If you’re a person that finds working with people enjoyable and wants to help them reach their personal goals, a coaching business might be the right fit for you. Today, the coaching business is more than ever accessible and provides advantages as you no longer have to have an office to meet with your prospective clients. You can also use modern technology from the comfort of your own home and hold face-to-face coaching with clients from all over the world.
If you’re looking to take your coaching business to the next level, you might want to consider thinking outside the box. Let’s talk about some unconventional yet intriguing ways inspired by cultural practices in Papua New Guinea. You don’t need to have cultural ties to appreciate these ideas; you just need a fresh perspective and the willingness to stand out. Here are seven ways to level up your coaching business that blend cultural creativity with modern online platforms.
1. Use Traditional Sing-Sings to Create Engaging Online Events
Sing-sings in Papua New Guinea are colorful gatherings where different tribes showcase their dances, songs, and traditional attire. In a coaching context, you could adapt this idea by creating vibrant online events that bring together different voices, ideas, and styles. Think of it as a virtual celebration where your clients or community can learn and grow while participating in a unique, interactive experience.
- Host monthly or quarterly “virtual sing-sings” where clients share their progress, wins, and lessons learned, all with a twist of fun and creativity.
- Incorporate themes and encourage participants to come dressed or prepared according to that theme, whether it’s traditional attire, a color scheme, or something more aligned with your coaching style.
- Use music, visual effects, or even special performances during these events to create a lively and memorable atmosphere.
By making your sessions more than just another Zoom call, you’ll set yourself apart and build a loyal following.
2. Teach Shell Money (Tabu) Concepts Online to Create Value-Driven Programs
Shell money (or “tabu”) is still used in some areas of Papua New Guinea for trade and cultural ceremonies. The concept of trading something deeply valued and meaningful can be reinterpreted in your coaching business. This approach could be especially useful for those coaching on topics related to finances, value, or personal growth.
- Offer courses or workshops that explore value exchanges beyond traditional currency—think bartering skills, time, or other non-monetary assets.
- Teach clients how to identify what they value most and help them “trade” these for progress in other areas of their life, whether that’s through skill-swapping or leveraging their resources in creative ways.
- Introduce the concept of non-cash accountability systems—where clients commit to certain tasks or goals in exchange for non-monetary “payments” like mentorship, exposure, or even creative outputs.
This method not only adds a unique cultural touch but also encourages your clients to think deeply about what they value.
3. Spread the Wisdom of Sepik River Crocodile Cultures Through Storytelling and Imagery
In the Sepik River region, crocodiles symbolize strength, resilience, and transformation. The rituals in which young men get their skin scarred to resemble crocodile scales is powerful imagery. You could use these metaphors in your coaching practice, especially if you’re focusing on overcoming adversity, personal transformation, or resilience.
- Share stories inspired by the Sepik River cultures in your newsletters, blogs, or webinars. Draw parallels between these stories and the challenges your clients might be facing.
- Create visual content—whether that’s graphics, videos, or even storytelling sessions—using the crocodile as a symbol of strength. Use these visuals to promote your coaching sessions.
- Incorporate the concept of symbolic transformation in your coaching by helping clients create their own “crocodile marks,” whether through milestones, significant moments, or achievement markers.
This can help build a narrative that sticks, making your coaching memorable and visually engaging.
4. Coach Like the Asaro Mudmen: The Art of Strategic Presentation
The Asaro Mudmen are known for their dramatic appearance, wearing masks and covering themselves in white clay to intimidate rivals. While the context is very different, you can apply the idea of strategic presentation to your online coaching.
- Teach clients the significance of “wearing the right mask”—not in a deceptive sense, but in learning how to present themselves strategically depending on the context (e.g., job interviews, networking, public speaking).
- Use video sessions or content that delve into the psychology of appearance, both online and in person. Help clients fine-tune how they project themselves for different situations.
- Run challenges or workshops where clients create their own “masks” in a metaphorical sense—such as crafting their professional identity, building personal branding strategies, or honing their elevator pitch.
By tapping into the concept of purposeful presentation, your coaching can address one of the key factors that impact success: perception.
5. Emulate the Huli Wigmen in Creating Identity and Status Symbols
The Huli Wigmen’s iconic wigs made from their own hair, adorned with feathers and paint, are more than just headpieces—they are status symbols that represent identity, pride, and rank. In your coaching business, you could use this concept to help your clients build a strong sense of identity and align that with their personal brand.
- Develop workshops where clients work on identifying and crafting their unique identity markers—whether it’s through their personal branding, work ethic, or the way they approach tasks.
- Offer programs that emphasize “status symbols” in a non-materialistic sense, focusing on achievements, personal milestones, or qualities that clients want to be recognized for.
- Use rituals or ceremonies—adapted for an online environment—where clients showcase their “identity markers” or accomplishments, similar to how the Huli Wigmen display their wigs.
This kind of focused identity-building helps clients feel more grounded in who they are and what they stand for.
6. Promote Yams and Ceremonial Gardening Through Coaching Themes
In some parts of Papua New Guinea, yams are not just crops but symbols of wealth, status, and ritual. The care, attention, and ceremony that go into growing yams have parallels in personal development and growth. You can use this concept to build coaching themes around patience, nurturing, and growth over time.
- Run coaching programs that use gardening as a metaphor for growth, with clients “planting seeds” (small habits or decisions) and tending to them over time.
- Incorporate long-term planning sessions, where clients set up systems to nurture their “yams”—whether that’s career goals, personal habits, or relationships—over an extended period, rather than focusing only on quick results.
- Create visual content or even digital planners that track growth stages, similar to how a yam grows, helping clients see the incremental steps that lead to larger achievements.
This approach shifts the focus from instant outcomes to sustainable, gradual development, making your coaching more relatable and grounded.
7. Teach the Highland Pig Feasts (Moka) Concept to Build Strong Client Networks
The Moka exchange system in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands is a fascinating social network built around the exchange of pigs as a way to create bonds, settle disputes, and build influence. You can adapt this idea to help your clients build strong networks, relationships, and social capital.
- Offer coaching programs that focus on the importance of reciprocity, teaching clients how to strategically give value in their networks to build long-term relationships.
- Organize online “exchange” events where clients can swap services, knowledge, or advice with one another, strengthening connections in a meaningful way.
- Teach clients the art of long-term networking strategies, where relationships are built not just for immediate benefit but as ongoing exchanges that bring value over time.
By promoting the idea of reciprocal giving and strategic relationship-building, your coaching business can build a community that thrives on mutual support and shared growth.
Final Words
Using these culturally inspired methods doesn’t mean you’re stepping away from what you’re already doing. Instead, you’re adding layers of creativity, narrative, and engagement that help your coaching business stand out. Whether it’s through storytelling, symbolic actions, or interactive experiences, these approaches bring an element of surprise and depth that your clients are unlikely to find elsewhere.
