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Every year, the holiday season invites us into a strange mix of celebration, reflection, chaos, joy, expectation, and—let’s be honest—just trying to keep it together long enough to coast into January with our sanity intact.

So this year, Go Coach Yourself! is offering a little gift: The 12 Days of Coaching, a playful redux of the classic “12 Days of Christmas,” reimagined as a short, daily burst of leadership wisdom to close out the year strong.

Instead of partridges, pear trees, and various types of birds no one actually wants, each day brings a micro-practice designed to help leaders reset, re-center, and re-enter the new year with intention. Think of it like a tiny advent calendar for your leadership brain—no chocolate, but way more satisfying.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Vic and Ryan tackle the common urge to fix people's problems rather than hold space and truly listen.

Dive into the reasons why jumping into fixer mode doesn't work and hear about the importance of holding space and providing support without solving. Learn why your well-intended advice might backfire and how to create meaningful connections.

This episode has practical tips and empowering questions that help you show up in a way that supports and doesn't solve.

Links to articles:

HBR - What Great Listeners Actually Do

Psychology Today - How Unsolicited Advice Harms Your Relationships

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this episode of Go Coach Yourself! hosts Vic and Ryan answer four reflection questions to close out the year meaningfully.

They explore overcoming challenges, building or breaking habits, feeling proud, and strengthening relationships by looking back on their year and focusing in on some key moments. Through personal anecdotes, they touch on themes such as the importance of action over motivation, dealing with physical injuries, improving sleep habits, and reconnecting with past colleagues.

They encourage you to use these questions not just at the year-end but any time for personal growth.

Four questions:

1. What is one challenge you have overcome this year and what did it teach you about yourself?

2. What's a habit you've built or broken that has improved your quality of life this year?

3. What is a moment from this year when you felt truly proud of yourself, what happened?

4. What relationship you have strengthened this year and what made it grow?

Two bonus questions:

- What's a meaningful act of kindness you've experienced or given recently?

- What's one thing you're grateful for this year that you might have taken for granted in the past?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Have you ever looked at your career and thought, “Does any of this even make sense?”

In this episode, Ryan and Vic unpack two common career paths:

• The portfolio career – built through experiments, pivots, and lots of different chapters.
• The mastery career – built through depth, focus, and long-term growth in a specific craft or field.

Neither is better. What matters is how you understand your patterns, your identity, and the meaning inside your story.

Ryan shares his non-linear path across wine, HR, L&D, and coaching as an example of a portfolio career. Vic shares how she built a mastery career in leadership and manager development without a traditional degree, and why experience and curiosity matter just as much as credentials.

You’ll hear:

• Common limiting stories for both portfolio and mastery careers (and how to reframe them).
• How to spot the patterns that have been there all along, even when your CV looks “messy” or “too narrow.”
• Why your next move should be driven by identity, not fear.

We wrap with practical coaching questions you can use right away to make sense of where you’ve been and what might be next.

This episode is for you if:

• You’ve done a lot of different things and worry you “never stuck with anything.”
• You’ve gone deep in one area and feel stuck or trapped by your expertise.
• You’re somewhere in between and just want language and clarity for your journey.

Listen in, grab a notebook, and start seeing your career through a kinder, clearer lens.

Resources

• Go Coach Yourself! - You Are Not Your Job Title
• Go Coach Yourself! - Uncovering Your X-Factor: Conversations on Honesty and Intention with Francesca Ranieri

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Are you holding back on your dreams because you're scared of failing or not being perfect?

Tune in as Vic and Ryan discuss why starting small, slow, and even scared is the secret to forward momentum.

Through personal stories and practical tips to help you take that leap this epidose covers how to get started despite the fear or desire for perfection. Its never too late, you are not too old, you are qualified enough, start slow, start small, start scared, just get started.

Links to Previous Episodes

Summer Shorts - This is Goodness in Failure

Why is 'What Do You Want?' Such a Tough Question

Confronting Your Inner Sabateurs

Finding, Connecting and Nurturing Your Leader Within

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Whether you're seeking personal growth, career advancement, or creative inspiration, choosing the right coach makes all the difference.

Join Vic and Ryan in this episode of Go Coach Yourself! as they navigate the essentials—from understanding your goals, and budget considerations, to uncovering the credentials that matter.

This episode offers insights and actionable tips that demystify the coaching process, helping you find that perfect partnership.

Links in this episode:

What is Co-Acive Coaching, Really?

IPEC Coaching

Hudson Institute of Coaching

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this conversation, Ryan and Vic welcome Susan Clark—founder of heartspark and the creator of Ignite the Spark—to explore what actually makes relationships meaningful. We talk intimacy (beyond romance), why vulnerability creates safety, and how “the energy between us” matters more than hours logged. Susan shares stories from decades of community-building, plus research notes on how friendships form and endure. You’ll hear simple, powerful practices to deepen connection with the people who make you more you.

Resources

• Connect with Susan Clark on Linkedin
• Want to learn more about Ignite the Spark? Let's chat!

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Ever wondered what coaches mean when they say they’re Co-Active? In this behind-the-scenes episode, Ryan and Vic unpack what Co-Active Coaching really is — not as a training manual, but as the mindset that shapes how they coach, lead, and live.

They share how they each discovered the Co-Active model (spoiler: it starts with our mutual friend named Lisa), and explore its four cornerstones and three core principles.

You’ll also hear how Co-Active has shaped who they are as humans — not just coaches. From learning to stay with emotion, to designing alliances, to trusting the process of change, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight.

Resources mentioned:

• Learn more about Co-Active
• The Co-Active Coaching Model
• Go Coach Yourself: Building Perspectives
• Go Coach Yourself: Leader Within

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk