Echelon Performance Celebrates 20 Years of Coaching and Learning

One of the biggest misconceptions about productivity is that highly productive people simply have more discipline. After years in fitness, wellness, coaching, and leadership, I’ve found that usually isn’t true. What many high performers actually have is accountability. A coach. A mentor. A trusted outside perspective. Someone willing to say: – “You’re capable of more.” – “You’re avoiding the hard thing.” – “You said this mattered to you.” – “Rest is necessary too.” Because productivity isn’t just about time management. It’s about managing: – energy – focus – habits – emotions – distractions – self-sabotage Left entirely to ourselves, most of us drift . We overthink. We procrastinate. We get overwhelmed. We stay too comfortable. Or we burn ourselves into the ground trying to prove something. Accountability creates awareness. And awareness creates change. That’s why coaches matter. Not because people are incapable on their own—but because growth happens faster when someone helps you see what you can’t always see yourself. Whether in fitness, business, leadership, or life, I’ve learned that consistent progress is rarely a solo act. The right people in your corner can change your trajectory entirely. I am always encouraged and energized by conversations around performance, growth, accountability, and building sustainable success because coaching is never a one-way street. Great coaching conversations create awareness by shining light on what may have gone unseen. If you’re navigating a season of transition, rebuilding, or trying to create more alignment in your life or work, I’ll be opening space for a small number of coaching clients soon. Feel free to reach out privately if that resonates.

I attribute much of my professional success to the mentors and coaches I’ve had throughout my career - from managers who pushed me beyond my comfort zone, to co-founders who taught me how to build a business from the ground up. Of all the support I’ve had, the biggest inflection point for growth came from coaching. As a first-time founder at Button, I was introduced to coaching through our investors. That’s where I met my coach, Lulu C.. At first, I didn’t get it. As an engineer who’s always looking for a solution, coaching felt abstract - almost theoretical. I was wrong. Throughout my career, I’ve struggled with impostor syndrome. No matter what I achieved, I never felt I belonged in the rooms I was in - as a founder, as a leader, as someone others looked to for answers. Coaching changed that. It helped me separate what was true from what wasn’t, and gave me tools to navigate moments of self-doubt - ones I still use today. What I’ve come to realize is simple - everyone needs support, even the best in the world (just ask Stephen Curry’s shooting coach). The support exists. The frameworks exist. The methods work. The problem is access. I’ve spent my career building systems that scale, and I’m seeing where they break today. Technology evolves quickly. Organizations adapt. Expectations rise. But the people inside those systems are expected to keep up - often without the support they need to do so. At Button, we saw the power of coaching and offered it to our team - but access to coaching is expensive, and it doesn’t scale. The support needed to navigate the moments that change career trajectories rarely reaches beyond the top of the corporate pyramid. Today, we’re launching Blomma to fill that gap. Blomma is an AI career coach designed to help you grow with clarity, accountability, and insight over time. It supports the moments that shape outcomes for your career - feedback, difficult conversations, shifting priorities, skill building, leadership transitions, and the day-to-day decisions that define how you show up. With memory, context, and continuity, Blomma helps you communicate more clearly, build stronger habits, and turn self-awareness into real progress. The kind of coaching once reserved for executives is now accessible to everyone. Try it at blomma.com and let me know what you think! I'm so proud of what Silvia Oviedo Lopez, Justin Su, Mike Cavaliere, Todd German, Angela Chu, Lauren Michaels, Pia von Strasser, LPCC, Alexandra Nikolajev, and I have built together. I’m excited for people to experience it. I’m also incredibly grateful for the invaluable support we’ve received from Viviana Faga, Peter Deng, and the amazing team at Felicis. And lastly, to my wife - and forever coach - Caru Jones, thank you for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams, and for pushing me to be the best version of myself.

