1:1 Leadership and Career Coaching

Where do you want to go?

A desert landscape with a road and a sign indicating a fork in the road ahead, with mountains in the background and an overcast sky.

I’m actually not here to be your “coach”, I’m here to be your TEAMMATE.  I’m here to support and guide you through a research and evidence-based process that will help you clarify where you want to go, and why.  With the destination in mind, we will explore the possibilities for next steps and create an action plan to get there.   We’re in this together and my passion is in helping you succeed.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself. ”

— George Bernard Shaw

Leadership Coaching Client Stories

  • "Working with Cal as my professional development coach had a significant impact on both my professional and personal journey right when I needed it most.

    As I navigated the ups and downs of growing my startup, Cal was right there with me, helping me see my strengths and guiding me to set the right types of goals.

    I’ve not only learned how to push my business forward but also had the chance to realize things about myself in the process, we are lucky to have access to such a sharp and bright mind to help us on our paths.”

    Founder, CEO

  • "Cal helped me clarify my path forward, but also gave me the accountability I was missing"

    I went to Cal looking for help streamlining and articulating my career story while shaping my next steps. Her coaching style is the perfect balance of support, thoughtful questioning, and well-timed pushes. She challenged me to dig deeper into my strengths and interests—something I hadn’t had time to do at this stage in my career. The follow-up notes and clear takeaways were incredibly helpful in creating accountability. It’s been an invaluable experience.

    Founder

  • "Working with Cal over the past year has been invaluable.

    She has consistently challenged me to approach problem-solving in new ways and broaden my perspective on leadership. I am grateful for the guidance, support, and insight she has provided, and I feel more confident in my ability to navigate the complexities of my career moving forward.

    Sr Director Technology

  • "I appreciate that Cal asks tough questions and challenges my perspective"

    Working with Cal has increased my overall confidence as a leader through increased self-awareness of how I interact with my team and what works best for me.  This has resulted in a clearer sense of priorities in my business and a deeper focus on the true priorities that will help me and my business grow. The best part about working with Cal is feeling supported, encouraged, and inspired to continue to become a stronger leader. 

    CEO

  • "Our conversations brought a sense of peace with doing work I'm passionate about rather than trying to achieve or prove something.

    The exercises and articles were really helpful in understanding my strengths/weaknesses at a detailed level. It has allowed me to lean in and successfully deploy those skills in the workplace and develop confidence in areas that I stayed away from previously.

    Controller

  • "The most important outcome working with Cal has been the confidence I've gained, both in my ability to overcome obstacles in my current role, and accelerate my career growth overall.

    Cal helped me reflect on where I'm at and where I want to go, then helped me be more direct with my senior leadership in asking for what I wanted.  My sessions with Cal were very productive, filled with solid insights and always ending with a commitment to at least one action I will take to achieve my goals.

    Sr Manager Finance

  • "I always leave our conversations feeling lighter, more clear, and more confident than when I started

    One of the biggest things I've gained is a much greater level of self-awareness, along with practical tools I can actually use in real life. Cal has helped me recognize patterns, pause before immediately jumping into "fix it" mode, and be more intentional about how I show up both personally and professionally. I've also learned how to balance accountability with grace - realizing that growth doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful.

    VP People and Culture

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Career Coaching Client Stories

  • "I have never worked with someone who listened like Cal"

    Working with Cal allowed me to see clearly where I was, how I was stuck in my thinking, how I might move forward and what was possible. Cal opened my eyes and helped me to see potential for my work that I couldn't recognize. 

    Career Transition Client

  • "Cal is compassionate, honest, and an insightful coach who will lead you to incredible results.

    …After 23 years at one company, I made the difficult decision to leave and was looking for someone to help me navigate this major transition. Cal was incredibly thoughtful and thorough, quickly understanding how best to work with me. Our work together, filled with meaningful exercises and deep reflections, helped me gain clarity and confidence in my next steps. I learned about myself—what I truly want in both my career and my life—and this new perspective will undoubtedly shape my future.

    Career Transition Client

  • "The best part of working with Cal as a coach has been my ROI."

    I invested time and money to partner with Cal and my return has been invaluable.

    Her effectiveness lies in how she excels in supporting you (re)discovering your own strengths and innate knowledge, through deep listening, questioning, and partnering with you on progress toward the goals established from the start. She has a knack for empowering and inspiring, which is more valuable and sustainable than taking advice and direction.

    Career Transition Client

  • "Cal helped me expand my idea of what meaningful work can look like and regain the confidence and energy to pivot towards work and a life that lights me up."

    The exercises and sessions with Cal were invaluable in helping me reflect on where I want to take my career in the future, and - importantly - on the experiences from years past. Cal helped me separate those thoughts and stories that will propel me forward from those which may no longer be serving me. This process was so powerful in helping me gain new insights about myself and the confidence to explore new career directions.

    Career Transition Client

  • "Cal's coaching style is compassionate, direct, efficient and honest."

