Appreciation
Jing Liu
DIPLOMAT
“Thank you for being an amazing coach. I feel a greater sense of peace around my purpose on Earth.”
Monika Korolczuk
SENIOR MANAGER, DATABRICKS
“John is a one-of-a-kind coach, dedicated to helping his clients evolve into better versions of themselves. His focus on the client is powerful, and his individualized approach bears witness to his care and commitment to his clients’ goals, personal styles and circumstances. He is an attentive listener who was always able to help me reflect on my experience and see things from a different perspective.
Coaching with John is like working with a loving fellow human being who is focused on you when you're together. His coaching is truly co-active. He helps you work through your darkest moments and rejoices with you in the highlights. He doesn't interfere but amplifies your own growth experience, supports you as you move from focusing on the cracks in your life to the light that shines through them, and doesn't shy away from sharing his own difficult moments that instill hope in the process.
I decided to explore coaching because I wanted to grow in my career, yet felt stuck. I have never dedicated this much time and investment in myself (outside of the “regular” and very specific academic or work pursuits), and I did not quite know what to expect. My goals included defining my personal leadership style and clarifying my desired job trajectory. Thanks to John’s unique approach to coaching the whole person, I ended up shifting my perspective - from tactical, career-oriented goals to holistic, personal growth ones. I was surprised by how quickly coaching allowed me to connect the dots between my values, strengths and goals. Every exercise I engaged in during the coaching process equipped me with more awareness about my potential. It also brought me closer to who I want to be rather than focusing strictly on what I want to achieve. It was an exhilarating experience, and I am grateful for it.
I've experienced some deep personal and professional breakthroughs during my coaching with John, and I'm grateful for the sense of peace and freedom found through that. John is not a "neutral coach." He is passionate about helping you transform your life into what you want it to be (and even helping you discern what you actually want it to be, not what you think it should be). Having experienced coaching with John, I may not have all the answers to all my questions, but I have the confidence and serenity to move forward, trusting and embracing myself more than ever before.
In the time I worked with John I experienced significant growth. He has helped me not only set and achieve my goals, but also develop better self-awareness, as well as reduce stress levels. I was looking forward to every coaching session, knowing that I will come out of it inspired and equipped with new insights that I can immediately apply in my daily life. John would thoughtfully explore a variety of concepts and ideas with me, and gradually build up my confidence to apply newly found takeaways in my work and personal life. I was able to successfully challenge myself to be able to articulate my viewpoints in leadership meetings with confidence, gain executive mentorship, stand up for my values, and get recognized for the value I bring to the table naturally, “without really trying.” Before this coaching experience, I had not been able to access any of it on my own.
I am confident that John can help everyone reach any goals they set for themselves, and reach for their dreams. If you are looking for genuine inner growth and transformation, John is the right coach to support you in (re)designing your life as you want it, and making “anything possible.” Thank you again for a wonderful coaching experience!”
Nicole Pironi
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT, CAROL CONE ON OURPOSE
When working with John, you can tell that he means business. That is, you can tell that he is both a student and master of his craft and truly lives his work. He approaches every session with the same level of commitment and does an incredible job of connecting the dots across sessions, and through your life (after you’ve shared your journey with him of course!). This is where the magic happens and is something that I perceived in John from early on in our engagement.
The process of going through this process was incredibly enlightening for me. While I consider myself to be a fairly reflective and self-aware individual, this process taught me that I had much more to learn about myself than I realized. I started to glean patterns and insights about how my mind works— I mean REALLY works— and it was eye-opening to say the least. I realized that I hadn’t had a firm grasp on the extent to which my inner world was controlling my outer world. And, more importantly, how much power I have to do something about it. Suffice it to say that this process is one of awakening and empowerment. Each step turned out to be a critical part of the process, and taken together, produced a powerful shift in me in a relatively short amount of time. This has been an incredible journey and with persistent effort has the power to transform your life. I truly believe that.
I benefited from our work in myriad ways—big and small. As I went through the program, progressing with the exercises each week, I could feel small shifts in myself. These shifts were a sign to me that I was on the right track and really fueled my faith in the process. Now, I know that major transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but rather occurs when one commits to do the work and remains persistent overtime. Knowing this, I am excited by the shifts that I have seen in myself from our time together and know that as I continue to practice what I was taught and use the tools I was given (and created).
