NOTE: As of 2022 the Center for Executive Coaching is now accredited with the ICF as a Level 2 Coach Training Organization. The ICF has changed their language and replaced ACTP with Level 2. We were among the first group of coach training programs to receive this accreditation, after a rigorous review by the ICF.
How to avoid providing your services and advice for free to a prospect
One of the problems that many executive coaches face is how to avoid giving free but valuable advice to a prospect.
Because most people don’t want to hire a professional, many prospects are pretty savvy at asking questions to get “free consulting” before making a hiring decision. At the same time, because we like to show our expertise, some of us have a tendency to provide valuable advice for free — even enough so that a prospect doesn’t have to hire us at all!
Here is what I do when I sense that a prospect values my advice, keeps asking me questions to help his or her business, and yet won’t move forward to work with me on a fee basis:
“I really appreciate these questions, but I’m sensing that we are moving into an actual engagement, and that right now I’m giving away my services for free. Could I suggest that we set up a formal coaching engagement? That way, I can give you all the advice you need without worrying about whether you are going to hire me or not.”
Most serious prospects will agree at this point. However, the above approach also separates out those prospects who really only want free advice. If the prospect says something to the effect of, “Well, of course I intend to hire you, but I just have a few more questions…” then you know that you might not have a serious prospect — especially if his questions are about what you know or problem solving in nature and not about the scope of an engagement.
At that point, I say, “Well, those are exactly the issues we will cover during a coaching relationship. I’ve given you a good sense of how I work, and answered many of your questions so far. At this point, I really feel like you are getting my services for free. I can’t answer any more questions like this without an agreement in place.”
Of course, I happily answer questions about scope, my general approach, and the results I can achieve. But I don’t do free work.
Last week I utilized the above approach with a prospect who had called me again and again with marketing questions. Now the calls have stopped and I know he wasn’t serious about hiring me. So I can move onto other things and not remain under the illusion that if I just answer another question I’ll get the assignment. This person had no intention of engaging my services.
Because most executive coaches are smart and highly skilled, we tend to enjoy showing what we know. Unfortunately, this tendency can cost us time and money, and cause us to focus on prospects who will never hire us.
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Dr. Terry Jackson, Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach and CEC Alumni
Dr. Terry Jackson is an Executive Coach with a Ph.D. in Leadership and Organizational Change. He was selected by Marshall Goldsmith for membership in the prestigious Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches. He has served as a Leadership Advisor, Coach and Consultant for the US State Department and has 25 years of progressive leadership development experience in sales, marketing, operations management, and business consulting with Fortune 10 companies. Learn more at www.jcgconsultinggroup.com
“It is different now because I have become a better listener, which enables me to truly understand the challenges clients are facing, and opens up the opportunity to present the right solution.”
Terence’s Results
Can help employees optimize their skillset
Networked with many talented individuals
Can help clients identify their strengths and weaknesses
Has become a better listener
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Terence become a more skilled and successful coach
A large library of quality resources
Opportunities to network with other coaches
Certified training programs
Coaching strategies that are tested and proven
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Dr. Terry Jackson, and prior to becoming a member of the Centre for Executive Coaching (CEC), I was a Field Sales Director. I did that from 2008 to 2013 and never missed a number!
I recently completed a PhD degree in leadership and management. I understood the importance of coaching from a sports perspective, because I am a former athlete. Now people were talking about coaching from a business and a leadership perspective.
I wanted to gain those skills, because I understood the importance of being able to coach employees, leaders and managers within the organization as a way to optimize their skillset and results.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
Utilizing the tools of the CEC has enabled me to pursue clients at a higher level. I have always wanted to get into the executive coaching and consulting space and this allowed me to do so.
I look at some of my peers on the course who have been at Goldman Sachs, Pricewaterhouse, or are teaching at Harvard University and Yale. This course afforded me the opportunity to meet them.
At the very foundation of everything are the tools from the CEC that gave me great context and knowledge around how to solve challenges for organizations and individual leaders.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
Now I can deal with people and process, whether it is managing change, or creating a system where you take high potential leaders and develop them.
I can deal better with what is called the ‘inner leader of the game’. I can help people understand who they are and the type of leader they need to become to benefit their organization.
The tools from the CEC have enabled me to take my clients to a higher level of solution and a higher level of performance.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
Working with the Center for Executive Coaching has been worth the investment.
They also gave me access to the vast tools on their website that I could go through myself. I could work with others who were going through the process and ask questions. The lines of communication were truly open.
The knowledge base of those who had actually gone through the CEC certification was available and open for me to tap into. They shared their experiences of working with clients and gave examples throughout the process that enabled it to be a positive learning environment.
Who would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
For anyone who truly wants to become an executive coach, I recommend going through the process with the CEC. I have actually just recommended someone to go through this process.
This is a system where you can connect people, processes, and systems together in real time. It allows you to measure your results with your clients.
As a result of the tools and knowledge I have gained with the Center for Executive Coaching, I am in a position to work successfully with individuals and organizations. I strongly recommend the CEC.
Amy Bladen Shatto: Assessment expert, leadership advisor, and executive coach
Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto is distinguished by a 25-year record, merging scientific rigor with business realities in the application of leadership development, assessment, and coaching. Drawing from culturally diverse internal and external experiences, she partners with organizations and individuals to enhance leadership skills throughout the talent lifecycle. She is sought out for high impact solutions around upskilling high-potential successors; adapting leaders for rapid change (e.g., post-COVID complex technology, multi-generational demands); and fostering high-performance teams. A certified ICF (ACC) and BCC coach, Amy also brings to her practice both leadership and executive coaching. Her clientele spans industries, with prominent names like Johnson & Johnson, Merck, MetLife, NEA, and Merrill Lynch. Website.
Highlight’s from Amy Bladen Shatto’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win with the CEC has been becoming more crisp and clear in the way that I express my offering, and doing it in a way that is more marketable than before.”
Amy’s Results
More marketable offering
On demand resources to help clients
A better understanding of what it means to be a coach
Skills and strategies for building her business
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Amy build her own coaching business
Proven coaching techniques and strategies
Guidance in building a strong business
Certified programs
Expert instructors
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Amy Bladen Shatto, and I am a PhD I-O Psychologist, doing leadership development and coaching work. I interviewed a lot of different organizations for my coaching certification.
It was really clear to me that the Center for Executive Coaching was the right fit. My background is in industrial-organizational psychology. I come from a very metrics-oriented perspective so this course was an excellent fit, while still meeting the standards that ICF wants you to have.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
My business is different now than it was before I went to the CEC. Mostly because it is now a business! I went in not sure that I was going to make it as an entrepreneur. I really lacked confidence.
I walked out a few months later after getting the tools and having the experiences with much more confidence that I have a business, and confidence that I was going to make it.
