Welcome to Coffee House Coaching, where great conversations are brewed one powerful question at a time. I’m your host, Gary Nowak, and each episode is caffeinated by 8 thought-provoking, no-fluff questions designed to tap into the Coaches insight, impact and inner work of their practice.

Today’s guest is John Schuster where he described a philosophical conversation with a client on epistemology (a.k.a. “How do we know what we know?”).

"Presence, Poetry, and the Power of Stillness — Coaching with John Schuster."

📝 7 Summary Bullet Points:

• Presence is 50% of coaching—and worth 100% of your inner work.
• John blends coaching, mentoring, and consulting based on what the client truly needs.
• His journey through Jungian psychology and spiritual development deepened his coaching presence.
• He’s still refining how to love his clients more deeply while doing less “doing.”
• Not afraid to get philosophical, he once explored epistemology mid-session.
• Uses humor and tone as core tools—“Ha-ha, Aha, and Ahhh” are all welcome.
• Closed the show by singing Dylan’s Forever Young—a reminder that coaching, like life, is a beautiful ongoing journey.

Welcome to Coffee House Coaching, where great conversations are brewed one powerful question at a time. I’m your host, Gary Nowak, and each episode is caffeinated by 8 thought-provoking, no-fluff questions designed to tap into the Coaches insight, impact and inner work of their practice.

Today’s guest is Lola Gershfeld where she likes to slow down, tune in and dance through coaching.

Episode Highlights

• 🧠 Best advice? “Stop thinking about the next step—just feel the music.” Coaching and tango collide in a powerful metaphor for presence.
• 🪞 Deep self-work: Lola uses her own tools (like the Reconnection Form) to identify raw spots, fears, and triggers—starting with herself before guiding others.
• 🫀 Emotions are the play: her greatest joy is leading multi-person bonding conversations and watching teams heal and connect in real time.
• 🧰 Most “outrageous” move? Asking team members to emotionally reconnect face-to-face—even after years of not speaking.
• 💻 AI as emotional co-pilot: helps soften emails, polish writing, and create clearer communication (especially when speed trumps tone).
• 🧬 Coaching + family: co-hosting a podcast with her daughter strengthened both their emotional vocabularies and their bond.
• 🌪️ From overwhelmed to attuned: she slows herself down by shifting focus from self to client—and always centers on connection.
• 💃 Her dream? Never stop working. But also—more dancing. Always more Argentine tango.

Welcome to Coffee House Coaching, where great conversations are brewed one powerful question at a time. I’m your host, Gary Nowak, and each episode is steeped in 8 thought-provoking, no-fluff questions designed to tap into the Coaches insight, impact and inner work of their practice.

Today’s guest is Matt Williams - Most proud of: The resilience to build a coaching practice without a playbook, metrics, or much applause.

Episode Highlights

• 🕵️‍♂️ Early coaching lens? Prosecutorial. Today? Curious and collaborative.
• 🧭 Coaching roots go back to HP’s golden era under Bill & Dave—Matt learned leadership through coaching before it had a name.
• 📚 Favorite advice: “Be attentive to the lens you look through.”
• 🚧 Constantly working to give observations without advice—avoiding the “expert trap.”
• 🧠 Biggest discovery? Aligning with personal values is the foundation of authentic leadership.
• 😤 Told a control freak “you don’t control the outcome.” It went... exactly how you'd expect.
• 😂 Humor and sarcasm as subtle coaching tools—no games, just dry wit and sharp timing.
• 💻 Uses AI tools like Grammarly and Fathom for editing and transcripts, but insists the voice stays human.
• 🐟 Bucket list dream: Fly-fishing road trip through the Rockies with a (borrowed) dog and zero constraints.
• 💪 Most proud of: The resilience to build a coaching practice without a playbook, metrics, or much applause.

Welcome to Coffee House Coaching, where great conversations are brewed one powerful question at a time. I’m your host, Gary Nowak, and each episode is steeped in 8 thought-provoking, no-fluff questions designed to tap into the Coaches insight, impact and inner work of their practice.

