In this inspiring episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Lisa Andria, founder of Ladies Who Leap, to explore the transformative power of coaching, emotional intelligence, and the importance of unconditional self-love—especially for women navigating corporate leadership.

Lisa shares her personal story of reinvention after a 41-year career in telecom, where burnout led her to a powerful realization: her true calling was helping women reclaim their worth and lead authentically. She delves into the unconscious mind’s role in limiting beliefs, how stress impacts decision-making, and why coaching is so essential to fostering self-awareness and lasting change.

From redefining success beyond quotas and revenue to discussing why emotions are strategy, Lisa breaks down how inner transformation leads to outer impact. Whether you're a coach, leader, or someone seeking clarity and confidence, this conversation provides practical insights and heart-centered wisdom for growth.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/how-self-love-and-emotional-awareness-unlock-transformational-leadership/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with coach, speaker, and former Air Force human-relations advisor Kevin McNulty. Kevin traces his path from “military brat” to Tops in Blue performer to a 20-year Air Force career advising commanders on culture, leadership, and team dynamics—before launching a 25-year practice in the private sector.

Key themes include the fusion of empathy + straight talk, what the private sector can learn from the military’s mission focus, training intensity, preparedness, and career pathing, and what the military has gained from the private sector’s push toward individual development and mindset. Kevin and Steve unpack the difference between task-based and relational leadership, why clarity, SOPs, and unit identity matter, and how leaders can hold town-hall-style conversations to navigate contentious topics like return-to-office—while still owning the decision. Kevin closes with a powerful lesson from hundreds of climate assessments: the best leaders collaborate with experts, invite perspective, and then decide.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-mission-to-meaning-kevin-mcnulty-on-soft-skills-straight-talk-and-building-culture/

In this enlightening episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with publishing veteran Karen Strauss, founder of Hybrid Global Publishing. With decades of experience in traditional and independent publishing, Karen shares how writing a book can be one of the most powerful tools for amplifying your voice, building credibility, and creating lasting impact.

Karen recounts her personal journey from the traditional publishing giants to launching her own company with a mission to help underrepresented voices be heard. She emphasizes that a book is more than a product—it's a platform that provides gravitas, visibility, and opportunity, especially for coaches, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.

Listeners will gain practical insight into the three publishing paths—traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid—and learn what happens after the manuscript is complete. Karen also breaks down how to build a book launch team, why purpose must drive your writing, and the critical role marketing plays in a book’s success. The discussion even touches on AI’s role in the publishing process and the surprising resilience of print books in the digital age.

Whether you're contemplating your first book or want to improve your publishing strategy, this episode delivers essential wisdom, clarity, and inspiration.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/how-publishing-a-book-can-transform-your-life-and-business/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with Laura West, founder of Joyful Business, to explore what it takes to build a flourishing coaching practice in a low-trust, high-uncertainty world. Laura shares her journey from corporate VP through burnout to 25 years as a coach, and why longevity demands constant evolution—of your niche, your offer, and yourself. She unpacks the current “trust recession,” the surge of self-described coaches, and the growing sophistication of clients, making a compelling case for leading with authentic philosophy, visible thought leadership, and community.

Laura introduces her three-part Venn (Soul Work + Who You Help + What’s Urgent Now), the role of intuition (including Quantum Human Design) in decision-making, and why tracking both internal and external client results matters. Most of all, she reframes joy as a creativity and magnetism hack that powers sustainable marketing and presence. Expect practical insight on claiming your brilliance without bragging, creating safe containers for real authenticity, and becoming the “mayor” of an ecosystem where clients flourish—even as we prepare to create with a future we can’t yet predict.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-burnout-to-joyful-business-laura-west-on-trust-intuition-and-evolving-as-a-coach/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Stephen Hodgson, an ADHD coach and tech veteran from the San Francisco Bay Area. Stephen shares his late-in-life ADHD diagnosis (2020), the rocky start with medication, and the pivotal role of education, coaching, and self-compassion in reshaping his life. He reframes ADHD as “A Damn Healthy Dose” of strengths—creativity, spontaneity, and hyperfocus—rather than a label of limitation.