Following the course in a very flexible way has allowed me to figure out what my needs are. You can start at any point with the CEC, which means you can get the tools but as you are going along.
If your client brings you something right now and you are not at that point in the program, you can immediately go and watch something on a video that is already recorded.
They can answer questions about marketing your business, getting started, and ramping up. They can help with all the common things entrepreneurs have concerns about. It helps you to not feel alone.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
The red thread in my career is leadership development outcomes. You build the strategy, which might include a competency component.
First we figure out the skills that they need to develop. Then we assess against these skills, in some way. I do a lot of assessment work and then we come back and do development, which includes training of some sort.
After training, we come back and measure. I develop measurement processes, as well as strategies to help them get to the next level.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
Timewise, this course fits well into your schedule. You can take time at night or during the day when it suits you. It is by far the most flexible offering that I have ever seen.
In terms of the investment, it is actually somewhat less than others, which is pretty outstanding. I feel you are getting more bang for your buck.
One of the things that I did not expect about the CEC, was to grow a very natural network of other professionals. I suddenly have this whole network to reach out to, and who can reach out to me.
One member that has become a dear friend has given me opportunities to present in communities that she is a part of, which has further built my business. We have been able to exchange opportunities with one another.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
By the end of my second day in the program, I felt like it was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I do not say that lightly. The flexibility, the offerings, as well as the tools and processes are very different from what you see elsewhere.
I would recommend this course to anybody who is looking to develop their coaching and is looking to be an entrepreneur.
Stefanie Breyer: Gaining confidence as an executive coach and building a practice
Stefanie Breyer is founder of Breyer Coaching LLC, a certified executive coach and a former corporate tech executive with over 25 years of experience in leading development teams, product strategy, organizational design, managing P&Ls, and M&A integration. Her clients are purposeful achievers, leaders who want to succeed in alignment with who they are. She uses and teaches a philosophy called genuine-leader impact, which affirms that it is possible to harmonize your own convictions with business and organizational realities to achieve success. With increased confidence, Stefanie’s clients find harmony in the chaos that surrounds them and gain personal and professional clarity to succeed in a way that feels true to themselves. Learn more about Stefanie here:
Key Points from Stefanie Breyer’s Hall of Fame Interview
“For me the big win since joining the Center for Executive Coaching has been gaining confidence around how to approach coaching, how to conduct individual coaching sessions, how to build that into a business, and overall increasing my confidence in my ability to do that.”
Stefanie’s Results
More confident as a coach
Has a framework to build her business
Has a recognized coaching qualification
Proven strategies to use with clients
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Stefanie build her skills as a coach
Expert trainers
A helpful and active community
Certified training programs
Tried and tested methods
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Stefanie Breyer, and before my current role, I was a tech executive. I had a big passion for mentoring and coaching.
I had been doing that informally in a volunteer capacity, and decided I wanted to make that my full-time role. So I founded an executive coaching firm called Breyer Coaching, where I am doing one-on-one executive coaching.
I had a gut feel for how to coach. I felt like I knew how to listen, and I felt like I knew how to guide the people I was working with.
If I was going to make a career out of this, I did not want to just hang up my shingle and say I am an executive coach.
I wanted to understand more about the practice of coaching, and I wanted to have some credentials and credibility to bring to my coaching, along with all of the executive work experience that I had.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
I feel a lot more confident now that I have a framework to bring to my clients, and some proven approaches. There is also the benefit of the network that I have been able to grow within the Center for Executive Coaching.
There are a lot of impressive people who are part of the program, and everyone is really generous in helping each other.
It has given me a lot more flexibility in my day-to-day life as well. I have teenage children, and I wanted to have more time to spend with them.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
I help executives who are newly enrolled and when they are newly promoted. That role looks really different from the role that I had before. It is about helping those new executives accelerate their impact, and also accelerate their confidence in that role.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
I definitely think that joining the CEC was a fantastic investment of my time, energy, and money. It is such a flexible program. There are multiple instructors, so you can find someone who is a good fit for you.
There are lots of different sessions at different times, so I could adapt it to my schedule, which I really appreciated. Then there is the wealth of information that I have gotten from the sessions. There are still things that I continue to go back to.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I would definitely recommend the Center for Executive Coaching to others. I think the right person for this course is someone who has had a successful career in business, has a passion for coaching, and wants some training to give them a good grounding before they start that business themselves.
Peter Bath: Finding Global Connections and a Proven Coaching Model for Success
Dr. Peter Bath’s 45-year career has consistently centered on helping individuals and organizations develop insight and realize agency in responding to their future opportunities. Through his continuing education and multiple certifications in team and personality assessment, he has been able to help individuals and teams overcome what seem to be impossible challenges and be able to find successful, working relationships. As an executive and systemic team coach, he facilitates insight and ensures the experience is engaging, safe and inspiring. You can reach out to Dr. Bath via his LinkedIn
Key Points from Peter Bath’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win since joining the Center for Executive Coaching has been both clarity and connection. Clarity for myself and my coaching model, plus connection with people that I have continued to work with two or three years later.”
Peter’s Results
Has built a strong network
Can serve clients around the world
Is equipped with highly effective coaching models
Better serves a diverse range of clients
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Peter develop a successful coaching business
Proven coaching methods and strategies
A certified program of study
An active and supportive community
Strategies for building your own coaching business
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Peter Bath, and prior to joining the Center for Executive Coaching, I had retired from a career as an executive in healthcare and a college president and a pastor. I have been around people all my life. My primary goal was to get a clear model of interacting with people.
I found myself in search of the perfect question, because having questions to clarify and to put the issue back in the client’s lap is the real work of coaching. It is a very common process across all the other domains and so that is what I was looking for.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
Being on this course has been a remarkable experience, because it has introduced me to an excellent model for coaching and interacting, and it has also connected me with people from all over the world.
Currently I am coaching hospital executives in Asia, physicians here in the US, and executives in education. I have unlocked so many remarkable opportunities.
The networking that one can affect through professional contact, through word of mouth, and through just being present is remarkable. I have achieved all that I really want to.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
The key results that I help people achieve are, clarity of options, brainstorming, and helping them identify options and courses of action before considering how those steps need to be implemented.
The hospital executives I am coaching are looking at a major initiative in physician leadership education. I am coaching them through that process by looking at how to deal with the change, and how to introduce new initiatives.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
When I was figuring out what the next chapter was going to be after retirement, the Center for Executive Coaching came highly recommended.
Just within the first three months, I can say I have got my money’s worth. It has been well worth my investment. The biggest part of that investment has been the introductions to people around the world.
