The people I coach typically show measurable improvement in:
- Feeling Equipped for Change
- Goal Progress
- Personal and Professional Development
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Self-Awareness
And much more!
Individual Leadership Coaching
While the names and employers for clients in this list are confidential, my clients have included frontline managers, individual contributors, and managers of managers in software, manufacturing, and business services industries as well as government/military and much more.
Here is some of what they’ve said:
“Engaging in this coaching journey has been transformative for me. Unlike previous sessions I’ve had elsewhere, this experience felt genuinely personalized, steering away from a one-size-fits-all script. My coach’s adaptive approach allowed me to evolve in my leadership maturity, empathy, and most importantly, in self-acceptance. The insights I’ve gained have not only made me reflect on my own actions and thoughts but have empowered me to be a better leader and individual. I am eagerly looking forward to more sessions, and I’m deeply grateful for the profound impact this coaching has had on my personal and professional growth.
Director of Vendor Relations / Biopharmaceutical Company
“Coaching with Amy has given me the ability to take a step back and analyze what drives my behaviors in work-life. She’s given me tools to create a better work-life balance and learn to strategically prioritize.”
Experiential Events Manager / Pharma Aesthetics Company
“Coaching has been so eye-opening. When we started, I often found myself questioning if I had accomplished anything substantial. However, looking back at what I was like when we started, I’m astounded by how much ground we’ve covered in just six months. The tools and strategies introduced, the safe space to talk things through, and the opportunities to discover both my strengths and areas of growth – it’s all been so helpful.”
Senior Manager / Restaurant Supply Company
“I really enjoy talking to AmyKay. I appreciate her intuitiveness and insights about what I’m describing. She is usually able to tap into a relevant and meaningful response right away. She doesn’t lecture and she doesn’t judge. I appreciate her patience, wisdom, and guidance in shepherding me through these sessions.”
Senior Creative Director / High-end Fashion Retail Group
“I’ve been privileged to be coached by Amy, transitioning from an individual contributor to a thoughtful leader. She emphasized that at the heart of leadership lies effective communication, which enhanced both my professional and personal interactions. I’ve realized that, like athletes mastering basics across sports, effective communication is universal and crucial. Under Amy’s guidance, I’ve adeptly navigated challenges, applying this wisdom to real-world situations and witnessing tangible improvements in my interactions.”
Sr. Program Manager / Medical Aesthetics Company
“Love my coach: Amy is responsive, understanding, flexible, and hears my professional and personal concerns, all the while encouraging me to put in the work and problem-solve. One of the things I’ve started doing differently since starting with Amy is active listening. I’m already seeing benefits. And goal-setting: I’m feeling inspired to be more specific and strategic.”
Senior Operations Manager / Tech Gaming Company
“I came into coaching feeling overwhelmed and stuck in negative thinking patterns. Amy Kay helped me see things from a new perspective, guiding me to question my immediate reactions and explore the broader picture. The resources and insights shared were incredibly relevant and useful. I’ve started to recognize my own growth potential and am learning to tackle challenges more positively. Amy’s support has been invaluable in this journey”
Manager of User Content / Finance Company
“I have had the best experience so far with Amy. I am excited to see how she continues to help me grow both professionally and personally. The welcome feeling I receive with no judgement to whatever I bring her way is so reassuring and makes me feel the most confident sharing whatever life is throwing my way. Amy always gives me great things to reflect on and has helped me in my personal and professional life. Each time I leave thinking differently.”
Manager / Telecommunications
“I reached out to Amy during a time when everything felt urgent and overwhelming. She was patient and compassionate, which made me feel genuinely heard. She asked thought-provoking questions, which helped me learn how to manage my defensiveness and people-pleasing through simply taking care of myself to handle challenges better. These insights empowered me to bring positive energy and alignment to my team. I’m grateful for this journey of self-discovery and the tools I gained to be my authentic self, improve communication, and foster a culture of trust within my team.”