As I look back on my journey to becoming a certified Systemic Executive Coach, I realise the qualification itself was only ever a milestone — not the transformation. The real shift came from how I started to see, with much greater clarity, Not just the individual in front of me… …but the systems they sit within. Not just the problem they describe… …but the patterns that sustain it. Not just what is said… …but what is avoided, repeated, and reinforced. Over time, I found myself building a meta-model — not as an academic exercise, but as a necessity. Because coaching at senior levels is rarely about a single issue. It’s about navigating complexity without oversimplifying it. Here are a few of the principles that now anchor how I work: 1. The System Always Wins (Unless You Work With It) Individual insight is powerful — but without shifting the surrounding system (structures, incentives, relationships), change rarely sticks. Sustainable transformation requires engaging the ecosystem, not just the individual. 2. Patterns > Events Leaders often bring “a situation.” But coaching impact comes from identifying the recurring pattern beneath it — the thing that shows up across meetings, decisions, and relationships. 3. Awareness Before Action High performers are wired to act. But systemic coaching often requires slowing down just enough to see clearly — because premature action can reinforce the very dynamics they are trying to escape. 4. Multiple Lenses, Not One Truth There is no single “correct” perspective in complex environments. The role of the coach is to help leaders hold multiple, sometimes conflicting, realities at once — and still move forward with clarity. 5. The Leader Is Both Actor and Environment Leaders don’t just operate within systems — they shape them. Their behaviour, language, and decisions continuously reinforce (or disrupt) the culture around them. 6. Tension Is Data Where there is friction, there is information. Avoiding tension often means avoiding the signal that change is required. What surprised me most on this journey is that systemic coaching is less about adding tools… …and more about removing the illusion of simplicity. In today’s environment — shaped by AI, geopolitical shifts, and constant organisational change — leaders are being asked to operate in systems that are more dynamic than ever. Which means coaching must evolve too. Less linear. Less prescriptive. More systemic. More adaptive. I’m still refining this meta-model every day — through conversations, challenges, and the leaders I have the privilege to work with. If you’re navigating complexity at the executive level, I’d be interested in your perspective: What patterns do you see repeating in your environment right now?

Secretly, I… Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the secrets that live inside every organization — the unspoken truths that shape behaviour, culture, and performance. If you have read the book, Systemic Coaching & Constellations, you will have seen examples of secrets. The book offers examples that stopped me in my tracks because they felt so familiar: “Secretly, I think I would be a better leader than you.” “Secretly, I’m only here for the money.” “Secretly, I’m leaving soon.” “Secretly, we are not really a team. We are in competition with each other.” “Secretly, I don’t trust you, even though I have to work with you.” You may recognize some of these statements. You may even have thought them... And yet…they rarely get spoken. Why Secrets Matter in Systemic Work In systemic coaching, secrets aren’t just personal thoughts — they are information. They can reveal fractures, loyalties, exclusions, and pressures that shape the entire system’s behaviour. A secret held by one person is almost always felt by the whole. It shows up in team dynamics, decision‑making, conflict, and even organizational outcomes. So How Do We, as Coaches, Work with Secrets? This is where systemic constellations offer something unique. Instead of forcing disclosure or analysis, we work with: - Representations that reveal what the system already knows - Spatial mapping that shows hidden dynamics - Embodied information that surfaces what words often can’t - Movements that allow the system to reorganize itself And here’s the part we don’t talk about enough: Coaches have secrets too. “Secretly, I’m frustrated with this client.” “Secretly, I think they are making a big mistake.” “Secretly, I’m unsure how to help them.” “Secretly, I think the leader is weak.” Exploring our own hidden dynamics is essential if we want to work cleanly and ethically with our clients’ systems. What we do as systemic coaches is to make visible the invisible, based on the data that lives in the system, so that our client groups can explore more fully what needs tending to. Want to Explore This Work More Deeply? These themes — secrets, hidden loyalties, systemic truths — will be shared in the Systemic Coaching & Constellations programs coming to beautiful Victoria, BC with Oana Tanase May 11–12: Part 1: Mapping the Field May 14–16: Part 2: The Intelligence of the Field If you’re a coach, leader, facilitator, or OD practitioner who wants to work at the level where real transformation happens, this work will change how you see systems forever. For more information: https://lnkd.in/gjRtnZF4 John Whittington Jocelyne Hamel, PCC, ACTC, ITCA, MA Coaching Constellations

