More time to focus on clients: Global business coach saves an hour a day with Calendly

I’m Mel Larsen, a London-based business coach and the founder of Dream Project Coach. For over 30 years, I’ve worked with creative entrepreneurs, purpose-led founders, and changemakers to help them turn bold ideas into thriving businesses. Through my coaching programs, live events, and consulting work, I’ve built a global community of women entrepreneurs — from early-stage visionaries to established leaders.

My coaching practice is built around three pillars: clarity, empowerment, and transformation. I run four structured coaching programs, work with clients one-on-one, lead a team of six associate coaches, and regularly partner with large cultural institutions to provide executive consulting. At the heart of everything I do is a commitment to helping others make more of an impact with less stress.

With hundreds of active clients, dozens of sessions each month, and a calendar that spans multiple time zones, I needed a scheduling solution that could match my pace and my brand. That’s where Calendly comes in.

Challenges

Manual scheduling created unnecessary stress

Before Calendly, scheduling was one of the most frustrating parts of my day. After a coaching session, I’d ask the client when they were free, scroll through my diary, send a manual invite, generate a Zoom link, and then try to remember to follow up. It took time and mental energy — two things I’d rather devote to my clients.

Sometimes, I’d forget to send reminders. Other times, I’d forget to send the web conference link. My clients were kind and understanding, but I knew that wasn’t the level of professionalism I wanted to offer. And with four structured coaching programs — each designed for entrepreneurs at different stages of business growth — plus live events, consulting projects, and more than 200 active clients, it was only getting harder to keep up.

Manually coordinating times with prospects, clients, and partner organizations was slowing me down. It didn’t reflect the brand I had worked so hard to build, and it was becoming a serious barrier to growth.

Solution

A seamless experience for every client interaction

I discovered Calendly through a quick online search. After reviewing a few options, I knew right away that this platform was different. It was easy to use, visually intuitive, and felt like something I could implement quickly. That was important — I was busy and needed a solution that wouldn’t add to my workload.

“Once I got started, Calendly quickly became the backbone of my operations.”

Mel Larsen

Business Growth Coach & Consultant

I created Event Types for coaching sessions, discovery calls, and leadership consulting. For live events, I set up a Round Robin link that allows prospects to schedule time with either myself or my colleague Rachel — without the need to send multiple links or coordinate manually.

What I love most is the ability to ask custom questions ahead of each discovery call. Clients share their goals, challenges, and what they hope to accomplish. 

“I arrive prepared, they feel seen, and the conversation starts from a place of clarity.”

Mel Larsen

Business Growth Coach & Consultant

Calendly’s automated Workflows, which include reminders, have also made a huge difference. Now, I don’t need to worry about follow-ups. Whether someone books a one-on-one session, a post-event discovery call, or a strategy consultation, Calendly handles all the logistics. I can even tailor the reminder cadence based on the type of meeting or the audience: more touchpoints for newer clients, and fewer for busy executives.

And when a client and I have already agreed on a time during a call, I can simply go into Calendly and add the meeting manually. It’s quick and intuitive, and I appreciate that it remembers returning clients and autofills their details. Even without a booking link, Calendly still helps me save time.

Results

Spending more energy on what truly matters: coaching

Calendly now saves me between 30 and 60 minutes every day. That’s time I’ve reinvested in growing my business, supporting my team, and helping my clients succeed.

Since implementing Calendly, my discovery call bookings have increased by around 50%. Just having a link ready to share after a live event or during a conversation has significantly reduced friction and increased conversions.

The client experience has also improved dramatically. Everything feels professional and polished, from the moment someone registers for an event to the day they join a coaching call.

“I’ve even had clients tell me our onboarding process feels more thoughtful and organized than companies 10 times our size.”

Mel Larsen

Business Growth Coach & Consultant

Calendly allows me to scale my services without losing the high-touch approach my business is known for. It frees me up to focus on strategy, service delivery, and connection — all of the reasons I started this business in the first place.

If Calendly disappeared tomorrow, I’d genuinely mourn the loss. That’s how essential it is to my work.