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Erica D'Eramo 0:05
Hello, and welcome to the Two Piers Podcast. I'm your host, Erica D'Eramo, and this is season seven. Today, we've got Kathy Berger joining us. Kathy works as a lead coach for an internal coaching program within the nonprofit sector, and she'll be chatting with us today about the role of coaching within nonprofits, she's also recently joined the Two Piers coaching team, and we are so excited to have her on the podcast. Hi Kathy, thanks for joining us today.
Kathy Berger 0:42
Hi, and congratulations on season seven.
Erica D'Eramo 0:46
Thank you. I know it's kind of hard to believe this is going to be our 10 year anniversary for Two Piers, and I think it's, yep, it's our five year anniversary of being incorporated, and it's our seventh season. So, yeah, and congratulations on your coaching journey, and maybe helping us out at Two Piers. We're so excited.
Kathy Berger 1:09
I'm also excited. I'm excited for a different adventure than I'm used to coaching in the nonprofit world.
Erica D'Eramo 1:18
Yeah, so tell us a little bit about that. What has your journey been like? What has brought you to this point?
Kathy Berger 1:26
Yeah, I think almost seven or eight years ago started working for the nonprofit I'm currently coaching in, and really loved the culture, loved the program, and I was approached to talk about an internal program to support the staff in that, in that particular program, it was solely supported by external coaching, still partially we have partnership and partially to this day. And my first reaction was yes. My gut was yes. I want to coach, and I think I want to do this for the rest of my life. How did you know? I mean, like, what, what brought that realization? Yeah, I, you know, I think about this all, I think about this a lot, think about it all the time. And my, I'd gone to grad school, I, you know, for counseling and human services in New York State, when I, when I moved to New Hampshire, where we are now, I did not realize that not only was there no reciprocity, but I basically would, I would have to go through my entire program again, internship, and I just wasn't willing to do that, nor spend money on it, and so what kind of drew me to coaching was like, wow, this is not the same as being a therapist, it's still in the helping realm and helping people be the best that they can be, yeah, and really pulling out, you know, kind of me holding hope in that, you know, pulling out the best in them, and so that I think was initially what what drew me to it is like I could just be somebody's cheerleader for the rest of my life.
Erica D'Eramo 3:37
Yeah, yeah, I was, I'm trying to remember what book it was that I read recently, I might have been Shift by Ethan Cross, or it might have been Mattering, I'm not sure, but one of these books I read recently talked about the value of having your, they said, like the corner man, which is a little gendered, but you know, in the boxing ring there's the person in the corner whose job is to just hype you up, but be realistic, but has your back, and I feel like that really resonated from a coaching perspective, because there's not a lot of realms where we have somebody who has our back and isn't doing so for their own self-interest, right, they have our back because they just want to see the best that could come out of it. Yeah.
Kathy Berger 4:29
Yeah, yeah. And then I, and I realized when I became a coach that I really didn't know much about coaching. I kind of knew about coaching, but what is coaching? There's sports coaching, there's, there's so many different coaches, and so I really, I grabbed every book I could possibly grab, ran up a bill on Amazon, and just started, you know, reading, and even going to my local library. See what they had on coaching, and even if it wasn't in the direct coaching of what kind of you and I do now, I could find pieces and parallels and be able to bring that in, you know, to a coach to my coaching practice, and so that really led me down, I think one of the first books I picked up was an actual ICF competencies book. I got off a, you know, online store for was used book, and I was like, oh, there's a whole professional world out there, and honestly, what drew that to me, and I know we've actually had this conversation before, but what, what that struck in me was, you know, when I was - this was many moons ago - I was back in New York, in state, when I was in grad school for counseling, we did not have licensure then, a long time ago, Eric, and anybody could hang a shingle and say I'm a therapist, I'm a counselor, and what resonated when I picked up that book was, and as I started to think about it, was, wow, that's kind of where the coaching world is, at least in my world, anybody can call themselves a coach without any kind of ethics or you know competencies or professional organization to follow and so just those are my personal values and so I started to really draw into ICF and started to research and you know stumbled upon one program and then and then the next,
Erica D'Eramo 6:39
Yeah, yeah, part of I don't love gatekeeping, I don't love hurdles for people. I absolutely want some of these career trajectories to be more accessible, and I have encountered so many people out there saying, like, yeah, I just.. I've been this for however many years, and now I'm a coach, and I'm going to tell people what to do and how to do it, and.. and it is.. yeah, I'm so curious to see where it ends up going, because I think that now that I've dedicated my life to this realm, I am somewhat protective of what that word truly means, and when people hear coaching, it's so common for them to interpret that as being told what to do, for better or worse, and there's, as we know in the coaching world, there's a lot that comes with that, so yeah, I am hoping that at least we can raise the awareness of what coaching truly is, how powerful it truly is, that it's not like a plus one, I tell you what to do and now you have one answer, but it's so much more expansive than that, right? It's really like empowering a human to be more that they can be.
