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Welcome

To the rest of your life

“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”

– Lao Tzu

You've arrived...

...but do you know why you're really here?

You got what you wanted...

...but do you really want what you have?

You want more control of your life...

...but do you know the freedom of trusting Life?

You want to lead...

...but have you learned how to really listen?

You want to find love...

...but have you made space for it in your heart?

You want clarity...

...but are you willing to look at the truth?

You want answers...

...so let me help you ask the right questions.

Why I Coach

About Me

Home

Hi, I’m Jesse. Thanks for showing up. Here’s a bit about me.

I’m a Leadership and Life Coach for people seeking to understand themselves and unfold their full potential. I grew up in Oklahoma and Ohio exploring nature, science, religion, music, sports, art, and language. I earned my BAs in Economics and International Relations at Stanford and my MPA in International Development at Harvard. I studied, worked, and lived abroad in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. I received my coaching training from the Co-Active Training Institute, one of the first and most respected professional coaching schools in the world that helped create and shape the field of coaching over 30 years.

Earlier in my career I launched and led several social impact organizations focused on all kinds of topics, including: HIV prevention , citizen diplomacy, tech entrepreneurship, and mindfulness education. I also worked for the Obama Campaign and the World Bank and spent 10 years advising social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, political candidates, and elected officials in the US and abroad. In 2020, I helped launch Elevate – an anti-racism and decolonization initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School.

For most of my adult life, I have been studying a variety of contemplative practices, spiritual traditions, and therapeutic modalities. Informed by these traditions, as well as my own health crisis and near death experience at age 31, I meet my clients – wherever they are and whatever they’re facing – with a holistic approach that serves their whole being.

I live with my wife and two kids in the Chicago suburbs on the shores of Lake Michigan where I enjoy family time outside, Salsa dancing in the kitchen, reading philosophy, writing poetry, watching sci-fi, and re-learning piano after 20 years. I am the grateful recipient of a heart transplant.

What I Do

Point to possibilities

There is no “I”. Only we. Together, we discover who you are, what you really want, and how to get out of your own way so that you can live your greatest life – a life of purpose, abundance, joy, creativity, wisdom, and freedom. Come with any topic. I coach you – the whole person. Your life is connected by one thread. If we pull on any part, we’ll get where you need to go.

Transform pain into power

Blending coaching methods, contemplative practices, and psychosomatic techniques rooted in ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience, I help you transform fear, guilt, shame, grief, and confusion into trust, power, love, creativity, and insight.  You talk. I listen, ask questions, challenge your limiting beliefs, and invite you into a new story. 

Translate power into purpose 

I work with high-performing individuals and teams of all kinds who are curious, open, and hungry for change, who aspire to be brave, bold, and honest, who are ready to, first, take radical responsibility for their own lives and, then, act for the wellbeing of other people and the planet to create a more compassionate, just, and sustainable world.

Testimonials

“Jesse is an exceptional coach that you will WANT to talk with! His natural ability to build deep connections and have meaningful conversations but with levity, humor, and light is unparalleled. I reached an inflection point in my career and after one conversation with him, I knew that investing in his help would get me where I wanted to go both professionally and personally. He is extremely bright, educated, and experienced, but also incredibly wise, and incorporates a range of concepts tailored to what I need in any particular session. He is truly helping me become the best, most effective version of myself and I’m having a great time along the way. His energy is infectiously positive, but authentic, compassionate, insightful, strategic, and pragmatic. It is my privilege to get to work with him, and I always look forward to the chance to interact with him.” – Rani

“Even as an experienced mindfulness practitioner and teacher, I’ve found that working with Jesse has been especially valuable to me on a personal level. His special strengths are listening and inquiry – asking the questions that invite me into deeper internal exploration that inevitably leads to valuable insights. Jesse does not show up with answers. Instead, by listening not just carefully but at a deeper level, or for what is in the unsaid, he is able to formulate open-ended questions that probe beneath the surface. In only a modest number of sessions, I have gained a much deeper understanding of what is going on with me and clarity about what is next. He is an invaluable resource for human growing and evolving.” – Phil

“You may start working with Jesse as your coach, but you will walk away having found a great new friend. He has many skills, but what I found most valuable is his ability to see the best in you, bring it out, help you polish it, and discover a new you. Now who would NOT want that? I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for gentle nudges towards articulating and achieving clearer goals in life.” – Najim

“Jesse’s kind, curious and precise approach to coaching has helped me to understand and define my most important goals, while developing the practices to achieve them. By our second session, Jesse had helped me to understand and resolve fundamental issues that I had been struggling with for months.” – Demian

“Jesse has been an invaluable part of my search for clarity, courage and self confidence. Through powerful visualizations I have been able to step outside of my comfort zone and see and accept myself in different ways. Jesse’s intuitive and caring nature has shown me how to move from a deep and meaningful place with strength and determination. I would highly recommend Jesse as both a career and personal coach. This combination is what makes him such a remarkable coach and human being! I consider myself lucky to have met and be able to work with him!” – Jessica

“Working with Jesse has been truly transformational. I was hesitant about taking the next step in my career, but Jesse worked with me to understand my fears and empowered me to identify the steps to advance professionally, living my values and leadership style. Jesse has a skill set that encompases psychology, economics, management, and other sciences, and he leverages this skill set to deeply connect with and help his clients succeed. I truly recommend Jesse as a professional or life coach.” – Maria C.

“While going through a difficult period in my career Jesse has helped me keep going. Through his techniques he has done three important things for me: 1) made me realize that the process is difficult but not insurmountable, which gave me the energy to keep doing my work; 2) helped me tap into a wealth of self-confidence –leaning on the love that surrounds me (3) helped me enjoy my work by relying on sources of support which are inside me like my ancestry and family history. I know without a doubt that coaching is Jesse’s calling, his vocation. He is made for this work. That is the type of coach one needs…” – Syeda

“Coaching with Jesse is an amazing opportunity to have someone help you help yourself. With great skillfulness, compassion, and intense listening and energy, Jesse’s coaching works as a super-catalyst. You will find yourself getting unstuck, seeing what lies beneath the layers and knots that are getting in your way, and tapping into your best self. Jesse helps you get to your own “inner wisdom” — and away from the noise and self-doubt.” – Steve

“I’ve had a few coaching sessions with Jesse already, and they have all been incredibly illuminating. With empathy, humor, and wisdom, Jesse has masterfully guided me towards clarity on my own inner growth processes and edges through a variety of visualizations and powerful questioning techniques. His background in a variety of spiritual and psychoanalytical personal growth traditions shines through without being overbearing or pedantic. In the best sense of the word, Jesse facilitates deepening your self-awareness with a gentle but intentional touch. I highly recommend his sessions!” – Andrew

“Jesse is such a gem! I’m incredibly grateful for my time working with him. During a time when I felt lost in my career and my passions and wasn’t sure what my future held, he was not only a kind and gentle sounding board, but also a source of constant motivation that I needed. I’m a firm believer that some of life’s best discoveries come from the most challenging of times, and I’m so thankful that Jesse was in my life during one of my difficult times. If you have the opportunity to work with Jesse, I would highly recommend it! Get ready for incredibly intentional, thought-provoking, challenging, inspirational, and down-right fun conversations!” – Kelsey

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