Competency No. 5
Competency No. 5 is a podcast about maintaining presence — the fifth of the International Coaching Federation's core competencies — while coaching, leading and living. Host Debbi Gardiner McCullough interviews coaches and other professionals whose work depends on staying calm and fully present with the people they serve. The show also documents her own journey toward earning the ICF's Master Certified Coach credential, a status held by only about 4% of the more than 55,000 certified coaches. Episodes blend interviews and first-person reporting on the coaching hours, mentoring and strict adherence to ICF standards that the MCC path requires.
Episodes
Tears Have Words. On the lost human connection when we jump in too early to fix
Reading from an excerpt within my upcoming guide I'm soon publishing on why conversations fail. TEARS HAVE WORDS. I heard that from my coaching instructors, and I think of it every time a client cries — or I do. Most of us are uncomfortable with tears, which signals a deeper flaw: an inability to listen without fixing, which feels kind, even helpful. But too early, and it dodges the reflectio
"Faith in myself inspired me to move my coaching business from side hustle to my all," with Christopher Chin
Our host Debbi McCullough asks Hidden Speaker CEO and TEDX speaker Christopher Chin about his transition from engineer to coach, side hustle to full-time coach. It started with paying attention to his body and then taking that faith to give his venture, his 'baby,' his all. Our GuestYou can find Christopher Chin on LinkedIn here and his TEDX talk here. Visit his website the Hidden Speake
Why AI Can't Replace Human Coaching with Dr. Marcia Reynolds
Dedicated AI coaching infrastructure and platforms support roughly 23 million active individuals worldwide. Master Coach Trainer and Author Dr. Marcia Reynolds feels unfazed. Humans are irreplaceable as coaches, she feels, provided we stay present, curious, bold in our inquiry, and willing to share what we notice. Debbi and Marcia also take a closer look at detached empathy, staying present, kind,
Maintaining Presence Requires Taking No Notes When I Coach
The Truman Capote technique, letting our senses remember the most important bits of a conversation, (which I learned in journalism school at UC Berkeley) works surprisingly well in coaching. I realized this four years ago, when I tried taking notes amidst an early boom in my coaching business. Writing and then trying to read afterwards notes from ten sessions in one day was futile. So I stopped. A
"To get through hell week, I'll take a lot of naps." Nicholas McCullough on his second year at Harvard
There are 1,676 students in Harvard's Class of 2029 with the entire cohort entering their sophomore year this August. Nicholas McCullough is one of them and one of a handful of Wisconsinites.In this interview, fodder for chapter 10 of the Harvard Mum Essay Project, we stand with Nick and hear about his summer; his self-funded travels to Europe; and lessons on self calm and time management fro
Chapter 8: The Harvard Mum Essay Project | Kodaira Station
My Harvard son's travels through Europe this year and last year at ages 18 and 19 remind me nostalgically of my own adventures at his age. He self-funded his travels as did I. He went with his mates, with no adult companion. I went solo. Reflecting on a journey I took around Nicholas' age, from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Kodaira, on the outskirts of Tokyo, required navigating Shinjuku
"To support women through menopause, we must sit, listen, and believe." Interviewing Menopause Coach Simon Salt
Menopause has more than 34 symptoms recognized by the medical community and around 100 symptoms that women experience. And yet menopause, which impacts 75% of women, remains largely undiscussed and unplanned for. In this episode of Competency No. 5, on staying present as we coach, lead, and live, we speak with Simon Salt, a British author based in Florida and newly certified Menopause Coach, whose
Marcia Reynolds on managing judgment as we coach and maintaining boundaries when a conversation offends us
If you've coached some hours, you've possibly noticed our clients can (at times) become combative, biased, and/or lay down something in front of us which invites our judgment. (Coaches still judge. Of course we do. All of us do. It's part of the human condition.)We bring back to the show Dr. Marcia Reynolds to unpack those moments and how we can A/maintain our presence and let the j
“Time is more precious when we treat it as such.” The Wolverine and Die Hard 5 Studio Executive Steven Puri on Focus and New Dadhood.