Kathy Berger 7:59
Yeah, yeah, I could not agree more, and I'm definitely on that adventure right now, and you know, trying to get the word out, balancing that with this is very anti-gravitational, so I love this word, in that really a shout out to the current nonprofit I work for, the founder actually used to use that word a lot, you know, not good, not being gravitational, not going with the flow. Sometimes you got to shake things up a little bit, so it's interesting, you know, I find myself in this anti-gravitational space, and it's, it's, it's interesting, because there is that almost definitive thought out there that coaches, they come in, they tell me what to do, they get out, and coaching is much more powerful than that.
Erica D'Eramo 9:00
Yeah, yeah, it's why I charge so much more for my consulting than I do for my coaching, because I don't think it's as powerful, and so I'm trying to disincentivize the consulting versus the coaching, but also it is so unidirectional in that then the consultant who is advising and telling you what to do is holding so much of the power and the directional force that it is less of a partnership and more of a more of a hierarchy, but you bring up some great points that I wanted to dig into in terms of misconceptions, and kind of what, how people perceive this, because I keep hearing people, especially in the nonprofit realm, who are getting either exploring coaching as a potential client, or maybe even looking to become a coach, I keep encountering this misperception. That coaching is about it's about results, and it's about like corporate stuff, and it's very much in this like structured corporate realm. And on the one hand, I think that that's a helpful, I'm glad we're sort of moving towards this direction of coaching being a benefit and an empowerment towards results orientation, because for so long I think it was seen as almost remedial, like if you got in trouble at work or if you weren't doing well at work, then you would get a coach, and that's not really its highest and best use. So I'm glad with that, but I do think it's fascinating to me, because I don't see the nonprofit realm or mission-driven work being less impacted by coaching. In fact, if anything, sometimes I feel like those realms maybe are even more benefited by coaching. So I was really excited to have this conversation with you, because you've lived it much more than I have, especially as an internal coach. So, what are your thoughts on that?
Kathy Berger 11:08
Yeah, you know, and I, I, I've always worked for nonprofits, I've never worked in the corporate world, and so it's so odd for me when people say, oh, coaching is just for corporate, I'm like, what, I don't, I don't understand that, and that's because that's just my worldview, and even though in the other nonprofits I, you know, I've worked for, we didn't necessarily have coaching, there might have been, you know, career coaching or something, you know, nonprofits, they really, I feel like they deserve coaching, they, you know, they're with the different missions that they are trying to support communities with, and you incorporate it's much more common, and I say this at not having an experience in corporate, but in corporate it's much more common to have support for coaching before you move up, or as you move up into a directorship, or into a supervisor position and it is rare, if ever, that somebody who's being promoted or potentially promoted is in line for leadership, actually gets some coaching around that's going to be a shift, you know, obviously there's talent that was seen in you. There's potential, you know, in corporate they get coaching around that, so that they can work through all of those things, not every corporate, but a lot of corporate, so they can work through those things. What does this new identity mean for me?
