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Cheddy, Executive Leadership Coach at HED Space Coaching: Advize Career Interview
A compelling career journey, starting with military service and culminating in founding HED Space Coaching, reveals a multifaceted approach to executive leadership coaching.
The interviewee's path, marked by diverse roles in recruiting, real estate, and now coaching, showcases adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning.
Key skills highlighted include strong communication, bridging diverse groups, and fostering impactful client relationships through a metrics-driven approach.
The rewarding aspects of the work center on witnessing client growth and unlocking potential, while challenges include transitioning to the civilian sector and mastering marketing skills.
Aspiring coaches can learn from the interviewee's emphasis on self-care, relationship-building, and leveraging diverse identities as strengths, with entry-level pathways suggested in customer service, consulting, or supporting coaching teams.
The message resonates: a growth mindset, continuous learning, and a genuine desire to help others are vital for success in this dynamic field, with unlimited income potential for those who provide demonstrable value.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Cheddy Matthews
Executive Leadership Coach
HED Space Coaching
NC State University 2000
UCLA EMBA 2024
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Political Science, American Studies
Coaching
Strategic Management and Executive
Disabled, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
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Career Path of an Executive Leadership Coach at HED Space Coaching
Cheddy's career journey is anything but linear, starting with "a little convoluted path" after immigrating from the UK and joining the Marine Corps, where they earned a degree while serving and later transitioned to various roles including recruiting, real estate, and ultimately, executive leadership coaching. This transition was spurred by personal experiences, including the loss of a loved one, which led them to realize a need for support among high-achieving professionals and ultimately to founding HED Space Coaching, helping "good turn to great and great turn to amazing."
Main Responsibilities of an Executive Leadership Coach at HED Space Coaching
As an executive leadership coach, Cheddy's main responsibilities encompass a multifaceted approach, juggling business development ("I am the person that funds the business…attracts new clients…doing the coaching"), client relationship nurturing, and demonstrable value delivery through metrics-driven results and enabling leaders to "extract the best good out of it". This relational, rather than transactional, approach emphasizes a careful matching process and ongoing relationship building to ensure successful coaching engagements.
A Day in the Life of an Executive Leadership Coach at HED Space Coaching
Cheddy, an executive leadership coach, prioritizes self-care, beginning each day with gratitude and physical activity to maintain the energy required for the job; this self-care is followed by a meticulously managed schedule filled with coaching sessions (often virtual), networking events ("meeting people is an opportunity"), and public speaking engagements – all while maintaining a flexible yet structured daily routine to ensure balance across various life aspects.
Most Important Skills for an Executive Leadership Coach at HED Space Coaching
Cheddy's executive leadership coaching career leverages a diverse skillset honed through "a life journey...picking up different power packs," including military service, diverse professional roles, and extensive networking. Their ability to bridge communication gaps between disparate groups—"getting dissimilar groups together and making them...play well together"—is a key strength, shaped by overcoming challenges and learning from failures.
Favorite Parts Of Being An Executive Leadership Coach At HED Space Coaching
Cheddy, an executive leadership coach, finds the most rewarding aspect of the role to be witnessing clients' growth, describing it as "watching the growth of somebody...I didn't think I could do that". This involves supporting individuals in unlocking their authentic selves and achieving their full potential, a process Cheddy finds "beautiful to watch," regardless of their experience level.
Biggest Challenges Faced By An Executive Leadership Coach At HED Space Coaching
Cheddy's biggest challenge as an executive leadership coach is transitioning from a "captive audience" in government and military work to attracting clients in the civilian sector, requiring marketing and outreach skills they didn't previously need. This necessitates continuous learning and development in areas like marketing and business operations to ensure consistent revenue and maintain a fulfilling career serving clients.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Coaching Industry as an Executive Coach
Inspired by Christian Simpson, a leading coach, Cheddy found their purpose in coaching's ability to profoundly impact lives, emphasizing "coaching is about the person being coached, not about the mentor." The work is about eliciting inner wisdom through insightful questioning, enabling individuals to discover "their authentic selves" and make unique contributions to the world.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Coaching Industry, According To An Executive Leadership Coach At HED Space Coaching
A successful executive leadership coach possesses empathy, a desire to help others improve, and the ability to "elicit a change in someone just by being who they are," leveraging their unique skills and perspectives to bridge the gap between challenges and solutions, much like providing "a four-wheel drive" to help others overcome obstacles. This approach is transferable from other fields, as evidenced by the coach's transition from IT to coaching.
What an Executive Leadership Coach at HED Space Coaching Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Coaching Industry
Regarding executive coaching, a key lesson learned is that the income potential is virtually unlimited, "name your price," based on the perceived value brought to clients struggling with solvable problems. The ease of solution for the coach contrasts sharply with the client's difficulty, highlighting the coach's specialized skills and the significant return on investment for clients.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Executive Leadership Coaches
Entry-level roles for aspiring executive coaches include positions within companies employing coaches, allowing observation of "how they show up" and interaction with clients. Other suitable roles involve customer service, consulting, or troubleshooting, where developing "the art of asking open-ended questions" and a coaching mindset is possible through observation and experience.
Significant Career Lesson From An Executive Leadership Coach At HED Space Coaching
Regardless of experience level, "every day is a new opportunity to grow," requiring continuous learning from mistakes and self-compassion. The key is to "give yourself the grace you give someone else," move forward, and trust that even with fear, taking action will lead to future success.
College Experiences That Helped An Executive Leadership Coach At HED Space Coaching Succeed
Cheddy's undergraduate success stemmed from cultivating strong relationships with impactful individuals, stating "some of the relationships I've had in school... I still have relationships to this day," creating a valuable lifelong network. This, coupled with engaging with professors and extracurricular activities beyond the classroom, broadened their understanding of self and the world, proving invaluable in their career as an Executive Leadership Coach.
How Identity Influenced a Leadership Coach's Career at HED Space Coaching
Cheddy's multifaceted minority identity— encompassing Black Afro-Caribbean heritage, immigrant status, military experience, and disability— initially felt like a barrier to fitting in, but they later recognized their differences as strengths. This realization enabled a career marked by success in international settings, leveraging their diverse background to connect with people from all walks of life and build bridges, demonstrating that "all of my differences are actually my strengths."
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