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 impact.

Karen recounts her personal journey from the traditional publishing giants to launching her own company with a mission to help underrepresented voices be heard. She emphasizes that a book is more than a product—it's a platform that provides gravitas, visibility, and opportunity, especially for coaches, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.

Listeners will gain practical insight into the three publishing paths—traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid—and learn what happens after the manuscript is complete. Karen also breaks down how to build a book launch team, why purpose must drive your writing, and the critical role marketing plays in a book’s success. The discussion even touches on AI’s role in the publishing process and the surprising resilience of print books in the digital age.

Whether you're contemplating your first book or want to improve your publishing strategy, this episode delivers essential wisdom, clarity, and inspiration.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/how-publishing-a-book-can-transform-your-life-and-business/

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 offer, and yourself. She unpacks the current “trust recession,” the surge of self-described coaches, and the growing sophistication of clients, making a compelling case for leading with authentic philosophy, visible thought leadership, and community.

Laura introduces her three-part Venn (Soul Work + Who You Help + What’s Urgent Now), the role of intuition (including Quantum Human Design) in decision-making, and why tracking both internal and external client results matters. Most of all, she reframes joy as a creativity and magnetism hack that powers sustainable marketing and presence. Expect practical insight on claiming your brilliance without bragging, creating safe containers for real authenticity, and becoming the “mayor” of an ecosystem where clients flourish—even as we prepare to create with a future we can’t yet predict.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-burnout-to-joyful-business-laura-west-on-trust-intuition-and-evolving-as-a-coach/

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 Dose” of strengths—creativity, spontaneity, and hyperfocus—rather than a label of limitation.

We explore how Stephen prepares to coach (micro-rituals, breathwork, “client first” focus), what 1,300+ one-to-one sessions have taught him, and how lived experience fuels empathy without turning sessions into advice-giving.

On the business side, Stephen unpacks his transition from tech sales to entrepreneurship: leveraging podcast ads, speaking in former workplaces, and consistent outreach.

Finally, he reflects on AI—its promise as a tool and the importance of preserving human connection and critical thinking—before introducing DOSE, his MVP app designed to support ADHD-friendly habits: SPARK (strategic thinking), WAVE (emotional regulation), Popcorn (idea capture), and an RSD meter (rejection sensitivity).

Listeners will leave with practical coaching habits, a humane lens on ADHD, and fresh ideas for building a values-led coaching business.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-diagnosis-to-design-steev-hodgson-on-adhd-coaching-and-the-dose-app/

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 her extraordinary journey from Hollywood animal trainer to zookeeper, and then to starting a tourism industry in a country that didn’t even realize it had whales. Throughout the conversation, she opens up about the emotional courage needed to follow your passion, face “no” with resilience, and let nature—not a PowerPoint—guide transformation.

She discusses how her retreats harness the conscious intelligence of whales and dolphins to help clients reconnect to joy, abundance, and purpose. You'll also hear deeply insightful metaphors about how whales teach us to thrive during emotional storms and how we can create our own abundance by simply being who we are.

Coaches, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for a non-traditional but deeply profound approach to growth will find inspiration in Anne’s philosophy of going with the flow, even when it's uncomfortable—and creating success by following joy.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/how-dolphins-whales-and-one-womans-vision-built-a-coaching-movement-rooted-in-nature/

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, reframed debt as tuition, and learned the disciplines of sales, systems, and client retention.

Her core message: “Hope is not a strategy.” Treat coaching as a business—especially if you serve leaders inside organizations—by taking consistent, intentional action and being ready to pivot. Suzi introduces her practical “hats method” for role clarity (CEO, coach, CFO, sales, even “janitor”) and time allocation. The conversation explores AI’s promise and pitfalls: why it offers cognitive empathy but can’t replace the human presence, heart, and soul that create coaching “magic.” Suzi also stresses integrity in the profession: coaches need coaches, too.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-hope-to-strategy-suzi-pomerantz-on-treating-coaching-like-a-business/

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 compassion and co-creation (Levels 4–5), explains the awareness → acceptance → choice sequence, and shows why practices like fitness and meditation only truly serve us when they come from an integrated sense of being, not compensation.

A standout twist: Daniela brings puppets to leadership coaching—“Alvin” for Level 1 and “Vic” for Level 5—making heavy emotions visible, memorable, and safe to work with. The conversation dives into navigating toxic cultures, holding your state when rooms run on conflict, and inviting others to entrain to higher energy by modeling it, not controlling it.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-survival-to-choice-daniela-dragomirs-energy-leadership-with-puppets/

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 deceptively simple antidotes: Blank Space (scheduled time to do “nothing” so insight can surface) and micro habits (behaviors so small they’re almost laughable—think one mindful breath a day). The conversation ranges from C-suite structure and pre-game rituals to practicing calm under low stakes so it’s available when it counts. Practical, contrarian, and deeply humane.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/its-not-power-that-corruptsits-pressure-sabina-nawaz-on-micro-habits-and-blank-space/

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 acting, she shows clients how to embody their future selves now—closing the gap between aspiration and action.

Travia unpacks her BECOME framework: start with your Baseline (the operating system you’re running), Embody the identity you’re aiming for (artifacts, posture, environment), Clarify values and vision, Own your power (stop handing your “thermostat” to others), practice the Method daily (on-stage reps in real life), and Execute consistently to make identity-backed habits stick. Along the way, she introduces vivid metaphors—your invisible “soundtrack” and the overstuffed “suitcase” of old meanings—to help leaders rewrite unhelpful scripts, show up with presence, and turn values into behavior.

Whether you’re pursuing a promotion, leading teams, or rebuilding confidence, Travia’s message is simple and empowering: identity before outcome—become the person who creates the result.

Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/method-acting-your-future-self-travia-stewards-become-framework-for-leaders/