Welcome to Coffee and Conversations, brought to you by the International Coaching Federation’s San Diego Chapter. Our host, Donald E. Coleman sits down with coaches, business leaders, and community influencers to explore how the *Power of Coaching* is transforming lives, organizations, and communiti
Send Us a Message A calm voice from a country at war can teach you something life-changing about safety. We’re joined by Author and Holistic Health Coach Dr. Leona Nasser, calling in from Lebanon, and what starts as a simple “I’m fine” turns into a real conversation about what it takes to feel steady when nothing around you feels predictable. We get personal fast, and we keep it honest: survival, uncertainty, and the daily choice to stay grounded. Dr. Lenoa walks us through the experiences ...
Send Us a Message “I’m well” sounds simple until you unpack what it really means: present, alive, and honest about where you are. In this episode, we have a deep, electric conversation with Pam Covarrubias, the creator and host of the Cafe Con Pam podcast, about what it takes to stop performing your life and start living from certainty. Pam takes us back to her corporate traveling days when she fell in love with podcasts but couldn’t find conversations led by immigrants, first-gen Latin...
Send Us a Message People see the peak of your story: the degree, the title, the “successful” highlight reel. But what if the part that actually made you strong is the part no one sees? We sit down with Dr. Inez González Perezchica to unpack the iceberg beneath achievement and why the hidden years matter for confidence, leadership, and a fulfilling life. Dr. Inez shares what it was like to be born in Tijuana, raised in Mexico, and then move to the United States during her senior year of high ...
Send Us a Message Most people think they need better strategies to grow, lead, or coach well. Then a conversation like this exposes the real blocker: safety. When visibility has felt dangerous, when service has been tied to worth, or when spiritual and relational harm has shaped your nervous system, you do not fix it with another checklist. You fix it by integrating healing and coaching so your body can finally believe what your mind already understands. We talk with Hayley Surya, MCC, abou...
Send Us a Message The loudest voice shaping your life might not be your own, and once you see that, everything changes. We sit down with Dr. Cornelia Shipley Bearyman, executive coach, author, and Ph.D in metaphysics, for a conversation that starts playful and turns deeply human: grief, identity, and the hidden scripts we replay when we feel threatened, judged, or out of control. She shares the shock of losing her mother just five days after her wedding, and how other people’s reaction...
Send Us a Message The world feels loud on purpose, and it’s easy to forget we have choices when stress becomes the default setting. We sit down with Dr. John O’Brien, psychologist, coach, author, and founder of Activate Success, to get practical about the smallest habit that can change your day: the pause. Not a retreat, not a perfect routine, just a few seconds of breathing and noticing what’s happening inside you. That “sacred moment” creates space to define success on your terms, instead o...
Send Us a Message Something happened to how we lead after 2020, and it wasn’t just remote work or new policies. It was the moment the noise got quiet enough for truth to show itself. Our host, Donald E. Coleman, sits down with Dr. Nana Gyesie, PCC for a deep, spiritual conversation about what he calls the “inside game” and why the inner world quietly determines the outer results we chase in leadership, coaching, and life. We talk about what it means to see beyond the veil, to carry the ...
Send Us a Message Love isn’t just a feeling we fall into. It can be the foundation that keeps us standing when life cracks the concrete. Our host, Donald E Coleman, is joined by executive coach Katherine Virdi for a conversation that moves from profound personal loss to practical tools for resilience, intuition, and authentic leadership. Along the way, we explore how relationships shape who we become, how grief changes our inner world, and why “knowing” often shows up before we can explain it...
Send Us a Message In this thought-provoking episode of the ICF San Diego Coffee and Conversations Podcast, host Donald E. Coleman, ACC sits down with leadership strategist and executive coach Lisa Bishop MBA, ACC, CODC (Certified Organizational Development Coach) for a rich conversation about leadership, culture, and the transformative power of coaching. What if the difference between control and real leadership is a single breath? We dive into a candid, energizing conversation with Lisa Bish...
Send Us a Message In this forward-thinking episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Susan Caesar, Director of Artificial Intelligence for the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is a global thought leader and the founder of Humain.org. This conversation explores one of the most important topics shaping the future of professional coaching: the ethical integration of artificial intelligence. As the founder of Humain.org, Susan is passionate a...