Erica D'Eramo 13:01
Yeah.
Kathy Berger 13:03
And I wonder if more nonprofits leaned into that, it would help the burnout rate. I mean, burnout right now for nonprofits is at an all-time high for numerous reasons, which, that, because a whole nother podcast, but, and you know, especially in the area we're in, it's, it's really in an all-time, an all-time high, and you know, these are the individuals that are helping people on the ground, are helping our community, that I think, you know they, in my opinion, they deserve coaching.
Erica D'Eramo 13:45
Yeah, it's funny because I think that sometimes when I speak to people, when I'm working with folks in corporates, when we talk about, like, what is your why, you know, like what's the higher order goal here, what is the value system that's driving your decision making? Sometimes people will reflect and, and make comments like, you know what I'm doing, probably doesn't even matter, if I were, I should be working in a nonprofit, maybe if I were working in a nonprofit, and, and I think sometimes people that are in the corporate world romanticize nonprofit life a little bit in terms of impact. The reality, though, is that a lot of nonprofits, they are mission driven, but because you have people who are passionate about that mission and they're trying to do a lot with a little, and they don't necessarily have the budget for some of these things, or or because you have people who are so dedicated they are willing to go above and beyond. There's almost like a supplement that happens from people's blood, sweat, and tears that you can kind of, I sometimes see a little bit more of that in. Extraction with that extraction of value and the use of guilt, passion, a mixture to get people to give more than they might do, so if it was just, you know, a nine to five corporate, which I don't know what corporate is nine to five anymore, but if they weren't so tied into the mission, that wouldn't be such a leverage point, and so I, I can totally see people careening towards burnout because it's so closely tied to their value system when they're oftentimes when they're working in nonprofits,
Kathy Berger 15:42
yeah, it's, it's a bit more of like, we'll do whatever it takes,
Erica D'Eramo 15:48
yeah,
Kathy Berger 15:49
that about that alignment with that value, and something that just actually struck me is the, you know, what is their why, and they might know their why for getting into that nonprofit, there are, and more recently, as this has been coming up for me, in kind of outside coaching, but the why of why did you now shift from this position to this upper position, there's a lot of.. I don't know,
Erica D'Eramo 16:26
yeah, for right, that's the trajectory,
Kathy Berger 16:30
like I was asked to, yeah, and I think without the, without the understanding of the what can I provide, what is this, what is my why in this moving up, what can I continue to bring value to? That's a huge, that's a talk about careening towards burnout.
Erica D'Eramo 16:58
Oh yeah,
Kathy Berger 16:58
and being completely disconnected.
Erica D'Eramo 17:05
Yeah, I, it's so fascinating too, because, like, society often says we're supposed to just go for that next thing, right? Career progression, you go for the next title, the next, and that doesn't resonate with a lot of people, and so they find themselves like, okay, I'm doing the thing, I'm doing the progression, but I don't really care about title, and I don't necessarily make a lot more money, but I do have a lot more stress, and ultimately there are a lot of people who become very disenchanted, or sort of, you know, checked out from that type of leadership path, and yet the reality is, if that, if you can find the value in it, and it's that you have a maybe you have a louder voice at the table, maybe you have a greater ability to impact the quality of life for the employees there, maybe you have a better ability to impact the fairness in the organization, or the efficiency in the organization, like hopefully there are reasons that are mission aligned, values aligned that resonate, but if you, if there's not, then then that's a, it's a lot to ask, right, for something that maybe doesn't feel very valuable to people.
Kathy Berger 18:27
True.