Manager / Food Services Company
“Through our sessions, I gained profound insights into my communication style and learned the value of direct conversations, especially in a professional setting. I have truly enjoyed our time together and look forward to integrating all of the lesson practices and resources Amy has given me.”
Educational Manager / Non-Governmental Organization
“Amy Kay made me feel very comfortable even though I typically dislike talking about myself so much. She made me feel seen and listened to, and helped guide me with solid questions.”
L&D Partner / Advertising Media Company
“I came to coaching re-evaluating the future direction of my role and thinking I might need to make a change. Coaching has since been enriching both my career and personal life. My coach’s guidance in networking and self-reflection have been so helpful. The tools I’ve gained and developed for myself through coaching have helped me find balance between my professional ambitions and personal well-being, and the result has been greater confidence and clarity in my decision-making.”
HRIS Manager / Media Company
“I have been working with Amy for several months now and I cannot express how valuable her coaching has been for me. Not only have I gained knowledge and awareness around topics like delegation and change management, but I have also been able to take a step back and focus on what is truly important in my life. With Amy’s support, I have been able to prioritize my core priorities in life and put more emphasis on areas that were previously neglected. As a single mom with a demanding job, I often felt overwhelmed and just focused on getting through each day. But through coaching, I have been able to think more long-term and work towards achieving my goals. Taking the time to really think about what I want and how to achieve it has been a game-changer for me. I am already seeing progress and feel more well-rounded.”
Senior Director / Marketing Program and Project Management Office, High-End Fashion Retail Group
“Through the coaching, I’ve come to understand areas on which I can focus to be a better leader. I’m able to identify my behaviors in situations and consciously choose to act in a way that aligns with my coaching goals. I’m super happy with Amy and the thought-provoking discussions we have. I think the work we do will be really beneficial for my leadership development and its b/c Amy and I have a good dynamic. If it was a mismatch I’d feel pretty differently.”
Senior Director/ Consumer Insights at Mid-size Consumer Products Company
“Amy’s techniques have allowed me to dig deep to find inner strength and self-confidence I once had. She provides exceptional value in her ability to access and offer tools that enable me to grow.”
Team Director / Fast Casual Dining
“I really like that I can just bounce things off Amy, that she has ideas and resources for me to take things in a positive direction. I like the open and honest dialogue.”
Chief of Nursing Informatics / Healthcare System
From a client’s manager:
“[The Coachee, a manager in a call-center environment] has grown from an emotional perspective. She continues to think through situations and thinks about long term/big picture outcomes versus succumbing through the feelings of right now which is huge. I’ve seen her change her style of leading and bringing others with her by allowing others to grow into their own strengths versus creating mini versions of herself. She has taken her structure and organization to another level to ensure things are getting done and results are a measurement of her efforts. Her ability to take her performance and create insights have helped her business acumen be on another level.”
— Director-level manager of a client
“Working with Amy gave me a different perspective on my own strengths, capabilities and values. Her thoughtful questions and insights helped me clarify both life and career goals.”
Scientific Information Manager / Scientific Information Company
“Amy was there for me when I needed inspiration, motivation and accountability. I appreciated her style and approach, and she provided me with enough structure to get to goal. Thank you Amy for your coaching!”
Director / Health Insurance Company
“In the beginning, I was unsure about how to navigate our coaching sessions, feeling inexperienced and wanting to ‘be good at it.’ But as time went on, Amy’s patient guidance allowed me to ease into the process. It became less about getting an A+ in the coaching assignment and more about genuinely benefiting from the insights and self-awareness coaching could offer. She fostered a space that enabled me to switch from speaking to listening more, asking more questions, and reducing my perfectionistic tendencies. Coaching has made me more at ease with myself and my role as an HR leader. Amy’s approach and the space she created for me is something I will cherish and aim to replicate for others. It was genuinely productive and I’m really appreciative of this experience.”