I have been able to introduce and refer people to the program with the utmost of confidence, knowing they will experience something that will be as meaningful for them as it has been for me.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I have recommended the Center for Executive Coaching to many people, and have told them that it will be a lot of hard work, but will result in a lot of focused self-awareness.
Coaching is not about learning a skill as much as it is about internalizing that skill within yourself and adjusting who you are to that whole process. Being able to do that is a wonderful opportunity.
If you are willing to invest your time and to do work, this program will take you wherever your heart might desire. You will be surprised where you end up.
Michelle Cabel: From Nursing Executive to Executive Coach
Michelle, with Optimized Leadership Coaching and Consulting, invests in leaders through coaching to enhance their interpersonal skills resulting in empowering cultures, high performance teams and breakthrough results. She is known for her highly relational approach, high energy, and her innate ability to truly hear clients making sessions personal and applicable across differing industries and cultures. Capitalizing on almost three decades of executive experience in a complex and highly regulated, high-risk environment, she vulnerably and candidly shares both positive leadership experiences and lessons learned to connect with the clients. Michelle is dually Masters prepared with a MEd in Human Resource and Organizational Development and MHA with Leadership Specialization. She is an Authorized Partner with Wiley Everything DiSC, Agile EQ, Workplace and Work of Leader, and a certified facilitator through Development Dimensions International (DDI). Learn more about Michelle at www.michellecabell.com.
Key Points from Michelle Cabell’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My business is different now because I have knowledge, expertise and credibility. People are looking for that in a coach. There are many coaches out there, and this certification that is from a credible institution has helped to garner business.”
Michelle’s Results
More confidence in her own skills
Has a recognized qualification
Equipped with versatile coaching tools
Has support to build her business
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Michelle make a career change into coaching
A library of useful resources
Help to unlock your potential as a coach
Flexible learning options
Highly regarded qualifications
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Michelle Cabell, and I served as a chief nursing officer at a flagship hospital. Now I own my own business optimizing leadership, coaching and consulting, as well as full-time executive and leadership coaching.
I realized that the higher I rose in the organization, the more I moved away from my authentic passion. My passion was always more around investing in people and developing them individually.
I always thought I was good at seeing the potential in people and helping them to see the potential in themselves so that they can grow and advance.
Coaching seemed to be my natural style. I just lacked the formal training, which is what led me to the Center for Executive Coaching. I started learning more about coaching, I just knew it was authentic to who I was.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
What I initially thought I was going to do was more of a consulting role. However, coaching is different because you do not have to be an expert in the field.
You simply have to be an expert coach, so that you can draw out the expertise, knowledge, abilities, and solutions from other people as opposed to delivering the knowledge.
It was very freeing for me to look at it from this angle because now I can talk with people and have pretty profound insights. I am better able to ask the right questions and empower them to have their own answers.
The highlight of my growth has been recognizing that I could go into any industry, and at any level in the organization and be able to do this really well.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
My practice has taken a little bit of a different spin since taking the program. I do individual coaching, but also a blend of coaching and facilitation, which is where I found my sweet spot.
I use a group coaching style where I give them something to work off of, but the work is done through them. It is not just me telling them how to do it.
I now ask the right questions to get them thinking more deeply and applying tools and models to get them unstuck and moving forward.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
Working with the Center for Executive Coaching is worth your time, energy and investment, for a couple of reasons. The first is the lifetime nature of the investment.
Once you invest in this program, you have access to the members’ site. There are tools, resources, and PowerPoint slides. You have access to unlimited built-for-you resources that you can take and use.
When I am thinking about developing an assessment or a spreadsheet, I just go look and usually there is something there that I do not have to rebuild.
You are also investing in skills you will have for life. The only way you coach well is by practicing coaching and working with the Centre for Executive Coaching made me a better coach.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
For several reasons, I would highly recommend the Center for Executive Coaching. The reason is that it is an ACTP program, which is really important for your ICF credentialing. It gives you that gold standard stamp for coaching that says it is approved training.
Secondly, they are delivering the course in a way that regardless of how you come into it or what your direction is, you will get the skills, practice, and experience necessary to coach with confidence.
Don Wetmore: The Tradesman's Business Coach, entrepreneur, and founder of the Productivity Institute
Don is an attorney, business coach and entrepreneur who has started over twenty-five businesses in the small business space. He is the author of seven books on personal productivity including “Organizing Your Life”, “The Productivity Handbook” and “Beat the Clock”. Don has made over 3,000 domestic and international presentations to more than 100,000 people from around the world, sharing his unique personal productivity and business growth principles, practices and tools. His coaching practice focuses on serving entrepreneurs in the building trades helping them to significantly increase their businesses. He is known in the building trades as “The Tradesman’s Business Coach” and his website is at http://www.productivity-institute.com
Key Points from Don Wetmore’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win since graduating from the Center for Executive Coaching is that I have become a much better coach and the marketplace has rewarded me for that very handsomely.”
Don’s Results
Improved coaching skills
His revenue has doubled
Charges fees that are 66% higher
Client engagements last for much longer
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Don develop his coaching and consulting business
Proven strategies for effective coaching
A certified program
Expert teachers
Methods for growing and maintaining a sustainable business
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Don Wetmore, and I have been a business coach for 30 years. I had a very successful coaching practice in the small business space, but you get stale doing the same thing after a while.
I was looking for a marketing technique to get more clients. What I got was so much more than that, and it was a very pleasant surprise. I learned more about coaching than I thought I would, and I learned ways to do my job more effectively.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
One of the things that I was doing wrong was not understanding the difference between consulting and coaching. As I was consulting I thought I was really coaching, but I was not.
Now my revenue has doubled. It is not magic, I just changed some simple things. I have become a better and more effective coach, and that has led to greater engagement from my clients.
My typical engagement pre-CEC was about six months, now it is 18 months. I have seen opportunities within the clients’ sphere that I can be of help with as well. My fee also went up by 66% during this time.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
I have really focused my effort in two areas. One group is contractors, and people in the trades. That is part of my background growing up and I really understand them. The other group are people in finance.
I have been taught to be very selective on where I go and how I cultivate working relationships. I love my clients, I really do. I enjoy them and I have mutual respect, whereas maybe I didn’t so much earlier in my career.
Dealing with the clients that I am excited to be with, and having great affection for them as friends, is an amazing way to make a living.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
There is no question about it, joining the Center for Executive Coaching is a real commitment. If you follow the formula and make yourself available to do all of the follow-up things, and take coaching seriously then you will be successful.
It is not all about the money. You need to want to do a good job and have good clients that really enjoy what they are doing. If that sounds like you, then you should consider this kind of program.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I just did recommend them. It was a client that I have been working with on a variety of issues related to executive coaching. He left that position and I coached him in writing a book.
