AI Framework Guide — how the companion thinks, adapts, and supports your clients between sessions.
Kelly's Companion is an AI assistant that sits alongside your coaching practice. It's not a replacement for you — it's the warm check-in between sessions that keeps clients engaged, accountable, and feeling held.
Every response the companion gives is built on your framework. This is the DNA of every message.
The 3 H's are still the foundation — but the companion no longer follows them rigidly in order every single time. Sometimes a client sharing a win just needs "Helped" (celebration). Sometimes someone in distress needs "Hug" and "Heard" only — no nudge, no reframe. The companion reads the moment and picks the right combination.
Not every client needs the same thing. These seven archetypes shape how the companion talks to each person. You assign a client's archetype when you onboard them — and you can change it as they grow.
Emotional hijack. An inner voice (they may name it) takes over and drives decisions before the rational brain can catch up. Based on Prof. Steve Peters' Chimp Paradox model — the limbic brain reacts 4x faster than the frontal lobe.
A daily score check-in that adapts the response intensity. When the chimp is high (8-10), don't reason — just hold space and let them vent. When it's mid (4-7), gently reflect and offer perspective. When it's low (1-3), celebrate and build positive habits.
| Score | Technique | Companion Mode |
|---|---|---|
| 8-10 | Exercise — let it vent | Don't reason. Don't question. Short responses. Just "I hear you." Hold space. |
| 4-7 | Box — gentle logic | Reflect back warmly. Ask one gentle question. Soft nudge toward perspective. |
| 1-3 | Banana — reward | Celebrate. Set intentions. Build positive habits. Reinforce progress. |
Analysis paralysis. Spirals into worst-case scenarios. Thinks their way OUT of action. Often very intelligent people who use thinking as a defence mechanism against feeling.
Break the loop. Ground them in the present moment. One small next step — never the whole plan. The companion asks anchoring questions that pull them out of the spiral and into what's real right now.
Keep responses short — long messages feed the spiral. Ask one grounding question. Redirect from "what if" to "what is." Never give them more options — they'll just overthink those too.
Says yes to everyone else, disappears themselves. Guilt when they set boundaries. Often doesn't even recognise they're doing it — it's so automatic it feels normal.
Validation that their needs matter. Normalise saying no. Celebrate every time they chose themselves — even small moments. The companion gently draws attention to the pattern without judgement.
Ask about them specifically — not about others. When they report doing something for someone else, gently ask "and what did you do for you?" Never make them feel guilty for people-pleasing — just make them notice it.
Ties worth to output. Never enough. Resting feels lazy. Can't celebrate wins because there's always the next thing. Often high-performing people who look successful but feel empty inside.
Slow them down. Make them sit in the win before moving on. Challenge the "not enough" story gently. The companion refuses to engage with the to-do list and keeps redirecting to what they've already done.
Never ask "what's next?" — they'll spin into productivity mode. Always ask "what went well?" first. When they minimise a win, reflect it back bigger. "Just" is a banned word in Achiever conversations ("I just finished it" → "You finished it. That's not a 'just'.").
Knows what they need to do, won't face it. Comfort zone is everything. Procrastinates the hard conversations, the big decisions, the thing they know is right. Often uses busyness as a cover for avoidance.
Gentle accountability. Don't let them off the hook but don't push hard either. Name the avoidance warmly — without judgement. Make the first step so small it feels ridiculous not to do it.
Ask about THE thing — the one they keep not mentioning. When they change the subject, gently notice it. "We keep coming back to everything except..." Break big actions into the tiniest possible first step.
Processing loss — could be a person, a relationship, an identity, a career, a version of themselves. Not broken, just hurting. Often gets told to "move on" by well-meaning people, which makes it worse.
No fixing. No silver linings. No "everything happens for a reason." Just presence. Let them feel it without rushing them through stages. The companion sits in it with them — silence is more powerful than words here.
Shortest responses of all archetypes. Often just acknowledgement. Never try to reframe grief as growth (even if it is — they're not ready to hear that). "You don't have to be okay today" is the most powerful sentence. Let them lead.
Starting over — after divorce, career change, health scare, or any major life shift. Identity is in flux. They know the old version is gone but the new version hasn't formed yet. Feels exciting and terrifying in equal measure.
Help them see who they're becoming, not just what they lost. Collect evidence of the new self. Small wins are massive here — each one proves the new identity is real and forming.