We sit down with former studio executive on films from Die Hard 5 to The Wolverine, Steven Puri, who learned how to inspire a broad range of teams through this creative work. He's now sharing tips and techniques to help leaders and teams perform at their best and does so as a speaker, serial entrepreneur, and CEO of the Sukha Company, a productivity app which helps stop burnout before it star
"There's much noise around sleep, and when sleep improves, life improves." Clear advice on better sleep from Louise Berger
We sit down with Louise Berger, a British occupational therapist specializing in sleep, to hear about the deep work she's doing for the UK's National Health Service on a large sleep study for sleep deprived Brits. (She's the founder and lead of the NHS Insomnia Clinic and a sleep coach with BetterUp.)Given that maintaining presence and staying calm amidst mayhem, ambiguity, and life
Nicole Francois on maintaining hope and presence amidst adversity, change, and motherhood
Note to our listeners:We took the Competency No 5 show outside of my studio this episode, and with that encountered technical difficulties. Hopefully this won't detract from an otherwise powerful conversation about navigating change, adversity, and maintaining hope, courage, and presence along the way. Nicole Francois, a Wisconsin-based friend, sales leader, and fitness model, has had her sha
Zsofia Juhasz on being an "accidental" Master Certified Coach and developing today's MCCs and leaders
Brisbane, Australia based leadership coach Zsofia Juhasz, MCC acheived a herculean feat: Certifying as a Master Certified Coach instead of renewing her PCC. She had the hours and the focus amidst Covid-19. Within a year of stating her intent to herself, she passed her performance evaluation on her first submission. We hear of Coach Zsofia's journey from HR to coaching, from Hungary to Austral
Leadership Coach Jennifer Maxson on building a coaching business and staying connected with our clients
We ask Leadership Coach Jennifer Maxson when and how she knew to build her own coaching business, how to stay connected with our clients, and why and how the International Coaching Federation's Proficiency exam despaired us both (and we still passed.)You can find Jennifer Maxson & Associates here and find Coach Jennifer on LinkedIn here. Your show host, Debbi Gardiner McCullough, is a com
What my girlhood taught me about earning people's trust
I can’t remember a time where people didn’t confide in me. Every time, it felt like an honor. I was super young when I first noticed the pattern, which began before I was aged five, in New Zealand, and has continued to this day, even inspiring my later-in-life career as a communications coach.My first memories of people sharing their all with me come from visiting my dad’s farm a year after his di
Interviewing Dr. Marcia Reynolds on coaching, writing, and her bestselling second edition of "Coach the Person, Not the Problem."
In a new favorite episode, we asked Master Certified Coach trainer and author, Dr. Marcia Reynolds: how do we coach the person, not the problem? And why business leaders ought to join coaches in this highly-rewarding and joyous activity. We met with Marcia a week after her second edition of "Coach the Person, Not the Problem" became a bestseller on Amazon. Marcia shares her love for taki
Sharing the ROI of coaching using AI. Interviewing Matt Barney, CEO of TruMind.ai
Dr. Matt Barney is a true scientist practitioner and an entrepreneur in the field of measurement and analysis. His most recent tool, the TruMind.ai Leader and Coach Assessment, he feels supremely hopeful about, because it helps coaches help their clients see and note their progress, something that's otherwise hard to quantify and measure. "Reviews tell us that most coaching outcomes are
I certified as a Master Certified Coach! The comfort with silence and the victory feels magical
I certified as a Master Certified Coach two weeks ago, ending a two-year long odyssey in mindfulness, active listening, and perfectionistic goal setting. Feels amazing finally reaching that top 4% of ICF certified Master Certified Coaches. This week's episode reads from my Substack post on this victory and especially the growth I felt with my comfort with silence. I stayed comfortably silent
"Silence boosts all your senses. Thoughts become clearer." Coach Amy Krymkowski on the power of pause and silence
Leadership coach Amy Krymkowski fell in love with coaching through her work in HR. After observing a coach in action, she found the approach so spacious and like nothing else. "I was in awe with how much progress and awareness came from listening, silence, and creating space through inquiry," she says. She declared coaching as her primary profession, certified, and joined an outplacement
I passed the MCC Performance Evaluation. (Whoop!) My final step: Passing the Coaching Knowledge Assessment exam
Last Friday, January 16, I heard from the assessors at the International Coaching Federation that I passed their famously difficult and evasive Master Certified Coaching Performance Evaluation. I've still the Coach Knowledge Assessment (CKA), a four-hour exam to go, before I get to join the 4% of MCC coaches globally, a rare group of around 2,240 coaches within 56,000 ICF credential-holders w
Karen Canham: "I don't do goals. It feels like too much pressure." A wellness coach's insights into moving beneath perfectionism, performance, and returning to ourselves.
