Resources
Reflection exercises, a curated reading list, and answers to common questions about coaching, whether or not we ever work together.
Try it yourself
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes, grab a notebook, and pick one.
A classic coaching check-in. Draw a circle divided into 8 slices: career, finances, health, relationships, fun, growth, environment, and purpose. Rate your satisfaction in each from 1 to 10 and shade it in.
Ask yourselfWhich one slice, if it moved up two points, would change the rest?
Write down 15 values that matter to you (e.g. autonomy, security, creativity, service). Narrow to 5, then to your top 3. Notice what you had to let go of.
Ask yourselfWhere in my current week am I honoring these? Where am I not?
Sketch three versions of your life five years from now: the natural path, a very different path, and a path you would choose if money and approval were no object.
Ask yourselfWhat is the smallest step toward the one that excites me most?
Recommended
A starting shelf for career change, habits, and self-understanding.
Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Design-thinking tools for prototyping career and life changes instead of over-planning them.
James Clear
A practical framework for building habits that stick, one small change at a time.
William Bridges
Why endings, in-between periods, and new beginnings each feel different, and how to move through them.
Carol S. Dweck
How beliefs about ability shape learning, resilience, and achievement.
Susan David
A values-led approach to handling difficult thoughts and emotions without being run by them.
Greg McKeown
On doing fewer things, better, and saying no to what does not matter most.
Free downloads
Printable companions to the exercises. Free to download and use.
A step-by-step guide for planning a job or industry change.
Download PDFFree preview
A week-by-week agenda for first-time business builders, with a real calendar for a real life. Download a free 20-page preview with two complete weeks, then get the full planner on Amazon in paperback or hardcover.
Available now
A dated planner for the whole of 2027, from 1 January to 31 December. Weekly spreads with room for priorities, appointments and reflection, in the Iskra style. Paperback, on Amazon.
Good to know
Coaching is forward-looking and goal-oriented: it helps you clarify what you want and take action. Therapy addresses mental health conditions and healing from past experiences. Coaching is not a substitute for therapy or medical care, and I may suggest working with a licensed professional if that would serve you better.
It is a relaxed conversation about where you are, what you want to change, and how coaching might help. There is no pressure to commit. It is also a chance for both of us to see whether we are a good fit. Beforehand, you can complete the pre-coaching questionnaire so we make the most of our time.
The rhythm depends on your goals. We will agree on a structure together during onboarding.
Yes. Confidentiality is a core part of ICF ethical standards, and the limited exceptions are set out in the Terms of Service. We will review them together before we begin.
A limited number of pro-bono slots are offered each month to emerging leaders, and I am open to peer coaching exchanges with fellow coaches. Choose the matching option in the inquiry form and tell me a little about yourself.
If you are in crisis: coaching is not an emergency service. In the U.S. you can call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) at any time, or call 911 in an emergency.
The International Coaching Federation publishes the competencies and ethics that guide professional coaching: coachingfederation.org.
Reading is a great start. Working through it with a partner is even better.