The beauty of this process, which is focused on your “Being”, is that it impacts every area of your life. You do not stop/start “being” in different areas of your life. You are always in a state of being—whether you’re consciously aware of it or not. As a result, a powerful benefit I’ve received from this work is my increasing ability to catch myself (i.e., my state of being) in my old patterns and redirect my state of being, allowing me to show up differently and go from a disempowering to an empowering state. While not perfect, I see myself doing this more and more and know that transformation is only a matter of time. I now feel equipped and motivated to move towards the life that I desire, and the life that I deserve.
To sum it up, my sessions with John felt like being in a state of flow — time goes away and you find yourself immersed in the conversation/exercise, knowing that something special is going on.
John – thank you for our time together, and for the work that you do to help individuals like me break through the (often self-imposed) obstacles in their way, toward a more vibrant, fulfilling and created life.
Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity and experience. As I’ve said, I know this is life-changing and is the start of a new future for me. I can’t thank you enough.
I am so glad that our paths crossed and am so thankful to have met you.”
“Working with John was an absolute treat! John is incredibly warm, patient and insightful— just to name a few qualities —and brings the gift of his complete presence to each session. When you’re in a session with John, you feel understood and that he truly cares for you and your growth. I could feel his positive energy in each session and always knew that I would be walking away from our time together with powerful takeaways to meditate on and integrate into my life!
Travis Ito
CEO, BLUE LOGIC LABS
“Coaching with John is truly a transformative experience. After each coaching session I felt like I had gained an insight that would help me grow personally and professionally. John also served as an accountability partner, which helped me to set and achieve goals and keep my word to myself and others.
Thank you for coaching me the past six months - we covered a whole lot of ground. I can feel myself breaking through (breakthrough) some of the old cultural conditioning and bad habits that are no longer serving me. It's been awesome!
I would highly recommend working with John if you're looking to take your life to the next level!”
Tanveer Khan
HEAD OF SCIENCE, INTELLLIGENT GROWTH SOLUTIONS
When I started my coaching with John, I knew what I wanted to do but hesitated to pursue my dream. John helped me break the shackles in my mind. He brought out my long-lost confidence and helped me see the bright side - a possibility to create a brighter future not only for myself but for all humanity. I am on track to pursue my dream and I can confidently say that I will achieve it. It wouldn’t be possible without John. He is a wonderful coach and his coaching style is exhilarating. Once you are in a coaching session with John, you feel your energy levels rise up and you strive to make the impossible possible.
I cannot thank John enough for all the help and guidance he has provided. Coaching with John was the one of the best experiences of my life and I would love to have John as my coach for my future endeavors.”
“The purpose of a coach is like a guiding light, someone who can help you see the path more clearly. One who can boost your confidence, keep you on track, and help you achieve the impossible. I can say my coaching with John helped me with all the above. I could see the path clearly, got connected with my core values and developed the confidence to pursue what I always wanted to achieve.
Santiago Davila
DIPLOMAT
“John is a coach with a big heart. From day one, John was interested in making our partnership work. Together we built a solid partnership, and John inspired me to spend time developing specific objectives and building the confidence I needed to meet my goals.
The process of working with John was eye-opening. It is not something you can turn on or off suddenly. I valued the importance of being honest and held accountable in advancing my professional objectives.
Coaching should be something every professional across our organization should experience at some point in their career. You can try to advance on your own, but you will not get very far. Coaching, on the other hand, can bring clarity to your approach and help you achieve your objectives faster.
Working together with John helped me understand the power of collaboration and accountability. It helped me avoid traps and pitfalls along the way. It is easy to give up when you encounter the traps that life puts before you. Learning how to avoid them, go around them, or get out of them is something I learned during our work together. It is also just plain fun to engage with other men at this level.
John has a bright future as an Executive Coach. I value our relationship and thank him for allowing me to work with him.”
Tanner Johnson
TRADE POLICY TEAM LEAD, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
I started coaching happy with my job and at home but feeling a sense of ennui – in part from not taking the time to focus on myself and lacking an idea where I want to be headed. After the first session, I immediately understood that John would be able to help me make progress in gaining clarity about where I wanted to go while helping me develop tools that set me on the right path. He is a coach who deploys a subtle firmness in his coaching sessions, leading to a united focus that helps propel each session forward.