He has reached a point where he is interested in coaching, but I have taken him as far as I can. I want him to go forward, but I was not going to recommend the course until he was really serious about it. He started last week and is already saying his life has been changed.
Karl Pister: Looking back on a decade of success as a coach
Karl Pister is an executive coach with over three decades of experience as an executive coach and trusted advisor to C-suite executives and professionals. He is known for his low-dey and unassuming approach, challenging clients to think differently and achieve transformative results. As the founder and president of The Coaching Group, Inc., Karl has worked extensively with executives in various states, guiding them through critical leadership challenges. His impressive background in account management and health care program implementation provides real-life business expertise that enhances his coaching. Karl holds two master’s degrees in behavioral sciences and is certified by respected coaching organizations, including the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching Excellence.
Key Points from Karl Pister’s Hall Of Fame Interview
“My biggest win with the Center for Executive Coaching is having a well-established business model that allows me to serve my clients and develop a long term organizational reputation of integrity, excellence, and inspiration.”
Karl’s Results
Has a successful consulting practice
Gained a recognized certification
Knows how to organize his business
Has had a massive return on investment
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Karl build and run a successful consulting practice
Industry leading certification
Decades of experience
Proven strategies for success
Expert teachers
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Karl Pister, and before the program I was doing executive coaching and clinical counseling. Now, 10 years later, I am only doing executive coaching and consulting with organizations.
I had done coaching already for years, however, I knew that I was spending too much time explaining why I was not certified.
I looked at a lot of programs that ICF noted, and the Centre for Executive Coaching came across as the most business-oriented. I did not need life coaching skills. I needed something that taught me the business aspects of coaching.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
Working with the Center for Executive Coaching has been a complete and total game-changer. What they did was teach the business of coaching, how to run a business, price, organize, go after clients, and establish new relationships. These were things that I had no idea how to do.
What has been most impressive is the ongoing support that the Centre for Executive Coaching has provided over a decade. Having your students do what they need to do and then come in with the support they need is teaching at its best.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
It has been over the decade, and this training has contributed high six figures to the business and changed it completely.
The coaching that I provide is for disruptive physicians, and for the physicians that have been identified as being high potential. It is helping them see what leadership is, and acknowledge or identify where their growth areas are.
Through a CEC connection, I have been certified in a certain assessment that helps my clients identify emotional intelligence areas. It has really been helping both parties identify what their leadership strengths and gaps are and helping them focus on that.
What that does, especially with the disruptive physicians, is change their thinking about coaching. They often come into coaching thinking it is going to be a punishment. Once that thinking has changed then behavior changes, because behavior will always follow improved thinking.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
Anytime I can learn something new, it is worth it. You get off a call with the CEC leadership and feel like you can solve any problem that you have.
In just one year, we easily get 500 times return on investment. There is no fluff in the CEC training. It is instantly usable, highly organized, and very pointedly delivered.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I have referred 10 to 12 people to the Centre for Executive Coaching over the last 10 years. They have had similar experiences to myself.
The course nailed every single aspect of running a coaching business that I didn’t even know I needed. They knew I would need those skills and knowledge though, and it has been absolutely worth it. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to be well-trained.
Stacy Sufka: Consulting Firm CEO and Executive Coach
A former C-Suite executive, Stacy leads a team of capacity-building consultants and coaches at Gladegy Consulting who work with diverse organizations to meet their strategic goals. Gladegy Consulting offers a suite of strategic services that include human resources and organizational development consulting, executive and leadership coaching, corporate training, and assessments. Gladegy Consulting, LLC works with clients in diverse industries, including healthcare, government, professional services, small businesses, and nonprofit/community-based organizations. Visit Stacy’s website at www.gladegy.com
Key Points from Stacy Sufka’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win with the Center for Executive Coaching was developing the credibility that I needed to be an effective coaching practice owner.”
Stacy’s Results
Gained recognized qualifications in coaching
Now has increased credibility
Has a network of other coaches to tap into
Gets referrals from other coaches
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Stacy build credibility in her consulting practice
Certified programs
Industry leading training
Practical lessons and exercises
A large and active alumni network
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Stacy Sufka, and I am the founder and CEO of Gladegy Consulting. I had been looking around for a coaching program and wanted to become certified to add credibility to the services that we started providing in my consulting practice.
The industry is saturated with a lot of people who call themselves coaches, so I wanted to make sure that we were known as a reputable coaching practice with qualifications from an institution that is credible and known in the industry.
I looked at many programs, and the Center for Executive Coaching kept bubbling up as one of those reputable programs that had a unique layout of offerings.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
I have been able to tap into a really large community of professionals from all over the world.
There are thousands of alumni from the program, so I have been able to meet former tech executives, hospital administrators, people who are in professional services, and those in the nonprofit industry.
They are all doing coaching now, and their diverse experiences have helped me become a much better coach.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
My career has taken me from being a licensed counselor to an administrator, and now to a business owner. What is interesting about that is that I can lean into my counseling toolbox of skills.
The Center for Executive Coaching really helped me to understand how I can partner with executives to create a real impact even if we don’t have a lot of time.
As a coach, I help leaders with a lot of the issues, whether it’s juggling multiple priorities, or helping them through making big decisions.
Oftentimes those difficult decisions cause us to become somewhat paralyzed or what I call “in the grip”, faced with a lot of stress – more stress than we can cope with.
I also help leaders who want to increase their emotional intelligence. They’re working in a very difficult environment and oftentimes they are trying to determine how they can be the most effective leader for their organization.
I am helping leaders with more self-awareness, so they understand themselves and how to build a bridge to other people effectively.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
I have been through a lot of educational and certification programs and the Center for Executive Coaching is like the Harvard for coaching education. I gained a huge toolkit that I can use to develop my business and become an effective coach.
The toolkit also allows us to leverage the material that is given to us for so many situations. I have also met friends for life. We often refer clients to each other and have developed a relationship and network that is unmatched.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I have referred several people to the Center for Executive Coaching, not only for the education, but also to our coaches. I tell them they are not just getting a program where you read some material and take an exam. This is hands-on, and it’s going to feel like a masterclass or bootcamp.
It might be hard, but you leave the Center for Executive Coaching with a sense of confidence and credibility that you would not have if you went through another program. The Center for Executive Coaching builds and develops consummate professionals in the coaching field.
Samantha Wasserman: CEO of Growth Curve Consulting & Coaching
Samantha Wasserman is the CEO of Growth Curve Consulting & Coaching. She empowers leaders and teams to accelerate business growth and innovation. With over 30 years of experience in strategic change, talent development, and executive coaching, she has delivered proven results across diverse industries, including technology, biotech, healthcare, and consumer goods. Her mission is to help CEOs, executives, and leadership teams achieve their highest potential and performance, while creating a positive impact on their organizations and society. She leverages her three pillars of expertise: succession readiness and transitions, executive coaching and advisory and team/organizational transformation to design and implement customized solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities of each client. Samantha is passionate about enabling leaders and teams to thrive in a complex and dynamic world. Visit her website at growthcurveconsulting.com
Key Points from Samantha Wasserman’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win has been my ability to distinguish between the value that I can add to my clients. I can now differentiate between coaching, advisory, and consulting.”