Today’s guest is Nir Megnazi - "From Intel Chips to Emotional Shifts: Coaching That Cuts Through the Noise"

Episode Highlights

• 🧠 “Have you solved your own problems?” — Nir’s humbling first day of coaching school slaps his ego into shape.
• 🔄 From Intel engineer to emotional coach: how Nir learned to sense clients’ core issues using body awareness and intuition.
• 🧘‍♂️ Trusting the gut: Nir’s transformative coaching style blends inner sensing with deep listening.
• 🚧 Coaching the person, not the title — and definitely not the résumé.
• ⚠️ His biggest coaching screw-up (and recovery): when ego talks louder than empathy.
• 🧊 How to hold space when a client won't stop talking (even when your brain screams “move on!”).
• 🤹‍♂️ Play, tone, and sarcasm — how Nir makes coaching fun, without losing depth.
• 🧊 Cold weather sucks. Portland is tolerable. Snowboarding helps.

Coaching Highlights – Conversations That Matter

• Thrown into coaching—and luckily, stuck the landing.
• Mastering the power of the pause—because silence speaks volumes.
• Blending internal and external coaching like a fine espresso blend.
• That “jarring” feeling when you hold back... and let silence do its thing.
• Asking, “What was this experience like for you?” (Yes, that’s the gold.)
• No pressure, no expectations—just an invitation.
• Asking the "Best Boss / Worst Boss" question—watch clarity unfold.
• Helping clients slide into the driver’s seat of their own lives.
• Staying in coaching mode even when the formal session ends.
• Because honestly, the world needs fewer “Talk Shows” and more “Listen Shows.”
• That magical moment when coaching just clicks.
• Showing up aware, curious, and kind (not a bad trifecta).
• Embracing the give-to-get exchange—let go to grow.

Jeff’s Coaching Highlights – The Google Way (and Beyond)

• Called out as a standout coach—with zero formal training.
• Jeff doesn’t take space, he invites it—every time.
• Life at Google didn’t happen to him—it happened for him.
• The underestimated power of just sitting in silence and holding space.
• A proud, recovering "Teller"—learning to ask, not just inform.
• Memorable feedback: "Jeff is often the first and last to speak in a meeting."
• Reminder: Coaching only works when people are ready—no pushing needed.
• Find your niche—because when you try to serve everyone, you serve no one.
• Pattern spotting = turning up the heat in the right moments.
• Pioneering coaching culture at Google by leading from the front.

Coaching Highlights – Leadership With a Twist

• Solving problems just by talking it out—sometimes that’s all it takes.
• In a go-go-go world? Leaders, give yourself a full day to do absolutely nothing. (Yes, really.)
• Runs multi-day leadership programs where coaching isn’t a side dish—it’s baked right in.
• Coaching the unwilling—because sometimes the ones who resist need it most.
• Helps clients internalize insights on the spot—no delayed a-ha moments here.
• Created a "buddy system" that turns training into real connection.
• Packs his programs with reinforcement, accountability, and just enough tough love to keep things moving.

Highlights:

• 🎩 Pulled into the world of Executive Coaching by a CEO—destiny calling!
• 🤯 Loves nothing more than being told he’s wrong—embraces growth at every turn.
• 🤫 Coaching people so subtly they don’t even realize it—coaching ninja style.
• 🌍 Feels his purpose on this planet is to help YOU tell your story.
• 💬 Promises potential clients the best business experience of their lives.
• 🔑 Knows that asking great questions is the fast track to building trust.
• 🇦🇺 Draws wisdom from an Australian study on what truly matters—connections.

• 🎧 Believes in the magic of training yourself to be a phenomenal listener.
• 🔍 Fascinated by patterns—finding meaning in the details.
• 🚀 Fast-tracking trust to get to the heart of the matter quickly.
• 💍 The marriage proposal story—intriguing and unforgettable!
• 📅 Works with clients in 6-month increments for focused growth.
• 🪞 Challenges his clients to speak the truth to themselves.
• ❓ Obsessed with asking questions—it’s his superpower!