    The exercises we did and tools we used to uncover my strengths, priorities and values really helped me figure out what was the best next career move for me. The "homework" was manageable and really felt valuable to my process, and the time spent analyzing it with Cal allowed me to uncover some blocks I had and create some tangible paths forward. Cal held me accountable in a gentle but serious way and offered much helpful feedback.

    Career Transition Client

  • "I really got a lot out of this experience and can not thank you enough Cal!

    I have developed new skills and ways of approaching opportunities and my future that will benefit me not just now, but down the road.  Cal was a great sounding board that helped me make sense of all the thoughts in my head and gain clarity around what I am looking for from “work” and my life in total.

    Career Transition Client

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1:1 Leadership and Career Coaching

  • Coaching is a highly personalized learning process with the goal of effective action, performance improvement and growth. Specifically my interest lies in whole-person coaching and applying research-based frameworks and tools from neuroscience, the mind-body connection, adult learning theory, social and organizational psychology, and mindfulness.

    One of the keys to learning, is reflection. Adult learning theory is based on a repeated pattern of Action + Reflection = Learning. We can get obsessed with the action part of that equation at work, and are reinforced positively for it. Our brains release dopamine when we get things done, and the chemical addiction is real. Our coaching sessions will provide the space for you to reflect, get curious about the who (you), the how, and the why so that the next action you do take is more informed, more intentional and more likely to get the results you are looking for.

    I believe deeply that in every situation we all possess the power of choice: the choice to react and judge or to observe and learn. Unlocking awareness of how we make choices when our brain operates as anxious and stressed (cortisol) vs curious and open (oxytocin) allows us to better understand how to change behavior to reach our goals. This awareness will fundamentally change the way you lead and the impact will be felt by your team and organization.

    As part of an engagement we will process feedback from reviews or assessments like the Neethling Brain Institute Thinking Styles inventory. My thinking preferences are predominantly quadrants L2R2. What that means is that I lean on “empathy, intuition, cooperation, listening focus, planning, practical application, step-by-step approaches and discipline” in all of my coaching engagements.

    We will THINK and FEEL TOGETHER and then we will PLAN and EXECUTE what you want to achieve!

  • The foundations of my practice include:

    -Creating an environment that fosters curiosity and judgement-free self discovery

    -Leveraging the power of your deepest values and relevant strengths to drive the change you seek

    -Understanding emotions and honoring the mind-body connection

    -Reframing and challenging your thoughts, reactions and mindsets

    -Employing a structure for high performance: goal setting, prioritizing and accountability for action

    -Providing tools, exercises and frameworks for learning and growing

  • I work with founders, business leaders, and former high-performance athletes.

    We’ll partner to define the specific goals you want to achieve during our sessions and over our engagement, however, here are a few examples of past client opportunities:

    ⁃ Leadership development

    ⁃ Transitions (career and/or promotion)

    ⁃ Managing work-life balance and burnout

    ⁃ Improving relationships at work

    ⁃ Building executive presence

  • My clients tell me that coaching has given them greater self-awareness and clarity, a renewed sense of focus and forward momentum, all aimed at improving their performance as people and leaders. Clients can expect tangible outcomes that may include: improved relationships, better time and energy management, enhanced ability to manage up and down, a renewed sense of empowerment and confidence, greater satisfaction and fulfillment, leadership agility and resilience through change.

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FAQs

What are the logistics of an engagement?

Generally we’ll meet 2-3 times per month for 55 minute sessions. We will use Zoom or arrange for in-person meetings in the Bay Area. Typical coaching engagements last anywhere from 4-12 months. I work with both individuals and corporations looking for coaching for their employees.

What does the process look like?

My process is based on the Columbia Coaching Certification Program’s 3Cs: Context, Content and Conduct.  After we define your desired outcomes, we will think about what is happening both internally and externally (context), why it matters to you given your values and perspective (content), and then evaluate possible next steps and choose an action plan (conduct).

How do we get started?

You can reach out to schedule a complimentary introduction session. During that 30 minute session, we will get to know one another with you sharing what brings you to coaching and me sharing more about my approach and our process and answering any questions you may have. If it works for both of us, we’ll schedule our first session.

Am I coachable?

I will ask a lot of hard questions, listen deeply, lead you through self-discovery exercises and challenge your thinking. I am your thought partner, but in the end, it is you that has to want to learn and grow. If you are open to authentic reflection and experimentation and are willing to do the work required to create meaningful and sustainable change, then let’s talk!

How is Coaching different than Therapy?

Coaching and Therapy both involve the whole person (work+personal lives). Both modalities consider emotions and their impact, and often lead to increased self-awareness. However, Coaching is more focused on tackling professional challenges and relationships. Coaching, unlike Therapy, is focused on action and accountability in the service of reaching the client’s stated goals.

How is Coaching different than Consulting?

Consultants recommend to leaders how to solve their business challenges. Consulting work is defined by concrete, specific advice for the here and now. Coaching focuses more heavily on having the leader learn to solve their own challenges, which is much more powerful in the long-term.

Get in Touch

Reach out to book an informational conversation. We can explore ways of working together that will fit your needs.