When Karen Canham struggled with anorexia, her body felt numb. In fact, she couldn't access her body mentally at all, because the eating disorder stemmed from trauma. Through therapy and recovery, she came out the other side, learned yoga, how to regulate, and reconnect with her body after years of disconnection. Yoga taught her presence. Breath taught her patience. And after years in the cor
Nick McCullough: "What got me through my first semester at Harvard? Camaraderie with fellow athletes and extreme time management."
In our final episode for 2025, First Year Harvard student Nicholas McCullough shares how he maintained presence, calm, stoicism, and all those great things amidst a pressured first semester at Harvard University as a footballer and Economics student. He and other student athletes averaged 65+ hour weeks. In this interview, Nicholas (my oldest son) shares the power of camaraderie with his fellow Ha
Why and How I Pause to Applause. Self Coaching that Brings Peace, Calm, and Results
A simple daily flow of coaching questions helps me feel happier, but also more focused, ambitious, and committed to my work and life goals. My goals typically seem to come true, in part of this vital practice grounded in maintaining presence in the wake of not knowing. And slowing down long enough to see all that's going great, right now, without wanting nor needing to change a thing. You can
Jeanette Bernard: “Talk with Your Loved Ones Who’ve Passed. Ask and Look for Their Signs. They Will Surprise You.”
When customer operations manager Jeanette Bernard lost her husband Matt four years ago, the flippant comments from others on her need to rebound fast upset her as much as the grief. “People would say: You’ll be back out there in a couple of months. You’ll be fine,” she recalls of awful comments at her husband’s funeral. “I was so mad. I will never forget Matt. Nor does he want me to.”Now four year
Chapter 5: The Harvard Mum Essay Project. Exhausted and Weary First Years
Chapter 5 of the Harvard Mum essay project documents the truer reality of Harvard life now 2.5 months have passed, the pressure has raised, and athletes and scholars (like my son) must juggle robust commitments to their sport and studies. There's also the inevitable pressure of being an eighteen-nineteen year-old student, often far from home, and admitted into the world's most revered un
How do We Stay Calm and Close During the Holidays ? Coach Marie-Louise Pereira on Boundaries, Active Listening, and Love
The holidays can stretch too many of us bringing heightened stress and surface-level conversations, even with those we love. Paris, France-based Coach Marie-Louise Pereira knows how to bring coaching skills and Competency No 5 (maintaining presence) into our daily flow and to our relationships with those we love. In a lovely conversation with a dear friend and peer coach, we unpack how we use our
Communicating the Epic Flops of our Career With Calm and Confidence
It's the annual review season and the final quarterly review for those on the quarterly system. I hear rumblings from many I coach who feel stretched too thin, burdened with too many projects, and exposed to failure more than they'd like. If the task becomes writing on our work, all that went well, and how things emerged as we'd hoped, ought we also address what flopped? I say: Yes.
