1:1 Executive coaching
Thanks for your interest in working together for 1:1 coaching. My specialty is helping tech operators/leaders with:
improving your executive communication / executive presence
getting more buy-in with less resistance
increasing your ability to influence up, down, and laterally
managing up to C-level executives, including founders and CEOs
delegating to your team while maintaining high standards
My coaching partnerships typically start with a six-month foundation. For the first three months, we meet 2x/month. For the next three months, we meet 1x/month. This cadence allows you to put insights into practice in between sessions, and sets you up to make noticeable progress toward your goals. After the initial six months, many clients choose to continue ongoing.
I typically work with director-level at large organizations, VP-level/executives at startups, and founder/CEOs. My clients are hands-on leaders at companies like Amazon/AWS, 1Password, Atlassian, Product Hunt, Vercel, Microsoft, First Republic Bank, AngelList, Chanel, Amplitude, Google, Meta, DoorDash, and at startups funded by Sequoia, Accel, Bessemer, Kleiner Perkins, etc.
NOTE: I have a somewhat unique approach to coaching that’s a blend of coaching and advising. Please read the whole page to see if this is what you are looking for. If you are interested, there’s a form at the bottom of this page to fill out.
What type of leader gets the most from working together?
If you’re curious if we might be a fit, I've noticed a few patterns among my clients:
You are usually too hard on yourself and take too much accountability, not too little.
You are self-aware and intellectually honest. I find intellectual honesty to be one of the most attractive traits in colleagues. I can't stand people who squirm out or delude themselves.
You are a “player-coach” who manages a team and executes as an individual contributor (IC) too. You lead others, but need to balance when to delegate, how to coach your team, etc.
You are direct and want someone to be direct with you. You want a neutral, objective third-party POV, and are looking for a gut check on testing your reactions and expectations.
You are looking for a thought partner to figure out what to do and how to do it/say it. You want to maximize buy-in and minimize resistance from stakeholders.
You are willing to put in the work. I often give "homework" to implement between sessions. You'll get the most from coaching if you're willing to come prepared and put in the work.
I'm a founder and operator at heart, so I'm aware of the dynamics, rhythm, expectations, etc of being on a team building something new with pressure to show growth each quarter. Here’s what clients have said about what it’s like working together.
Who is not a good fit for working together?
I find it helpful to share who my coaching is not for because that can help you make an informed decision.
Some coaches only ask questions and act as a mirror to reflect back to you. They never share an opinion. If you are looking for that style of coaching, I’m not the best fit.
My approach is a mix of advising and coaching. I offer my point of view because I believe I can add the most value to you this way, and if I think something is good for you, I want to try to convince you. Of course, I balance this with asking questions to get a better understanding of your situation and leave ample room for you to reflect too.
My speciality is less about confidence and having an abundance mindset (though I believe those are important too), and more about practical techniques for getting what you want. I believe through improving your skills (in communicating, persuading others, presenting well, etc), you will build confidence. IMO There’s nothing like *getting the result you were aiming for* to show you you’re going in the right direction, and to build your confidence to keep practicing.
If you are looking for coaching about why you should sleep well, eat healthy, manage your energy levels, etc, I’m probably not for you. Most of my clients already know they should do these things, and are working on it.
What’s my approach to coaching?
My style is quite scenario-based and goal-oriented, where we discuss your ideal outcome, stakeholders involved, specific levers at your disposal, and strategize how to get the result you want.
The more specific you can get about what you want to work on, the better. From the specific, we can extrapolate insights that apply to other situations you are likely to face. But if we discuss topics at a hand-wavy, abstract/theoretical level, this leads to generic advice, which is not helpful. So I always encourage clients to bring real-life examples you’re facing, so I have enough context to give you tactical guidance you can implement right away.
^ You will get more value from working together if you are ready to bring examples of what you’re dealing with and your ideal outcome/reaction from specific stakeholders.
I’m a big proponent of building muscle memory via mock presentations, role-playing, drilling, etc in the safe sandbox of our sessions. I believe most people think they know what to do or say—until they try to execute it. This is why it’s useful to practice the actual words you’re going to use. We do this in our coaching sessions.
I will point out if I see a situation differently, will speak up if I disagree with your interpretation, or believe you are using faulty logic. This allows us to get closer to the truth, so you can “see” more clearly and make a better decision about what to do.
It’s fun to be good at your job. I hope I have the opportunity to support you, and help you get even better at what you do.
I realize this style of coaching is unique and perhaps not for everyone. If you’ve read this far and are even more interested than you were before, please fill out the form below.