Send Us a Message In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes fellow U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Veronica “Coach Ronnie” Soria, the first Marine ever featured on the podcast. Coach Ronnie brings a lifetime of service, resilience, and compassion to the coaching profession, offering listeners a deeply human perspective on leadership, identity, and personal transformation. After serving 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and another ...
Send Us a Message In this episode of the ICF San Diego Coffee and Conversations podcast, our host Donald E Coleman, sits down with Emily Bennington, ACC, a certified career empowerment coach and senior HR business partner, whose mission is to help individuals reconnect with their voice and advocate for themselves in life and work. Drawing from over a decade in human resources, Emily offers a compassionate and insightful perspective on how coaching transforms careers, mindsets, and relationshi...
Send Us a Message In this episode of the ICF San Diego Podcast, we welcome Susan Sjolund, an Executive Coach and former healthcare executive, who shares how she transitioned from a results-driven industry into purpose-filled coaching. Her story offers a powerful lens into how leaders can rediscover meaning, presence, and connection—within themselves and with others. Susan opens up about her pivot into coaching and how learning to slow down led her to deeper awareness. She invites us to explor...
Send Us a Message In this inspiring episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Dr. Aikyna Finch, PCC, a trailblazer in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) and Vice President of DEIB for the International Coaching Federation (ICF). With an unstoppable drive for growth, innovation, and impact, Dr. Finch brings clarity and conviction to what it means to coach with purpose and lead with wholeness. Together, Donald and Dr. Finch explore: How coaching became...
Send Us a Message In the final episode of our 2025 season, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Dr. Colette Coiner, PCC—a physical therapist turned parenting coach whose voice resonates with wisdom, warmth, and radical hope. Colette blends neuroscience, child development, and lived experience as a mom, creating a coaching model that brings healing to families, connection to conversations, and wholeness to every relationship she touches. Together, they explore: Her journey from physical thera...
Send Us a Message In this unforgettable episode of the ICF San Diego's Coffee and Conversations podcast. Our host, Donald E. Coleman, shares a sacred moment with Dr. Haesun Moon, author of Coaching A to Z and a renowned thought leader in the science of coaching language. From the moment Donald attended her ICF Converge 2025 breakout session, The Wonder of Words: Curating Preferred Futures One Word at a Time, he knew something extraordinary was unfolding. In a conference brimming with an abund...
Send Us a Message In this sacred and soul-stirring episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Alla Shashkina, ACC, for a conversation that transcends professional titles and enters the realm of calling, healing, and generational transformation. Donald and Alla reflect on her experience that occurred at ICF San Diego's hospitality suite on Thursday night during the 2025 ICF Converge, where Donald delivered an impromptu moving speech on how coaching was recognized not ...
Send Us a Message Live from San Diego | Coffee and Conversations Podcast with Donald E. Coleman In this powerful special edition of Coffee and Conversations, recorded live at the ICF Global Converge 2025 Conference in San Diego, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Lyssa deHart, MCC, renowned coach educator, author of Light Up: The Science of Coaching with Metaphors, and a leading voice in the neuroscience of coaching and language. From the moment they sat down, Donald sensed something extrao...
Send Us a Message Live from San Diego | Coffee and Conversations Podcast with Donald E. Coleman In this powerful special edition of Coffee and Conversations, recorded live at the ICF Global Converge 2025 Conference in San Diego, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Maya Hu-Chan, MCC, a globally recognized executive coach, keynote speaker, and best-selling author of Saving Face, and an ICF San Diego member. Maya reflects on her most meaningful moments from the conference, highlighting deep, spirit-...
Send Us a Message Live from San Diego | Coffee and Conversations Podcast with Donald E. Coleman In this powerful special edition of Coffee and Conversations, recorded live at the ICF Global Converge 2025 Conference in San Diego, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Dr. Akihiko Morita, board director at the ICF Thought Leadership Institute and presenter of the session Beyond the Human Coach: AI, Wisdom Traditions, and the Future of Coaching. Together, they explore how AI is reshaping the coac...