Vice President, Senior HRBP / Finance Company
“Working with Coach Amy has been a truly transformative experience. Before our coaching sessions, I felt overwhelmed by the pressures of work and struggled to find balance. Amy helped me see that I’m not in control of everything, and that it’s okay to involve my team more and let go of what’s beyond my reach. I’ve learned to be kinder to myself and focus on what I can control.
“Amy’s patience and ability to guide me through my thoughts have been invaluable. As someone who believes in coaching, I was thrilled when the opportunity arose to work with her. She has helped me examine areas of my life I hadn’t previously considered, leading to both personal and professional development.
“I feel that our coaching sessions have been a critical part of my growth as a leader, team member, and individual. Amy’s approach has always been targeted, enabling me to take away valuable insights from each session. Her patience and ability to see what I’m really saying, even when I struggle to articulate it, have been incredibly helpful.
“I am truly grateful for the chance to work with Amy. She has made a significant difference in my life and the lives of those around me. I can’t thank her enough for her support and guidance on this journey of growth and self-discovery.”
Senior Creative Director / Luxury Retailer
“When I first started coaching I was a mess, my work was a mess. I was feeling trapped in my job, feeling I had to stay in a role that no longer fit me. The more I learned about self-differentiation and overfunctioning–and the more I practiced self-compassion–the more I became able to catch my triggers before they would fire so that I could maintain a calm presence. Now the mess has cleared, things are calm and working well at the Center, and I am a much happier person. I know now that I am in the right job, and I love my work again.” – written after 9 months of coaching.
Update (a year later): “It wasn’t until well after I completed my year of coaching with Amy Kay Watson that I realized the profound improvement it has had on my leadership ability. As CEO for a non-profit organization working with volunteers, I had hit a low point in my relationship to those I serve, primarily because I didn’t have the skills to communicate effectively with them. Amy helped me learn how to deal more honestly with people without fear of losing status. The work revealed to me how important it is to mentor people and gently hold them accountable, and that has to be done from a peaceful core inside myself. The 360 degree feedback, although initially painful to hear, actually freed me to be more authentic with people and to treat them with greater care. As a result, we have created an effective leadership team and a powerful volunteer core whose leader is taking them forward!”
Founder / Spiritually-based Membership Organization
“Amy helped me develop a sense of where I was at in my professional world. She challenged me to think differently about time, including where and how I was spending it. When I reached out to Amy, I was at a place where I was settled in a job and career that I loved. I began to question “what was next?” Amy listened intently to not only what I was saying but how I was saying it.
“Amy helped me figure out why I was stuck and how to look at my situation differently in order to get unstuck. I started to gain the momentum I thought was lost.
“One of the most powerful advantages of our work together, was her ability to enable me to identify and develop the skills necessary to become a better team member and leader. For instance, I realized that “working collaboratively” was a skill I needed to continually hone.
“To me, the idea of goal setting (seems easy enough, right?!) seemed too overwhelming that I continually procrastinated taking that first step forward.
“Through my work with Amy I am able to not only look at my days and weeks differently, but also have set some pretty ambitious long-range goals – including launching a PhD program.
“I have really started each day thinking about what must get done, what can roll over if needed, how to break down long-term projects into chunks and so much more. Life is a rollercoaster and I’m super excited to have the tools I need to navigate the journey forward.”
Director of Student Services / Theological School
“I have found Amy a reflective and inquisitive coach, one that listens profoundly and then provokes thoughts with you through a pertinent question. I would recommend Amy as a coach and facilitator to anyone ready to learn and grow.”
Vice President & Engagement Leader, Paris, France / Organizational Consulting company
“When I started coaching with Amy, I was struggling with anxiety and lacked confidence, especially in a new environment where I didn’t feel like I fit in. But through our sessions, I learned that it’s okay for me to speak up, even when it feels uncomfortable, and how that can make all the difference.