Samantha’s Results
A better understanding of how her skills can be applied
Better at identifying coachable moments
Can add more value for clients
Now has a formal certification
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Samantha validate and formalize her coaching skills
Proven techniques and strategies
Work towards a recognized certification
Learn from expert coaches
Individualized help and support
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Samantha Wasserman. Prior to joining the Center for Executive Coaching, I was an executive coach. I was also doing strategic advisory consulting, leadership consulting, culture work, and organization development work.
My background is in human capital consulting. I have a lot of strategic advisory skills, and I am an expert in succession, organizational planning, and cultural advisory work. While that includes coaching, I never got my ICF certification.
I do have other certifications for coaching, but I never went through a substantive program that taught me the differences between coaching as a practice, versus the succession and transition coaching I was trained to do.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
The coaching I received allowed me to differentiate my different skills and offerings. Most importantly, it helped me fulfill the role that I needed to play for my client any particular time
The emphasis was adding value for the client in a different way. I now have a more keenly trained ear to say whether this is a moment for advisory, a moment to interject some expertise, or a coaching moment.
I can add more value to my clients, and there is a speed or acuteness with which I can do it now. My advice has so much more intention to it
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
I am typically coaching people who are looking to transition into larger roles. What that allows me to do is really differentiate the skills, capabilities and experiences that one needs to have in preparing for those roles.
Differentiating that to the mindsets and belief systems that people have are the coachable things. The other thing you can coach on is helping people unpack that themselves. That is the deep work that coaching comes in handy for.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
I think the return on investment has been amazing. I got paired with, in my opinion, the best person for what I want. She is entertaining, fun, and knows the material really well.
She has her own experience, having been both internal and external. The people that come through the program are also very qualified with our own experiences, and we add a lot.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I would recommend the Center for Executive Coaching to people who need flexibility, and have some experience to share.
There are other programs that affiliate themselves with universities to be exclusive, and I think this is an incredibly high quality program that does not come with that kind of elitism. It is a very down to earth group of people who know what they are doing.
Mike Hitchcock: Consultant and Executive Coaching
Dr. Mike Hitchcock is the President and founder of Charles Atwater Group, L.L.C. He is a certified executive coach with over 30 years of leadership, sales, and business development experience. He has worked for the last decade and a half to provide corporate growth strategies to small businesses operating within the U.S. defense sector. Additionally, Mike is a retired Marine Corps Officer and combat veteran who has focused his coaching career on developing future leaders and assisting military members in transiting into corporate leadership positions. Mike holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University, an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix, and a B.S. in Economics from Western Michigan University.
Key Points From Mike Hitchcock’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win with the Center for Executive Coaching has been having three or four repeatable and reliable customers who provide a consistent source of revenue that allows me to focus and grow my business.”
Mike’s Results
Has begun to focus on core customers
Better understands his role as a coach
Equipped to guide his clients
Now has reliable repeat customers
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Mike build a successful coaching business
Proven techniques and strategies
Assistance in building a successful business
Access to a wealth of materials
Individual support and advice
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Michael Hitchcock. I was a consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton for a number of years. After I left that position I started my own consulting company supporting federal government contractors, and helping them win federal government contracts.
My initial goals were to be more effective with my clients. One of the challenges I had with the clients was that my advice was not sticking. We needed a better way to understand our client’s problems, and communicate with them.
I thought that coaching was the right avenue to try to help our clients help themselves.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
The Center for Executive Coaching has given me the tools that are required to be effective with clients. I have been in business for a number of years, but the coaching tools helped me to figure out what my niche was.
I had been really hesitant to embrace the niche within the federal contracting space. I thought that was more of a consulting space that I needed to be in. What I soon found through coaching was, I did not have to be the expert going in to help these companies out.
The owners themselves are the experts. So it is about helping those owners work through some of the challenges that they have individually with their businesses. They have the solutions and my job is to help them navigate the solutions that they have already identified.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
What I have learned helps me serve my clients better. It also changed my business model. Previously, my business model was to have a lot of clients.
What I have seen over the last few years is that it is not necessarily the number of clients I have, but rather it is about having a smaller number who I am a trusted advisor for. In essence, you end up getting a lot of repeat business.
I spend less time marketing and more time with my clients. I now receive more referrals through those clients. This has enabled me to spend more time focused on clients, instead of marketing and sales.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
It has absolutely been rewarding for myself, both personally and professionally. I have been able to create a niche for myself without having to work for another company, back in the kind of the corporate grind.
I have seen other folks that I have recommended go through the Center for Executive Coaching who have left their current professions and are now entrepreneurs.
Some of them have gone into coaching, and for some of them it was a self-discovery that they can do other things, and can add value in other places.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I think the experience of going through the Center for Executive Coaching has opened doors not just for myself, but for a number of colleagues that have also gone through the program.
I would absolutely recommend the Center for Executive Coaching to anyone. In fact, I have recommended the Center a number of times to friends and colleagues.
It will change your life both personally and professionally, because the skills that you learn in coaching are not just the skills you use in the workplace. These are skills that you can use in your home, or when you are out with friends and colleagues. They are life-changing skills.
Daiana Stoicescu: Pioneering Coach in Eastern Europe
Daiana is a member of our faculty, leading coach training in our Eastern European market. She is an executive coach for leaders, with a Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential by the International Coach Federation (ICF), Coach Supervisor and a Registered ICF Mentor Coach. She served as a President, Communication Director and Member of the Board of Directors at the ICF Romania Chapter.
As a Master Certified Coach (MCC), she works with leaders-from startup entrepreneurs to C-level executives- who have bold visions and who play for high stakes.
As a Certified Mentor Coach by ICF, she is certified to offer mentor coaching programs for coaches interested in applying or renewing their ACC (Associate Certified Coach), PCC (Professional Certified Coach), or MCC (Master Certified Coach) Credential and need the required 10 hours of mentoring. As a Coach Supervisor she works with leaders and entrepreneurs that take their work seriously enough to set up a reflective space where they can review that work, learn from it and apply that learning when they return to it. She also works with coaches who bring their work to another individual/or group in order to learn how to do that work better.
Daiana is a pioneer in the coaching world in Eastern Europe, both as an executive and leadership coach and in the many coaching professionals she has trained, and who now look to her as their mentor.