Maintaining Presence in the Final Push: MCC Submission (Part 2)
My Master Certified Coaching submission is finally in with the International Coaching Federation! I await my ICF assessors’ feedback on whether I pass or fail. My musings on active listening and masterful coaching since I hit “submit” this past Monday, including final indecisiveness, a solar eclipse across my birthplace in New Zealand, and a stunning reminder from the late Dr. James R Doty, an est
Maintaining presence in the final push: MCC Submission (Part 1)
I’m one week shy of finalizing my MCC application process, which began with the launch of this podcast in July 7, 2023. This week’s episode is documentary style. No music. Just raw footage, of me documenting the many final steps, big decisions, the over thinking, and the huge importance of staying present when working in a state of not knowing.Thanks to my many peer coaches, my clients, and frien
Pride, yearning—and a giant test for parents. The big college migration
Pharmaceutical executive Jill Staudacher took things harder than she thought when her middle son Dean moved out of home and seven hours away for his studies and baseball. I’ve struggled moving my oldest son Nicholas into his dorm last week at Harvard University—now living 1070 miles from his Wisconsin base.The college transition can challenge parents—and the teens who move away. Exact data’s scarc
Staying calm amidst crisis. Tech leader Suhail Syed on active listening, leadership, and presence
When Fortune 500 Chief Technology Advisor Suhail Syed learns that clients are upset, the instinct is to jump in and solve. That’s what often feels right. Something’s broken; so fix it. But as someone intent on staying calm amidst crisis, Syed finds that asking questions and listening well works best. “It’s amazing what unfolds,” he muses. “Clients feel listened to. They get to vent. And from that
The Harvard Mum Project. Chapter 3: The Graduation and Send-Off Party
The Harvard Mum essay project is my documentary essay series on immigrant motherhood, immigrant dreams, leadership, and all the deep lessons on staying calm and present as my oldest son joins the Harvard University class of 2029 this fall. He’s one of 3% of applicants to gain admittance and only one of a few Wisconsinites to do so.My Chapter 2 essay, the high school graduation, revealed the vast n
"Art helps us detach from our fears and release all control." An interview with coach and artist Tese Mascari
If you've ever had your hands in clay, you know: The experience can connect you to a deeper part of yourself--as it does with any art medium. Art unlocks. It connects us to our body. And the flow state helps us detach from our fears and a want to control, because art is so uncontrollable. I spoke with Santa Cruz, calif.-based artist and coach Tess Mascari amidst her own flow state building st
How do we facilitate growth as we lead and coach? Honoring the ICF Core Competency No 8
The International Coaching Federation’s Competency 8 asks its certified coaches to work with clients in ways that great leaders do with their team: consider possibilities, create action plans, and explore learning. It also requires developing measurable achievements. In a new coaching session with MCC Coach Ben Dooley, we review a strong— perhaps an excellent contender for my second recording sub
The Harvard Mum Project. Chapter 2: High School Graduation Brings Harvard Closer
This month, the U.S. reaches historic milestones in some lovely and not so lovely ways. In my world, June 2025 brings joy and hope to 3.9 million high school graduates. Class of 2025 becomes the largest and most diverse class in history, experts say, and with historically high competition for college placement, too. My son, Nicholas, and his friends joined those millions this past Sunday at Muskeg
Why You Won’t Hear from me Mid-Build
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Albert Einstein, our beloved German-born physicist and mathematician, owns the delightful quote. And I find it especially timely when I’m mid-build of something big, new, risky, but beautiful. I find when I’m imagining what’s truly possible, I love to collaborate with my inner circle (new and old). I also love to isolate. This feels
Ben Dooley: “Every coaching call contains a thousand lost connections with our client; but most nobody would notice.”
In 2025, the ICF estimates 109,200 ICF certified coaches exist worldwide, an unprecedented milestone exceeding the 100,000 mark. Most recent 2023 data has MCC coaches at 2,203. So reasonable to expect, it’s still under 3,000. How high am I with this long climb and summit of certifying with the International Coaching Federation as a master certified coach, an honor the international non-profit, the
The Harvard Mum Project. Chapter 1: Staying present in the last home season
Harvard University received 53,700 applications for this incoming class of 2029. Of those, 1,950 were admitted, a 3.63% acceptance rate. My oldest of two sons, Nicholas McCullough, is one of them. He’ll play defensive tackle for the Harvard University football team, who recruited him, and he’ll study economics.As mother’s day weekend approaches, my last with him under our roof, I’m feeling what an
