Coffee House Coaching

Coffee House Coaching is an Executive Coaching podcast where I speak with fellow Executive Coaches about their practice, their process and how they help their clients. I also speak with individuals impacted by coaching and how it has improved their lives. My goal is to shine some light on the wonderful world of Executive Coaching and explain what it is and how it works. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversations about Executive Coaching.

Ep 173 Karen Benoy Preston - Values coaching / Breaking yourself open / Being a Rebel

Question Summaries 1️⃣ Best coaching advice you’ve gotten “It doesn’t have to be about who — it can be about what.”Freed her from the pressure to niche by audience; she leaned into values.Shifted her entire perspective on what authentic coaching looks like.2️⃣ What are you still trying to improve about your coaching? Learning to embrace silence rather than fill it.Recognizing her own “know-it-all” tendencies and stepping back.Seeing pauses as productive — where the client’s best thinkin...

12-18
31:03

Ep 172 Carrie Arnold - Let it go / Bracket it / Tinker your way to better coaching

. Best coaching advice you’ve gotten? “What would it take to let it go?” – helped her shed self-limiting beliefs.Learned during a Georgetown fishbowl coaching session.Empowered her to define herself and step into a bigger space.2. What are you still trying to improve? Contracting with clients to avoid misalignment.Daily work on presence—removing the “static.”Asking, “Are we still in the right conversation?”3. Most outrageous/courageous thing you’ve done in a session? Telling a client they mig...

12-11
29:01

Ep 171 Kyle Smith - Silence is Wisdom / Giving Grace / Underdog Story

1. Best coaching advice you’ve gotten? Learn to be comfortable with silence—it creates space for clients to process.Silence isn’t emptiness, it’s presence that can be more powerful than words.Listening deeply reveals both verbal and non-verbal cues. 2. What are you still trying to improve about your coaching? Not jumping in too quickly when clients pause or hesitate.Allowing clients the time to fully process their own journey.Practicing “listen before you talk” as a lifelong disc...

12-04
23:56

Ep 170 Scott Egbert - Growing in Coaching / Patterns / Boundaries - Finding Them

1. Best coaching advice you’ve gotten? Burnout revealed his limits — realizing boundaries are essential.Reframing resilience: strength isn’t always pushing through.Knowing your edges can actually serve you as a coach. 2. What are you still trying to improve about your coaching? Building consistency in reflection practice.Shifting from second-guessing to learning and growth.Allowing grace and patience when reviewing sessions. 3. Most outrageous thing you’ve done, tried, or said in ...

11-20
23:21

Ep 169 Karin Blair - Embrace emergence / the Doldrums / Vibes NOT Wifi

1. Best coaching advice you’ve gotten? “People are not problems to be solved” – coaching isn’t fixing.Coaching is about creating space, not offering solutions.2. What are you still trying to improve about your coaching? Letting go of the need to perform; embracing emergence.Staying longer in the not knowing, resisting the urge to advise.3. Most outrageous (or courageous) thing you’ve done in a coaching session? Somatic work: having a client turn and face a wall to access deeper wisdom.Telling...

11-13
43:54

Ep 168 Michelle Bennett Gr8 Q's - "Make the implicit explicit"

Episode Summary: Michelle Bennett 1. Best Coaching Advice Received “Make the implicit explicit.” Pause the moment and name what’s not being said.“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” Use client frustration to invite reflection and reframe.Moments of tension are often invitations for deeper understanding, not obstacles.Great coaching is about holding space and gently guiding insight—not forcing it.Key insight: Learn to stop, notice, and ask “what’s really going on here?” 2. S...

11-06
44:16

Ep 167 Julia Holloway - Get Data / Challenge directly / Alignment / Denzel

Best coaching advice received? What happens in a session is not about the coach. Notice what’s happening without making it personal—it's all data. Still improving? Mastering detachment from being hijacked by emotions. Working to feel deeply without getting stuck in the goo. Most outrageous moment? Dropping an F-bomb in a session with a lawyer (and surviving). Using metaphor and creativity to “snap” clients out of logic loops. What still m...

