Here’s what I’m offering in 2026. Coaching works. Let me prove it to you.
This post is a little different.
Instead of boring you to tears with my usual proselytising over some aspect of leadership or personal growth (sorry not sorry, will resume next week), I’m going to talk a bit about what all of that actually turns into in the real world.
It’s basically an ad in long-form. You have been warned. But at least I’m being honest about it.
I spent 2025 working with some seriously incredible people. Every moment of it was a privilege, and I got to witness my clients through some truly powerful moments:
I helped a very senior executive change course from an unhappy exit to a huge promotion and to changing the entire narrative around his contribution
I helped more than one mid-career leader overcome imposter syndrome and finally perform to their full potential (and to feel better about themselves as they did it)
I helped a lifelong perfectionist finally let go of every detail, allow her team to step up, and deliver based on priorities rather than trying to do everything
I helped a senior industry leader rehabilitate from the cult of “servant leadership”, establish greater authority - and greater respect from his team as a result
I helped a newly-promoted team head establish herself as “first among equals” - overcoming the difficulty of this transition from peer to leader, and building authority
I helped a lifelong career strategist finally figure out what he really needed and how to go about getting it, a few others figure out that they didn’t have to put up with a gaslighting boss, and another realise that seeking validation from a company that treats you like dirt is a waste of time.
This is what coaching can do.
Each of these individuals is really smart. Successful. Knows how to solve a lot of different kinds of problems in a lot of different ways. But what often comes with that is a scarcity of time and energy to redirect back to ourselves, our own development, our own growth; and ultimately, that’s what creates burnout (no it’s not workload, more on that later).
So what happens when people face up to these tough challenges and find ways to overcome them?
Well, it’s a win-win. They get to let go of some source of stress, unhappiness, diminished performance; and their employer gets a less stressed, happier, higher-performing individual.
Teams start to work better together.
Petty personal or interdepartmental arguments become fewer and further between.
And companies grow a leadership pipeline within the organisation that really starts to look like a succession plan - without the tedious spreadsheets and workshops that rarely amount to much.
I know this because I’ve spent a year watching it happen. But don’t just take my word for it. There is a growing body of research which proves the benefits of coaching to organisations and their employees.
One Harvard Business Review study highlighted a 44% increase in productivity among those who have experienced leadership coaching vs. those who have not.
A recent Forbes article summarising multiple different research pieces highlighted several core benefits of leadership coaching: improved effectiveness in leadership roles, better time an energy management, better emotional and stress regulation.
All of those are good for you and your company.
Research commissioned by the International Coaching Federation showed that the median ROI of coaching spend is a staggering 788% (I’m sceptical about this number, but it does at least suggest that coaching pays for itself many times over).
My own ROI? I estimate it to be somewhere around 292% (very conservatively, and that’s based on real money only; I don’t estimate a cost benefit for mental health).
So for every dollar you spend with me, you will see at least $2.92 of value return.
And I’m working to get that even higher. If the ICF has come up with a number of 788% (even if that feels improbable), and my number is 292%, then that suggests I have a little headroom.
Beautiful Kananaskis Country in Western Canada. Site of an upcoming Blazing Pine retreat?
One of the things I do to get better - and to work on closing that gap - is ask for regular feedback from my clients. Here are a few of the positives (and yes, these are all real, and no, I didn’t pay for any of them):
“Your work has really made a massive difference to one of my most important team-members. He has matured noticeably and a lot of other people have noticed the transformation. Congratulations - you have planted seeds that have sprouted and are starting to grow. Very impressed”.
“This was a place where I could be unfiltered, imperfect, and accepted. My vulnerabilities were never used against me. I was allowed to change my mind and not have it all figured out.”
“You didn’t rush to fix things, you listened. I felt genuinely heard, not corrected. Someone finally sat back, paid attention, and really listened.”
“For the first time in life I have felt that I have a guide who would listen to me without judging me for all the issues that I have. This has been a very hard year from my own psychological strength, navigating some of the very complicated spaces and I could not have done that without support from you.”
“Our conversations are incredibly grounding and leave me genuinely excited for what’s ahead. I think you have been very important in taking me out of a very dark place where I wasn’t finding any joy. That was so helpful, and I really appreciate it. It was also very helpful in understanding who I am and defining what I could potentially do going forward. I’m grateful for your time, conversations, and advice and can’t wait for more It has been awesome.”
“Your coaching has has completely exceeded all my expectations. This course (airflo) -it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“I know we all compare ourselves, but in this setting I just, I feel equal. I really do feel equal, whereas in the work setting I never did. I want to grow, I want to grow so much more. And before I was just so unsure of what I wanted. I didn’t know But yeah, this has really, really helped me. It’s changed me as a person.”
Ok, ok, enough I know. But I’m incredibly proud of this. Yes, for me, yes, of course it feels good, we all have an ego etc., etc…but I’m proud of it because this impact, for the better, on other peoples’ lives, is why I wanted to go into coaching in the first place. If it’s happening that way, then yes, I’m going to feel good about that.
As for the “negative” feedback? My clients’ most frequent comments: take more risks. Slow down sometimes. Give the content more time. Don’t be afraid to challenge harder.
All of those I’m integrating into my approach in 2026.
So what does that look like? What can I do for you?
Well, here’s the core product line of Blazing Pine in 2026:
One-on-one coaching. This will always be at the heart of what I do. The rest of this article covers what that looks like. It will always be on your own terms. The agenda will be yours, not mine. I will give you space to process - but then I will challenge you to stretch. That’s just how it works.
airflo. I launched this program early in 2025 and I’m about to kick off the third iteration. I have made zero changes to the format - it worked, right from the outset. The only thing that has changed is the price (sorry, it went up, because I believe this is the best leadership program out there. I’m that proud of it). The founding premise? Leadership training doesn’t work. Self-interrogation and feedback from a group of smart people does. And suddenly, when you go through that process, you start to look like a great leader. Intakes in March, June, and September. Don’t miss it.
airflo - my leadership program
Downloadable resources and toolkits. Excited about this. So much of the work can be done outside of one-on-one or group sessions - in fact, it makes them even more powerful if that happens. These resources will cover a whole bunch of different stuff - a Perfectionist’s Playbook; Overcoming Imposter Syndrome; a lot of writing exercises on vision, career, purpose, values; personal branding for corporate types - there’s a lot to come. Watch this space.
Consulting. I bring a dozen or so years of leadership experience in organisational change in international business. I can help solve a lot of different problems. I’m a generalist more than a specialist but if I had to pick a topic it would be people, and how they fit into their organisations.
Retreats. Details TBA. But it’s on the roadmap. I had a vision about something in beautiful Kananaskis that dates back to 2019, and I’m starting to feel like it might be time.
This whole article has been icky to write because I don’t really like tooting my own horn.
The work, and the credit for it, truly belongs to my clients. But I showed up for them. And I can show up for you too. If any of the above has got you thinking - maybe 2026 is the year I finally get myself some coaching - you know where to find me.