From stuck to spacious. Marie-Louise and reimagining rest and adventure on her terms
“The summit is what drives us; but the climb itself is what matters”The delightful quote comes from Conrad Anker, the American rock climber, activist, author and mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest three times. Anker, known for his visionary approach towards hardship, also tackled challenging routes across the Americas, Antarctica, and the Himalayas.I’ve thought of Anker’s views on the journey o
”I discovered presence through training as a coach.” Coach Anna Damsma on intuition, creativity, and maintaining presence
For Anna Damsma, maintaining presence was not much on her radar when working as a consultant. Work was more about pouring in excellent advice and building profits. But when later training to become a coach with the prestigious Co-active Coach Training Institute, Anna, based in the Amsterdam area, discovered three levels of listening existed. And level three listening—a universal level of listening
How are you? The Catch-22 of Asking with Heart and Losing the Thread
I’ve not mused about my certification efforts with the International Coaching Federation as a master certified coach for a good while. Much has happened, and not happened since my January update. Here’s where we’re at.To certify as an MCC coach, coaches must submit for thorough evaluation two recorded coaching calls of at least 25 minutes in length. These conversations must resemble pure coaching,
The world needs a little guided meditation: Postcard from a Wisconsin prairie
Amidst world chaos, uncertainty, and a lunar eclipse, I felt a guided meditation from my Wisconsin prairie would make a nice gift for my dear listeners this week. Thank you to Dotun Ayeni for the lovely edits and to Positive Intelligence, CEO Shirzad Chamine for the meditation. Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, coaching, and training via my website, or find me also
“I need space for my boldest creativity” Entrepreneur Marie-Louise on staying calm while growing our business
We’ve a rare treat this week in sharing a coaching call in its entirety, with my client’s blessing and encouragement. The topic? Staying calm and grounded as we grow our business and dreams—a timely topic for entrepreneurs and anyone wanting to create positive life and career change. This often starts within ourselves, our relationship with time, and looking (with blameless discernment) at the flo
Victorious Victoria: “I meet with my anxiety daily to hear what she has to say”
Experts at the World Health Organization estimate around 4% of the global population experience an anxiety disorder. The National Alliance on Mental Illness finds anxiety the most common mental health concern in the U.S. with 19.1% with anxiety, over 40 million adults. Victoria Torno, based in the Philippines, decided a fresh approach to her own anxiety. (Anxiety affects 12.5 million Filipinos, ar
The Peace and Calm from Lunar New Years from our Past
San Diego based technology project leader Limei Wang loved the Lunar New Years from her past. Growing up in a small rural village in Northern China, the incoming lunar year brought the best food, clothing, and gatherings for the year. Little sleep punctuated the festivities, which lasted all week. Children received beautifully, hand-stitched clothing made just for them and red envelopes of money.
The Final Cut. Where, Why, and How I Still Fall Out of Masterful Coaching
Over the last year, I’ve listened to 35 different coaching calls I’ve conducted and recorded with a quest to submit one recording (a beautiful recording) to the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I’ve created a self-imposed deadline of Lunar New Year, January 29, Wednesday. (I know my critical mind. With no deadline, my Avoider and Stickler saboteurs will prevail.) If you’ve followed this po
Content for Coaches. Creating thoughtful content can bring prosperity, clarity, and joy
Our Competency No 5 podcast has focused much on how to stay calm and present when we coach, lead, and live our lives. For coaches, part of that calm ties to making a living from our coaching, which requires marketing ourselves to our prospective clients. I’m no expert; but I have built a prosperous coaching business in a relatively short time from putting one piece of fresh content “out there” onc
How do we interrupt our coachees less? And if an ICF evaluator hears, are we failed?
I muse and mentor some more with MCC Coach Ben Dooley this week, getting deeper into the nitty-gritty on how to lock in, stay fully present with our coachee. We address the inevitable blunder of speaking over—so hard not to in a 45-minute session, ways to rebound earlier, and wonder: how much does this matter?We also tackle an age-old adage almost every coach in training hears as they master activ
Does any ‘perfect’ coaching session exist? How much error do ICF evaluators allow?
