Tag Archive for: Organizational Culture

Your Leadership Development Partner in 2026: How Executive Coaching Transforms Your Career Journey

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leadership development partner - executive coachingThe workplace in 2026 demands more from leaders than ever before. Hybrid teams still require some new management approaches to engage those in the room and on the screen. An understatement is that AI is reshaping how work gets done and will get done in the future. The result is a leadership landscape defined by ambiguity, fast-shifting expectations, and relentless productivity pressure.

Against this backdrop, choosing to engage an executive coach gives leaders the opportunity to think more deliberately about how they lead and how they grow. Research suggests that executive coaching supports improvements in leadership effectiveness, self-awareness, goal clarity, and resilience. Behaviorial flexing to learning, thinking styles and task styles are capabilities and can be learned as skills and have become increasingly important as roles expand and complexity increases.

To offer a comprehensive view of executive coaching, this three-part series explores not only its potential benefits, but also what executive coaching is, how it works, and how leaders can make the most of the investment. Whether you are an executive paying for your own development or an HR professional looking for leadership development coaches and team coaching in an offsite format, we want to hear from you.

Part 1 focuses on why executive coaching matters. It reviews the evolving demands on leaders, and the concrete outcomes associated with a high-quality coaching engagement.

Part 2 looks behind the curtain at how executive coaching actually works — what happens inside a coaching relationship, how the process unfolds, and how to evaluate and select the right coach for your goals, style, and context.

Part 3 turns to how to make the most of your investment, exploring how to actively engage in coaching to accelerate growth and practical next steps to move forward.

Why Executive Coaching Matters

Corporate training budgets today remain heavily weighted toward technical skills, systems training, and compliance requirements. Leadership development, when it exists, is often episodic rather than sustained. Traditional mentorship programs have largely disappeared in remote and hybrid environments. The informal learning that once happened through hallway conversations and after-work gatherings has changed in quantity and also was never a completely consistent practice by or for all.

Meanwhile, leadership complexity has intensified. Leaders are managing teams across time zones, navigating constant technological change, making decisions with incomplete information, and doing it all while maintaining work-life integration that often feels elusive.

Engaging with an executive coach helps leaders chart a path through the complexity. It provides personalized development when organizations cannot, strategic guidance when you are facing novel challenges, and accountability when it is easy to deprioritize your own growth.

This personalized approach matters because leadership is not one-size-fits-all. The skills that make you effective are deeply connected to who you are: your values, your strengths, your communication style, your life circumstances. Coaching helps you develop leadership that is both effective and authentic.

What Executive Coaching Actually Delivers

Let’s move beyond abstractions to concrete outcomes you can expect from a quality coaching engagement:

1. Clarity That Drives Action

Given the many demands on leaders today, it is no wonder that many feel like they are operating in perpetual reaction mode: responding to emails, attending meetings, and putting out fires. Coaching creates space for leaders to step back and ask fundamental questions: What am I actually trying to achieve? What matters most? Where should I focus my limited time and energy? What does success look like for me personally, not just professionally?

This clarity becomes a decision-making filter so that when opportunities arise, you can evaluate them against your actual priorities rather than defaulting to yes or getting swept along by others’ agendas. Research shows that working with an executive coach increases goal clarity and goal attainment, helping leaders move from urgency-driven behavior to intentional, strategic action.

2. Self-Awareness That Transforms Effectiveness

You cannot see yourself the way others see you. You can’t observe your own patterns, blind spots, or the gap between your intentions and your impact. This is where coaching becomes invaluable.

Through powerful questions, reflection exercises, and sometimes formal assessments, coaching builds the self-awareness that distinguishes good leaders from great ones. You discover how your communication style lands with different people, which strengths you’re overusing or undervaluing, what triggers cause you to react rather than respond, and where your assumptions limit your possibilities. Of note, leadership research consistently links emotional intelligence, of which self-awareness is a key component, to leadership effectiveness, team cohesion, and motivation, which executive coaching helps leaders develop over time.