Erica D'Eramo 18:28
Yeah, there's a book called Authentic by Jodi-Anne Burey that I read recently, and I was really hard. She talks a lot about bringing your authentic self to work, and the, and actually, the sort of the false promise of that, that a lot of organizations give, but she talks a lot about working in the nonprofit realm, and one of her call outs is the value of having a coach to have that external perspective to really ask, like, how does this work for you, because you're in it, right? You're in the soup, you're in the atmosphere of it with all of your colleagues who are also mission driven and mission aligned, and it's one of the first times I've heard an author call out the value of having a coach. So, yeah, it was nice to see it in publication recently.
Kathy Berger 19:19
I'm definitely picking up that book.
Erica D'Eramo 19:22
Yeah, it was good. It resonated.
Kathy Berger 19:24
Yeah, I was working with a director in nonprofit, and we agreed to like four sessions that she wanted, and as we kind of wrapped up the last session, and I asked, the, you know, what are you taking away overall from our four sessions together, and I'm paraphrasing, but she said to me, you know, Kathy, it's the only time that I can sit,
Erica D'Eramo 19:58
Yes!
Kathy Berger 20:00
and think things through.
Erica D'Eramo 20:02
Yes.
Kathy Berger 20:04
and he's like, and she, and she said to me, and you come in with this question that just opens up doors, and I was like, okay, bravo, and I think you know that's part of it too. Back to nonprofits doing more with less, that's always been a nonprofit. It's, you know, and when our, you know, when our leadership and nonprofits, giving that, given that time in that safe place, I'm not, you know, I'm not invested in any decision you make. We're just talking through stuff, and what does that mean for you? And just that time to slow down.
Erica D'Eramo 20:52
Yeah, sometimes it feels like giving people the Costco sampler of like strategic thinking, because everybody's in the weeds, and they're, and they're just putting out fires, and they're dealing with the day to day, and the tactical, and the people issues, and it is funny to me when people are like, I don't have time for strategic thinking, like, I just don't have time, I'm like, but you made time for this call, so you do have time, but it takes practice, right, it takes like seeing the benefits of it for people to actually be incentivized, and then carve out that time, so even beyond the coaching practice, like we can help build some of those muscles and the patterning, but that still pays dividends beyond the coaching, because now people see what it's like to live life just in the weeds, or to maybe carve out a little time for really thinking through things, asking the open-ended questions, having thought partnership,
Kathy Berger 21:46
and it could be once a month, could be every other month. I think with her we actually did every other month because of how busy she is, and she said that was helpful, even the every other month.
Erica D'Eramo 21:57
Yeah, yeah.
Erica D'Eramo 22:00
So what do you see as some of the... we've talked a little bit about, like some of the myths and misconceptions, but as you have been navigating this path, what do you encounter either in your organization or other organizations that you think folks are maybe still kind of stuck in a misconception, or what's a common myth that you encounter.
Kathy Berger 22:26
I think the biggest one is actually we've already touched on is people think coaching is outright consulting.
Erica D'Eramo 22:35
We're going to come in and tell you what to do?
Kathy Berger 22:39
Yes, and think because of the program around, you know, that I coach, and we have other internal coaches. It is an evidence-based practice. There might be a time to step and say, 'Hey, have you considered this? And you do that in a coaching manner,
Erica D'Eramo 23:03
yeah.
