What It’s Like to Work With Me
Executive and leadership coaching that's thoughtful, candid, sometimes challenging, often funny, and centered on helping you hear yourself more clearly.
I work one-to-one with experienced leaders, often women over 40, who are navigating a career transition, leadership challenge, or simply wondering, What do I want next?
You don't need to arrive with a perfectly articulated goal. You don't need to have your next career move figured out. And you definitely don't need to have your act together for our sessions.
You just need to be willing to get curious.
What can you expect from working with me as your coach?
First, this is your space.
I don't show up with a predetermined agenda for you. Our coaching sessions are driven by what matters most to you.
That said, it can be helpful to spend a little time before we meet thinking about where you'd like to focus our time. You don't need a perfectly formed topic or goal. Just a sense of what's most useful to talk about that day.
Sometimes we'll spend an hour unpacking one decision. Sometimes we'll discover that the thing you thought you wanted to talk about isn't actually the thing at all.
My job is to listen carefully, notice patterns, ask the question you may be avoiding, and help you separate what you want from all the shoulds, expectations, and noise around you.
I’ll ask questions that make you think.
Not because I have a secret answer I'm trying to lead you toward. Often, the most useful question is the one that makes you go quiet for a minute.
I’ll listen for what you’re not saying.
You're probably very good at explaining things rationally. We'll also pay attention to what your energy, resistance, and emotions may be telling us.
I’ll challenge you when it serves you.
I'm supportive, but I'm not going to simply agree with everything you say. If I hear an old story, an assumption, an inner critic, or a contradiction getting in your way, I'll probably point it out.
We’ll laugh.
Executive coaching can involve some big questions about leadership, career, identity, purpose, and what you want from the next chapter of your life. That doesn't mean every conversation has to be serious.
This work can be deep without being grim. There's plenty of absurdity in work and life. We're allowed to notice it.
Eventually, you’ll decide to do something.
Reflection matters. So does experimentation.
I don't believe you can think your way to perfect career clarity. Often, clarity comes from action: having a conversation, testing an idea, reaching out to someone, trying something new, or taking one small step and noticing what you learn.
You’ll typically leave every coaching session with a to-do list. Because eventually, you’ll decide it’s time to try something. We’ll use what you learn to help figure out what comes next.
What I won’t do as your coach
I won't tell you what you should do with your career or your life.
I won't push you to quit your job, start a business, retire, or make some dramatic career reinvention.
I won't hand you a five-step formula and pretend it works for everyone.
I won't fill every silence.
And I won't let you spend six months talking about something you're perfectly capable of experimenting with next Tuesday.
My role isn't to make your decisions for you. It's to help you think more clearly, trust yourself, see possibilities you may be missing, and make decisions that feel aligned with who you are and what matters to you now.
Sometimes I put on a different hat.
Sometimes you need a coach. Sometimes you need someone who knows how the corporate world actually works.
Most of the time, I'm your coach. But with your permission, I may occasionally take off my coaching hat and offer a perspective, framework, resource, or piece of practical advice.
This can be particularly useful when we're working through a career transition or job search.
I bring more than 20 years of experience working inside large organizations, including Microsoft, as well as deep experience in recruiting, talent, leadership development, and organizational change.
Sometimes we'll consider your networking strategy. We might do a mock interview, think through how you're positioning yourself for a new role or career direction, or tackle another practical part of your job search.
I'll always be clear about which hat I'm wearing.
What does an executive coaching session with me actually sound like?
There isn't a script. But you might hear me ask questions like:
“What would you want if you weren't worried about disappointing anyone?”
“You got really animated when you talked about that. Did you notice?”
“Whose rule is that?”
“What are you assuming would happen?”
“How could we test that instead of trying to solve it?”
“What's the smallest next step you'd actually be willing to take?”
The questions change because the person sitting across from me changes. The goal isn't for me to give you the right answer. It's to help you get closer to your own.
You don’t have to perform here.
You don't have to impress me.
You don't need the polished version of the story. You don't have to be productive during every session. You can change your mind. You can contradict yourself. You can say, “I have no idea.”
And sometimes big emotions come up. That's completely okay. You don't need to apologize for them, explain them away, or pull yourself together so we can get back to the “productive” part of the conversation. Sometimes the emotion is telling us something worth paying attention to.
In fact, I have no idea is often a pretty interesting place for us to start.
Who tends to thrive working with me
Many of the people I work with are accomplished leaders who are used to figuring things out themselves. They don't come to coaching because they're incapable. They come because some questions are easier to see clearly when you're not trying to answer them alone.
You'll probably get a lot from our work if you're curious, willing to reflect, open to being challenged, and willing to try things between sessions.
You don't need to be fearless. You don't need to know exactly what you want.
But you do need to be willing to participate in figuring it out.
We may not be the best fit if you're primarily looking for someone to tell you exactly what to do.
A few common questions
Do I need to know what I want to work on before we start?
If you spend a bit of time reflecting on where you'd like to focus beforehand, that can be helpful. Then again, sometimes figuring out what you actually want to work on is part of the work.
How often will we meet?
Most clients meet with me weekly or every other week, depending on what they're working through and what pace makes sense.
How long do people typically work with you?
My individual coaching engagements typically begin with a 10-session package. From there, we can decide whether continuing our work together would be useful.
How long are the sessions?
I meet with most of my clients for an hour, though sometimes we meet for 30 minutes. We’ll figure out what works best for you and what you’re working on.
Yes. Our conversations are confidential, subject to the boundaries outlined in our coaching agreement and the ICF Code of Ethics.
Is our work confidential?
What if I’m not sure coaching is what I need?
That's exactly what the exploratory conversation is for.
Choosing a coach is personal. You can read an entire website and still not know whether someone is the right person for you.
Our exploratory conversation is a chance for me to learn a little about what's going on, for you to ask questions, and for both of us to see whether working together feels like a good fit.