Day 44 / 75 – Build Your Inner Circle (Accountability, Mentorship & Growth Leverage) Most people try to grow alone. Reality? Growth accelerates when you surround yourself with the right people. Not just friends. Not just network. But intentional associations. People who challenge you. People who hold you accountable. People who expand how you think. 1. Find a Peak-Performance Partner One of the fastest ways to level up → Accountability Get someone who is: • Honest (not polite, real) • Growth-focused • Willing to call you out • Committed like you This is not just support. This is pressure with purpose. Weekly check-ins change everything. Discuss: • Wins • Losses • Fixes • Commitments Because when you know someone will ask: "Did you actually do what you said?" Your standards rise automatically. Accountability creates consistency. 2. Ask for Brutal Feedback Most people avoid feedback. Winners seek it. If you want real growth, ask people who actually care: • How do I show up? • What are my strengths? • Where do I need improvement? • Where do I self-sabotage? • What should I stop doing? • What should I start doing? Truth might be uncomfortable. But that’s where growth lives. 3. Learn from Mentors (Speed Up the Game) You don’t need to figure everything out alone. Someone has already solved the problems you’re facing. Learn from them. Mentors don’t need hours. Sometimes one conversation = years of clarity. High performers invest in: • Coaches • Mentors • Trainers Because they understand: Guidance compresses time. Right advice → Right action → Faster results 4. Build Your Personal Board of Advisors Think bigger. Create your own “personal board” A small group of people: • Different expertise • Strong thinking • High standards Every week: • Share ideas • Get feedback • Challenge your thinking You don’t need full-time access. You need quality perspectives. 5. Choose Your Circle Carefully Simple rule: Never take advice from someone you wouldn’t trade places with. Energy transfers. Standards transfer. Thinking transfers. If you stay around average thinking → you stay average. If you step into high-performance environments → you grow. Final Lesson: You don’t grow in isolation. You grow through: • Accountability • Feedback • Mentorship • Association Your environment shapes your execution. Action Step: Identify: • 1 Accountability Partner • 1 Mentor (or potential mentor) • 3 People for your personal board Start small. But start intentional. Growth is not just about what you do. It’s also about who you do it with. What’s one step you’ll take today to upgrade your circle? #CompoundEffect #Accountability #Mentorship #SelfGrowth #DisciplineWins #ConsistencyWins #Leadership #SuccessHabits #MindsetShift #CACommunity #Claract

Did you know that you are 95% more likely to achieve your goals if you share them with someone and check in with them regularly on your progress? This is research from the American Society of Training and Development. If you are struggling to achieve a goal, having an accountability partner can make all the difference. It makes sense as we don’t like to let other people down. It’s motivating to have to a deadline where we have committed to report what’s working, what’s not, and our next steps. Research also suggests that there’s a progression in your chances of success based on your specific actions. This is very empowering! The Accountability Goal Ladder breaks it down like this: -10% More Likely: Establish a Goal -40% More Likely: Write the Goal Down -50% More Likely: Create A Plan -65% More Likely: Commit to Someone Else -95% More Likely: Regular Progress Check Ins You deserve a career you love and a happy healthy balanced life. You have the power to create it, but you don’t have to do it alone. Coaches make excellent accountability partners as they are trained to be your thought partner and accountability ally. They collaborate with you on how to best use your strengths and resources to maximize your potential and achieve your goals. Reach out if you could use some support. I offer a complimentary coaching session and happy to help however I can. 

Excellent article in Harvard Business Review on steps in determining a need for a business coach. Reach out to me at 404-219-1086, Weaver Business Advisory, or message me here on LinkedIn. Today’s Tip from Harvard Business Review: How to Encourage Your Leader to Engage a Coach—Without Undermining Them For leaders rising through the ranks, honest feedback tends to disappear as their visibility increases, stakes get higher, and people grow more cautious. Over time, even strong executives can develop blind spots without realizing it. If you see this happening, suggesting executive coaching to them can help—but only if you approach it carefully. Your goal is to make it feel like their idea, not your critique. Diagnose the real barrier. Before you act, identify what’s actually blocking their openness to coaching. Is it ego, where asking for help feels like weakness? A misconception that coaching is remedial? Or is it simply overload? Match your approach to the barrier. Focus on their pain points. Don’t frame coaching around what they need to fix. Instead, listen for the frustrations they already express. Tie coaching directly to those challenges so it feels like a practical solution, not personal feedback. Reframe coaching. Position coaching as a tool top performers use to think better, not to improve deficits. Emphasize control: they choose the coach, set the agenda, and keep it confidential. This preserves their authority. Choose the right messenger. You might not be the best person to deliver this message. Involve trusted peers or advisors when it feels safer and more effective. Propose a short experiment. Lower the stakes. Suggest a limited trial so they can evaluate value without long-term commitment. 