John deployed a varied and flexible toolbox of techniques, exercises, and materials that led me to refine my goals and develop a personal framework and definition of leadership. We utilized the same toolbox to address weaknesses that were holding my career back to almost immediate effect.
I would say the lynchpin to John’s coaching prowess is sensitivity. He seems to innately understand when (and how hard) to push, powering what I’d term a sustainable personal growth process. He is an outstanding listener and gives healthy doses of positive reinforcement that help guard against backsliding.
Anyone who is sincerely interested in their personal and professional growth would benefit from John’s coaching, but I would especially recommend him to those who are seeking more clarity about their career goals and taking steps to achieve them. His coaching has been a turning point for me.
My coaching experience with John Holman has been one of remarkable personal and professional growth. As we complete our coaching together, I am more confident in my abilities and the value of my contribution to our organization and find myself ready to attack new goals at work and at home..”
“My coaching experience with John was one of the most profound and affecting experiences I have had in nearly twenty years with Commerce. I have no doubt that this will help set the stage for what I will accomplish during the remainder of my career. I am thankful to have had the opportunity for this valuable self-reflection and personal growth. My organization is gaining a renewed and re-energized employee.
Allison Moore
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION
“I highly recommend John Holman as a superb, 5-Star professional/personal coach. John asked me important questions and challenged me to explore new ways to connect with my colleagues. With John’s guidance, I was able to develop strategies to overcome obstacles that were preventing me from reaching my career goals. As a result of my coaching experience with John, I have a clearer vision of my short and long-term career goals and a plan to achieve them. Thank you!
I am now more focused. I am more positive. I have a greater sense of my purpose. I am continuing to build new skills. You helped me see that I don’t have to believe or think about how others see me. Thank you for all of this!
Thank you, John, for being my coach!”
Daniel Hare
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
“Bottom line up front: John is a phenomenal coach. Whatever your reason for seeking coaching, John will serve as a valuable asset on your coaching journey. He is supportive yet challenges you; he knows when to push and when to step back; he will guide you while still allowing you to find your own way. Most of all, John knows how to ask – at exactly the right moments – powerful questions that are simultaneously profound and simple, causing you to reflect on yourself, your career, and your personal life like you never have before.
John has a clear interest in human psychology and behavior, injecting regular doses of science and evidence that are not only insightful, but especially useful if you’re someone who is a bit “coaching skeptic” (as I used to be). If you’re looking to foster your own development, learn about who you are and what does/does not make you tick, advance both personally and professionally, and simply become a better version of yourself, then look no further than John – he can take you there.
Thank you so very much for accompanying and guiding me on this coaching journey. I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you. I suspect that, years from now, I’ll look back on this time in my life as the time when I really kicked my self-development into high gear.”
Hannah Hullett
SENIOR CONSULTANT, NEXTANT/MICROSOFT
“Working with John as a coach has been a wonderful experience. He helped me tackle numerous challenges in my job and gain clarity on future career goals, and he consistently provided additional follow up outside of the coaching session. On the occasion that I brought a personal or relationship challenge to our meetings, John's style of coaching made it easy to open up about these vulnerable and difficult topics.
I'm grateful to have worked with someone so supportive and approachable, and I would not hesitate to recommend John to anyone looking for a professional coach!”
Blaine Kusler
ENTREPRENEUR, UA BODY
“Working with John was paradigm-shifting. He provided pragmatic and effective tools that worked on both a personal and a business level. We discovered an enjoyable daily practice I could use for continuous improvement. More importantly, John allowed for a safe working space where I was able to identify and go past long-held limiting beliefs around money and success. Simply amazing!
Anyone sincere in creating a path to greater success and uncovering what is possible should work with John.”
Tirza Hollenhorst
CEO, LUMEN
“John is an attentive, straightforward coach. We all have blind spots and working with John, I learned to see how little attention I was giving to what was working and what wasn’t. By practicing attention on acknowledging growth and success I learned to recognize and lean into an experience of momentum. John's focus is ways of being and measurable action.
I needed a breakthrough and I was able to achieve it working with John.”
Mark Ford
DIRECTOR, FEEDING AMERICA
“John is an amazing coach and mentor. He has incredible insight and intuition that he uses to help guide me in the journey of discovery. He also was able to challenge me in a caring manner that helped me see things through a different lens. His checks-ins and the materials he provided outside the coaching sessions demonstrated his commitment to my growth as a leader and his true care and support. John is wise beyond his years and his calming and peaceful demeanor always set a great environment and tone for our sessions.
