will know about (or find) you or your services.
4. You must have a continuous focus on impacting your clients’ lives, and everything positive will flow from there.
5. Sometimes, you may get frustrated, but keep going because there are people that need your services.