3. Strategies for Your Specific Challenges

Leadership challenges are often maddeningly context-specific. How do you give difficult feedback to a high performer who has behaviors that negatively effect team culture? How do you influence senior stakeholders when you lack formal authority? How do you manage your energy when your role demands constant availability? How do you make the case for promotion without seeming entitled?

Books and training programs offer general principles. Your coach helps you develop strategies tailored to your specific situation, taking into account your organizational culture, your relationships, your constraints, and your goals. Generic advice rarely moves the needle; specific strategies do.

4. Accountability That Drives Change

Knowing what to do and actually doing it are entirely different challenges. We’ve all set goals only to abandon them when the daily grind takes over. Coaching provides structure and accountability that transforms intentions into actions.

Your coach holds you accountable not through judgment but through partnership. Between sessions, you implement agreed-upon actions, experiment with new approaches, gather feedback, and track progress. They then return to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what to adjust next. This cycle of action and reflection is where lasting change occurs.

5. Resilience to Navigate Setbacks

Every career includes setbacks: projects that fail, promotions you don’t get, relationships that sour, or reorganizations that derail your plans. How you respond to these moments often matters more than the setbacks themselves.

Coaching builds resilience by helping you process challenges productively, maintain perspective, develop coping strategies for high-stress situations, learn from failure without internalizing it as identity, and sustain motivation over time. Leadership coaching has been shown to increase leaders’ confidence in navigating their roles and improve trust in their direct reports, both critical factors in bouncing back from challenges.

6. Skills That Compound Over Time

Some professional development delivers immediate returns but little lasting value. Coaching is different. The skills you develop, like emotional intelligence or communication effectiveness, compound throughout your career.

A feedback framework learned today remains useful for decades. Increased self-awareness carries across roles and organizations. Communication shifts ripple through every future relationship. This compounding effect explains why coaching continues to deliver value long after the formal engagement ends.

7. Permission to Lead Authentically

Many professionals feel pressure to conform to leadership stereotypes that do not fit who they are. The charismatic extrovert. The tough boss. The relentless competitor.

Coaching offers a third option: developing a leadership style that is both effective and authentically you. This means honoring your values while building influence, leading in ways that energize rather than drain you, using your natural strengths rather than trying to eliminate weaknesses, and building teams that complement your style rather than compensate for it. Coaching helps you lead from a place of integrity and self-knowledge rather than imitation.

8. A Thinking Partner for Complex Decisions

Senior leadership can be isolating. The higher you rise, the fewer people you can speak with candidly. Your direct reports need confidence. Your boss evaluates judgment. Your peers may compete.

An executive coach becomes a confidential thinking partner, someone without agenda or judgment, providing a confidential space to think out loud, test ideas, and consider implications before acting. Having this thinking partner is not a sign of weakness; it is a strategic advantage that many effective leaders leverage intentionally.

A Deliberate Investment in How You Lead

Executive coaching is about supporting leaders at moments when complexity increases, stakes rise, and familiar strategies no longer suffice. In a workplace defined by constant change, coaching offers something increasingly rare: time, perspective, and partnership focused entirely on how you lead and how you grow. If you are ready to be matched with one of our coaches, please book a free exploratory conversation with our Founder and Head Coach, Nicki Gilmour here: BOOK SESSION

By Nicki Gilmour, Founder and CEO, theglasshammer and Evolved People Coaching

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The Benefits of Executive and Team Coaching for an Improved Workplace Culture

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leadership coachWorkplace culture plays a critical role in an organization’s success. A positive culture can enhance employee satisfaction, improve productivity, and foster innovation. Executive and team coaching are powerful tools that can significantly contribute to cultivating an improved workplace culture.

Here’s a look at the benefits of executive and team coaching in transforming workplace culture:

1. Enhanced Leadership Effectiveness

Executive coaching focuses on developing leadership skills and enhancing the effectiveness of leaders within the organization. Benefits include:

  • Self-awareness: Coaches help leaders understand their strengths, weaknesses, and impact on others, fostering greater self-awareness.
  • Decision-making: Improved decision-making abilities through better understanding of different perspectives and critical thinking.
  • Emotional Intelligence: Enhanced emotional intelligence, leading to better management of emotions and relationships.

