Coffee House Coaching
Coffee House Coaching is an Executive Coaching podcast where I speak with fellow Executive Coaches about their practice, their process and how they help their clients. I also speak with individuals impacted by coaching and how it has improved their lives. My goal is to shine some light on the wonderful world of Executive Coaching and explain what it is and how it works. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversations about Executive Coaching.
Coffee House Coaching
Ep 173 Karen Benoy Preston - Values coaching / Breaking yourself open / Being a Rebel
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Gary Nowak
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Season 4
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Episode 173
Question Summaries
1️⃣ Best coaching advice you’ve gotten
- “It doesn’t have to be about who — it can be about what.”
- Freed her from the pressure to niche by audience; she leaned into values.
- Shifted her entire perspective on what authentic coaching looks like.
2️⃣ What are you still trying to improve about your coaching?
- Learning to embrace silence rather than fill it.
- Recognizing her own “know-it-all” tendencies and stepping back.
- Seeing pauses as productive — where the client’s best thinking happens.
3️⃣ Most outrageous thing you’ve done, tried, or said in a session
- Calling BS when clients hide behind surface-level stories.
- Pushes hard — but only when deep trust exists.
- Trusts her instincts to dance between mentor, consultant, and coach.
4️⃣ What still makes you squirm or uncomfortable?
- Talking about money and “selling” her value.
- Learning to see pricing as respect for her own worth.
- Embracing “Hell yes or Hell no” as her filter — no “Hell maybes.”
5️⃣ Advice for someone new to coaching
- “You have to break yourself open to become a great coach.”
- True learning comes from going inward and unlearning old habits.
- Coaching is an inside-out profession — not a set of tools.
6️⃣ What have you had to conquer on your path to being a great coach?
- Releasing the need to fix others (and her kids).
- Choosing curiosity over control, especially as a parent.
- Accepting that not everyone wants to grow — and that’s okay.
7️⃣ Are you using AI in your coaching practice?
- Uses AI as a thought partner to spark creativity and expand thinking.
- Blends AI with tools like Enneagram and Positive Intelligence for depth.
- Encourages clients to ask AI, “How should I use a coach?”
8️⃣ What have you learned about yourself through coaching?
- A lifelong fascination with human consciousness.
- Rediscovered her teenage love of psychology and helping people grow.
- Realized her impact comes from curiosity, connection, and consciousness.
🎬 Fun Stuff Question
- Guilty pleasure: playing with the snarky “Monday” GPT for humor and insight.
- Loves how it’s both validating and thought-provoking.
- Proof that self-discovery can come with sarcasm.