Founder & Executive Business Coaching
Your next chapter
starts with
how you lead.
Business coaching for founders whose role, team or direction is changing. Work with Chris Gaube to think through important decisions, lead more deliberately and follow through.
Space to think. Support for you.
Decisions you can put into practice.
Send a brief inquiry. Chris will reply personally.
You need support, too.
You pour into others.
What fills your cup?
Your team looks to you for direction, decisions and support. It is worth asking where you get the perspective and attention you need.
Coaching makes room for you: what is taking your energy, what deserves your focus, and what you need to lead more deliberately. That support connects to the work ahead: the conversation you need to have, the decision you need to make or the responsibility you are ready to share.
When this may help
Your role is changing.
How will you
respond?
An inflection point can be an opportunity, a challenge or a deliberate choice about the kind of business and life, you want to build.
Important decisions keep coming back to you, even when you want others to take ownership.
Your team needs you to lead differently as responsibilities change.
A new opportunity makes you reconsider your direction and the role you want to play.
What the work can look like
From a recurring question
to a deliberate next step.
An illustration, not a client story or promised outcome.
“Why do I keep taking this decision back?”
A founder wants a team member to take ownership, but keeps stepping in. Here is one way a conversation could move from support to action.
“What feels at risk if you let them decide?” Make room for the concern before testing the assumptions behind it.
“What would make the responsibility clear enough to hand over?” Choose one decision, the boundaries around it and the support the person needs.
“Did you leave the decision with them? What happened?” Review the commitment, what you learned and what to adjust.
How I work with founders
Support you can feel.
Challenge you can use.
I want founders to have a place where they can put down the expectation of having every answer. I listen for what matters, ask direct questions and help turn a broad concern into a decision or commitment.
We make room for the uncomfortable question and work through it with care and honesty. You choose what to act on; together, we return to what happened, what you learned and what needs to change.
Growth also means deciding what deserves your energy and where you need support. Making room for yourself helps you be more deliberate about what you give to others.
Working directly with Chris
Experience with ambition.
Attention to you.
You bring the whole person to leadership. There is room for that here.
I’ve worked alongside some of the world’s highest-performing athletes and leaders, including Serena Williams, Eliud Kipchoge and Elliott Hill. I led Nike’s famed EKIN program and later served as CMO for startups before launching Changent.
That business experience sits alongside my interest in human potential, fitness and wellness. Our coaching work connects the responsibilities you carry with the way you want to lead and the life you want to build.
We begin by identifying what you want to work on and what progress would look like. The relationship is bespoke: weekly or monthly conversations can sit alongside ongoing soundboarding through Slack, voice notes or other agreed channels. We establish the working rhythm and response expectations together. You put your commitments into practice, and we use what happens to shape the next conversation.
Progress might mean a decision made, a responsibility delegated or a difficult conversation handled. We define what matters together.
A good fit starts with willingness.
Willingness to reflect, consider another perspective and act on what you discover. You do not need to arrive with every question neatly defined.
Executives navigating changes in their leadership responsibilities can also explore whether this work fits their situation.
Clear boundaries
Coaching develops your thinking, decisions and leadership. If you need a strategy deliverable or someone to own your marketing function, we agree on a separate scope.
Before we talk
Questions about
founder coaching.
Start with a brief inquiry. In an initial conversation, we can explore what is changing, what you would value from coaching and whether the relationship fits. You can ask about my approach before deciding whether to begin.
Talk with Chris about coachingWhat does a founder business coach help with?
A founder business coach helps you examine how you think, decide and lead as your responsibilities change. At Changent, that can mean working through delegation, an important conversation or a change in your role. You remain responsible for your decisions and actions.
Is this only for founders whose business is struggling?
No. An inflection point can come with growth, a new opportunity or a deliberate change in direction. The question is whether dedicated time and an outside perspective would help you navigate it.
How is coaching different from consulting?
Coaching focuses on your thinking, decisions and leadership. Consulting addresses a defined business challenge through advice, analysis or agreed deliverables. We clarify which kind of support you need and where the boundaries sit.
Do I need to know exactly what I want to work on?
You do not need a complete brief. Start with what is changing or the question you keep returning to. The first conversation helps establish whether coaching is the right fit.
How often do we meet, and how do we stay connected?
Every engagement is bespoke. We can meet weekly, monthly or on a rhythm shaped around your needs. Support extends beyond scheduled sessions, with ongoing soundboarding through agreed channels such as Slack and voice notes. We establish the rhythm, channels and response expectations together.
What does coaching cost?
The investment depends on the scope and format we agree on. We discuss those details before you decide whether to begin.
How do you handle confidentiality?
We use a mutual nondisclosure agreement to establish confidentiality. We review the agreement and any specific requirements together before sharing confidential information. Please keep your initial website inquiry high-level.
Your next move
Make room for yourself.
And the leader you want to be.
Tell me what is changing and where you would value another perspective. I’ll reply personally.