How to choose which recorded coaching call to submit to the International Coaching Federation to certify at the Master Certified level still perplexes me. And after all this excellent mentoring, I’m feeling more conscious of where I’m falling out of mastery as I coach. Does any perfect coaching call exist? And assuming not, how much margin of error does the ICF allow? These questions I posed to MC
The pharmaceutical exec who finds (and brings) calm through natural medicine: Jill Staudacher
Pharma sales executive, Jill Staudacher, appreciates the value of pharmaceutical medicines. She also finds value in natural medicine, especially now as we approach cold and flu season here in North America. (Echinacea, honey, vitamin d and vitamin C can boost our immunity really well.) In our lovely interview, we hear of homeopathic remedies and foods which can help boost our immunity and calm us
Why the International Coaching Federation is right to ask coaches to clarify the topic (and how to do it)
I’ve often bristled with the International Coaching Federation’s rule to establish (clearly—and in multiple ways) the topic and hopes for the coachee (our client) in every coaching call. Why? Because when you’re locked in and connected, the coaching conversation (in the real world vs. the ICF world) unfolds. Even asking the coachee to establish the topic or confirm it can feel prosaic, inserted, o
One day at a time. Nick McCullough on retirement, Mississippi, and his land
About 900,000 Americans retired in the first five months of 2024, part of a “silver tsunami” of those reaching retirement age. My father-in-law Nick McCullough is one who retired a few years back, and in beautiful ways returning to the land just outside of Ruth Mississippi where he grew up. The cotton farm of his youth is now his retirement land where he lives with his Cajun wife, Crystall, my Ame
Can I cry with my coachee & still evoke awareness? MCC Coach Ben Dooley says: “Yes!”
Part two in a two-part series on maintaining presence when certifying as a Master Certified Coach, especially whilst the International Coaching Federation evaluates us. Reach out to me, your show host, for keynote speaking engagements, group coaching, and training via my website, or find me also on Linkedin. Reach out to MCC Coach Ben Dooley via his website, here.
How do we coach, not “perform”? MCC Coach Ben Dooley on managing our evaluators’ judgement
To certify with the International Coaching Federation, the world’s largest nonprofit organization, coaches must submit a recording of a coaching call they deem…well, worthy of certification. The stakes and expense (and the agonizing decision on which recording to submit) goes up with our credentials. The fee to submit a recording for the Master Coaching Certification? Between $675 to $825 US. And
Clocking off. Kyana Gayden on balancing work, rest, and play
Air Force contract specialist Kyana Gayden finds that it’s the small tweaks in how we spend our time that yields the biggest results when it comes to work-life balance. She also marvels in that fabulous invention: Paid Time Off, which she never had as a graduate student, and does something fun—and spontaneous—when not working hard. “It makes a difference,” she finds, “and you feel more gratitude f
Meet Ben Dooley, my new MCC Mentor Coach. Joy (and struggles) with certifying as an ICF master certified coach
Warning: This episode's super ad hoc. This week, I met my new mentor coach, Ben Dooley. He's a former actor (among other things) and now runs his own coaching training academy and helps coaches certify in empowering ways. (I felt so inspired connecting with him via our Discovery session, I had to hit record.) In our conversation, we hear from Ben on his first failings as a certifying MCC
“I have the best job in the world!” Oliver Singh on hotel ownership and the calm that comes from vacation
Four in ten Americans don’t take their full paid time off (around 46%) of full-time workers according to the Pew Research Center. But that’s a real shame says Oliver Singh, manager and part-owner of the Ocean Mile hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., who really gets to see the benefits of holidaying when interacting with his guests. In our lovely conversation, we hear how Oliver once aspired to become a
"I'm Puerto Rican. I celebrate everything." Anita Rodriguez Cordero on celebrating as we coach
With so much mayhem, worry, and turmoil, more clients struggle to find much to celebrate or to declare a true win. But coaches like my show guest this week, Coach Anita Rodriguez Cordero, set that intention each session to ask her coachees what they want to celebrate. Coach Anita takes this intention far beyond the International Coaching Federation's want for facilitating client growth (compe
Why I’ve returned to journaling (and hope to never let it go again)
I’m recently back to journaling most days after a good nine-month hiatus. I’ve missed it so much. For me, journaling feels like emptying my bucket of all that’s within. As I get older, I’ve noticed its importance for my mental and physical health. My journal’s a forum for not explaining things, unless I want to and a place to unlock enormous ideas within.And I’m not the only one. The data tells us