Kathy Berger 23:04
Always, may I offer a suggestion, and then handing it back, you know? Never that direct. Here I am to tell you what to do all the time. I think that, and that's where I sit with the balance of helping people understand that I've seen those that I coach, you know, since I've made the shift. It's a simple, we're teaching people to fish, we're helping people fish, we're not fishing for them. It's the old, you know, analogy, and I've seen as I've shifted my practice, when I shifted my practice, just the confidence, growth,
Erica D'Eramo 23:49
yes,
Kathy Berger 23:50
the deep thought, the calmness that I've seen in those that I coach is it's instrument, it's it's worth every every class I've taken, every book I've read, and they really, they really stand on their own, like they really own things, and it's just, it's, it's beautiful to see, it's beautiful to witness, it's beautiful to see. So I still, I think we have, we have a lot to do in the, in this area, around, you know, just what is coaching, and, and how does it fit in different realms? People say, like, we'll say, like, are you a life coach, are you this that? I'm like, yep, I'm all of it, yep, I'm coaching is coaching,
Erica D'Eramo 24:38
yep, I know, I was just talking about this with a friend who's pursuing her sommelier credential, and I was saying, like, it reminds me a little bit of that, right? Everybody has to pass the same test, everybody, you have to be able to taste a white wine from France and a red wine from South America and still be able to navigate that, right? But it doesn't mean you don't have your preferences, it doesn't mean you don't have your specialties that you might dig into, but we all have to have those competencies. A life coach doesn't take a different ICF exam than a career coach or an executive coach or leadership coach. We're all doing the same, and we're all coaching each other throughout that process, and, and seeing that, so, yeah, I know, I, I always feel like it's such a letdown when I'm like, uh, huh, I am, yep, I'm whatever coach you need that day,
Kathy Berger 25:30
yeah, yes, and as a matter of fact, I'm doing some, I'm doing a six coaching kind of package with, I'm doing some reciprocal coaching with, with somebody from one of my programs I was just in, and it's about career path. This person was laid off. Our program ended and laid off like the next week unexpectedly, and it just happened to be timing where I reached out. They needed some reciprocal coaching. I needed some reciprocal coaching, and I thought, okay, giddy up, this will be a new adventure, like, you know, because they're really, you know, deciding about what is that next career adventure look like for me? Like, awesome, never done this. I'm still relying on the same structure, I'm still relying on the same values, you know, the same principles.
Erica D'Eramo 26:28
Yeah, which segues wonderfully to my next question, which is, now that you're broadening to beyond the nonprofit world and, and dabbling in some of that, maybe corporate coaching or beyond. Right, I've worked with somebody on their golf swing, I don't golf, but that's what they wanted to work on. So, what, what do you see as some of the learnings that you're taking with you that maybe help apply, you know, some of those insights that you've gained through your nonprofit expertise into the for-profit realm, or maybe even public sector as well. A lot of my clients are public sector.
Kathy Berger 27:15
Yeah, I, you know, it's really at the most basic level, it's really the same. Yeah, it's people with the same questions, with the same struggles, just wanting to do their best. So, whether you know they're in C suite and the other acronyms in corporate or you know, they're in, they're in nonprofit, they're all, they're still the same, they're just facing the same challenges at different levels, potentially, you know, when you're running a gyro, namous multi billion dollar company versus maybe a smaller nonprofit, you know, at the end, at the end, they're still concerned about their staff, they're still concerned about making sure they can pay everybody, they're still concerned about at least breaking it, even if not making a profit, they'll still concerned about, do I want to come to work tomorrow,
Erica D'Eramo 28:20
yep,
Kathy Berger 28:21
I think that's really what I've learned, and I, very honestly, I probably, because I have worked in nonprofits my whole life, I was a little intimidated by corporate lingo, and and then as I thought about it, I'm like, this is it's just different acronyms, it's all the same. There's still at the end of the day, you're humans, they're people that want to do their best, and or there's still people that are nervous about getting laid off. That could happen in for profit, that could happen in nonprofit. So, I think you know, it seems very simple and basic, and it's like the same human concerns.
Erica D'Eramo 29:07
Yeah, the irony too is this has been my reflection working with government folks as well, where I initially thought, like, I, oh, so many acronyms, or I don't understand this, but ultimately it's humans coming trying to have their impact, balance their work, their life, all that they have an integrated, sustainable way of living and working, and have an impact, right? That's like, yeah, across the board.
Erica D'Eramo 29:37
So, if you were to have our listeners, who probably span the realm, all the sectors. If you were to have our listeners take one learning away from our conversation today, which is kind of a key coaching question, I guess. What, what would that be for you?
