What if the best way to be more human as a coach... is to use more AI?

In this episode, Rebecca is joined by David E. Cooley — Director of Alumni Career Services and Executive Coach at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and founder of the David E. Cooley Executive Coaching Scholarship at NYU. David bridges two worlds: the strategic use of AI in coaching sessions, and the deeply human skill of showing up fully present for every client.

Together, they explore why applying to jobs online has become an "electronic black hole," how AI note-takers are actually making coaching conversations richer and more connected, and why the coaches who embrace AI will have a massive differentiator over those who don't.

They also unpack the gap between AI resistors and overconfident over-reliers, and what leaders really need to do to guide their teams through this change.

And then there's this — the thing that might matter most: when fear gets in the way, when imposter syndrome creeps in, when the overwhelm feels too big to push through... the answer is almost never "do more." It's to take the next small, meaningful step. Just one. That's it. Drawing on BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits and Carol Dweck's growth mindset, David makes a compelling case that starting small isn't settling — it's the whole strategy. The coaches who get this will move. The ones who wait for perfect readiness, won't.

Whether you're a coach, a leader, or just someone trying to figure out where you fit in an AI-powered world — this conversation will leave you with both permission and a plan.

What you'll take away:

• Why AI note-takers amplify the humanity in coaching sessions
• The "electronic black hole" of online job applications — and what actually works instead
• Over-reliance vs. over-confidence: the AI gap David sees every day
• What skills leaders and coaches need most right now
• Why the next small, meaningful step is often all it takes to move through fear, imposter syndrome, and overwhelm
• Why "AI is here to stay — but so are we"

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• David on LinkedIn
• David's private coaching practice
• UCLA Anderson Alumni Career Services
  
• David E. Cooley Executive Coaching Scholarship at NYU

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/