We explore how Stephen prepares to coach (micro-rituals, breathwork, “client first” focus), what 1,300+ one-to-one sessions have taught him, and how lived experience fuels empathy without turning sessions into advice-giving.

On the business side, Stephen unpacks his transition from tech sales to entrepreneurship: leveraging podcast ads, speaking in former workplaces, and consistent outreach.

Finally, he reflects on AI—its promise as a tool and the importance of preserving human connection and critical thinking—before introducing DOSE, his MVP app designed to support ADHD-friendly habits: SPARK (strategic thinking), WAVE (emotional regulation), Popcorn (idea capture), and an RSD meter (rejection sensitivity).

Listeners will leave with practical coaching habits, a humane lens on ADHD, and fresh ideas for building a values-led coaching business.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-diagnosis-to-design-steev-hodgson-on-adhd-coaching-and-the-dose-app/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs welcome Anne Gordon, founder of Whale Wisdom Retreats, animal behaviorist, and retreat leader who pioneered the whale-watching industry in Panama. What began as a childhood fascination with orcas evolved into a life dedicated to deep spiritual connection with dolphins, whales, and ultimately, with self.

Anne shares her extraordinary journey from Hollywood animal trainer to zookeeper, and then to starting a tourism industry in a country that didn’t even realize it had whales. Throughout the conversation, she opens up about the emotional courage needed to follow your passion, face “no” with resilience, and let nature—not a PowerPoint—guide transformation.

She discusses how her retreats harness the conscious intelligence of whales and dolphins to help clients reconnect to joy, abundance, and purpose. You'll also hear deeply insightful metaphors about how whales teach us to thrive during emotional storms and how we can create our own abundance by simply being who we are.

Coaches, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for a non-traditional but deeply profound approach to growth will find inspiration in Anne’s philosophy of going with the flow, even when it's uncomfortable—and creating success by following joy.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/how-dolphins-whales-and-one-womans-vision-built-a-coaching-movement-rooted-in-nature/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Suzi Pomerantz, MCC and CEO of Innovative Leadership International, to unpack her 32-year entrepreneurial journey—from launching her firm in 1993 to coaching senior leaders across industries and continents. Suzi shares how she turned early ignorance into an asset with the help of a coach, reframed debt as tuition, and learned the disciplines of sales, systems, and client retention.

Her core message: “Hope is not a strategy.” Treat coaching as a business—especially if you serve leaders inside organizations—by taking consistent, intentional action and being ready to pivot. Suzi introduces her practical “hats method” for role clarity (CEO, coach, CFO, sales, even “janitor”) and time allocation. The conversation explores AI’s promise and pitfalls: why it offers cognitive empathy but can’t replace the human presence, heart, and soul that create coaching “magic.” Suzi also stresses integrity in the profession: coaches need coaches, too.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-hope-to-strategy-suzi-pomerantz-on-treating-coaching-like-a-business/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Daniela Dragomir—former Big Four consultant, actor, and now executive coach—to explore the Energy Leadership framework that helped her transform a decades-long rift with her mother and reshape how leaders show up at work. Daniela maps the journey from fear and survival (Levels 1–2) to compassion and co-creation (Levels 4–5), explains the awareness → acceptance → choice sequence, and shows why practices like fitness and meditation only truly serve us when they come from an integrated sense of being, not compensation.

A standout twist: Daniela brings puppets to leadership coaching—“Alvin” for Level 1 and “Vic” for Level 5—making heavy emotions visible, memorable, and safe to work with. The conversation dives into navigating toxic cultures, holding your state when rooms run on conflict, and inviting others to entrain to higher energy by modeling it, not controlling it.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-survival-to-choice-daniela-dragomirs-energy-leadership-with-puppets/