2. Stronger Team Cohesion

Team coaching fosters a sense of unity and collaboration among team members, leading to:

  •  Increased Trust: Building trust through open communication and shared experiences.
  • Aligned Goals: Ensuring all team members are working towards common objectives and understand their roles.
  • Collaboration: Encouraging collaborative problem-solving and leveraging diverse perspectives.

3. Improved Communication

Effective communication is essential for a healthy workplace culture. Coaching enhances communication skills at both the executive and team levels by:

  • Clarity: Ensuring clear and concise communication of goals, expectations, and feedback.
  • Active Listening: Teaching active listening skills to understand and address concerns and ideas.
  • Conflict Resolution: Providing strategies for resolving conflicts constructively and maintaining positive relationships.

4. Increased Employee Engagement

Engaged employees are more productive, motivated, and committed to their organization. Coaching contributes to employee engagement by:

  • Empowerment: Empowering employees to take ownership of their work and make meaningful contributions.
  • Recognition: Creating a culture of recognition and appreciation for achievements and efforts.
  • Personal Growth: Supporting personal and professional development, leading to greater job satisfaction.

5. Cultivation of a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset encourages continuous learning and improvement. Coaching fosters a growth mindset by:

  • Encouraging Innovation: Promoting a culture where experimentation and innovation are valued.
  • Learning from Mistakes: Viewing failures as opportunities for learning and growth.
  • Continuous Development: Emphasizing the importance of ongoing personal and professional development.

6. Enhanced Problem-Solving and Adaptability

In today’s dynamic business environment, the ability to adapt and solve problems is crucial. Coaching enhances these skills by:

  • Critical Thinking: Developing critical thinking skills to approach problems strategically.
  • Flexibility: Encouraging flexibility and openness to change.
  • Resilience: Building resilience to handle setbacks and challenges effectively.

7. Stronger Organizational Alignment

Coaching helps to align the efforts and goals of individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole. Benefits include:

  • Strategic Alignment: Ensuring that individual and team goals are aligned with organizational objectives.
  • Cultural Consistency: Promoting a consistent and cohesive workplace culture across all levels of the organization.
  • Unified Vision: Creating a shared vision and purpose that motivates and guides employees.

8. Enhanced Accountability

Accountability is crucial for achieving goals and maintaining a positive workplace culture. Coaching enhances accountability by:

  • Goal Setting: Helping individuals and teams set clear, achievable goals.
  • Progress Monitoring: Providing regular check-ins and feedback to track progress and make adjustments.
  • Responsibility: Encouraging a culture of responsibility and ownership for outcomes.

9. Increased Innovation and Creativity

A positive workplace culture that encourages innovation can drive organizational success. Coaching fosters innovation and creativity by:

  • Safe Environment: Creating a safe environment for sharing new ideas and taking risks.
  • Diverse Perspectives: Leveraging diverse perspectives to generate innovative solutions.
  • Encouragement: Encouraging creative thinking and challenging the status quo.

Executive and team coaching offer a multitude of benefits that can significantly improve workplace culture. By enhancing leadership effectiveness, fostering team cohesion, improving communication, increasing employee engagement, cultivating a growth mindset, enhancing problem-solving and adaptability, strengthening organizational alignment, boosting accountability, and promoting innovation and creativity, coaching transforms the workplace into a more positive, productive, and dynamic environment. Investing in coaching not only develops individual and team capabilities but also creates a thriving workplace culture that drives organizational success.

Theglasshammer.com offers six distinct offerings via evolved people coaching so if you need 1) leadership coaching, 2) career coaching 3) team coaching or 4) mentor coaching, 5) business coach or 6) consulting not coaching – organizational development work to help with overall culture, performance or change, please book into Nicki Gilmour’s calendar here (CEO and Founder) to begin to explore and discuss you or your company’s needs. We have a team of 5 coaches and several Ph.D.’s in Organizational Psychology/OD and other disciplines to work with you.

By Nicki Gilmour, CEO and Founder of theglasshammer.com

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What Does LGBTQ+ Pride Have to Do with Team Performance?

