My Coaching Methodology

For Life and Business

A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life. — John Wooden.

What exactly is coaching?

More importantly, do I really need it?

In a word: No, you don’t.

First of all, that’s three words, and secondly, you’re telling me that I don’t need a coach? Then what am I doing here?

To answer that, let’s get philosophical and talk about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Created by Abraham Maslow in 1943, it emphasizes that basic survival needs must be met to reach one’s full potential. Here’s what it looks like as a pyramid:

Physiological (The Base): Survival needs like food, water, sleep, and warmth.
Safety: Physical safety, financial security, health, and stability.
Love and Belonging: Social needs for friendships, family, and intimacy.
Esteem: The need for confidence, respect, recognition, and personal worth.
Self-Actualization (The Peak): Achieving full potential and self-fulfillment.

So, no – you don’t “need” coaching to make a go of life or business. Many people do not, and they do just fine. However, doing fine may not be your jam. You may want to rise to a higher level, get there faster, and be prepared to take on the unexpected things with grace and ease. You may want to finally understand what you’re missing.

That’s what coaching can help you uncover and then achieve.

How We Work This

Our work together will evolve and re-focus as time goes on. We start at the bottom of the pyramid and do a touch-in about what’s so in your life. I can advise you on what I know about these basic needs and how we, as people or entrepreneurs, manage the basics to assure a solid foundation.

There are no disqualifications. Together, we’ll have frank discussions about things going on in your life, not to “fix” anything, but to establish what influences can affect what you’re up to and what you’re trying to accomplish. The key principles here are discovery and knowing what we’re dealing with.

Much of our collaboration will involve the top two tiers of the pyramid. Through constant examination and introspection, we will carve out the path to the top that makes the most sense for you and what you’re trying to accomplish.

Unlike a sports coach, I won’t be telling you “what to do”, per se. Instead, I will cite real-world experiences of what myself and other high-performers have done and we will find out what resonates with you and opens a door to action. Your heart knows the way to go, we just need to shine the light on the path.

The Secret Sauce

You will come to see that much of our time will involve uncovering things. My clients are often astounded when they see something that, once exposed, seems obvious. And it’s usually my client, not me, that comes up with the solution. This is truly the secret sauce.

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

My Philosophy

One’s philosophy is a mental framework encompassing beliefs, values, and desires that generates intentions and rationalizes behavior. In other words, what one believes drives what one does and it explains why.

My philosophy is rooted in Divine Spirituality; that is, intention of the light, for the light. This is not a religious expression. It is an intentional, heartfelt connection with a higher power or universal consciousness, fostering love, wisdom, and peace. It emphasizes trusting this inner guidance to navigate life’s challenges and often involves personal transformation.

For example, in business, our journey will not be one of “getting that next sale”. It will be one of maximizing your personal effectiveness and your integrity so that sales are just part of the flow that arise naturally from being a person of value to your customers and clients.

This is the space in which we will work.

Discovery. Analysis. Formulation. Action. Growth. Rinse and Repeat.

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The Blurred Line

It’s a mistake to consider personal coaching separate from business coaching. Business performance is just an expression of one’s personal endeavors, so it stands to reason that these two disciplines are tightly interrelated.

As Maslow postulated back in 1943, the pyramid must be fully intact at the base to support the undertakings imagined for performance at the peak. Our time together will feature a meld between what’s going on in your life as an individual and, if appropriate, as a business person.

This is why our highest and best practices together will always include complete transparency, honesty, and honor.

Honor turns authority into trust and ensures long-term success rather than short-term gains.

Be prepared for the work. It won’t be about the right software to use, even if we do touch on those things occasionally. Instead, it will be about deep introspection, uncovering what wants to be uncovered, and a willingness to use this newfound wisdom to move the pieces forward.