“Maintaining presence starts with checking in on myself” Live Coaching & Musings with Coach Sophia Casey
My guest this week is my friend and MCC mentor coach Sophia Casey who trains coaches like me to strive to become our very best version of ourselves and with that, our most present. We chat about all the barriers getting in our way, including wanting to perform, or solve, even direct our coachees towards profound epiphanies and results. (None of which makes us very present at all.)Coach Sophia, who
What high school freshmen can teach us about not stressing out
Guess who my podcast guest is this week? It's Jackson James McCullough, my 14-year-old son who I consider a hugely calming influence on me and my life. (I've long wanted to interview this wise young man and he finally said 'yes.' )Join us on our adhoc interview and woodland walk in our leafy state of Wisconsin, just days after Jackson finished his first year at high school. You
“Nature’s the one thing that brings us together” Jacqueline Crivello on birding, nature, and truth
I’m one of millions of people globally who not only love bird watching, I love to do so from my garden. What a treat to interview Jacqueline Crivello, an award winning photographer, author, bird feeding store owner, a birder, entrepreneur and even an inventor of a bird feeder for hummingbirds. (The latter comes inspired from her very first bird feeder she created as a girl in the forest behind her
How do I train to become a coach? One coach’s journey
More coachees are asking me each week how to become an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach and how I became a coach, specifically the decisions before me and the training itself. (I’m delighted they ask, because coaching’s a truly delightful field.) I’ve found a fantastic home in this new industry, now coaching full-time for an audience I adore and relate well to. (Most of my c
The challenges and joy of certifying as an ICF coach. Two coaches’ musings
Certifying with the International Coaching Federation, the world’s largest nonprofit for professional coaches, challenges many coaches because it’s no easy feat. We must speak only 10% of the time, drive clarity, insights, and accountability too. Submitting a recorded coaching call to ICF evaluators for review often erodes our presence with our coachee, who we care about the most, even over the ex
How do we stay calm amidst heated emotions? Musings from Coach Karen du Four des Champs
Solar eclipse. Mercury retrograde. New moon. Job layoffs. Overwork. No surprise many of us are losing it at home and at work. But if you’re a mental fitness practitioner with a goal to stay calm and peaceful no matter what, some ways exist to find the ease and flow and stabilize the mood and feeling in yourself and those around you. In our delightful conversation, fresh after time digging in her g
“Kindness is my legacy from adversity” Magdalena Kranz on luxury fashion and feeling happier with less
My interview with Chicago-based fashion consultant and stylist, Magdalena Kranz, kicks off a series of ad hoc interviews across my two podcasts. (I also host the Sage Sayers on Apple podcasts). I love that dear Magdalena takes us from her turbulent past in Poland before migrating to the U.S. We hear that she arrived in Chicago as a teen with little more than books, two t-shirts, one pair of pants,
“I’m loving this new creative space.” Coach Malvika Joshi on the joy of entrepreneurship.
Building your own venture can bring a whirlwind of creativity, problem solving, and joy from building something you love. Partner it with coaching and certifying as a coach and you’ve endless surges of energy and happiness. This becomes the life and outlook of Coach Malvika Joshi, a London-based coach who’s just launched her own coaching practice with a co-partner while thriving still as a marketi
“Yoga helps us notice our feet have toes.” Yasna Garcia Da Rosa on certifying as a yoga instructor
If you’ve practiced yoga, you know: This ancient practice stills our busy mind and grounds us in our bodies while building stamina and strength. Yasna García da Rosa ACC (Associate Certified Coach) por ICF knows this shift well, especially from taking her love for yoga all the way to the top by certifying ( this quarter) as an instructor.Yasna shares the intricacies of certifying as an instructor
The Lost Sunglasses. The stress of losing lovely things
Losing my first Tom Ford sunglasses in New Zealand’s Pacific Ocean at Ohope Beach on New Year’s eve this year reminded me that the fear of falling back financially never really leaves us. That's the fodder for this week’s podcast episode. I’m narrating an essay I wrote soon after losing my lovely Tom Fords and one I continued finessing during a snowstorm back here in Wisconsin. (So, it’s a cr
More trust is vital for mastery of coaching
In this week’s musings, reading from my musings on Medium, I’m sharing what I’ve learned from completing 2:10 of the required mentor sessions with my MCC mentor coach as I strive to certify as a Master Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. The insights I’ve gathered so far have changed how I feel, think, and how I coach — all through the lens of maintaining presence (competen