Highlights from Daiana Stoicescu’s Hall of Fame Interview
My life is different now because I am free to create my own schedule. I can choose who I work with. I really love what I am doing and I also have time for my family while creating other amazing things and contributing to other people’s lives.”
Now a full time coach
Works with a range of high performing clients
Has the freedom to create her own schedule
Feels passionate about what she does
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Daiana build her very own coaching business
A fully certified program
Proven coaching techniques and strategies
An active and supportive community
Advice on how to build a coaching business
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Daiana, and I am a former teacher and a leader in the corporate field. When I was in my 20s, I was always wondering about what comes next and was not content.
Then the Center for Executive Coaching came into my life and I began to love my work, because I am doing coaching as a full-time job.
Before joining the Center for Executive Coaching, I was looking for an executive coaching certification and training that could give me tools and processes to attract great clients. I wanted to have an impact and wanted to love what I do.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
With the Center for Executive Coaching I have found brilliant tools and advanced techniques for developing my own niche. I can say that the foundation they gave me is priceless.
I am really grateful that I chose this program because it has made me who I am today. Everything I have created in my business and my life is because of the tools and frameworks that I read and implemented.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
I have had amazing results from people who want to double their income by changing their position, and opening a new business, or to those who want to have success in a new role as a first-time manager.
I also support some athletes. They are achievers who want to grow fast and I have been able to have an amazing contribution to their goals. I work with a full range of people.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
I go back to the Center for Executive Coaching on a weekly basis. I find value in the member area and I meet with peers to plan together. It is an amazing community.
I can say that absolutely, the investment was worth it for me. It was life changing and I am very grateful that I chose to press that button many years ago.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I will highly recommend the Center for Executive Coaching. You will develop a clear understanding of the coaching profession, and how to create your own services, market yourself, and sell your services. This program really has it all!
Rob Berg: Consulting Firm Principal and Executive Coach
Rob Berg is a Principal at the consulting firm Perr&Knight and Director of the firm’s fastest-growing profit center. He is an expert in business process improvement and enterprise-wide project/program/portfolio management. Rob consults to executives at insurance, financial services, private equity, and technology companies who have a strong desire to improve operations, promote greater engagement, and derive better outcomes for the organizations they lead. He is also an Executive Coach to leaders seeking to clarify their visions, effect strategic change, and inspire their team members. Rob is the author of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵: 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳, which has been called “a must read for professional service providers” and “a wake up call to an industry which badly needs to reconnect with its ‘authentic self.'”
Key Points from Rob Berg’s Hall of Fame Video
“My biggest win with the Center for Executive Coaching is that after 20 years, I finally published a book. It was life-changing and it has set me up with a career that I could pursue into my 80s.”
Rob’s Results
Gained insight into his own practices
Has successfully coached others
Has a better vision of the future
Wrote and published his own book
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Rob adopt a more coaching oriented approach to management
Proven coaching strategies
Support and guidance on the business of coaching
A large library of useful resources
Frequent updates in line with best practices
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Rob Berg, and I am a principal of Perr&Knight, a consulting firm headquartered in Santa Monica, California, where I head up the operations and technology consulting practice.
My consulting work has to do with process improvement. We look at large organizations and improve the way they do things.
I always had this notion that we should focus on the technical things, like the technologies that are used, the hiring practices, and compensation.
However, by doing this we lost focus on people. We were losing sight of how we motivate individuals to execute in the new environment that I might be proposing.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
One of the unintended benefits is that I can coach myself. When I am at a particular juncture in my life or career, I know what questions to ask myself to get out of the rut and move forward.
Just by writing and being self reflective I can develop a stronger vision for the future. My approach is way less directive now and more coaching oriented, making me a much better manager.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
One of the great things I have done is working with a young consultant that came into our firm. His first move was backwards. We brought him in at a management level and he took a step back.
I helped with his calendar, and how he could find more time in his week by organizing it differently, while also developing a vision for his career.
Three and a half years ago, he became a partner, and is a director of the fastest growing practice in the firm. I find that extremely gratifying. He has doubled his income at the firm in the last three years, and I played a part in that.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
I graduated from the Center for Executive Coaching five years ago, so it has been a while. I still find myself going back to their library of resources, and tools, as well as all the other content Andrew keeps cranking out. They constantly renew and refresh that material, so five years later, it is still a great resource.
There are many ancillary things available, like marketing, how to contract, handling objections, and other things that are outside a traditional body of knowledge for coaching proper, but are important if you are serious about being a successful coach.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I highly recommend the Center for Executive Coaching, especially for consultants. It was an extraordinary experience! The investment I made has paid for itself many times over, so it is a no-brainer.
The coaching helps you to pull stuff out of your client. This gives you instant buy-in when you present strategies, or devise them collaboratively to help fix their businesses.
Ilana Zivkovich and Building a Coaching Firm: Founder & CEO of Werq
Ilana is the Founder and CEO of Werq, an executive coaching and strategic leadership advisory firm serving CEO’s and their teams from around the world. An experienced executive leader and a Certified Executive Coach, Ilana is passionate about combining strategic, systemic, and relational interventions to generate business impact that lasts. Ilana’s clients include C-suite leaders and teams from across industries, ranging from founder-led SMB’s to multi-billion dollar publicly traded enterprises. A lifelong student of “what makes people and organizations tick,” Ilana is an enthusiastic change agent who believes in embracing challenges in pursuit of growth. Through this, she inspires others around her to be equally courageous in their pursuits to lead at their best. Ilana holds a Master’s degree in Social Work, and spends her free time adoring her young children and enjoying living in the vibrant city of Austin, TX.
Key Points from Ilana Zivkovich’s Hall of Fame Interview
“I went from having a big idea about the value I wanted to provide as a coach, to confidently delivering in a very short amount of time, and achieving great results with our clients.”Ilana’s Results
More confident in her own abilities
Understands the value she can provide
Started her own coaching firm
Achieves results for her clients
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Ilana start her own successful coaching business
Practical advice on starting a coaching business
Help defining the value you can bring to clients
A well structured program of study
Led by industry experts
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Ilana Zivkovich, and before coaching I was a trained social worker. I have translated that into leadership roles within the behavioral healthcare industry, specifically with addictions. It turns out that working with executives is a little easier than working with addicts!
From running treatment centers, I came to find that the only way to have sustainable, and effective outcomes for our customers was to focus on a bunch of things that I did not know what to call it at the time, but what I recognize now as what an executive coach would do.
From a personal perspective, I came out of the womb intending to be an entrepreneur. When I went to the Center for Executive Coaching, it was with the express interest in becoming adept at the skill of coaching and starting a firm.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
The Center for Executive Coaching took all the mystery out of how to partner with top-level executives and quickly understand what is actually keeping them up at night. It helped me to identify the big problems they had, and partner with them to solve them.