A client I coach was getting the same feedback from his boss, over and over: you ramble, you hedge, you bury the point. His boss wanted him to be clearer. He wanted that, too. He’d been working on it for months. Outlining, slowing down, rehearsing. Nothing moved. In our third session, he said something as an aside: "I think I get scared people will decide I'm not smart." That was what we were actually solving for. Not the rambling. The fear underneath it. His boss couldn't get there with him. Not because he was a bad manager, but because *he* was the audience my client was afraid of. He couldn't get there alone either, because the fear was tangled up with his sense of himself as a communicator. He thought he just...wasn't clear. He was actually a person bracing for judgment every time he tried to get a thought out. Once we named it, the tactical got way easier. Brave, bare, direct sentences became little experiments, not verdicts on his intelligence. He started to enjoy the reps. His boss noticed within a month. This is what most executives miss about investing in their high-potentials: great management is not enough. Not because great managers don't exist, but because of the math. Your manager evaluates you. Your manager decides what you do next. You cannot tell the person who controls your promotion that you're afraid you're not smart. A coach is the only relationship in professional life that is fully yours. No power asymmetry. No performance review. No agenda but your growth. If you have high-potential people on your team, the best manager in the world likely won’t take them past their biggest obstacles. They need someone who can reflect back to them what they can’t yet see about themselves, in a relationship where honesty won’t cost them a promotion. They need a coach. If coaching is the unlock for your team or organization, reach out to see how Metronome can help.

Coaching lives in a delicate tension. Clients need accountability to create real change. But if accountability becomes too heavy-handed, it can damage the very trust and psychological safety that make coaching effective. That’s the paradox explored in this article: “The Coach’s Balancing Act.” One idea that really stands out is this: - High trust without accountability can lead to comfortable stagnation. - High accountability without trust can create compliance. But high trust + high accountability is where transformational coaching happens. For coaches, the challenge is not to choose between support and challenge. It is to integrate both. That means: - Co-creating commitments instead of assigning tasks - Checking in with curiosity, not judgment - Naming patterns with compassionate directness - Treating missed commitments as data, not failure - Preserving the client’s autonomy while still holding the space for growth The article also offers a useful reminder: accountability should not feel like control. At its best, it helps clients honor their own intentions. Real coaching is not about being liked, nor about becoming an enforcer. It is about creating a relationship where clients feel safe enough to be honest — and supported enough to follow through. A valuable read for coaches, leaders, and anyone working in people development. Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/dBMhg9hD #Coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PeopleDevelopment #Accountability #Trust

“I want more flexibility.” Most psychologists we talk to don’t want to leave their field. They just want: ➡️ more control over their time ➡️more flexibility in where they work ➡️less restriction around how they use their expertise But then reality hits: Licensing. Time-for-money work. Systems that dictate how you practice. And suddenly “flexibility” feels… out of reach. Executive coaching is one way clinicians are solving that. But the biggest barrier isn’t whether you can do it. It’s: 👉 how to actually make the shift 👉 and build something real from it That’s exactly why our CEO and Founder, Jamie Lewis Smith, Ph.D., created CoachShift. She's been there. She is a Clinical Psychologist who transitioned into Executive Coaching about 20 years ago and has since built Pixel Leadership Group, a sought-after coaching firm with 30 psychologist-coaches. CoachShift is an intense, 6-month, all-in-one mentorship and business accelerator to help psychologists and therapists move into executive coaching - with structure, tools, and a real plan. It is only for people who are ready to make the shift. 📅 Starts July 10, 2026 ⌛ Apply by June 19, 2026  LEARN MORE HERE: https://lnkd.in/g7ADC2pp