25) Building Your Puzzle
Learning to Transition into a Coaching Role
For more than 30 years in my advertising career, I was paid to do one thing exceptionally well: offer advice. Whether guiding clients or mentoring internal teams, my role was to diagnose problems, shape strategy, and deliver solutions—fast. Advertising is, at its core, a service industry built on responsiveness, insight, and a constant push toward innovation.
Clients hire agencies not just for creative thinking, but for clarity in a noisy, competitive marketplace. They expect their partners to understand their business as deeply as they do, anticipate challenges, bring fresh ideas, and navigate the ever-shifting worlds of media, technology, and consumer behavior. In advertising, the mantra “you’re only as good as your last campaign” is more than folklore—it’s a way of life. Success hinges on quick thinking, the ability to translate ambiguity into action, and the courage to present solutions clients didn’t even know they needed. One agency I worked with even had a motto on the wall: “Don’t give clients what they want. Give them what they need.”
I thrived in that world—its highs, lows, adrenaline, and creative chaos. Which is why transitioning into my new career as an executive coach came with a surprising challenge: learning to stop giving advice.
Executive coaching, especially through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) lens, flips the script entirely. Instead of delivering solutions, the role is to help clients uncover their own. The magic of coaching lies not in telling, but in listening—deeply, actively, and without agenda. It’s about asking the right question at the right moment, creating space for reflection, and empowering clients to build clarity and confidence.
This philosophy is woven directly into the ICF Core Competencies.
Competency #7: Evokes Awareness emphasizes powerful questioning, perspective-shifting, and helping clients discover new insights.
Competency #8: Facilitates Client Growth centers on supporting clients as they translate those insights into meaningful action, accountability, and long-term progress.
At its best, coaching isn’t direction—it’s partnership.
To illustrate, imagine opening a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces are scattered across the table, some flipped over, some hidden, and the final picture—your goal—only visible on the box. The task feels overwhelming.
A coach won’t tell you, “Start with the corners,” or “Group the blues together,” and they certainly won’t assemble the puzzle for you. Instead, they become your thought partner. They might ask, “What strategies have worked for you in the past?” or “What feels most manageable to tackle first?” or “When you think about the picture on the box, what stands out as the most important element?”
You remain in the lead; the coach simply helps you see the puzzle from angles you may have missed. They offer structure, not solutions. Support, not shortcuts.
As I’ve grown into my coaching career, I’ve come to truly appreciate this shift. In advertising, I found fulfillment in crafting the answer. Today, I’m fulfilled by witnessing clients discover answers they didn’t realize they already held. The ownership and confidence that follow are far more powerful than any campaign pitch I ever delivered.
A strong client–coach relationship is built on a few consistent pillars:
Psychological safety: The client feels fully heard, respected, and free to explore ideas without judgment.
Shared accountability: The coach supports growth, but the client remains the driver of their decisions and actions.
Thought partnership: Conversations spark new perspectives, challenge assumptions, and uncover deeper insights.
Confidentiality and trust: The coaching space becomes a protected environment where real transformation can occur.
Forward momentum: Each session connects reflection to action, aligning with ICF’s emphasis on measurable progress and client-led growth.
Looking back, I’m grateful for my advertising roots—they sharpened my instincts, creativity, and strategic thinking. But coaching has given me something equally meaningful: the chance to witness people tap into their own strengths, leadership, and clarity.
Instead of giving clients what I think they need, I now help them discover what they truly need—and that is far more rewarding.