The second thing that the Center for Executive Coaching did was give wonderful context around how to engage with those folks.
From a subject matter expertise as well as a practical perspective, I do not believe that my business would have got off the ground without the Center for Executive Coaching.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
We work with CEOs and their teams. We end up doing a lot of work around strategy, performance, and culture. Those are the three elements that show up the most.
Our differentiator is whether we’re working with a small media business or with an enterprise. We are typically working with the executive leadership team who are dealing with strategic challenges.
We help them tackle those challenges by looking at their purpose, what are they focusing on, what are they actually doing about it, but also how are they working together as a team.
If it is coaching with an individual, we look more at how they are engaging with employees. If it is an executive team, we look at the group dynamics and how they can work together for a sustainable outcome.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
I could have paid ten times what I did and still call it the most valuable investment of my life! The practical application of what they teach, and how it sets you up to go out and provide value is amazing. I swear by the Center for Executive Coaching and would reinvest in it without question.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I have recommended the Center for Executive Coaching 100 times in the last five years!
If you are someone who wants to get in there, and start taking action with real-life humans in the wild and do it exceptionally well, then the Center for Executive Coaching is what you need.
Teri Citterman: Executive Performance Coach + Author, From the CEO's Perspective
Teri Citterman is the founder and principal of Talonn, an organization that helps good thinkers become great leaders. Teri is known as a thought cultivator and trusted advisor to CEOs and the C-Suite. She is an expert in organizational communications and coaches individuals and executive teams in fast-paced, high-growth organizations. Her coaching centers on executive presence, power, and influence. As a result of Teri’s coaching, executives master leadership scalability and drive their vision through others by asserting their conviction, decisiveness, and equal footing to amplify their impact. www.Talonnllc.com
Key Points from Teri Citterman’s Hall of Fame Interview
“There are a lot of coaching programs out there, but there is nothing like the Center for Executive Coaching. It absolutely changed my life and gave me a path forward in terms of the type of work I do. I have no regrets.”
Teri’s Results
Built a foundation for her coaching
Learned strategies she could adapt to her own style
Has collaborated with other successful coaches
Has had an impact on those she has coached
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Teri establish herself as a successful executive coach
Proven coaching strategies
Expert instruction on how to establish yourself as a coach
Adaptable tools and techniques
A strong and supportive alumni network
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Teri Citterman, and prior to joining the Center for Executive Coaching, I was in public relations, corporate communications, and I was a ghost writer. I wrote books for CEOs.
It was through the process of ghost writing that I became curious about coaching. Now, I am an executive performance coach for CEOs and leaders in the C-Suite.
When I first joined the Center for Executive Coaching, I did not really know what executive coaching was. I had friends that were doing it, but I did not have a construct of the process and frameworks in my mind.
I was really looking for a foundation, and for instruction that was flexible so that I could adapt it to suit my own style.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
Joining the Center for Executive Coaching helped me to understand who I am as a coach, and what I was going to bring to the table. I focus on executive presence, power, and influence.
I use a lot of the materials that were created by the Center for Executive Coaching and have adapted them to my style, and my clients.
The alumni network is really strong. It really helped me to understand the type of coach I wanted to be and how to show up as that coach. It gave me a lot of confidence.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
I help leaders really understand the power they have, both true power as well as indirect power. The idea of having to have authority, but not actually having authority.
I help them to understand how to influence people, understand the power they have in their relationships and the types of relationships they need to have in order to get things done.
The way I measure my impact is by the impact the leaders I coach get. I am only as good as they are. Their bosses, boards, or their primary stakeholders recognize the changes that they see and that means I have been successful.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
The Center For Executive Coaching is designed in an efficient way. The real practical tips for coaching are priceless. The Center for Executive Coaching attracts a different level of coaches.
Working and collaborating with other people that have gone through the Center for Executive Coaching is unlike anything else!
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I do recommend the Center for Executive Coaching. In fact, there are a couple of people I know going through the program right now.
Those who thrive in this kind of program are people who are serious. They are not dabbling in coaching, they actually want to go forward with coaching as a career.
Having access to other people, asking questions, and being able to bounce ideas off of each other is so valuable.
When people in the program get to know you, they will share their contacts and best practices with you. It is a unique community that’s willing to share.
Mark Monane: Executive Coach to Physicians and Healthcare Leaders
Mark Monane is Principal and Chief Medical Officer at Monane Group Clinical Consulting LLC, a firm devoted to providing advice and content to help life science clients with storytelling and strategic positioning to improve their impact and reach. Leadership and executive coaching services further bolster these efforts, including pagingdrcoach directed toward medical executives and Dr x Dr Coaching directed towards residency and chief resident programs. Mark holds A.B. and M.B.A. degrees from Columbia University as well as an M.D. degree from New York University. Mark is a Certified Healthcare Leadership Coach through the Center for Executive Coaching as well as an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation.
Key Points From Mark Monane’s Hall Of Fame Interview
“My biggest win has been the ability to incorporate new information to go beyond mentoring and to move to coaching. It has been a great addition.”
Mark’s Results
Moved from mentoring to coaching
Built a network of other coaches
New ways to structure coaching conversations
Started a new coaching business
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Mark develop strategies for coaching medical professionals
Structured programs
Highly skilled course tutors
Help building an executive coaching business
The ability to network with other coaches
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Mark Monane, and I am a physician by training, doing mostly consulting at this time, in both industry and academia.
Since the program, I have been able to add a new skill set and I am spending time with chief medical officers and medical leaders to get them to the next level, in their job or be more productive to the organization.
What I have heard over and over again from the chief medical officers is, they want to be as productive as they were in their previous career now that they are the medical voice in a commercial company.
My goal was to help them make that transition successfully.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
I really like that the Center for Executive Coaching is not just a one-time event. They are building a community. It is like joining a club where you get new knowledge, but you also get to network with other people who are trying to be coaches.
You get to go back again and again to revisit the information, so it is more of a longitudinal experience instead of a one-time event.
Jack Levitt: Team and Executive Coach
After a 20-year corporate career where he enjoyed mentoring team members, and a successful start-up exit, Jack started Levitt Executive Advisors to pursue his passion for coaching full time. His client roster includes a variety of large, mid-sized and entrepreneurial companies, where he has done 1:1 leadership coaching, executive presentation coaching and developed powerful teams. One engagement he had with a partner led them to write C4—Building the Powerful Team. In it, they share their model for taking a work group on a 4-and-a-half year journey to becoming an influential force and the envy of their organization.
Key Points From Jack Levitt’s Hall Of Fame Interview
“I feel like an expert in my field, because I can look any executive in the eye and tell them exactly what I think they need to hear. I can pass a red face test because of the positioning I got during the program, and I love what I do.”