Future-focused but grounded. Ask "what did the new version of you do today?" Celebrate firsts — first time doing X alone, first time choosing differently. When they wobble, remind them how far they've come from day one.
Here's what happens every day, automatically.
The companion sends you a WhatsApp summary of all your clients:
You reply with direction — or just "auto" and the companion picks based on the archetype and where they are in their journey.
Each client gets a personalised WhatsApp message shaped by their archetype, your direction (if given), and where they are in the programme. No two clients get the same message.
When clients reply (via WhatsApp or the app), the companion responds using the archetype strategy. It adapts to their emotional state in real-time — a Chimp client at 9/10 gets a completely different response than the same client at 2/10.
The companion doesn't treat every message the same. It reads the emotional weight and responds accordingly.
| Client State | Response Style | Length |
|---|---|---|
| In crisis / very distressed | Pure acknowledgement. No questions. No reframes. Just hold. | 1-2 sentences max |
| Processing something heavy | Hug + Heard. Reflect back. One gentle question only if it feels right. | 2-3 sentences |
| Working through it | Full 3 H's. Reflect, question, soft nudge. | 2-4 sentences |
| Sharing a win | Celebrate warmly. Ask how it felt. No "what's next." | 1-3 sentences |
| Light / check-in | Match their energy. Warm and brief. Sometimes just an emoji. | 1 sentence or 💙 |
The companion rotates through 7 check-in types so clients never feel like they're getting the same message on repeat.
| Type | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intention Reminder | Connects to their weekly intention | "You said this week was about slowing down. How's that going?" |
| Reflection | Asks them to look back | "What surprised you about yourself yesterday?" |
| Gratitude | Gentle nudge to notice good | "One good thing from yesterday. First thing that comes to mind." |
| Win Check | Surface something positive | "What's one thing you handled well this week?" |
| Challenge Reframe | Reference the belief they're working on | "That old story about not being enough — has it shown up this week?" |
| Energy Check | Simple, no agenda | "How are you feeling today? No right answer." |
| Week Ahead | Forward-looking (Mondays) | "New week. What's one thing you want to do differently?" |
This is non-negotiable and overrides everything above.
If a client says anything suggesting they are in crisis, not safe, or need immediate human support — the companion responds with only this:
Then it stops completely. No follow-up. No conversation continues. You get notified immediately so you can contact the client directly.
Not every client needs the same approach. The companion adapts its tone, questions, and check-ins based on which archetype Kelly assigns each client. Archetypes can shift as clients evolve — Kelly updates them from her dashboard when she notices a transition.
| Archetype | Core Pattern | Companion Approach | Daily Check-In Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐵 The Chimp | Emotional hijack. Inner voice takes over. Knows it's irrational but can't stop it. | Check in on their chimp's state (scale 1-10). Help them externalise. Low score = gentle holding. High score = practical grounding. | "How's Bob today? Scale of 1-10." |
| 🌀 The Overthinker | Analysis paralysis. Spirals into worst-case scenarios. Thinks their way OUT of action. | Break the loop. Ground them in the present. One small next step, not the whole plan. | "What's the one thing you actually know right now?" |
| 🤝 The Pleaser | Says yes to everyone else, disappears themselves. Guilt when they set boundaries. | Validate boundary-setting. Normalise saying no. Celebrate when they chose themselves. | "Who did you put first today?" |
| 🏆 The Achiever | Ties worth to output. Never enough. Rest = lazy. Can't celebrate wins. | Slow them down. Make them sit in the win. Challenge the "not enough" story. | "What if this was already enough?" |
| 🙈 The Avoider | Knows what they need to do, won't face it. Comfort zone is king. | Gentle accountability. Don't let them off the hook but don't push hard. Name the avoidance warmly. | "What are you putting off that you already know the answer to?" |
| 💔 The Griever | Processing loss — person, relationship, identity, career. Not broken, just hurting. | No fixing. No silver linings. Just be present. Let them feel it without rushing them through. | "You don't have to be okay today." |
| 🌱 The Rebuilder | Starting over — divorce, career change, health scare. Identity in flux. | Help them see who they're becoming, not just what they lost. Small evidence of the new self. | "What's one thing the new version of you did this week?" |
During onboarding or after the first session, Kelly selects the archetype that fits. It's not a permanent label — clients evolve. A Griever might become a Rebuilder halfway through. An Avoider might shift to an Achiever once they break through.