10-30
49:28

Ep 166 Jackie Hodgins - Be the Mountain / Silence isn't Empty / Using your Hips

Bullet Point Summary by Question 1. Best coaching advice you’ve gotten? Stay in the not knowing longer—it’s where insight lives.The best space we can offer clients is presence without answers.2. What are you still trying to improve? Deepening her presence; slowing down “Wi-Fi brain” to mountain mode.Coaching is being, not doing—and clarity comes from deep listening.3. Most outrageous thing you’ve done? Had a client spell their name with their hips to get out of their head (yes, complete with ...

10-23
30:52

Ep 165 Frank Rosinia - Suspend Judgement / Embracing Clients / Dress for Success

Summary of the 8 Questions + 1 Fun One (Bullet-pointed format with 2 bullets per question) Best coaching advice you’ve gotten? “What story are you telling yourself?” reframes judgment into curiosity. Helped him suspend his own bias and deepen client understanding. What are you still trying to improve about your coaching? Striving to truly listen to learn, not to solve or project. Inspired by Jennifer Garvey Berger’s learner mindset. Most outrageous thing you’ve...

10-16
27:56

Ep 164 Pete Berridge - "Just be You" / The Ride Along / Fields of Joy

🔹 8 Questions + 1 Fun Stuff Summary Best Coaching Advice “Just be you”—a reminder from Pete’s wife and lifelong inspiration. Sit beside your client, not across from them—coaching is a shared space. Still Improving Constant self-doubt: "Am I bringing value?" Uses woodworking and nature to ground and recenter himself. Most Outrageous Thing Rode in a truck all day with a road crew supervisor to coach him on-site. Asked questions in between construction ...

10-09
39:23

Ep 163 Gwen Sandefur - Healthcare Exec / Wackadoodle Bomb / Bobby Knight

Bullet Point Summary of the 8+1 Questions: Best coaching advice? Reflect back what you observe—words, metaphors, body language—and ask for more. What are you still trying to improve? Staying in coaching mode vs. defaulting to consultant or problem-solver. Uses physical/somatic shifts to reset. Most outrageous thing you’ve done in a session? Asked a highly credentialed male surgeon when he last felt his body—introduced somatic work. What still makes you u...

10-02
30:06

Ep 162 Eric Pfeiffer Gr8 Q's - His Plumbline “You can’t coach what you haven’t cultivated.”

The Great Eight Answers 1. Best Coaching Advice Ever Received: “You cannot give to others what you have not first cultivated within yourself.” Eric lives this. From journaling to marriage counseling to feedback loops with his kids, he believes the inside work fuels the outside impact. 2. What He’s Still Improving: He’s intuitive and strategic but admits he can “wing it” too much. He’s learning to bring in structure and process to support long-term client journeys without squashing creativity....

09-25
48:00

Ep 161 Rachel Stone Gr8 Q's - "It's Their Time not yours"

The Great Eight – Breakdown Best Coaching Advice Ever Received Be fully present—it’s their time, not yours. Meditation helps her access deep listening and minimize distractions. She watches for “thinking ahead” as a signal that she’s drifting. What She’s Still Improving Continually working to stay present. Resisting the instinct to solve problems or add her own ideas. Coaching is about holding—not hijacking—the space. Most Outrageous Thing in a Sessio...

09-18
25:12

Ep 160 Scott Markowitz Gr8 Q's - The rule of 8 Mississippi's in Coaching

The Great Eight – Question-by-Question Breakdown: Best Coaching Advice Ever Received Let go of the “pure coaching” textbook ideal. Trust your gut—bring more of yourself into the session. Coaching isn’t about doing it “right”; it’s about making connection relevant. What He’s Still Improving Balancing being the expert with staying in inquiry. Constantly evaluates post-session notes to spot assumptions and adjust. Always working to honor what the client...