Growing things gives us inner strength: Pamela Currall on finding peace in her garden
Such a lovely way to launch season two for Competency No 5, my podcast focused on finding calm when we coach, lead, and live our lives. Meet Lady Pamela at the Sea, AKA Pamela Currall, a retired practice nurse in New Zealand. She’s also my dear Mum, and in our delightful interview (which takes place in her garden off of the Kapiti Coast) she shares the joy and tranquility that comes from gardenin
I find calm, confidence, and joy from playing flute: Emma Zhou
Boston-based project manager Emma Zhou has long found joy, calm, and courage from playing flute. What began as a hobby in her undergraduate studies in China has now become part of her personal branding and a delightful activity she maintains alongside advanced analytics work. She performs often with local musicians and solo in the greater Boston area, at weddings, and remote for retirement homes
How Do Active Minds Learn to Meditate? Helio Fujita Knows
If your mind wanders too much for you to effectively meditate, then this week’s interview might delight you. My guest is Helio Fujita, an HR executive based in Switzerland. And (among other things) he’s a student at a prestigious UC Berkeley school training the bright and gifted how to teach meditation, the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification program. I loved this exchange and how kindly
How Feeling Thanks Boosts My Presence and Business
This week is Thanksgiving in America. I love that this country I’ve made home stays one of a few nations around the world devoting an entire holiday to giving thanks. (How lovely. And perhaps more countries can follow suit?) As a mental fitness practitioner and coach, I find that feeling thankful daily helps me feel more confident, calm, and centered, especially with high-stakes situations and pre
Using Candor and Presence to Speak and Challenge the Truth
We have my dear friend and peer coach Sathya Sethuraman back with us this week to discuss with me a curious dynamic that comes up for coaches when maintaining presence: The occasional but powerful need for radical candor. In this context we mean challenging our coachee on the words they lay down and asking open-ended, short, but powerful questions to challenge inconsistencies we notice and hear or
Celebrating 5,250 Individual Coaching Hours: Lessons and Tactics
This week, I’ve reached 5,250 individual coaching hours, which more than doubles the 2,500 individual hours the International Coaching Federation asks for coaches certifying as a Master Certified Coach. MCC certified coaches make up only 4% of global ICF coaches, because of all the other lengthy requirements they ask for, and because it’s so hard and expensive. MCC became my game plan when I fell
Riptide Adventures. A Tale of Trust and Presence
Anyone who knows me well knows that Lake Michigan, the world’s fifth largest lake, is my happy place here in Wisconsin bringing me calm, clarity, gratitude, and creativity. One visit can bring powerful shifts in perspective and unlocks big ideas. A recent trip to a new access lake point, Two Rivers, brought an unexpected adventure: Getting caught in a riptide. My way back to shore became a lesson
Taming Our “Monkey Brain” When We Coach. An interview with Coach Sathya Sethuraman
My guest this week is Sathya Sethuraman, a financial Services and insurance industry strategist and thought leader who's served for 20+ years as a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 global insurance and financial service firms. Sathya’ s also my friend and a coach. Sathya’ s realizing, as he applies to certify in more advanced ways with the International Coaching Federation, that taming our acti
“I Know that “”He”” is the Biggest Boss to Impress.” Jevon Koh on Finding Calm through Faith and Travel
Many of us struggle with fear and uncertainty—the very opposite of presence—when speaking with powerful people. It’s 100% normal; and more pronounced in these intense times. And yet leaders like Jevon Koh, a business development and global digital partnerships director for a giant financial services firm, find that his Christian faith, his easy-going nature, and living abroad give him a vital and
How Laughing At Work Can Bring Joy and Presence. An Interview with Amy Azuma
UC Berkeley educator and program director Amy Azuma's long used humor to shift intense moods and energy. In her adult years, she's shifted from using humor as oppositional defiance to a tool for finding and creating presence, with herself and with others. In a delightful interview, Azuma shares how finding the funny in the serious can bring feelings of joy, relief, and become an excellen
How I Center and Reset When Coaching At Scale
With Gallup reporting most U.S. workers find 50-hour work weeks normal, no wonder many of us struggle maintaining presence as we work. If our typical flow becomes back-to-back meetings, presence (which I'm defining here as peace, calm, and present with ourselves and others) can feel impossible. As my coaching practice has grown, I've challenged how I relate to time because my job requir
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