Clarity over inspiration.
Most people who feel stuck in their career don't have a motivation problem. They have a clarity problem. They don't know what they actually want. They know what they think they should want — the title, the salary, the company name that sounds impressive at dinner parties. But when you strip all of that away and ask "what do you actually want your life to look like?" there's silence.
That silence is the starting point. Not a TED talk. Not a vision board. Not a motivational quote on LinkedIn. The work begins when you stop reaching for the answer that sounds right and start sitting with the discomfort of not knowing yet.
Inspiration fades. It's a sugar rush — you feel great for 48 hours and then you're back where you started. Clarity compounds. Once you see your situation clearly — what you want, what's in the way, what you've been avoiding — you can't unsee it. And that's when things start moving.
Accountability over comfort.
Here's a pattern I see constantly: someone has a great insight during a session. They leave energized. They're going to rewrite their CV, reach out to that contact, have that hard conversation with their manager. Two weeks later, nothing happened. Life got in the way. The urgency faded. The fear crept back in.
This is why most self-improvement doesn't work. The insight alone isn't enough. You need someone who follows up. Someone who asks "did you do what you said you'd do?" and doesn't let you off the hook with a vague excuse. Every session ends with concrete next steps. Between sessions, I check in. When you're stuck, we don't just acknowledge it and move on — we figure out why you're stuck and what to do about it.
This isn't about pressure. It's about respect. If you tell me something matters to you, I take that seriously. More seriously than the part of your brain that would rather stay comfortable than face the discomfort of change.
Your goals, not mine.
I don't have a formula for success. I'm deeply suspicious of anyone who does. Your situation is unique — your skills, your constraints, your values, your fears, your ambitions. Any advice that ignores all of that is just someone projecting their own story onto yours.
What I have instead is a process. A structured way of helping you define what success actually means to you — not what your parents wanted, not what your peers are doing, not what some career framework says you should aim for — and then systematically removing what's in the way. Sometimes the obstacle is external: a bad manager, a misaligned role, a weak network. Often it's internal: a belief you're not ready, a fear of making the wrong choice, a habit of optimizing for safety when you actually want growth.
Most career advice fails because it's generic. "Network more." "Build your personal brand." "Find your passion." That's not advice. That's noise. Real progress happens when you get specific about your situation and honest about what's actually holding you back.
Honesty over flattery.
You probably don't have many people in your life who will tell you what they actually think about your career. Your friends are supportive but they don't want to hurt your feelings. Your partner cares too much to be objective. Your colleagues have their own agendas. Your manager is part of the problem.
I have no agenda other than helping you get where you want to go. That means I say what I see, even when it's uncomfortable. If your CV undersells you, I'll tell you. If you're aiming too low, I'll tell you. If you're avoiding the obvious move because it scares you, I'll tell you that too. You're paying for an honest perspective, not for someone to nod along and tell you everything's fine.
This doesn't mean I'm harsh for the sake of it. Honesty without empathy is just cruelty. But the combination of genuine care and straight talk is rare. Most people have never experienced it in a professional context. When they do, things shift fast.
What coaching is not.
Not therapy.
I don't dig into the past for its own sake. If something from your history is affecting your decisions today, we'll address it — but only in service of moving forward. Coaching is forward-looking: where do you want to go, and what's in the way? If you need therapeutic support, I'll tell you that honestly. There's no shame in it, and it's not my lane.
Not consulting.
I don't give you the answer. I could tell you what I'd do in your situation, but that's useless because you're not me. My job is to help you find your own answer — because that's the only one you'll actually follow through on. Borrowed conviction doesn't survive the first setback. Earned conviction does.
Not mentoring.
I don't tell you what to do based on what worked for me. My career path is mine. Yours is different. Different industry, different values, different constraints. What I bring isn't my story — it's a structured process for helping you think clearly about yours. You don't need someone else's playbook. You need the ability to write your own.
The starting point.
Everything starts with getting clear on where you are. Not where you think you should be. Not where you were three years ago. Where you are right now — your situation, your skills, your patterns, your blind spots.
I built a structured introspection called The First Step that creates this starting point. It takes about 15 minutes and does more than most people expect. It forces you to slow down and look at your career honestly — often for the first time.
From there, the work deepens. We define what you're actually working toward, build a concrete plan and I hold you accountable through the hard parts. The specifics depend on your situation. That's the point.
If you want to experience the framework in a group setting before committing to anything, join the Career Clarity Workshop. It's free, it's small, and it'll give you a clear sense of whether this approach resonates with how you think.
Resonates? Start here.
Take The First Step — a guided introspection that takes 15 minutes. I review your answers and send personalized feedback within 2 days.
Rather experience it live? The Career Clarity Workshop is free, monthly and runs the same framework in a small group.