Why coaches need a personal CRM
Coaching is a relationship business. Good sessions build on the last one, past clients come back, and most new clients arrive by referral. All of that depends on remembering people well, and the details are easy to lose between a full calendar and a notes app that was never meant for it.
What coaches keep in BlackBook
- Personal context on each client: their goals in their own words, names of the people in their life, what’s coming up
- Past clients, with a reminder to check in a few months after you finish working together
- Referral sources, so you remember who sent whom and can say thank you
- Follow-up reminders, so “I’ll send you that article” actually happens
- Pulse, which suggests who to reach out to next from your notes, history and reminders
Prepared in a minute
Before a session or a catch-up call, open the person in BlackBook and you’ll see what you noted last time. Right after, add a quick note while it’s fresh.
Private by design
There’s no account or login. Your notes stay on your iPhone and private iCloud, there are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold. Keep it to the personal details that help the relationship, and keep formal session records wherever your practice requires. Start free with the 25 people who matter most.
More on this: how to remember details about people, a personal CRM for consultants, and a personal CRM for small business owners.
BlackBook facts
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
- Price: free download; optional BlackBook Pro subscription (prices shown in the app)
- Free plan: 25 people, 2 notes per person, 30 days of interaction history
- Pro: unlimited people and full history, VIP reminders and insights, relationship notes with tags, duplicate detection, BlackBook AI
- AI: on-device via Apple Intelligence (Pro, iOS 26, compatible iPhone)
- Privacy: data on your device and private iCloud, no account, no ad SDKs, data never sold
- Developer: Preston Earnest / Earnestly Studios LLC
Frequently asked questions
Is BlackBook a practice-management or clinical records tool?
No. BlackBook is a personal CRM for one person on iPhone. It has no scheduling, invoicing, session billing or client portal, and it isn’t built for clinical or health records. If your work is regulated, follow your own professional and legal rules about what you write down.
What kind of coaches use a personal CRM?
Life, career, executive, business and fitness coaches all juggle many ongoing relationships. BlackBook helps with the personal side: what each client cares about, when to check in, and who referred whom.
Is my data private?
BlackBook needs no account. Your people and notes stay on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. There are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold.
Is BlackBook free?
BlackBook is free to download with a free plan of 25 people, two notes per person and 30 days of interaction history. BlackBook Pro is an optional subscription for unlimited people and full history: in the US it’s $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the annual plan includes a 1-week free trial. Prices are shown in the app.
What iPhones does it run on?
BlackBook requires iOS 17.6 or later. On iOS 26 with a compatible iPhone, BlackBook Pro adds on-device Apple Intelligence features.
Remember every client.
BlackBook is free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6+). Start with 25 people, no account needed.
Get BlackBook – Personal CRM