The Coaching Edge Podcast

Former Second City instructor Meridith Grundei teaches leaders how to become unforgettable presenters through storytelling. In this conversation with Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave, Meridith shares practical frameworks for presentation skills and communication. She explains why structure frees you to speak naturally, how to find stories using a timeline exercise, and why focusing on your audie...

In this special year-end episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave reflect on launching the show in 2025, the unexpected depth that emerged from “coffee-style” conversations, and the recurring theme that coaching impact comes less from doing more and more from presence, patience, and responsiveness . They revisit a core insight heard repeatedly across guest...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with actor, director, and leadership coach Andrew McMasters , founder of ImprovMindset and author of Listening Without Agenda . Andrew shares how 25 years of running a theatre company and performing improv became an unexpected training ground for helping leaders show up more authentically at work. He explain...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with Dr. Anita Kishore , an executive coach for analytically minded leaders. With a background spanning a PhD in chemistry, pharma, consulting, and global health, Anita shares how she moved from hard science into the deeply human world of coaching — and why those worlds are far more connected than many leade...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with Kay Adams , a psychotherapist, journal therapist, and founder of the Center for Journal Therapy. From her early days as a lifelong journaler and journalism major to discovering, almost by accident, that journaling could become her life’s work, Kay shares the story of a 40-year career at the inters...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Rusty Tugman , leadership trainer, coach, and creator of the first internal coaching program in the history of Oklahoma state government. After 30 years in full-time ministry, Rusty transitioned into the role of leadership trainer and coach at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS),...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , co-hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with Caroline Leroux-Boulay from The Emotional Intelligence Training Company to explore what it really means to lead and coach with humanity, science, and heart. Caroline shares her story of growing up in a large, poor farming family where faith, music, hard work, and community shaped her core value...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , money coach and licensed counselor Jeannie Dougherty —dubbed a “money whisperer” by her clients—dives into the emotional and behavioral side of finance. Jeannie traces her path from mental health counseling to money coaching through a deeply personal family story that reshaped her views on trust, boundaries, and financial agency. She introduces a powe...

In this inspiring episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Lisa Andria , founder of Ladies Who Leap , to explore the transformative power of coaching, emotional intelligence, and the importance of unconditional self-love —especially for women navigating corporate leadership. Lisa shares her personal story of reinvention after a 41-year career in...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with coach, speaker, and former Air Force human-relations advisor Kevin McNulty . Kevin traces his path from “military brat” to Tops in Blue performer to a 20-year Air Force career advising commanders on culture, leadership, and team dynamics—before launching a 25-year practice in the private sector. Key the...

In this enlightening episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with publishing veteran Karen Strauss , founder of Hybrid Global Publishing . With decades of experience in traditional and independent publishing, Karen shares how writing a book can be one of the most powerful tools for amplifying your voice, building credibility, and creating lasting im...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with Laura West , founder of Joyful Business , to explore what it takes to build a flourishing coaching practice in a low-trust, high-uncertainty world. Laura shares her journey from corporate VP through burnout to 25 years as a coach, and why longevity demands constant evolution —of your niche, your o...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Stephen Hodgson , an ADHD coach and tech veteran from the San Francisco Bay Area. Stephen shares his late-in-life ADHD diagnosis (2020), the rocky start with medication, and the pivotal role of education, coaching, and self-compassion in reshaping his life. He reframes ADHD as “ A Damn Healthy...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs welcome Anne Gordon , founder of Whale Wisdom Retreats, animal behaviorist, and retreat leader who pioneered the whale-watching industry in Panama. What began as a childhood fascination with orcas evolved into a life dedicated to deep spiritual connection with dolphins, whales, and ultimately, with self. Anne shares...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Suzi Pomerantz , MCC and CEO of Innovative Leadership International, to unpack her 32-year entrepreneurial journey—from launching her firm in 1993 to coaching senior leaders across industries and continents. Suzi shares how she turned early ignorance into an asset with the help of a coach, reframe...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Daniela Dragomir —former Big Four consultant, actor, and now executive coach—to explore the Energy Leadership framework that helped her transform a decades-long rift with her mother and reshape how leaders show up at work. Daniela maps the journey from fear and survival (Levels 1–2) to compassi...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with executive coach and author Sabina Nawaz to explore why leadership fails under strain—and how to fix it. Drawing on 12,000+ pages of verbatim 360° feedback and her new book You’re the Boss (Simon & Schuster, 2025), Sabina argues that pressure—not power—corrupts leaders . She introduces two deceptiv...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with former theatre educator turned executive coach Travia Steward . After 24 years teaching high school theatre—and a life-redefining cancer diagnosis—Travia discovered coaching as the arena where her passions for performance, psychology, and personal transformation converge. Drawing on the craft of method...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , MCC coach Merci Miglino traces her journey from political burnout to coaching mastery—and how teaching Level 1 & 2 coaches in China (via real-time translation!) sharpened her philosophy of radical simplicity . She argues that the leap from PCC to MCC is less about technique and more about confidence : the courage to ask direct questions, release attac...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with prolific author and creativity coach Eric Maisel to explore what really powers a creative life. From his winding path—writer, psychotherapist, and pioneer of creativity coaching—to launching a new international association for creative and performing artists, Maisel shares candid, practical wis...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcas t , hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave welcome Lisa Bloom , founder of Story Coach and author of The Story Advantage . Lisa shares her journey from learning and development into coaching, initially skeptical but later deeply inspired by the transformative impact of coaching and storytelling, Lisa reveals how stories shape our identities, influence...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr Steve Jeffs sit down with Dr Nat Green, a clinical and health psychologist turned trauma breakthrough coach, to explore the science and practice of moving from trauma to post-traumatic growth. Drawing on over 35 years of experience, Dr Green shares how frustration with traditional long-term trauma therapy led her to embrace...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with coaching innovator Marcy Nelson-Garrison of Pink Paradigm to explore the intersection of psychology, art, and coaching. Marcy shares her journey from art therapy and call-center counseling to becoming a pioneer in coaching tools and product creation. She dives into the power of creative stimulus —...

On this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave welcome book coach and thought-leadership pioneer Mindy Gibbins-Klein . A native New Yorker turned UK entrepreneur, Mindy has authored and co-authored over 15 books and built a global coaching practice with her signature “Book Midwife” approach—helping experts birth the books that showcase their expertise. She...

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast , hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with transformational trainer and coach Lisa Kalmin—whose four-decade career spans corporate finance to pioneering transformational seminars—to explore how mindset, energy, and deep self-awareness reshape our relationship with money. Lisa shares personal stories—from earning as much as her hard-working...