Send Us a Message Live from San Diego | Coffee and Conversations Podcast with Donald E. Coleman In this special ICF Converge 2025 edition, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Marty Thompson, PCC, a friend and brother in faith. He is a seasoned leadership coach with over 25 years in the nonprofit sector. Marty shares his most meaningful moments from the conference—highlighting powerful conversations with coaches from around the globe and his excitement about the role emerging coaches will pl...
Send Us a Message From Burnout to Breakthrough: Sue Stevenson on Humor, Healing, and Sacred Time | ICF Converge 2025 Special Episode Live from San Diego | Coffee and Conversations Podcast with Donald E. Coleman In this powerful special edition of Coffee and Conversations, recorded live at the ICF Global Converge 2025 Conference in San Diego, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Sue Stevenson, author of Impossible to Possible. With a compelling blend of wisdom, research, and lived exper...
Send Us a Message In this enlightening episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Tiffany Dedeaux, MCC—a Master Certified Coach, Ecopsychologist, and transformational leader—for a thought-provoking conversation on how time, presence, and purpose converge in the coaching profession. Drawing from her global journey, love of nature, and career coaching practice, Tiffany shares how setting aside “sacred time” can unlock personal growth, ignite professional clarity, and r...
Send Us a Message In this compelling episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Andrew Uprichard, a former Royal Marines officer turned transformational executive coach. With decades of global leadership experience and a deep commitment to human development, Andrew shares how his life, from military command to co-active coaching, has been shaped by resilience, self-discovery, and a relentless pursuit of meaningful leadership. Andrew reflects on the defining mom...
Send Us a Message In this deeply authentic and soul-stirring episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Sabine Gedeon—transformational speaker, author of LeadHership Reloaded, Transformed: The Journey to Becoming, and a coach whose life and leadership journey have been guided by faith, intuition, and an unshakable conviction to serve. Sabine shares her powerful story of transitioning from a career in HR to a purpose-driven coaching practice, sparked by a divine calli...
Send Us a Message In Part Two of this powerful conversation, Sandy Vilas, pioneering coach and the first co-president of the International Coaching Federation, shares the practical strategies and personal disciplines that helped him build a high-impact coaching business from the ground up. Joined by hosts Donald E. Coleman and Ana Floyd, Sandy dives into: How he leveraged his network and booked 10 lunch meetings a week to grow his client baseWhy experiencing coaching is more powerful than exp...
Send Us a Message In this historic episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman and ICF San Diego President Ana Floyd welcome Sandy Vilas, the legendary first Co-President of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and former CEO of Coach U. Sandy shares the incredible story of his coaching journey—beginning with a transformative course from Thomas Leonard in 1989—and the pivotal role he played in launching one of the most influential coaching organizations in the world. Th...
Send Us a Message In this enlightening episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Aleksei Groshenko, an international leadership development coach and corporate trainer whose journey spans continents and transformations. From shaping young minds in Russia to coaching professionals across borders, Aleksei brings a deep passion for people development, self-awareness, and cross-cultural coaching. Aleksei shares how his early work with children ignited a lifelong commitm...
Send Us a Message In this powerful episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman welcomes Pamela Stambaugh, a transformational leader and ICF Credentialed executive coach whose life and leadership journey are impactful and inspiring. From her Wyoming roots to her impactful work with the Ken Blanchard Companies, Pamela shares the defining moments that shaped her calling, including how the events of 9/11 became a catalyst for deeper purpose and community. With a heart for personal...
Send Us a Message In this compelling episode of Coffee and Conversations, host Donald E. Coleman sits down with Stephen Hinds, a visionary leadership coach and chapter president, to explore the transformative power of coaching, the impact of pioneering leadership, and the call to build resilient communities. Stephen shares insights from his journey in leadership coaching, organizational development, and pro bono coaching, including a groundbreaking initiative supporting Black-led, Black-focus...
About ICF San Diego's Coffee & Conversations
Welcome to Coffee and Conversations, brought to you by the International Coaching Federation’s San Diego Chapter. Our host, Donald E. Coleman sits down with coaches, business leaders, and community influencers to explore how the *Power of Coaching* is transforming lives, organizations, and communiti
ICF San Diego's Coffee & Conversations is a English business podcast from ICF San Diego. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