“I’m now getting things done because I’m connecting with people face-to-face, and I’ve seen a huge boost in my confidence. Amy really helped me open my mind, tackle challenges head-on, and grow in ways I never expected.”
Civilian Liaison / Military
“At first, I was hesitant and uncomfortable facing workplace challenges. With my coach’s guidance, I embraced strategies for assertive communication, aligning with my core value of clarity. The results have been transformative – I’ve gained confidence, more responsibility, and recognition at work. I’ve moved from just having a job to seeing a clear career path, actively shaping my future and the company’s.”
Senior Operations Manager / Tech Gaming Company
“Amy helped me recognize and counter my negativity bias with positive truths, greatly enhancing my self-awareness. Her insightful questions guided me through introspection and identifying hidden commitments, uncovering strengths I didn’t realize I had. Amy’s genuine investment in my growth created a safe space for exploration and personal growth. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking meaningful and lasting change in their life.”
Lead Product Manager / Tech Company
“I didn’t know what to expect from coaching, but Amy helped me see the value of giving myself grace. I learned to slow down and be patient with myself and others. I appreciated Amy’s tough love and her ability to steer me back on track when needed.”
Military Commander
“I had this idea that coaching was just going to be like soft-skills training, but it went much deeper, helping me reconnect with my interests and values. This was a game-changer for me, reminding me of what I truly enjoy. My resilience improved significantly, and I became more intentional and effective in my role. Engaging more directly with my students and rethinking leadership roles were vital outcomes of this journey.”
Director / University Student Services
“AmyKay is a very good listener. Provides great feedback and resources for further development.”
Team Supervisor/ Energy Industry
“Amy gives me permission to be uncertain. She’s able to go into conversations with an open heart and trust that it will be okay. She is very caring and interested in helping people get where they want to be. She exhibits flexibility, empathy, and a sense of humor, always providing the perfect resource. Her knowledge comes from many spaces — She’s a resource and a roadmap, a fabulous listener who sits in the space I am in with me. In addition, she offers a spiritual piece that is non-dogmatic, promoting self-care, especially around not letting my inner critic beat me up!”
VP of Diversity and Inclusion / Higher Education
“I didn’t have clarity about what does coaching mean. In my personal, humble opinion, coaching is different for each person based on their needs, their aspirations. So,it can be hard to define. It can provide a lot of purpose. I truly found this to be really helpful, to structure one’s thoughts in a neutral setting.”
Business Development Manager / UAE
“Amy Kay Watson is a stellar coach in the best sense of the word. She listens deeply, asks powerful questions, and has offered extraordinary resources as I needed them. She has helped me break through some sticky places that I had all but given up on ever changing. Organization, time management, energy management, self-compassion, and goal-clarification all came into clearer focus with her gentle encouragement of curiosity and honesty. She really knows her craft, and I am deeply grateful for the work we have done together.”
Senior Pastor / Church
“I thought I knew most of what there was to know about leadership, but this journey taught me invaluable lessons about myself. The guidance I received on effective listening and inclusive leadership has profoundly impacted my interactions with my team. I learned to manage my reactions, remain calm, and genuinely listen, which led to more open and trusting relationships. It’s not only made me a better leader but also a more empathetic and self-aware individual. I now wake up each day eager to learn and grow.”
Vice President of Operations / Medical Supplies Company
“Amy is direct, firm yet gentle. She sees things holistically and often remind me to align back to my goals and dreams. Amy opened my eyes to who I really was and what I really wanted. She also shined a strong light into the areas that I am not aware of or choose not to see. As a result, I was able to remove my obstacles and accelerate my progress.”
Coach and Consultant / Singapore
“Amy is a tremendous coach. Her honesty and insightfulness has really helped me identify opportunities to leverage my strengths, improve my skillset, and ultimately better achieve my goals both personally and professionally. Thank you Amy. It was a pleasure working with you.”