Jack’s Results
Was able to transition from a corporate career to coaching
Successfully developed his own model and published it
Has better work-life balance
Now feels like an expert in his field
How The Center For Executive Coaching Helped Jack Build A Career As An Executive Coach
Helps you become a certified executive coach
Highly experienced course leaders
More than 20 years of experience training executive coaches
Personalized support and guidance
What Were Your Goals Before Joining The Center For Executive Coaching?
Before I joined the Center for Executive Coaching, I was a corporate guy working in the telecom field.
I was leaving my corporate job and wanted to become a coach, but I needed some real solid grounding on how to get into the field.
I knew what I wanted to do, but I did not know how to execute on it. I did not feel like I had the gravitas to do it and keep me grounded.
How Has Working With The Center For Executive Coaching Helped Your Career?
I just published a book with a partner of mine, and could not have done that without the Center for Executive Coaching. In fact, I actually give them credit in our acknowledgements for that assistance.
The first thing we did was create a model and build the book around this model. It really gave us a center of focus that gave the project some seriousness.
It made sure that our ideas did not feel ‘fluffy’, or like we were imposters. By the time we finished we felt like real experts who had created a useful model.
Sarah Birdsong Major: Top-tier Internal Coach and Career Coach
Sarah Birdsong Major is a Certified Executive Coach with the Center for Executive Coaching, with 15 years of internal and external executive recruiting experience, most recently as a senior consultant to the office of the CEO for Korn Ferry International. Additionally, she has a background in academia in both Development and Undergraduate Admissions and a deep expertise in human behavior. Her specialties include: Transition; Career mapping; Leadership and Team Building; Conflict Resolution; Assessment; Integrative Health; Mindfulness and Meditation. Her additional qualifications include: MEd Counseling with a specialization in Higher Education, University of Virginia; BA Psychology, University of Virginia, Certified Health Coach, Institute of Integrative Nutrition; and Naam Meditation/Yoga Therapies. Please visit her website.
Key Points from Sarah Birdsong Major’s Hall of Fame Interview
“Not only do I have the coaching credential that I feel is important to have, I also have access to the tools that I need for the assessment work that I do. This course has allowed me to take those tools and fly.”
Sarah’s Results
Has a coaching credential
Gained access to valuable tools
Gave her the means to develop her own business
Delivers value as a corporate coach
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Sarah develop as a successful coach
A recognized coaching certification
Small and personal groups
Expert instructors
Proven tools to build credibility with clients
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Sarah Birdsong Major, and before I started with the Center for Executive Coaching, I was working for 10 years at Korn Ferry International. I was working in their New York office and I was a special consultant to the firm working globally.
I already had a master’s degree, and a lot of great experience working at great companies, but I wanted to start my own business.
I felt like it was really important to get a coaching credential, especially if I was going to set up a coaching business. At that time, I really wanted to do a lot of work with assessments.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
The Center for Executive Coaching has allowed me to have greater balance in my life. I am able to work with people all over the world everyday.
It doesn’t matter where I am, or how I do it. I have that one-on-one contact with people. I love that aspect, because it has allowed me to run a really thriving business that people really need.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
There is one part, where I work with people internally in an organization. They are trying to assess them, and figure out how they best fit.
There is a lot of work I do with succession planning, as well as how to coach and mentor. It goes deeper than whether they will be right for the position and looks at whether they are a good cultural fit as well.
A lot of it is working to retain a person that is already with the company, and keeping them happy. Then I do a lot of work with people who are early in their careers.
They may be in college or even in high school and need help to figure out the college they want to go to based on what their interests and abilities are.
It is about empowering them to see the beauty of who they are and where they can go in their lives.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
It was absolutely worth it, because it was a lifeline for me. I needed to figure out a way to get the tools I needed. Just the introduction alone was worth every penny that I spent.
It has been absolutely worth it, and I have been really impressed. I was also very impressed with the people that I met through the program and the resources they were able to share.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I believe the Center for Executive Coaching is a great program for people that already have some life experience, because it helps to come into a program like this with experience.
That doesn’t mean you have to have it, but if you are going to go into a coaching program, you will need that experience to coach effectively.
This course is a great place to share your ideas with others, develop your practice, work on your skills, and find your own style because not everybody coaches the same. It is an intensive program and a very good one.
Tony Gerth: Coach to Technology Leaders
Dr. Tony Gerth is a Clinical Professor of Information Systems in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas. He teaches the strategic management of information technology. His research focuses on the role of the Chief Information Officer. He is co-author of “Taking the Reins as CIO: A Blueprint for Leadership Transitions.” He is also an executive coach and helps IT leaders maximize their impact. Visit his LinkedIn profile here.
Key Points from Tony Gerth’s Hall of Fame Interview
“My biggest win with the Center for Executive Coaching has been engagement with the CIO of a large organization where I provided workshops, and coaching to his direct reports”.
Tony’s Results
Has new external clients
Feels more confident as a coach
Now has a recognized certification
Has new coaching tools and strategies
How the Center for Executive Coaching helped Tony become more confident as an executive coach
A recognized coaching qualification
Help and support during and after the course
Connect with other coaches
Learn proven tools and techniques
What were your goals before joining the Center for Executive Coaching?
My name is Tony Gerth, and I am a Clinical Professor at the University of North Texas. I teach strategic management of information technology. I was looking for formal training to distinguish myself as an executive coach.
I had a lot of coaching experience with employees, but I felt like a certification would just add some additional credibility to those skills.
How has working with the Center for Executive Coaching helped your career?
I still have my day job at the university, so right now my coaching is more of a supplement. The key takeaway has been the confidence I now have to work with clients and help them improve.
To go to a training class like the Center for Executive Coaching, the person has to be coachable. I have a lot of experience and I can help people fulfill their goals, which is also fulfilling for me.
How have you been able to serve your clients better?
My niche is coaching senior information technology leaders to grow beyond just technical expertise so that they have the ability to step into a more senior executive role. It is very fulfilling.
In many organizations, leaders in the IT function tend to hide their impact and contribution. Helping them maximize that impact to the organization, speak in a more ‘businesslike’ language, and develop more productive relationships is so important.
Was the Center for Executive Coaching worth the investment?
Working with the Center for Executive Coaching is absolutely worth the investment. The framework that we use in the CEC is based on what really works.
It is not based on a standalone coaching paradigm like most other coaching training is. They provide a lot of content, tools and templates that are there to support coaches, and help you build your practice as an executive coach.
Would you recommend the Center for Executive Coaching?
I have recommended the Center for Executive Coaching to a number of people. I think it works well for internal coaches.
For experienced external coaches working with the Center for Executive Coaching will be a great experience and they will give you a lot of ongoing support.