John helped me better understand, embrace, and personalize the Noble Purpose Leadership approach that I have incorporated both in my professional and personal life. I was able to track my growth, learnings and phases of development as a leader. I feel I have a box of great tools that I can utilize in supporting the leader I am and can continue to grow into. It was an amazing journey of discovery and embracing the leadership style that I want to pursue in my golden years of life. I will always be grateful for John's guidance and support.”
Ed Ames
LEAD HUMAN RESOURCES EXECUTIVE, OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM)
“John is a remarkable coach! I was facing some very difficult decisions/challenges, and John was just the coach I needed to help me stay on track with my goals and help me along my journey. John asked me the needed hard questions and got me to face my fears. He was compassionate and non-judgmental—even when I repeatedly changed my mind about how to carry out my decisions. John helped me to see various perspectives and ultimately helped me to follow through on what I needed to do. I will definitely be in touch when I’m faced with the next set of challenges. Thank you John! ”
Carey Esslinger
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE SPECIALIST, U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE
“I had the pleasure of working with John Holman as my coach. Our coaching sessions were of tremendous value to me; helping me to focus and fine tune my goals and objectives. John brought a wealth of insights and perspectives on my goals. Each week, we outlined definitive actions to take towards my goals, helping me to assess the effectiveness of my actions as well.
John is a natural coach and advisor, with an abundance of wisdom, patience and creativity. I’m grateful for the time he spent in helping me to work towards my life goals.”
Ajit Nott
LEADERSHIP COACH, SWAGYA COACHING AND CONSULTING
“John helped me clarify what is important and take steps to make it real. John listened deeply, reflected my thoughts and challenged my unverbalized assumptions. With inspiring quotes (relevant to my goal) and powerful text exchanges between coaching sessions, I could feel John’s unconditional support all along my journey. It was an amazing experience working with John!
John’s coaching continues to help me a lot. The benefits of our work together are unleashing the energy of so many talented folks. Thank you, John.”
Alex Holmgren
DIPLOMAT
“Through my coaching journey with John, I’ve made significant progress in fighting my imposter syndrome. I have new practical tools on how to manage my time, and I feel more confident approaching difficult conversations. The learning and discovery progress has benefitted my personal and professional life. Now I feel like I can be my more authentic self at work, and I feel like I have a better work/life balance.
John is welcoming and makes you feel really cared for. At the same time, John holds you accountable for your commitments and will challenge you on your assumptions, but does so from a place of warmth and generosity. I really enjoyed coaching with John.”
Eduard Roytberg
DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION
“I am always impressed by John’s professionalism, creativity, leadership skills and overall international business acumen. John is also a very skilled and experienced Executive Coach. Earlier this year, I engaged him for help in reaching my professional development goals. His guidance and encouragement were invaluable to me. He helped me to organize my thoughts, challenged me to shift my perspective and to define my vision. He was always well-prepared for our sessions and genuinely cared for my cause. I highly recommend John to anyone looking for professional coaching!”
Isabel Douroupis
SPECIAL AGENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
“John taught me how to be more thoughtful and direct with my communication. I learned how to approach difficult conversations and how to convey my needs. I also learned how to put things in perspective and to realize what is truly important. Through my conversations with John, I realized what areas I needed to improve on. John taught me the importance of being an active listener. John motivated me to put my thoughts into action and assisted me with identifying the steps I needed to take. I felt John truly cared about what I had to say and genuinely wanted to see me succeed. I would definitely work with him again.”
Paul Matino
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE SPECIALIST, U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE
“I have had the pleasure of being coached by John this year. John far exceeded my expectations as a coach. He is a skilled listener and was extremely effective in helping me identify and develop a framework for achieving my goals. I would strongly recommend John for anyone looking for a world class coach!”
Kiana Vallente
NON-PROFIT DIRECTOR, HAMAKUA HARVEST
“Our Board president and I booked a session with John during our organization's strategic planning phase to gain an outside perspective on where to start and which directions to take. Our session with John helped us do exactly that and more. John helped us break down some aspects that overwhelmed us into manageable and attainable goals. During our session, he encouraged us to develop a business plan and identify some "low-hanging fruit" that we may not have thought of before.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have John's expertise during our extremely small organization's transition period. John was positive and encouraging and addressed our concerns in a compassionate and professional manner. John was so easy to talk to, my colleague even referred to our coaching session as "business therapy"! We will definitely be returning for future coaching sessions with John!”
