Bay Area Executive Coach Training

08/26/2026

While virtual learning will remain essential for its convenience, affordability and reach, there’s no substitute for the depth, engagement, and connection that in-person learning offers. We truly enjoy the personal interaction and dynamic learning that comes from training with clients face-to-face.

Let’s look at some of the unique benefits derived from learning in-person.

1. A Break From Distractions
In-person learning essentially eliminates all daily interruptions, placing learners in a mostly distraction-free setting that helps them stay engaged.

2. Real-Time Interaction and Networking Opportunities
One of the greatest advantages of in-person learning is the opportunity for face-to-face interaction with peers and facilitators. During in-person events, attendees often learn as much from each other as they do from the instructor. This is supported by informal conversations that happen before and after classes.

3. In-Person Energy is Contagious
The sense of community and shared accountability that characterizes in-person learning fosters higher levels of engagement and motivation among learners. Classroom participants can literally feel the energy in the room, which can be highly creative and motivating.

4. Participation Comes Naturally
Through body language, eye contact, group exercises, and even informal moments like shared coffee breaks, learners are more than passive listeners—they’re active contributors.

5. Instant Feedback for Instructor
By reading the room, the instructor can create space for deeper, more vulnerable conversations and offer individualized attention more easily.
With face-to-face interaction, trainers can see how well interactions are going and better gauge whether or not students are grasping the subject matter.

6. The Value of “Being There”
Attending a professional learning event in-person represents an investment of time, effort, and resources, which reinforces its significance. When learners have a greater stake in their learning, they’re more likely to retain information, complete their certification, and apply what they’ve learned in their daily work.

7. Multitasking is Inhibited
During an in-person session, the urge to multitask is greatly reduced or more easily controlled. Learners in a classroom setting generally don’t multitask simply because everyone present will know they’re doing so.

8. Learning Through Doing
Many adults absorb information better when they’re actively involved. Being physically present and participating in hands-on activities boosts retention, making concepts and methods “stick.”

9. Shared Meals Strengthen the Bonds
There’s something special about breaking bread with your fellow learners and not only discussing elements of the class, but also sharing personal stories. While this is rarely in the promotional copy for an in-person learning experience, sharing meals together strengthens the bonds created in class.

07/13/2026

In this episode of our Executive Coaches Interview Series, I sit down with Cindy Cohen, MBA, PCC; executive coach, former biopharma operator, and founder of Alefitt, to talk about why the coaching industry is overdue for a better model.

Cindy spent more than 20 years helping leaders navigate complex decisions in biotech before turning her attention to a problem she kept running into: the mismatch between great coaches and the leaders who need them most.

The result is Alefitt, a coaching platform built around thoughtful, personalized matching, not just a directory of profiles.

Whether you're a leader looking for the right thought partner or a coach looking to grow your practice without giving away a large cut of your fees, this conversation is for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkjSxTLwhc

If you have more questions, leave a comment below.

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What if finding the right executive coach didn't have to be so hard...

08/28/2025

Become a Certified Executive Coach. Lead with impact. Build your career. Executive coaching is one of the fastest-growing fields in leadership development, and the opportunities are expanding every day.

Join us at our 3.5 day, in-person seminar and get certified upon completion. This short video provides an overview of what to expect and how the program equips you with the skills, confidence, and support to serve leaders at the highest level and build a rewarding career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awvTm8hjaaA

Email me or visit our website to enroll today. If you have more questions, leave a comment below.

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Back in 2014, I became certified as an executive coach through the Center for Executive Coaching. Since then, I’ve built a successful practice, and now I’m h...

08/13/2025

The Center for Executive Coaching In-Person Seminar is more than just a accelerated path to Executive Coach Certification, it’s a transformative experience.

Not only will you gain the skills and credentials to grow your coaching practice, but you'll also connect with a powerful community of peers. These relationships can become an invaluable source of support, inspiration, and opportunity throughout your coaching journey.

📅 October 15 - 18, 2025
📍 San Mateo, CA

It's time to reserve your spot! 👉 Learn more and register: https://centerforexecutivecoaching.com/executive-coach-certification/cec-certification/in-person-seminar

07/09/2025

There are general best practices that coaches follow to build a successful practice. Here they are as we see them from our perspective in the world of executive coaching:

Earn the Qualifications and Credentials.
When a company selects an executive coach to work with their leaders and teams, they expect the coach to be highly trained. It’s a best practice for the coach to acquire an ICF or similar credential along with a certification from an established executive coach training and certification program.

Maintain Strict Confidentiality at all Times.
Trust between the coach and coachee is rooted in the coach maintaining strict confidentiality about everything that happens within coaching conversations. Coachees won’t speak freely unless they’re assured that what they say in the coaching session stays there.

Place the Client at the Center of the Coaching Process.
One of the principles of effective executive coaching is an understanding that the coachee is at the center of the coaching process and determines coaching goals and agenda.

Be Flexible and Willing to Explore Different Approaches.
Every coachee will require some adjustments based on their challenges, end goals and willingness to be vulnerable and truly dive into the possibilities presented by coaching. Executive coaches need to be flexible in their approach.

Encourage Self-Awareness and Accountability.
The executive coach needs to challenge their coachees to be the message. Living into this ideal form of leadership requires a high degree of self-awareness to see where one has blind spots that are holding them back from being the model leader they strive to be.