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leadership coachWhat do Pride month and LGBTQ+ matters have to do with career advice or workplace culture? A 2024 Gallup survey reports more than one in five of “Gen Z” people identify as LGBTQ+ in the workplace with an EY survey stating that 30% of the Generation Z workforce will identify as LGBTQ+ by 2030. As a leader or manager of your current and future workforce and talent pool, this reality requires your attention to ensure both your career and theirs are supported and successful.

Putting the kind welcoming human argument aside as we know by now humans vary in their traits, behaviors and beliefs, it is less subjective to put organizational performance as the reason to create a great culture at work for everyone. Whether it involves LGBTQ+ coworkers, professional women, or BIPOC/people of color, the leadership and organizational competency (and it is a competency) to create the best conditions for talent to thrive should be the core of diversity, equity, and inclusion work. And, diversity is not the final destination, not least because it exists already, and it is the legacy power dynamics that need to be examined. Consider the adoption of what Ely and Thomas coined as a learning and effectiveness paradigm first proposed in their 1996 HBR work, Making Difference Matter. Despite this being introduced nearly thirty years ago, they critically reminded us in 2020 that most companies have not progressed beyond the basic strategies of the 1990s, which primarily address foundational fairness and discrimination. In their article “Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case” (Harvard Business Review, November/December 2020) Ely and Thomas state:

“Having people from various identity groups “at the table” is no guarantee that anything will get better; in fact, research shows that things often get worse, because increasing diversity can increase tensions and conflict. Under the right organizational conditions, though, employees can turn cultural differences into assets for achieving team goals.”

Social/organizational psychologists such as myself will tell you that the studies over thirty years show that without understanding how to leverage differences and the conflict that comes with them, higher performance is not a guarantee. The antecedents for optimal team and organizational performance for the 30% of near future LGBTQ+ workers are much like the those of any current non-LGBTQ+ worker—psychological safety for the ability to be oneself. Conditions matter, and processes and systems have to incentivize behaviors that align with strategic talent goals to develop, promote and retain people.

Here are two strategies to successfully support LGBTQ+ talent…

Create Psychological Safety

Creating the right conditions is foundational. Coming out is still hard and still constant. Even in the best of welcoming familiar and societal conditions, there is always slight trepidation that being different won’t be received as well as being the same. There are an estimated 8-20 million of your colleagues in the US that are LGBTQ+ and of which 50% still mostly hide their identity to HR, but almost 80% are now willing to come out to one person with coming out to manager at a lower rate. At work, in a professional setting, everyone wants to show up to do their best and regardless of who you are, you have to feel psychologically safe to focus on the job at hand. When someone feels like they belong, it creates happier, and high performing employees who stay engaged.

Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perception of the consequences of taking interpersonal risks in a particular context, such as a workplace. For LGBTQ+ employees, this means feeling secure enough to express their identity without fear of negative repercussions. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to be engaged, innovative, and committed to their work. LGBTQ+ employees report a greater sense of belonging when working remotely versus in-person as they experience an increase in microaggressions when in the office. Furthermore, the UCLA William’s Institute research cites that two thirds of LGBTQ+ employees still witness slurs and pejorative talk with half of respondents experiencing discrimination. Workplace culture is societal culture as it is merely a way of saying “how do we do things around here”. Pride in the dictionary is the opposite of shame which is the flag that the wife of the US Supreme Court judge, Justice Alito wants to fly while he has publicly stated he wants to reverse gay marriage (69% of Americans are not polarized on this, supporting gay marriage). Laws matter, they influence culture as well as very real elements of LGBTQ+ peoples’ lives and careers. While partner preference if you are LGBTQ+ does not define the content of your character, judging others based on one’s own subjective beliefs, does.

Create Real Mentoring and Sponsorship Relationships

Programs and policies to support any initiative or business or organizational development goal are key but alone are not enough; climate, management practices and attitudes and mentoring and sponsorship play a crucial role. Building real relationships can bridge gaps and humanize people who are otherwise at risk of being stereotyped. For LGBTQ+ employees, having mentors and sponsors who understand and support them can make a significant difference in their career development and overall workplace experience. Policies should be implemented in a way that they are not just on paper but are actively endorsed and lived within the workplace culture. Theglasshammer now offers a coaching upskill program where mentors who want to coach their mentees in addition to giving advice and support can now acquire coaching skills for all types of mentees including specifically LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women mentees.