Kathy Berger 29:58
Really, consider coaching. No matter your job title, no matter the company that you get a paycheck from, or if you're self-employed, it doesn't matter, really. Consider it if you're.. I mean, the easy answer is, if you want to work through something, you just need that thinking partner to help you go a little deeper, but I hope people really now start Googling coaching, ICF coaching, particularly, and really consider it, and, and you know, hopefully, if anybody has any questions, that they know you, they know me, they reach out and say, like, "hey, I actually have a question now," or you know, they can certainly email either one of us, yeah, supply.
Erica D'Eramo 30:56
And so that brings us to another great topic, which is how folks can get in touch, and I will mention Kathy is on our Two Piers website, and and we're both on LinkedIn, and the things, the different, the different ways of communicating. How do you, how do you intend to work with people if they have a question or they want to work with you? What does that look like?
Kathy Berger 31:20
Yeah, I think we set up a phone call or even video, like a Zoom conference to have a conversation about they can share with me what they're thinking, even if it's the I don't know, the classic I don't know, and I'm interested in coaching, so we can just talk about where are they at? What are their goals? What, what are their.. what do they want to accomplish?
Erica D'Eramo 31:46
Yeah, I also should mention that Two Piers is a public benefit corporation. I mentioned us being incorporated earlier in the podcast, but that means that working with nonprofits is one of the metrics that I measure, and our basic rates are 50% off. I offer like a full 50% off discount for working with nonprofits. So I definitely encourage anyone, whether in the nonprofit realm or the corporate realm, or like you said, self-employed, to reach out. Even us coaches have coaches, we know the questions, but it really helps, like you mentioned, reciprocal coaching really can be quite powerful. So, so, yeah, definitely. If you're listening to this podcast and you think you might want to chat more, please do reach out to either Kathy or myself. You can find our info on the website. And for folks that are listening that might want to review a summary. You can also find that on the website, a summary of the podcast, along with a full transcript. We are definitely trying to work to make all of our media accessible, and you can find contact info for Kathy on there as well. So, we'll include that in the notes and on the website, on the podcast episode website. So, thank you so much for joining today, Kathy. I really, really appreciate it. It's been a joy to get your insights and some of your wisdom.
Kathy Berger 33:09
Thank you. This was great, and thank you for talking about the 50% off for the nonprofits. That's one of the values that actually drew me to you for your, your dedication to that. So,
Erica D'Eramo 33:21
Yeah, absolutely, and for those listening, we look forward to seeing you next episode.
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Coaching Beyond the Corporate World: Why Nonprofits Need Coaching Too
In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo sits down with Kathy Berger, an experienced coach who leads coaching initiatives within the nonprofit sector and recently joined the Two Piers coaching team. Together, they explore the role of coaching in nonprofit organizations, common misconceptions about coaching, and why coaching can be just as valuable in mission-driven work as it is in corporate environments.
Along the way, they discuss burnout, leadership transitions, strategic thinking, and what happens when people are finally given the time and space to think.
Finding Coaching Through a Different Path
Kathy's path into coaching began through a background in counseling and human services. After relocating from New York to New Hampshire, she discovered that continuing down the traditional counseling path would require repeating significant portions of her education and training.
At the same time, she found herself drawn to another helping profession: coaching.
What initially appealed to her was the opportunity to support people in realizing their potential and becoming the best version of themselves. As she describes it, coaching offered a chance to spend her career helping people grow, learn, and navigate challenges while serving as a trusted supporter and thought partner.
As Kathy immersed herself in the coaching profession, she discovered the International Coaching Federation (ICF), coaching competencies, and the growing body of professional standards that help distinguish coaching from advice-giving, consulting, or mentoring.
What Coaching Is (and What It Isn't)
One of the recurring themes throughout the episode is the persistent misunderstanding of coaching.
Many people still assume coaching means hiring someone to tell them what to do. Erica and Kathy both encounter this misconception regularly.
Instead, coaching focuses on helping people think more deeply, uncover their own insights, and develop solutions that fit their unique circumstances.