Be Honest when Giving Assessments and Feedback.
Top-level leaders often find themselves in a position where they don’t receive enough clear and direct feedback about their performance. A valuable element of an effective executive coaching program is genuine feedback from the coach as well as those around the client.

Run Your Practice like a Reliable Business.
How you run your business will affect the quality of your coaching engagements. Be reliable, responsive, and easy to do business with. Find great help as soon as you can afford it.

Be Open to Feedback Yourself.
A sure way to grow and improve will be to follow your own advice to your clients – get feedback and act on it. We all have blind spots. Only a few of us truly look for them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

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We hope the best practices outlined above will guide you in growing and strengthening your executive coaching practice. Success ultimately comes down to building a strong knowledge and skill base and then having the persistence to apply that knowledge to effect positive results.

07/04/2025

Did you know our website is packed with free resources for coaches and leaders?

From downloadable guides (like these: https://www.bayareaexecutivecoach.com/guides/) to insightful blog posts, curated reading lists, e-books, case studies, and videos, there’s a wealth of valuable content available at your fingertips.

And we're always adding more, so be sure to visit regularly: https://www.bayareaexecutivecoach.com/

07/04/2025

As a professional coach, it’s likely you will spend numerous hours each day on video. Indeed, I sometimes have as many as 6 hours of video meetings in a day. But does it need to be that way?

I recently presented a 3-hour team development class to a leadership team that wanted to be off-camera the entire time. The CEO told me that cameras should be optional for meetings like this to prevent Zoom fatigue. That threw me off at first, but before too long I enjoyed not worrying about looking into the camera the whole time. I also noted that they seemed plenty engaged and speaking frequently. They were in the workshop with me.

I observed a mentor coaching practice session recently where both coaches decided to try audio only to see how it would affect their coaching. What happened was very interesting. They both made an effort to listen even more carefully. They reported closing their eyes at times to really concentrate on fully hearing the other person. They also sought to be more careful with their words and tone than they might have been since that’s all they had.

Both coaches really enjoyed the experience. It reminded me that I can do this too. I occasionally do coach my clients with audio only, but it’s usually because the internet connection is buggy or they need to be in the car driving. I’m thinking that I will offer my clients to have audio only coaching anytime they desire going forward so they know it’s an option.

The benefit to me as the coach is time away from the camera but more importantly perhaps, the opportunity to listen to my clients even more closely and intently than before.

When coaching 1on1, do you always go with camera on? I know this is an area of great debate amongst coaches. There are proponents of both sides, and I’d love to hear what you think.

Contact me if you have follow-up questions or would like to talk about your coaching business and how to develop it.

09/26/2024

Our next In-Person Executive Coach Training and Certification Seminar is scheduled for October 23 - 26, 2024 in San Mateo, CA.

This program equips Executive Coaches to succeed in the market and develop solutions that get practical, measurable results for their clients.
But it is not just for Executive Coaches! The curriculum offers excellent benefits to many business leaders, including:

- COMPANY LEADERS who want to blend coaching into their leadership skills.
- HR LEADERS who want to bring a coaching culture to their organizations.
- CONSULTANTS who want to add coaching to be more valuable to their clients.

Register for the seminar here: https://centerforexecutivecoaching.com/get-certified/in-person-executive-coaching-seminar/

09/26/2024

We are very excited to announce that our October in-person seminar will feature a special guest speaker: worldwide listening training and teaching expert, Dr. Laura Janusik!

Dr. Janusik will join us on October 25th, day 3 of the three-and-a-half-day event. Her presentation will perfectly complement the seminar content. It will be followed by a networking reception, during which participants can get to know Laura better and establish a one-to-one connection with her.

Dr. Janusik’s specialty is helping coaches connect with clients in ways that accelerate their client’s transformation. Her approach is based on developing the coach’s ability to listen carefully, thoughtfully, and nonjudgmentally to their clients. By leveraging the critical input derived from critical listening, the coach can better guide clients along their journey to genuine leadership growth.

An engaging speaker and trainer, Dr. Janusik is published nationally and internationally in academic journals and publications such as Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, US News and World Report, and The Coach magazine.

I’ve enjoyed a great professional relationship with Laura Janusik and I know our seminar attendees can greatly benefit by learning from her and getting to know her. As with past Center for Executive Coaching in-person seminars, space is limited, and available seats fill up quickly. Those interested in attending this high-growth event and meeting Dr. Janusik should register immediately!

07/09/2024

Want a brilliant framework to use within a coaching session? Use this three-element dynamic shared with me by Andrew Neitlich, founder of the Center for Executive Coaching.

When you’re working with a client who wants to be more effective, ask them how they are doing in balancing the three elements of Ego, Results & Relationships.

They’ll counter with, “How do you mean?”

Here’s an example from a recent conversation with a client. They were telling me about one of their reports who’s a subject matter expert. Given the opportunity to flex their intellect, they will take on a project and do most of the work. That gets them Results and strengthens their Ego. But where does that leave Relationships? Out in the cold. My client actually characterized it as “Cheating the others out of a chance to develop their capabilities”.

In another scenario, the leader likes to see themselves as being very empathetic to their team members. Thus, when a big project with a tight timeline comes along, their ego says, “Don’t push them too hard. You’ll damage the relationship.” But then the Results suffer.

This is a great dynamic and with a fairly brief explanation, every leader will see the wisdom in balancing the three elements going forward. I hope it proves to be a useful tool for you.