Engineering Supervisor / Manufacturing Company
“Can’t say enough about how helpful Amy was to me, and my eventual partners, in starting our business. Amy has keen listening skills and the ability to tap into what you are thinking but not necessarily expressing. She also has a great way of asking the right questions to help you think about what inspires you and how you want to live your life in alignment with your values. She was the catalyst for helping me to reach out to my now business partners, and starting up our company a few years ago. Wonderful person too!”
Partner / Leadership Consultancy
“I had read the books, completed the webinars and attended the trainings on leadership. The tips and tricks were helpful, but the piece that was missing was how to apply this information in a way that works for ME. Amy’s coaching connected leadership principles and practices with my strengths and style, enabling me to be effective and authentic.”
Chief of Communications / Governmental Department
“I was feeling trepidation about following through on projects and areas of growth that interested me. I needed to be putting myself out there, but encountered a fear of rejection and failure. In coaching, we talked through what was happening in my emotional world. I began building a foundation of health and well-being, and I started allowing myself to trust my own voice, to trust where I’ve been and where I am going with what I have to offer. I began giving myself permission to have a voice. I brought my business objectives in alignment with my purpose. The result was finding a centered place in my work to comfortably reach out to connect with others, to build relationships and guide conversation around mutually-beneficial business goals.”
Vice President/ Organizational Development Consulting Company
“Amy helps me get clear about what I want to focus on by reflecting what she hears me say and then supports me in organizing my thoughts in a way that helps me in moving forward in my goals and aspirations.On one call, I was excited about an idea that had been percolating for me, and Amy’s warmth and open invitation to explore this idea allowed me to put all my ideas on the table, gain insight from Amy’s reflection, and then brainstorm ways to organize an approach that seemed manageable and doable. Amy offered a demonstration as an example so I could clearly understand the step to initiate my goal. I’m feeling more confident and excited about accomplishing my goal after my coaching call with Amy.”
Program and Outreach Director / Education Nonprofit
“Working with Amy has been nothing short of life-changing. Over the past few years, our sessions have helped me navigate significant transitions in both my personal and professional life. She guided me through challenging moments, helping me reflect on my values and build the boundaries I needed to achieve balance. Her ability to ask the right questions at the right time has been incredibly impactful, allowing me to gain clarity and confidence in making important decisions. I feel more grounded, focused, and ready to take on my next steps, thanks to her support. Amy’s coaching has truly transformed the way I approach my work and life.”
Director of Operations / Nonprofit Social Services Agency
“Amy’s coaching enabled me to see my time management and activities through another perspective. Her questions and exercises helped me to establish new priorities and take action aligned with my career goals.”
Senior Business System Analyst / Independent
“I love working with Amy. The sessions helped me gain clarity on my emotions, manage difficult situations with more confidence, and improve my communication and leadership presence. My coach’s questions and observations helped me make positive changes, especially when it came to handling frustration and stress. I’m now aware of my own tendencies and feel empowered to continue growing and improving in all aspects of my life.”
Administrative Associate / Regulatory Agency
“Coaching with Amy has improved my ability to communicate effectively with my colleagues, even in challenging situations. It has helped me to stay focused on the purpose of the conversation, keeping emotions and irrelevant biases in check. I am better at thinking strategically and handling these situations more effectively. I’ve also become more self-aware in my interactions, both personally and professionally.”
Executive Assistant / Professional Association
“Amy is a skillful and sensitive coach, and combines an almost zen-like calm with a powerful coaching presence. Her ability to quickly identify core issues and areas for growth is uncanny, as is her ability to support the whole professional person to achieve goals they had not before considered possible. She has a particular knack for coaching individuals through life transitions, be they personal or professional.”
