Frequently Asked Questions for Second Half of Life Coaching
What is Modern Coaching?
Modern coaching isn't advice-giving or therapy. It's a structured conversation designed to surface what you already know but haven't been able to see clearly — your blind spots, your values, the gap between where you are and where you actually want to be.
A great coaching engagement doesn't add more to your plate. It removes what's been quietly weighing on it. Clients leave with sharper focus, renewed confidence, and a set of tools they'll use long after our work together ends.
Who is this for?
This is for successful founders and senior executives who have built something real, and are now asking harder questions than the ones that got them there.
If you're still in survival mode financially, this probably isn't the right fit.
If you've cleared that hurdle and something still feels unfinished, it is.
How does a coaching engagement work?
We meet once a week — or twice a month for lighter-touch engagements — for about an hour, by phone (or video), wherever you are in the world. Sessions are structured but not rigid; we go where the work needs to go.
Between sessions I'll often suggest reading, exercises, or reflective prompts tailored to what we're working through. These aren't busywork — they're how the insights from our conversations become lasting change rather than just good intentions.
You'll also have unlimited email access to me between sessions. If something comes up, you don't have to wait until next week.
What if I don’t know exactly what I want to work on yet?
That's actually one of the most common places people start, and it's completely fine. In fact, many clients arrive knowing only one thing with certainty: not this.
Not this job. Not this version of success. Not this place. Not this feeling of quietly wondering if there's something more.
That's more than enough to begin. In our first session we'll shine a light on the trailhead together: identifying where you are, what's pulling at you, and where the path likely begins. The direction reveals itself faster than most people expect.
How confidential is this?
Completely. What happens in our sessions stays in our sessions — full stop. I don't record, I don't share, and I don't discuss clients with anyone.
I sometimes describe it this way: the two of us are in a bomb shelter. Nothing that happens in there sees the light of day. Ever.
The only exception is the standard legal one: if I believe someone is in imminent danger. In 20+ years, that exception has never been relevant.
What you tell me stays with me.
How long does a coaching engagement last?
I ask for a 6-month commitment upfront, which gives us a full runway — unlimited weekly sessions, no clock-watching, no pressure.
That said, most clients reach their clarity, confidence, and momentum long before the six months is up.
When there's nothing left to work on because you're already living it, we're done. You'll know.
What happens after 6 months?
That depends entirely on where we are.
Some clients finish well before six months because the work moves faster than expected. Others want to continue because something new has opened up that's worth exploring. Both happen regularly.
If you want to keep going, we keep going. There's no formal renewal process, no new contract, no pressure in either direction. We'll have an honest conversation about what cadence makes sense and go from there.
The goal was never to create a dependency. If you're done, you're done. If there's more work, we do more work. Simple as that.
How is the coaching process structured?
The coaching process is non-linear — and that's the point. We won't know what's beyond the hill until we walk up it together.
If there were an exact recipe, I'd have written a book and called it a day. But your life doesn't follow a recipe — and neither does this work. Each session meets you where you are: what's surfacing, what's blocking, what's ready to move. The process reveals itself as we go.
How is coaching different from therapy?
Therapy is valuable work (and I have a great working relationship with many therapists), but it's a different conversation. Therapy tends to look backward, understanding how your past shaped who you are today. Coaching looks forward. We start where you are right now and focus entirely on where you're going.
There's no diagnosis, no couch, and while your past will naturally come up (context matters), we don't live there. What there is: honest conversation, real clarity, and forward motion.
Many of my clients have done therapy. Some are even in therapy while we work together. The two aren't in conflict. They just do different things.
Therapy heals. Coaching moves.
Do you coach couples or group coaching?
Nope and nope. I work exclusively one-on-one, and there's a reason for that.
The conversations we have require a level of honesty and privacy that just isn't possible when anyone else is in the room — including a spouse.
I’m here searching for my husband. How can I get him to book with you?
First — the fact that you're here says a lot about how much you care. And you're not alone. Many of my most successful engagements started exactly this way.
You'll notice I don't have a version of this question for husbands searching for their wives. That's not an oversight. In over 20 years of coaching, it's typically the wife reaching out on the husband's behalf — not because men don't need this work, but because they're less likely to ask for help. It's not a flaw, it's just wiring. And it's exactly why you're here.
Here's what I've found works: don't sell it, don't push it, and don't frame it as something being wrong with him. High achieving men don't respond well to any of those. Instead, simply share the link to this page and let him come to his own conclusion. If he's ready, he'll reach out. If he's not quite there, the seed is planted.