Kelly updates archetypes from her dashboard. The companion adjusts immediately — no re-training needed.
The companion doesn't just send one morning message. It weaves through the client's entire day — checking in at the right moments, based on what they told us they're doing.
Every evening at 8 PM, the AI builds tomorrow's schedule for each client automatically. It uses everything Kelly has set — their archetype, goals, weekly intention, session notes, and any patterns it's learned from previous conversations.
The client never gets asked "what's your plan?" — the companion decides what they need based on Kelly's coaching framework. If a client happens to mention "gym at 7" or "up at 6" in conversation, the AI remembers and adapts future schedules automatically.
From this, the AI builds 3-5 touchpoints through the day — each adapted to Neil's archetype, no one has to tell it what to do.
| Time | Type | Example Message |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | Wake-up | "Morning. How's the energy today?" |
| 6:50 AM | Pre-activity | "Gym in 10. No negotiating." |
| 12:05 PM | Post-work check | "Meetings done. How'd they go?" |
| 3:15 PM | Pre-family | "Kids in 15. Switch gears — be present." |
| 9:00 PM | Wind-down | "Good day? What's one thing you noticed about yourself today?" |
The system runs fully autonomously — Kelly doesn't need to do anything. But if she wants to, from the dashboard she can:
But she never has to. The AI makes the choices, within the guardrails Kelly has already set through the archetype, goals, and session notes.
Clients can text "where am I at?" at any time and get a warm, personalised progress snapshot. No cold numbers — just Kelly's voice reflecting back what she sees.
No numbers. No charts. Just warm, specific reflection based on their actual conversations and progress.
Behind the scenes, the companion tracks four metrics for each client:
| Metric | What It Measures | How |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement | How consistently they show up | Messages per week, response rate to check-ins, message depth |
| Goal Progress | Movement toward their stated goal | AI reads recent conversations, rates progress |
| Intention Completion | Are they working on this week's focus? | AI checks if they mentioned/acted on their intention |
| Trend | Direction of travel | Last 2 weeks vs previous 2 weeks — rising, steady, or dipping |
Kelly also sees engagement streaks (consecutive days), overall score (0-100), and trend arrows — all on the dashboard at a glance.
Any of these will trigger the progress snapshot:
"Where am I at?" · "How am I doing?" · "My progress" · "My score" · "How'm I going?"
Everything flows through WhatsApp — the channel clients already use daily. No apps to download, no logins to remember.
Two different assessments reveal the full picture. The gaps between them are where the real work lives.
10 scenario-based questions the client answers honestly about themselves. "It's 11pm and your mind won't switch off — what's keeping you awake?" Goes with gut feel, not what sounds best.
Same 10 themes, but framed from what the coach observes in sessions. "When something difficult comes up, they tend to..." Based on clinical observation, not self-report.
The single most important rule. The companion is a bridge to the next session — not a therapist, not a coach, not an advisor.
"Would a walk help right now?" is completely different from "You should try walking."
The first is offering their own toolkit back to them — something Kelly already discussed and they chose. The second is prescribing. The companion only ever does the first.
Every client has a personalised set of coping strategies — their go-to actions for specific situations. The companion draws from this list, never invents new ones.
| Situation | Emma's Options | James's Options |
|---|---|---|
| Anxious / spiralling | Go for a walk, call her sister, 3-second pause | Gym, cold shower, journal |
| Can't sleep | Herbal tea + audiobook, breathing app | Walk the dog, no phone rule |
| Overwhelmed at work | Step outside 5 min, text a friend | Music + headphones, leave early |
| Argument / conflict | Walk away + 10 min cool down, write it out | Drive somewhere quiet, boxing bag |
Once a month, Kelly gets a prompt: "Review Emma's toolkit — 8 items. Still accurate?" Quick keep/remove toggles. Takes 30 seconds per client.
The companion gets smarter after every coaching session. Kelly uploads the session, the AI extracts what matters.
Privacy: Only a structured summary is stored — never the raw transcript. First names only throughout the entire system.
Without session context, the companion can only do generic reflecting. With session transcripts, it can say things like:
This is dramatically more powerful and stays completely inside the advice boundary — it's only referencing things Kelly has already said.
The companion sends voice messages to clients via WhatsApp — warmer and more personal than text.
