Jordyn in her job search
Jordyn was successful in her work as a User Experience Designer in the healthcare sector, but realized the tiny startup she was working at was not the right fit. She wasn’t even sure that UX Design was the right fit anymore, which made the idea of a job search overwhelming.
I coached her through her exit plan from the startup, to maintain strong connections and set appropriate boundaries on the way out. We then dug deeply into what she loves to do - working with innovative teams, advocating for patients, etc. - to expand her thinking to other adjacent roles that would be more satisfying to her. Along the way, she was amazed to find how much her network was available to support her in exploring other roles and surfacing opportunities.
I guided her to strongly articulate the role she wanted as well as how her past experiences made her well-suited to that work, and supported her telling of her career journey in an empowered and confident way. We developed a clear rubric for the criteria for her next role and organization, so much so that she was able to confidently say “no thanks” to a role she was interviewing for when it became clear it wasn’t a fit. It took some time to find the right thing, but she knew it when she found it, and was excited to pivot into this new function at a company that would support her journey.
“Working with Tiana as a coach has changed the way I think about myself. She has created the space and structure to think critically about who I am, what my strengths are, and what I truly want in a career and my life. From scaffolded activities to accountability, she has helped me move and reframe my goals immensely. I know that she will support what I bring to the table, challenge me to dig deeper, and remind me to celebrate all the wins along the way.”
- Jordyn Burger, Patient Advocate and Healthcare Problem-Solver
Matt launching his consultancy
Matt had worked across technology companies, in a mix of engineering, product, and business development roles, giving him a broad strategic perspective that the startups he mentored found valuable. Craving more autonomy and enjoying wearing many hats, he wanted to try out consulting to climate startups, but he was second-guessing his approach and needed decisiveness.
We structured our coaching engagement around answering the big question of whether a solo consultancy was the right path for him. He articulated key questions to test that idea and what type of full time role would be enticing enough to divert him from that path. We then workshopped how he could frame his offering and the difference between what functions he can do and what he wants to do. I served as a sounding board as he defined his ideal clients and developed plans for where to find them.
A few months in, he has a clear picture of what he offers and to whom, compellingly articulated on a fresh website. He signed new clients, dialed in a sustainable market rate, and has built out the internal tools for managing his client funnel and his capacity. He is thoughtfully balancing client work and mentoring in accelerators / incubators to build his network in an authentic way.
“Tiana is a phenomenal coach who balances sharp business strategy with deep, authentic support. She helped keep me accountable to the tasks and vision needed to grow my company while I juggled my own clients. As an entrepreneur herself, she brought first-hand, invaluable insights and fresh ideas to the table every session. She is incredibly warm, kind, and it truly feels like she's 100% in your corner. I always looked forward to our calls and can't recommend her enough to any entrepreneur looking to grow."
- Matt Mallory, Climate Tech Strategist and Consultant
Kaarsten building her leadership confidence
Kaarsten had a climate startup focused on biochar and other regenerative climate solutions, leveraging her decades of expertise in natural resources, financing, and carbon markets. Her startup was acquired by a slightly larger startup that developed forest management technology tools to combat wildfire risk, and she would lead the business unit around creating beneficial solutions for the biomass r from the timber excess. But the transition into this company was bumpy, with very different styles of work and communication, and she found her confidence was shaken.
She came to coaching for help communicating more clearly with her colleagues and new boss, building confidence to lead this new business unit, and understanding how this change in structure impacted her career and life outside of work. We dissected misunderstandings and unpacked relationship dynamics; we crafted analogies and sharpened goals. Some sessions, she articulated how she was approaching a problem or communicating a solution, seeking a sounding board and new perspective from someone outside the company dynamics. Sometimes we just worked on how she could show up more authentically and make herself heard when she felt overlooked and misunderstood.
Through our work together, she gained awareness of and words for the discomfort she was feeling and developed strategies to communicate with her new colleagues in a way that honors her strengths rather than diminishing them to fit in. She was also able to “zoom out” to see how the work fit within the broader story of her life, such that she could re-engage with some passion projects and hobbies she’d neglected when feeling overwhelmed about the challenges at work. The work is still hard, but she regained her confidence to tackle it authentically.
“Tiana has been coaching me as co-founder who joined an existing organization through an acquihire at the end of 2025. She has supported my individual integration around existing core decisions, workflows, and roles. Through her listening and experience, the value she has added to my journey has helped me understand team dynamics, specifically around communication cadence, expectations and visibility. Tiana understands teams, and I am grateful for her professional lens.”
- Kaarsten Turner, Climate Adapter and Nature-Based Entrepreneur