As Kathy explains, there may be moments when a coach offers an observation or asks a client to consider a possibility. Even then, the decision-making power remains with the client. The coach's role is not to provide answers, but to help clients discover answers that feel authentic and sustainable.
The result is often increased confidence, stronger decision-making, and a greater sense of ownership over one's choices and direction.
Why Nonprofits Are a Natural Fit for Coaching
One misconception that both Erica and Kathy challenge is the idea that coaching is primarily a corporate tool.
For Kathy, who has spent her career in nonprofit organizations, that assumption has never made much sense.
Many corporate organizations provide coaching to employees who are moving into leadership roles, preparing for promotions, or navigating major transitions. Nonprofit leaders often face those same challenges while operating with fewer resources, smaller teams, and significant mission-driven pressure.
Nonprofit professionals are frequently asked to do more with less. They are often deeply committed to the mission of the organization and willing to invest extraordinary amounts of time and energy to support it.
That dedication can be inspiring. It can also contribute to burnout.
Kathy notes that burnout rates in the nonprofit sector remain extraordinarily high. Coaching can provide leaders with a dedicated space to reflect, process challenges, and navigate the identity shifts that often accompany promotions and increased responsibility.
The Hidden Cost of Mission-Driven Work
One particularly interesting part of the discussion explores how mission-driven work can sometimes create unique challenges.
People who care deeply about a cause often have a strong sense of purpose. That connection to purpose can be energizing, but it can also make it harder to establish boundaries.
As Erica points out, organizations may unintentionally rely on employees' passion and commitment to bridge resource gaps. When people are deeply invested in a mission, they may be more likely to work longer hours, take on additional responsibilities, and postpone their own needs.
Without intentional support, that dynamic can lead to exhaustion and disconnection from the very work that once felt meaningful.
Creating Space to Think
One of Kathy's coaching stories captures the value of coaching particularly well.
After completing a short coaching engagement with a nonprofit director, she asked what had been most valuable about the experience.
The response was simple:
"It's the only time that I can sit and think things through."
That observation resonated strongly with Erica.
Many leaders spend their days responding to urgent issues, solving problems, and managing competing demands. Strategic thinking often gets pushed aside because there never seems to be enough time.
Coaching creates intentional space for reflection. It offers an opportunity to slow down, explore questions from multiple angles, and think beyond the immediate crisis or task list.
For many leaders, that dedicated time to think may be one of coaching's most valuable benefits.
Coaching Is About Humans, Not Industries
As Kathy expands her coaching work beyond nonprofits and into broader organizational settings, she has been struck by how similar people's challenges often are.
Whether someone works in a nonprofit, a Fortune 500 company, government, or runs their own business, many of the underlying concerns remain remarkably consistent:
Navigating change
Managing stress
Leading people
Finding purpose
Building confidence
Making difficult decisions
Balancing work and life
The acronyms may change. The organizational structures may differ. The human experience is often surprisingly similar.
As Erica notes, much of coaching ultimately comes back to helping people live and work in a way that feels sustainable, aligned, and impactful.
Considering Coaching for Yourself
Toward the end of the episode, Kathy offers a simple invitation: consider coaching.
Not because something is wrong.
Not because you're struggling.
Not because you're behind.
But because having a dedicated thought partner can be valuable at any stage of life or leadership.
Whether you're navigating a promotion, exploring a career change, leading a team, running an organization, or simply trying to think through an important decision, coaching provides space to slow down, reflect, and move forward with greater clarity.
Learn More
Listeners interested in exploring coaching can connect with both Kathy Berger and Erica D’Eramo through Two Piers Consulting. Coaching is available for individuals across sectors, including nonprofit, corporate, government, and self-employed professionals.
As a Public Benefit Corporation, Two Piers also offers a 50% discount on coaching services for nonprofit organizations, reflecting its ongoing commitment to supporting mission-driven work.