Creating an inclusive workplace culture is systemic work. It goes beyond unconscious bias training, since it is always good to examine one’s unconscious beliefs, but it is also shown that explicit beliefs cannot be changed this way. Continue to leverage employee resource groups and promote allyship as this can help foster a more inclusive environment. Allies, who engage in supportive and advocacy behaviors such as mentoring, sponsoring via advocating, and coaching can play a significant role in improving workplace outcomes for LGBTQ+ employees. Ultimately, fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace culture benefits everyone. Managers should use these insights to enhance organizational commitment to inclusivity, which, in turn, can lead to better job attitudes and performance for both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ employees. It is instead a “yes, and” approach that requires modeling positive and inclusive behavior and actively engaging all employees incentivized by processes and systems around talent and meritocracy to provide support to their LGBTQ+ and all colleagues. By focusing on creating a culture of support and belonging, organizations can ensure that all employees can thrive and contribute to the organization’s success.

Be a human first and know that the LGBTQ+ community has a lot of different people in that acronym much like society at large, it consists of many people with varying degrees of ambition, talents and experiences. Most LGBTQ+ people just want to get on with life, work hard in their career, perhaps raise kids, walk their dog, see their families and occasionally enjoy a vacation. Be proud of who you are, we are all only here for an average of 4000 weeks and what do you want to do in that time?

Happy Summer from theglasshammer.com – We will be back later July after we take a vacation!

By Nicki Gilmour, Founder and CEO of theglasshammer.com

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Why Introverts Are Needed In the Workplace

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introverts at workWhen you enter the corporate world as an introvert, one of the first hurdles you may have to overcome is the societal expectation that you should behave more like an extrovert. The temptation to be someone you are not can be overwhelming and may lead to disappointment and missed opportunities. What if rather than hiding who you are, though, you were able to listen to your own wise inner voice and use your unique communication style and let your true personality shine through while also contributing tremendous value to your organizations and teams?

The reality is that if you are willing to stretch and grow and be a little bit vulnerable, if you are willing to stop being who people expect you to be and to start experimenting with being curious, listening more, and showing your real quirky self to the world, you may be surprised at the results. When you stop talking only about business, stop trying to be the loudest, smartest, most confident person in the room, you are then able to access your unique introverted abilities and wield them like a superpower.

The Advantages of Being an Introvert in Business

Let’s look at some well known introverts who demonstrate this every day. In his article, 23 of the Most Amazingly Successful Introverts in History, John Rampon tells us that many industry giants are not only introverts but their success shatters stereotypes about what it means to be an introvert in the business world. Among others he shares with us that Marissa Meyer, current Yahoo! CEO, has admitted that “I’m just geeky and shy and I like to code…” He and numerous other sources quote Bill Gates as saying, “ …if you’re clever you can learn to get the benefits of being an introvert, which might be, say, being willing to go off for a few days and think about a tough problem, read everything you can, push yourself very hard to think out on the edge of that arena.”

This comes as no surprise when you look at research done by organizational psychologist Adam Grant. His findings not only confirm that there is no real long-term difference in the effectiveness of introverted and extroverted leaders, but that in some situations, introverts actually outperform their extroverted colleagues. For example, his findings show that introverts really shine in situations where creativity and team cohesion matter. They are more likely to be better listeners and to encourage creativity and to form deep and meaningful relationships with team members.

If you think back over your own personal experiences, you may have found this to be true at times in your personal experience also. Can you remember a time when you listened deeply and collaborated with another individual only to find that you had effortlessly built a relationship without even really trying? That ability is the secret sauce that introverts often don’t even know they possess because they are trying to so hard to act like extroverts instead of tapping into their natural relationship and problem-solving abilities. When introverts tap into their unique ability to listen, collaborate, problem solve and build trust, they are a quiet but powerful force in an organization that helps share a diverse orchestra of talent that works together to create a beautiful symphony of diverse abilities.

