When Beth and Jeff McCord left a church role in Nashville, they we’re quite sure of all that would unfold in the years to come. After years in ministry, a move that once felt like God’s open door suddenly became a season of uncertainty. Within months, the excitement of a new pastoral role turned into confusion, stress, and loss.
“We had poured our hearts into a church we loved,” Jeff recalls. “And then, almost overnight, it was gone.”
That painful transition—the loss of identity, stability, and purpose—became the soil where something unexpected began to grow. Out of their in-between season came Your Enneagram Coach, a faith-based movement that has since reached millions around the world.
What started as one Enneagram coach working part-time out of a bonus room became a global community helping people see themselves with clarity and live with greater compassion and purpose.
In This Conversation, Beth & Jeff Share:
👉 The story behind Your Enneagram Coach — from loss, risk, and obedience to impact
👉 How a church exit became the catalyst for their next calling
👉 Why Beth launched her own company—and what that meant for their marriage
👉 The entrepreneurial lessons she learned while working for Michael Hyatt
👉 How Jeff’s season of recovery reshaped his understanding of identity and trust
👉 What each Enneagram type reveals about handling transition and stress
👉 Why flourishing isn’t a mountaintop—it’s awareness in the fog
From Church Loss to a New Beginning
When Jeff accepted an executive pastor position in Nashville, it felt like the natural next step. But just months in, he realized something was off.
“What I was asked to change wasn’t welcomed once I started changing it,” he says.
The tension grew. Within a year, Jeff was on sabbatical, navigating emotional and spiritual exhaustion.
Beth began working part-time for the Hyatt family—an unexpected gift that became her classroom for the next chapter.
“I got to see how they built a digital platform,” she says. “It gave me a vision for what was possible.”
At the same time, she started posting Enneagram insights online. “I didn’t think it would work,” she admits, “but I felt like I had to try.”
Her early clients became her first cohort of students. And when Ian Cron’s The Road Back to You released that same year, the Enneagram world exploded.
Suddenly, the McCords were building a rocket ship as it launched.
Healing, Risk, and the Birth of a Vision
While Beth built the framework for Your Enneagram Coach, Jeff was rebuilding himself.
“I dove into recovery work,” he says. “I realized how much of my identity was tied to fixing things—for people, for the church.”
He began counseling, attending recovery meetings, and learning to live from trust instead of control.
Meanwhile, Beth’s business grew fast. “We were still grieving,” she remembers. “But work became my way of coping. I was passionate, but I was also avoiding pain.”
Over time, they learned to integrate growth and grace.
“She had the vision,” Jeff says. “I just wanted to support it. That’s why we decided the company would be hers, not ours. I didn’t want her to disappear behind my name again.”
It was a defining decision—one that honored both of their callings and reshaped how they saw partnership in marriage and ministry.
What Each Enneagram Type Teaches Us About Transition
In this episode, Beth and Jeff walk through all nine Enneagram types and how each responds to change, loss, and stress:
- Type 1: Stop trying to “get it right.” Growth comes through creativity and childlike resourcefulness.
- Type 2: You can’t help everyone—learn to ask for your own needs.
- Type 3: Don’t reframe failure too quickly; let it teach you collaboration.
- Type 4: Don’t wait for perfect inspiration—take imperfect action.
- Type 5: You already know enough. Step out and do something.
- Type 6: When trust systems fall apart, start small—learn and act.
- Type 7: Don’t run from grief; walk through it gently with others.
- Type 8: Dial back the intensity; power is best used to protect, not push.
- Type 9: Move toward what matters—but don’t hide in busyness.
Flourishing in Different Seasons
Flourishing, Beth says, isn’t about finally arriving somewhere.
“It’s more about awareness—knowing when I’m not flourishing, and having tools to return to what’s true.”
For Jeff, flourishing looks like staying connected in crisis.
“We’ve learned to find each other in the fog,” he says. “We’re less ambitious now, maybe more sober-minded—but we’re healthier. We’re doing our own work.”
Together, they’ve built a global coaching network that helps people navigate their inner world with compassion, integrating the Enneagram and Internal Family Systems in their newest book, More Than Your Number.
For the Leader in Transition:
📌 Your identity isn’t tied to a role.
📌 Every ending holds the seeds of new creation.
📌 The pain you fear may be the path that prepares you.
📌 You can lead with clarity, even when life feels uncertain.
Want to Connect with Beth & Jeff?
🌐 Website: yourenneagramcoach.com
📱 Instagram: @yourenneagramcoach
Explore their coaching certifications, resources, and latest book More Than Your Number to begin your own journey toward clarity, compassion, and transformation.
Questions Worth Asking:
- What unexpected loss or disruption might actually be preparing you for growth?
- Where are you tempted to prove your worth instead of resting in who you are?
- What could flourishing look like—not at the mountaintop, but in the fog?
Save Years Of Wandering In The Wilderness
Clarify what your next step with one week of daily journal prompts. It doesn’t have to take seven years—or even seven months. You can figure out what to do without abandoning your faith or sense of purpose.