09-11
31:05

Ep 159 Michael Counts Gr8 Q's - "Your fear is Masquerading as your best thinking"!

1. Best Coaching Advice Ever Received Don’t give advice—facilitate the client’s best thinking.Tempting as it is, offering solutions disempowers clients.Coaching should affirm that the answers are within the client.Advice-giving is ego’s playground; humility is the path.A coach’s real job is to create space, not control the outcome. 2. Advice for Being a Good Client Treat coaching like your life depends on it—because it kinda does.Investing your own money increases commitment and ...

09-04
34:18

Ep 158 Oscar Trimboli Gr8 Q's - "How to Listen" Author (Wonderful Book)

Episode Summary: Oscar Trimboli 1. Best Coaching Advice Received "If you can achieve it in your lifetime, it’s not a worthy ambition."Encouraged by mentor Matt to continually raise the bar.Led to goal of influencing 100 million deep workplace listeners.Shaped Oscar’s approach to time leverage and impact.Constantly evaluating: “Is this scalable? Is it amplified?” 2. Still Improving in Coaching Building asynchronous coaching tools to reach more people.Writing ethical AI software to ...

08-28
44:50

Ep 157 Ed Gurowitz Gr8 Q's - Easy Advice to be a Great Coach (You already know this though)

Ed Gurowitz’s Episode “Listen. Then shut up. That’s the job.” (Ed Gurowitz on the art, ethics, and endurance of coaching after 40+ years in the game.)“Outlast the Silence, Question the Ego, Design the Life.” (Ed doesn’t coach with scripts—he coaches what’s in the room.)“From Survival Strategy to Self-Authorship—Ed’s Still Doing the Work.” (And he thinks you should be too.)“Old School Wisdom Meets AI Curiosity.” (50 years in, Ed’s still listening, learning, and firing on all coaching cylinders...

08-21
30:01

Ep 156 Michelle Clarke Gr8 Q's - "Get out of the Clients Way"

Top 10 Moments Best Advice Ever “Get out of the client’s way.” Coaching isn’t about solving—it's about asking better questions and holding space.Most Cringe Coaching Moment Asked a client if he was ready to leave his wife. He wasn’t. Neither was the coaching relationship. → Lesson: Provocation ≠ transformation.Still a Work in Progress Learning to wait for permission instead of jumping in. Excitement = oversharing; she’s now the poster coach for the pause.Biggest Discomfort? Giving Advic...

08-14
32:51

Ep 155 Michelle Krebs Gr8 Q's - From Aha's to what helps a Coach to Grow!

Michelle Krebs’ Episode “Deep Listening, Hallmark Movies, and Coaching That Hits You in the Feels.” (Michelle brings empathy, insight, and zero shame about her predictable movie choices.)“From Insecurity to Impact: Michelle’s Coaching Story Is Anything But Boring.” (Even if her guilty pleasure movies are.)“Planting Ahas, One Somatic Cue at a Time.” (Michelle Krebs reflects on coaching moments, mind-body awareness, and psychic footballs.)“Supervision, Gremlins, and the Magic of Letting Go.” (M...

08-07
26:53

Ep 154 Victoria Wilken Gr8 Q's - Waves, Coaching and Wine

Victoria’s Episode “Wine, Waves, and Coaching That Doesn’t Color Inside the Lines.” (Victoria Wilken’s maverick take on what coaching—and life—should be.)“Don’t ‘Should’ Yourself—Pour a Glass and Get Real.” (Neurodiversity, climate resilience, and radical honesty meet a wine connoisseur's heart.)“From the Sea to the Psyche: Coaching with Curiosity, Not Convention.” (Victoria brings nature, insight, and a rebellious streak to the coaching table.)“Coaching Uncorked: Deep Roots, Bold Flavors, an...

07-31
40:30

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