Ryan Kanne
DIRECTOR, U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE
“Working with John helped me get clear the areas of my life that I wanted to be intentional with and invest my time and energy, and also be clear on the activities I am saying “No” to.
John was focused on my priorities and interests, and really held these in account throughout the coaching relationship. John took me on journeys to help provide clarity to numerous situations in my work and life. He listened, reframed things, and provided new perspectives that really had an impact on my view and thinking about life. “
Nicholai Whiticar
ENTREPRENEUR AND EMPOWERMENT COACH
“John Holman’s professionalism and presence as a coach is outstanding! He means what he says and also is a great listener. I appreciated how direct, honest, and thoughtful he is as a coach. John is someone you can trust and look to for insight and guidance. I highly recommend John Holman as a Life Coach!”
Tamara Chang, MD
ENTREPRENEUR, PINK COAT MD
“John is an incredibly powerful, gifted coach who brings a level of insight that I find truly remarkable. He is highly skilled, professional and personal in all he does. I trust him completely.”
Mike Hart
CHIEF SUPERVISOR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
“Thank you John! Our coaching sessions have been the highlight of my year! I had high expectations and you delivered. And then some!
Looking back to the beginning I see I was lost in a sea of doubt, like a castaway, adrift. You helped me get out of someone else’s story by focusing on my core values of service to others and respect. Along the way I learned the importance of self-awareness, positive attitude and punctuality. And the tools you shared with me have been invaluable.
It wasn’t easy and at times very uncomfortable. Discomfort may be the price of admission. No longer obscured, now I can see a path paved with core values that leads me to my goals. I know I would have resisted the coaching except you pointed me without forcing me down a path, guiding me through curiosity, and letting me create my own challenges. Almost every workday I begin with the exercise you shared with me and end by reminding myself the things that made me especially grateful, maybe even allow myself to celebrate the successes.
I’ll miss our coaching sessions. I have learned a lot. I see your hand in how I treat others and myself. Thank you, John, for all your help.”
Jennifer Creed
DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF NONPROFITS (HANO)
“As someone who focuses on providing and supporting professional development for others, being able to experience coaching myself was an amazing and life-changing gift. Coaching with John provided me a much-needed opportunity to pause and deeply reflect on where I was feeling stuck, professionally and personally, and then offered tools and strategies to help me set goals and take steps to move forward in a positive way. It gave me renewed confidence and energy to tackle some of the most difficult things on my plate. The most critical thing that John’s coaching illuminated for me is that taking care of myself isn’t selfish or something that I should only pay attention to when I can find the time; rather it’s essential – what I MUST prioritize and proactively do in order to be able to continue to support and care for others in my life. Coaching helped me find practical, tangible ways that work for me to practice self-care every day. Mind blown!
John is the most positive person I know. His approach is gentle and nonjudgmental. He asks a lot of questions and listens deeply. It was clear to me from our first session that John genuinely cares about the people he coaches and truly wants them to be successful. Although John’s approach is gentle, he’s also excellent at challenging you to push through hard stuff and holding you accountable for taking the steps you identify as necessary to move forward. Our sessions weren’t always easy, but they were always thought-provoking and led me to try approaches that I wouldn’t otherwise have considered. It has made a profound difference in the way I tackle each day.
John is truly special and I thoroughly enjoyed our time together! Thank you for creating a space for me to rediscover my power and realize my badass potential! ”
Tricia Van Orden
DIRECTOR, TRADE PROMOTION COORDINATING COMMITTEE
“John helped me create space to think deeply and honestly about my values and priorities so that I could confidently make career decisions.”
Rabindra Chand
HEAD OF NEPAL SUB-OFFICE, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
“First of all, thank for your coaching - it was amazing. All of our sessions were excellent.
You are amazing as a coach. You have the quality to draw out real things from the coachee and guide him or her on that. My experience working with you was great.”
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
— Howard Thurman
Let’s have a conversation
I love to help leaders realize their greatest potential.
Send me a message and we can explore how I might be able to help you.