Coach and Organizational Leadership Consultant / Independent
“Working with Amy has been super helpful. I’ve not only learned a lot of new tools, but I’ve actually put them into practice—like a tracking system for mid-level projects and using a parking lot to keep meetings from going off track. These tools have made my day more manageable and less chaotic. I also learned a lot about my tendencies, like how I was always trying to do everything myself. Now, I’m delegating more, which has given me back some of my time. I feel like I’ve gained control over my work!”
Director of Maintenance Operations / Nationwide Medical Supply Distribution Company
“I came to coaching with a mix of skepticism and hope, unsure of what to expect from the process and even from myself. I was battling professional insecurities and a personal struggle with depression, and now I’ve gotten my career back on its feet, and my entire attitude about life has changed. Amy was great with her support and guidance, and she gave me structure and accountability that motivated me to push through even when I felt impatient with my progress when we started. I wasn’t sure coaching was going to work for me. I didn’t really know what to expect or how to be coached. But over time I became more engaged and more open to the process because I was seeing the changes in myself. I learned how to embrace my strengths, to see opportunities where I used to just give up, and now I can navigate my career and personal life with confidence.”
Product Designer / Mega Tech Corp
Videos:
Leadership Team Coaching
“I really enjoyed the collaboration, and I feel like we’re in a safe place to be vulnerable and our authentic selves. I also love Amy’s style and tone! She’s an awesome facilitator.”
Supervisor/ Direct Health Services group, National Insurance Company
“Before Amy worked with our leadership, I felt under constant fire. What I wanted more than anything was for everyone to just relax and trust me, to know that I was going to handle it all. After the Healthy Leadership Systems sessions with the whole leadership team, and my own insights into self-differentiation and overfunctioning, the team started leaning into one another in new ways. I sensed a renewed sense of ownership that was refreshing. Several people stepped up in bigger ways, taking charge of situations and projects more than they ever had before. I became better able to allow others to grow. It feels like a fresh canvas — freeing, creative, and innovative. We are learning how to be leaders, together.”
Founder / Spiritually Based Membership Organization
Amy provided a workshop for leaders of the congregation at our church. I was a Board and Strategic Planning Committee member at this time, and wanted to improve both my leadership and listening skills. She provided a comfortable, inclusive environment for learning, and touched upon how we, as a congregation, can better fulfill our mission statement. She taught that fulfillment of both church mission and the desire to lead is done through careful listening, sharing, and respect. I thoroughly enjoyed the time invested and walked away with information I use daily at church and in my professional life. I continue to serve the church in other leadership roles, applying the knowledge gained from this experience
Regulatory Affairs Manager / Scientific Products Company
I participated in the workshop as an emerging leader and was blown away by the usefulness of systems thinking! Systems thinking is extremely helpful in working with organizations and communities who want to engage in change. I regularly use what I learned about relationship dynamics and how I contribute to them in all sorts of situations and positions since then especially in my consulting work with various organizations.
CCM Consultant / Director of Policy and Systems Advocacy, State Government Coalition Against Domestic Violence
“I attended Amy’s workshop as I was contemplating accepting a position on our church’s Board. The questions, reading, discussions and listening that occurred helped excite and prepare me to join the Board and eventually become the Board Chair. I went from lacking self-confidence to be on the Board to thoroughly enjoying my years doing important work with and for our congregation. I specifically remember our stories related to how we as a congregation struggle with injustice and with perceived wrongdoings. Amy reminded us to notice our feelings and possible anxiety these stories brought up and helped us practice embracing our emotional responses without letting those feeling distract us from our listening.”
IT Manager: Infrastructure Rapid End User Services / Energy Company
I have never been a fan of group leadership training sessions, but I have to say that Amy did an outstanding job of setting up meaningful dialogue and providing a lot of useful information. I can use the take-aways from our training in my leadership positions at work, at my volunteer activities, and even at home!
Energy Company leader / Spiritually-based membership organization leader
Pingback: What questions should I think through before talking to a potential coach? – Career Leadership
Pingback: Contact – Career Leadership