What is Coaching?

People sometimes ask me what a coaching session really looks like.

It’s a fair question. “Coaching” is one of those words that can mean almost anything depending on who you’re talking to.

Here’s what it looks like in my practice.

It usually starts with what the person says they need. Resume help. Interview prep. LinkedIn strategy. Something tangible and actionable.

And somewhere in the first few minutes, we find the thing underneath that.

The leader who says she needs interview coaching but is actually terrified of being seen as too much or not enough. The executive who says his resume isn’t landing but is quietly questioning whether he wants to go back to corporate at all. The director who wants to talk about salary negotiation but is really trying to figure out whether she’s asking for what she’s worth.

This is the work I find most meaningful. Not because the tactical pieces don’t matter, they absolutely do, but because sustainable momentum in a search requires both. You can have a perfect resume and still self-sabotage in an interview.

You can network relentlessly and still shrink when it’s time to advocate for yourself.

The best outcomes I see happen when someone is clear on both what they want and who they are in pursuit of it.

That’s what I’m always trying to get to. The rest is just the starting point.