How to Choose an Executive Coach: What to Actually Evaluate

Choosing an executive coach comes down to three things: experience, fit, and process — not just a polished website.

Experience

Start with experience. Coaching is unregulated, so anyone can call themselves a coach — experience is your first filter, not your last. You want a coach who has “been there, done that.” You want someone you can trust who speaks from experience, not someone who got a credential by passing a few tests.

Nothing beats experience. Nothing. I have 30+ years of experience starting and running businesses from $100K to $25M, from 2 employees to 550 employees. My PhD is in business management. If you’re running a business under $50M, I’ve lived in your shoes - for over 30 years.

Fit

If you’re a Christian business owner, you’re looking for someone who is a fit in three areas, not just one area: business, theology, and psychology. Why all three? Because you need a coach who can move seamlessly between emotions, theology, and balance sheets. I can do that. I am a Minnesota Licensed Psychologist with post-graduate training in family systems, narcissism, and trauma. I have over 15,000 clinical hours of experience.

I understand people, emotions, and family dynamics, as well as income statements, balance sheets, processes, and company culture. I understand the emotions of being a business owner, as well as its effects on your family and your faith.

I also offer a free 45-minute discovery call. I have an evaluation process that leads to a significant coaching process called Alignment Coaching.

Process

Finally, ask me about my coaching process, which includes your spouse and a 360 review by your key staff members. The best coaching relationships aren't the most comfortable ones. They're the ones where you trust the coach enough to be challenged, not just affirmed. I will bring a unique combination of nurture, education, and challenge into my coaching process.

Experience. Fit. Process. These are the three things you should look at when you’re evaluating a new executive coach.