In the meantime, feel free to reach out to me directly. Tell me a little about what you're seeing at home. I'm happy to have a brief conversation with you first — no charge, no obligation — so that if and when he does reach out, I already have some context.
Sometimes the best first session starts with a wife who cared enough to search.
What if I’m international? Can I still work with you?
Geography has never been a barrier.
In fact, I have been location independent for over 20 years and worked with clients all over the world.
The work translates because what we're dealing with is deeply human, not location-specific.
Scheduling is simple through my booking system, and if cell access is an issue wherever you are, we'll find a platform that works.
Additionally, with degrees in Anthropology and an MBA from Thunderbird’s Global School of Management, I'm very well-versed in cross-cultural communication.
How much does it cost?
To my knowledge, I'm the only coach who structures fees this way: one single fee, unlimited weekly sessions, until you reach your goal — however long that takes.
There's no per-session billing, no ambiguity about what you'll end up paying, and no incentive for me to stretch the engagement.
In fact, it's directly in my interest to get you moving as fast as possible. That's how ethical coaching works — giving you the tools to move forward independently, not keeping you dependent on the relationship.
Pricing is discussed in our first conversation.
How do I pay?
Once you click "Activate" on our simple one-page agreement, you'll receive a PayPal or Stripe invoice automatically and have immediate access to schedule your sessions.
Prefer to mail a check? That works too. My retired CPA — aka "Dad" — genuinely looks forward to making that deposit. It's the highlight of his week!
What if it doesn’t work?
If we both do our part and it doesn't work? Full refund. No awkward conversation, no fine print, no hoops — just a bold line in our agreement that means exactly what it says.
Honestly, in 20+ years I haven't had to honor it because I'm discerning about who I work with and how committed they are before we begin. But it's there, and it's real.
How do I prepare for a session?
Before each session, complete the pre-session questionnaire. It's a small step that makes a big difference in where we can go.
Beyond that: find a private space, let the people around you know you're unavailable, and put your phone on Do Not Disturb.
You're investing real time and money in yourself. Give it the space it deserves.
Does coaching by phone really work?
More than you might expect. For most people, more than video. There's something about not being seen that makes it easier to say the hard things. Less performance, more honesty. We get there faster.
And of course, no commute. If you've ever driven Houston’s 610 loop at rush hour, you understand why that matters.
If video is a non-negotiable, I’m happy to give up walking around the room with a wireless headset talking with my hands for a client I’d really like to work with.
Can I skip a week?
Absolutely. You set the agenda and the pace.
I recommend weekly sessions because momentum matters, but life happens and you decide when the time is right for the next one.
Can I reschedule a session?
Of course. The booking system is simple and fully self-serve. Reschedule whenever you need to. If it's open on my calendar, I'm available. No need for apologies.
For last-minute changes, just shoot me a text or email directly and we'll sort it out.
Once you've committed to working together, the booking system allows you to add a second email address. If you have an assistant who manages your calendar, they can handle scheduling on your behalf without it landing on your plate.
What can I expect during a free consultation?
The best way to answer this is to let you see for yourself.
I put together a short video that walks you through exactly what our first conversation looks like — no sales pitch, just an honest preview of the work.
What kinds of issues do clients typically bring to you?
Rarely something with a clean label.
It's usually more of a feeling. A quiet restlessness that's hard to name, and a sense that the life you've built doesn't quite fit anymore even though it looks right from the outside.
You've hit the goals. You've done the things. And yet...
Sometimes it's a major crossroads: career, relationship, identity, a needed change in geography. Sometimes it's nothing that dramatic, just a persistent whisper that something needs to change and you can't quite locate what.
What my clients have in common isn't a specific problem. It's a specific moment — the one where achievement stops being enough of an answer.
Have you been coached yourself?
Yes. More than once.
I wouldn't ask anyone to do something I haven't done myself.
I've worked with coaches at different points in my life: during transitions, when I was stuck, and when things were going well but something felt off.
It's part of why I do this work. I know what it feels like to sit in that chair. I know what a good coaching relationship can open up, and what a bad one wastes.
That experience shapes how I show up for every client.
How do I know if I'm ready?
Honestly? You probably already do.
Ready doesn't mean having it all figured out. It doesn't mean knowing exactly what you want to work on or having a clear sense of direction. Most people who are ready arrive with none of that.
What ready looks like is this: the pain of staying where you are has become greater than the fear of facing what's next.
When that tipping point arrives — and you'll know when it does — you're ready.
If you're asking whether you're ready, that's usually your answer.