As a CEO, you need a friendly coach who has been there.

The CEO’s job is a lonely one. I know. I was there for over 14 years. Who do you really confide in? Who gives you feedback? Who covers your blind spots, or works with you on your own personal and professional development plan? And how can you inspire passion, meaning, purpose and aliveness in yourself and your organization? Your board can help. But the reality is that many of your board members have not been CEOs themselves, and it’s hard to confide in them when they can fire you or determine your bonus. Your team is a possibility, but they don’t have the background or skills to coach you as a CEO or cover your blind spots. And it’s hard to confide when they look up to you as their leader. That’s where I come in, as your confidant, coach and counselor. I work exclusively to help and serve you, the CEO. You need not wait until problems loom large before you leverage yourself using coach. In the words of David Schnarch “The issue isn’t whether you’re good enough the way you are. It’s a question of who you want to be.” That is why most of the Fortune 100 CEOs utilize a personal coach.

I know the territory to help navigate around the obstacles.

As an entrepreneur and CEO for over 14 years, I had direct experience with the unique challenges of the lonely CEO job. My successes include building two companies and leading them through 2 successful IPOs. I also had direct involvement in M&A transactions (both on the buy and sell side). On the darker side, I have also had the experience of losing ‘my baby’, and of being pushed out of the company I started. My Story.

I also understand corporate board dynamics. I have served and worked on many boards with top-tier VCs including: August, Bessemer, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Intel, Kleiner Perkins, Microsoft, USVP, Venrock and others. Bio.

What this means to you is that I have been there through the ups and down. I know the territory and, likely, I can help you deal with many of the practical challenges you may be facing now and in the future.

I have coached dozens of CEOs.

I have coached dozens of CEOs of companies from startups to those with over 1,000 employees, private as well as public. Though not always 'successful' financially, but certainly successful as a learning experience, a number of my clients have created hundreds of millions and billions in market value and tens and hundreds of millions in terms of their own net worth. In fact, a number of my clients have built companies with multi-billion dollar market values, and at least three of them have become billionaires themselves. I suspect you have heard of and probably use some of the products and services they have created. Unfortunately, given the confidential nature of my work I can't disclose their names. Interestingly though, many of my clients are ‘serial’ CEOs who have done it ‘successfully’ before. Yet, they want to continue to grow. They have gained the maturity and confidence to know they can benefit from ongoing coaching help.

And having coached dozens of CEOs over the years, I have gotten to work on a broad and diverse set of issues. Depending on what you want and need, we may work on tangible practical issues like raising capital and managing investors, product and competitive strategy, sales and marketing issues, building and managing your board, or developing a world class team. And along the way, we can also work on longer term issues like developing your authentic presence, emotional intelligence, and on becoming a more effective public speaker and inspiring leader. We also work on how to sustain your passion and energy over the long haul (building a company is a marathon not a sprint), and how to hold your head high which is a challenge when things are not going so well. It is really up to you and your unique needs. Whatever it is, I am there to support you--all confidentially of course. Services I provide...

Ignite your passion, purpose and aliveness.

As the CEO you are the heart and soul of your company. In addition to managing and making decisions, your job as a leader is to inspire. People are looking up to you to define the vision. To tell them why are we here? What is our purpose? They look to your most subtle moods for cues. Are you excited and passionate or down and hopeless? To be convincing, to be inspiring, you have to first inspire yourself. This requires finding the fire within -- connecting and aligning with your core values and passions. Tapping into this fire, you can ignite your own aliveness, your own authentic presence. The vitality, passion and cohesion of your organization will follow.

You are the message: Inspire with your authentic presence.

A Las Vegas casino sign says ‘you must be present to win.’ And as a leader you need to develop this authentic presence to win the hearts and minds of those who follow. Without authentic presence the real you is not there. Without it you are not aligned. And when you are not there, when you are not aligned, divided, and split, you have no power. You are not there to build a real relationship. No one trusts you. After all people look at what you DO and who you ARE rather than what you say. Manifesting this authentic presence involves connecting and aligning with the core of who you are and with your core values. In doing so you will develop your emotional and spiritual intelligences. Developing your emotional intelligence (EI) enables you to be aware and manage your, and other people’s, emotions. And your spiritual intelligence (SI, spirit, meaning the breath of life) relates to your ability to inspire passion, meaning, aliveness and cohesion in your organization. Indeed, your job as a leader (in addition to as a manager) is to inspire – to breathe life into your people, into your organization. These non-IQ forms of intelligence (EI & SI) and their application to inspirational business leadership was indeed the subject of my PhD research, so I can help you assess, develop and apply them.

I see you as a whole person.

In addition to my 14-year personal experience as a CEO, and my experience coaching dozens of CEOs through the practical challenges of running a company, I have also completed my PhD in clinical psychology and am currently a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY24924). I engaged in these studies and work because I am interested in understanding the depth of human experience, and in aiding the cultivation of emotional intelligence, self-esteem, human potential, and self-actualization. Hence I will be working with you on developing these potentials and how these potentials along with meaning and purpose can be applied to your business leadership. I am also interested in working with you to achieve harmony and balance between the professional and personal aspects of your life.

Olympic athletes use the best coaches they can get.

The best athletes continually work on their game. They take it seriously and continually reflect, analyze and work on improving their game. As one world champion said “At the end of every tournament, to review every stroke and every hole, seeing what I can learn from the experience.” Though the pros always compete on their own, they develop and grow with the help of the best coach they can find. They recognize the value of a coach who works with them on their development plan, and helps them cover their blind spots. And their pride is based on continued growth, performance and success, rather than the false sense of ‘I don’t need any coach’s help.’ Services I provide...