The myth that holds leaders back đĄ
When people hear âexecutive coaching,â they usually picture a struggling leader who got assigned a coach to fix a problem. Thatâs a myth. The best leaders I work with donât wait until thereâs an emergency. They bring in a coach before thereâs a fire to put out. I recently published a new article with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) covering 5 unexpected times itâs a good idea to hire an executive coach. Hereâs one: when you lack confidence. Imposter syndrome doesnât disappear when...
5 days ago â˘Â 1 min read3 moments keeping me hopeful right now đą
If you read the news these days, the world can feel bleak, to put it mildly. Between mass layoffs, political chaos, and international conflict, many of my clients are telling me they feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I try to be intentional about how much negativity I let into my life, so this week, instead of adding to it, I want to share three moments that recently gave me hope. 1ď¸âŁ A handwritten congratulations card. Each week, I carve out time to mail congratulations cards to clients whoâve...
12 days ago â˘Â 2 min readCorrection: Thursday's panel starts at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET
Oops... Thanks to those of you who caught the time discrepancy for this Thursdayâs LGBTQ+ inclusion panel. I clearly hadnât had enough coffee when I wrote this email. Weâll be starting at 8 AM PT (11 AM ET). đđź Register now for this important conversation. See you on-screen! ~ Kyle | CaffeinatedKyle.com
19 days ago â˘Â 1 min readâ What managers get wrong about supporting LGBTQ+ employees
Managers are the #1 driver of psychological safety, yet in small and medium-sized businesses, theyâre often undertrained for todayâs political climate. With anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric at an all-time high, the stakes are real. How do you support LGBTQ+ folx on your team when many players are actively campaigning for their erasure? How do you repair trust when something goes wrong? What do you do when a managerâs own discomfort or uncertainty gets in the way? This Thursday, June 18âin just two...
19 days ago â˘Â 1 min readShould you come out at work? đłď¸âđ
LGBTQ+ rights are under attack in the United States and globally. As of this writing, the ACLU is tracking more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the U.S. alone. While self-disclosure has always carried risk for LGBTQ+ professionals, it can feel particularly tricky, confusing, and downright unsafe in the current political climate. Iâm a career and executive coach for tech leaders, and even the most confident individuals bring me questions and uncertainty about disclosure. Thatâs why I dedicated...
26 days ago â˘Â 1 min readJob searching looks different when youâre queer đłď¸âđ
âIs this company truly accepting of everyone? Will I feel welcome here? Should I disclose that Iâm LGBTQ+ during my interviewâor ever?â Job searching looks fundamentally different when youâre a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond putting your professional accomplishments out there, which already feels vulnerable, youâre also navigating questions about identity, disclosure, and personal safety. As a career coach who partners closely with LGBTQ+ leaders, and as a fellow member of the queer...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 1 min readHow to actually unplug this summer đ
After a 5-day vacation in Vegas with my parents, Iâm heading back to Santa Barbara rested, recharged, and ready for several busy weeks of coaching and speaking engagements. đ§đźâď¸ As a recovering workaholic, I am always working on truly disconnecting while on vacation. Finding balance when you have a busy career is tricky, especially when you love your work. Itâs a topic that clients often bring up to me during their coaching sessionsâand thereâs no perfect solution to the question of...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 1 min readâExecutive Presenceâ Is Overrated đ
âExecutive presenceâ is a phrase that gets tossed around constantly in leadership conversations. If youâre searching for a new role, preparing for a promotion, or stepping into senior leadership, chances are youâve heard that you need to âdevelopâ it. For years, itâs been positioned as the gold standard. The message was simple: if you wanted to lead, you needed to sound the part, look the part, and carry yourself a certain way. But hereâs my issue: much of what we call âexecutive presenceâ is...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 1 min readReferrals wonât get you hired anymore đ
Last week, a tech job seeker reached out to me frustrated that they had secured employee referrals to a half-dozen tech companies yet didnât receive a single interview. Employee referrals used to be a silver bullet. Not anymore. In todayâs competitive job market, employee referrals no longer carry the same weight they once did. I wrote a comprehensive article breaking down how tech firmsâ employee referral programs have changed, why they no longer guarantee interviews, what you actually need...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 1 min readThe new rules of executive search đľ
Iâm back from The Ritz-Carlton in Marana, Arizona! đľ I attended and spoke at the 2026 TroopHR Member Retreat, which brought together ~150 global HR and talent acquisition leaders. It was my first time in the state, and it didnât disappoint. The views were unreal, the conversations were memorable, and the insights were spot-on. What I love about this special event is that I get to learn whatâs happening right now in executive search, not just theory or âbest practices.â In addition to...
2 months ago â˘Â 1 min read