A 2002 study by Nassbaum supports this idea and reveals that introverts are in fact more likely to work together to find solutions to problems and to listen to and ask for other people’s suggestions. They are more willing to consider new ideas and are less attached to their own personal ideas. This allows team members to feel valued and free to share their ideas and for clients to feel cared for and part of the problem-solving process when issues arise. When introverts let go of the expectation to come up with all solutions on their own and to be the most engaging person in the room and just let themselves be a safe place for others to express themselves, relationships blossom from that organically.

A study by Rehana Noman in the International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences reveals that more than 79% of introverts rely on their intuition, inner feelings and reactions to make decisions rather than making snap impulsive decisions. This is compared to 50% of extroverts who report making snap impulsive decisions on their own. The most successful introverts know their strength comes from their natural ability to listen not only to their own intuition but also to seek input from others and to cultivate deep long-term relationships one at a time. They may not woo a room of a hundred people in one fell swoop or shake 50 hands in a night, but just like the proverbial tortoise and hare, they move slowly but surely across the finish line. Over time they gather speed as one relationship leads to another and then another. Initially it may take longer for their careers to take off but the willingness to be open and vulnerable can create a feeling of reciprocity that naturally leads to long term relationships and a surprisingly large network of clients, colleagues and referral partners that form a solid foundation for growth.

Supporting Introverts Helps Your Organization Thrive

The problem comes when a workplace is set up in such a way that introverts don’t have a chance to have a voice or use their unique strengths. For instance, let’s look at another study by Adam Grant of Wharton with his colleague, Dave Hofmann of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They studied a U.S. pizza-delivery chain and found that introverts’ strengths are often locked up simply because of the way work is structured. If in meetings only the loudest voices are given a chance to share ideas or employees are pitted against each other to find solutions, then any solutions presented will naturally come only from the extraverts and solutions that might otherwise be found are squashed by the loudest voices. On the other hand, if meetings are structured in a way that everyone has a chance to speak, or introverts are given opportunities to lead small teams, that creates a culture and space in the organization that allows room for their natural creativity, intuition, and desire to collaborate, and results follow.

How does an organization get the most of our its Introverts? It creates a work culture that allows introverts to be themselves, have a voice, to lead small groups and to have opportunities to build deep meaningful relationships one at a time. By holding space for both personality types, leaders and organizations can access the unique skillsets and characteristics that both personality types bring to the table and reap the rewards of a neurologically diverse and productive workforce.

By: Monica Parkin is a self professed introvert, an award winning International speaker, author of Overcoming Awkward, the Introverts Guide to Networking Marketing and Sales and Podcast host at the Juggling Without Balls Podcast. Find out more at monicaparkin.ca, connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at info@monicaparkin.ca

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6 Tips to Understanding the Company Culture Before You Take the Job

Nicki GilmourIt’s not you, it’s them. Finding the right cultural fit at work is key.

How many times have you seen a high performer move firms and just not do so well? That person has not lost their talent or work ethic, nor has their personality changed. The environment or ecosystem in which they are operating has changed and it is organizational culture (or team culture for that matter) which makes or breaks successful female and male executives at work.

Organizational culture is quite simply about “how do we do things around here? How does work get done?” and spotting it can be easier said than done. Having recently read a couple of pieces on how you know when you have taken the wrong job, including a humorous one by Liz Ryan, I wanted to supply you with six tips to help you understand how work gets done before you say yes to the job (get the offer, or close to the offer, before you ask, perhaps?):

#1 Ask what gets tolerated that shouldn’t in the team
#2 Ask what a high performer looks like
#3 Ask who the high performers are (clue: if they rattle off only men’s names and there are plenty of women on the team, that should be further investigated)
#4 Ask what the leader’s strategic vision is and how that is being executed by this team specifically?
#5 Ask if they could change one thing for the team to be even better than it is, what would that be?
#6 Ask how closely the team operates to the firm values regarding policies that matter to you such as remote working, flex time, parental leave, taking vacation, etc.

You might be surprised at the answers. And, of course, hear what they are saying, not what you think you want to hear!

If you would like to have Nicki Gilmour or one of theglasshammer vetted coaches as your coach, schedule an exploratory call here!

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