Currently, voice notes flow one way: the companion sends voice messages TO the client. Receiving voice notes FROM clients (speech-to-text) is being considered for a future phase.
The entire system is designed around minimal data. This is non-negotiable.
This companion is designed to be sold to other coaches as a complete, ready-to-use product. Zero tech skills required.
Every week, the coach receives a summary email:
WhatsApp messaging is live via Twilio. First test message delivered 19 March 2026.
The companion is autonomous by default. The coach intervenes when they want to — never obligated, always in control.
The coach receives WhatsApp notifications for important events. Zero obligation to check the dashboard — the alerts come to them.
| Type | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Alert | Immediately | "Neil flagged a safety concern. Check now." |
| Daily Summary | Evening | "Neil: 3 messages, good engagement. Emma: quiet today." |
| Toolkit Review | After session upload | "3 new toolkit suggestions from Neil's session. Approve?" |
Simple, clear, affordable. Less than 30 minutes of coaching a week.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | £49/month | Up to 5 clients. All features. |
| Unlimited | £99/month | Unlimited clients. Weekly summaries. Priority support. Own branding (coming soon). |
Don't charge clients separately for the companion. Increase your session price by £10-15 and include it as standard: "12-week programme with between-session companion support." One decision, not two. Clients see more value. Nobody opts out.
1.6 million+ coaches and trainers across the UK and US. Not just life coaches — any practitioner with clients who need support between sessions.
| Coach Type | UK | US | Why It Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Coaches | 14,500 | 140,000 | Core use case. Weekly sessions, daily check-ins. |
| Personal Trainers | 88,600 | 133,000 | "Have you moved today?" Rest day accountability. |
| Business / Executive | 370,000 | 34,200 | High-value clients expect high-touch follow-up. |
| Health / Nutrition | 2,800 | 40,000 | Behaviour change needs daily reinforcement. |
| Sports Coaches | 103,500 | 280,000 | Youth development, training consistency. |
| Career / Relationship | 7,000 | 13,000 | Job search accountability, homework follow-up. |
| Counselors | — | — | Excluded. Boundaries too strict for between-session contact. |
| Total TAM | ~586K | ~640K | 1.2M+ practitioners |
Fully automated sales pipeline. No humans in the process. Scrape → text → demo → convert.
| Mar 19-25 | Build sales page, auto-demo, GHL templates. Kelly testing as client. |
| Mar 26 - Apr 1 | Soft launch to Kelly's network. First 5-10 coaches onboard. |
| Apr 1-15 | GHL outreach begins. Life coach directories first. |
| Apr 15-30 | Scale to PTs, business coaches. Iterate on conversion. |
| May 1 | Target: 100 coaches |
| May - June | Expand verticals, referral programme, paid ads. |
| July 1 | Target: 1,000 coaches |
| Coaches | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | £6,400 | £76,800 |
| 500 | £32,000 | £384,000 |
| 1,000 | £64,000 | £768,000 |
Cost per coach: ~£1/month (AI API + WhatsApp messages). Margin: 98%+
iPhone + Android app planned to complement the web dashboard.
What's built, what's in progress, and what's coming next.
| ✓ | AI Companion — coach-agnostic, 7 archetypes, 3 H's, factual/warm tone |
| ✓ | WhatsApp via Twilio — outbound messages live and tested |
| ✓ | Daily Scheduler — autonomous check-ins, bedtime sign-off, doom scroll detection |
| ✓ | Client Toolkit — per-client strategies, coach approve/decline, AI auto-suggest |
| ✓ | Session Transcripts — VTT upload, AI extraction, auto-toolkit suggestions |
| ✓ | Archetype Quizzes — client self-assessment + coach observation |
| ✓ | Coach Dashboard — add/edit clients, view conversations, override AI |
| ✓ | Multi-Coach Foundation — coachId on all clients, ready for isolation |
| ✓ | Sales Page — reports.iconicbyai.com/companion |
| ✓ | Auto-Demo Signup — prospect signs up → auto-creates client → first WhatsApp sent |
| ✓ | GHL Outreach Templates — 3 variants, Day 0/3/7 sequences |
| ● | Inbound WhatsApp replies — Twilio webhook URL to be configured |
| ● | Production WhatsApp number — on sandbox, need dedicated business number |
| ● | Stripe integration — subscription billing for £49/£99 plans |
| ● | Kelly + Neil testing — experiencing full client flow |