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Trust doesn’t just make coaching nicer; it makes coaching work. We sit down with executive and team coach Dumisani Magadlela to explore why trust is the currency of transformation, how rapport becomes a deliberate practice, and what it takes to create a truly safe space where leaders can speak plainly, choose boldly, and act with integrity. From first-contact digital sessions to deep, ongoing relationships, we break down the practical moves that build trust quickly—clear contracting, presence, consent for depth, and the kind of silence that signals respect rather than distance.

Dumisani introduces Ubuntu intelligence—“I am because we are”—as a living framework for modern coaching. Instead of treating clients as isolated performers, Ubuntu invites us to see the systems they inhabit, the relationships that shape their choices, and the values that hold cultures together. We talk about why vulnerability needs boundaries, why ethics are non-negotiable, and why coaches must hold responsibility as carefully as they hold space. You’ll hear concrete ways to blend independence with interconnection, transforming team dynamics from guarded to generative.

We also spotlight Africa’s rapidly growing coaching landscape and the power of values-based leadership grounded in dignity, equality, and human agency. Dumisani shares how team coaching can expand a circle of trust among executives, and why a younger, ambitious continent represents the next frontier for coaching-driven change. Technology shows up as a partner, not a replacement—useful for preparation and prompts, but never a substitute for the human connection that actually shifts behavior.

If you care about coaching that sticks, this conversation is your roadmap to building trust, practicing Ubuntu, and leading with heart and rigor. Subscribe for more conversations with working coaches and thought leaders, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review to tell us how you build trust in your practice.

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Trust isn’t a vibe we hope for; it’s a set of behaviors we can name, practice, and renew. We sit down with leadership and career development coach Flo LaBrado to turn trust from a fuzzy concept into a shared language that makes coaching safer, braver, and more effective.

We break down the four distinctions of trust popularized by Charles Feltman—care, sincerity, reliability, and competence—and translate them into everyday coaching moves. Care means centering the client’s agenda, not the coach’s preferences. Sincerity is saying the hard thing with honesty and respect. Reliability lives in punctuality and follow-through. Competence is knowing your scope, telling the truth about your limits, and referring when needed. Flo shares how she bakes these into client agreements so expectations are explicit from day one.

We also tackle technology transparency and AI. Whether you keep analog notes or lean on digital tools, clients deserve clarity about recordings, storage, deletion, and who or what is responding. Some will want searchable transcripts; others will want no data kept at all. By offering options and inviting pushback—“Is this okay?” rather than just “Do you understand?”—we build agency and deepen the container. We explore cultural nuance, where trust signals vary across identities and contexts, and show how a shared vocabulary helps coach and client align without erasing difference. Finally, we touch on trauma-informed coaching: recognizing overwhelm, slowing down, and honoring the boundary between coaching and therapy.

If you’re ready to make trust a teachable skill rather than a hopeful assumption, this conversation is a practical roadmap. You’ll walk away with language to use in your contracting, ways to model reliability, and questions that help clients grow their own self-trust beyond the session. If you found this helpful, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review to help more coaches find it.

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When language gets policed, coaching gets harder—and trust is the first casualty. We sit down with leadership coaches and authors Amber Mays and Sukari Pinnock Fitts to unpack what happens when executive orders and corporate policies restrict DEI conversations, and why that “muting effect” changes how clients show up, how coaches contract, and how integrity is tested in the room. Their ongoing survey reveals the lived reality: sponsors banning words like woman, Black, or transgender; coaches torn between revenue and values; clients covering core parts of identity to stay safe.

We trace the deeper patterns driving these shifts—fear, zero-sum thinking, and the belief that inclusion takes something away from those in power. Amber and Sukari bring decades of global DEI and leadership experience to show how cultural intelligence, identity transparency, and brave conversations actually fuel performance and belonging. They challenge us to reframe “confidentiality as loophole” and instead elevate ethical contracting: clarify roles with sponsors and clients, interrogate who set the restrictions and why, and co-create agreements that keep the space safe and brave without breaking your word.

You’ll leave with practical steps you can use today: prepare values-based red lines, negotiate language with clarity, document expectations up front, and revisit your ICF or EMCC code of ethics to ensure your practice aligns with your promises. Coaching with DEIAB in mind isn’t a niche—it’s simply good coaching. If the policy narrows the conversation, let your courage, clarity, and craft widen it so trust can do the work it’s meant to do.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a coach who needs it, and leave a review so more practitioners can find these tools.

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Sukari and Amber have gracious provided our audience a 15% discount on the earlybird fee for November workshop.

Go to www.fifthdomaincoaching.com and use code: choice to receive the discount.

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Some conversations feel like a deep breath you didn’t know you needed. This one does more than name the chaos of hybrid work—it gives you a clear, humane way through it. We sit down with leadership coach and facilitator Newell Eaton to unpack how trust becomes the operating system for modern teams, especially when time is tight, change is constant, and the room is mostly a grid of faces.

We start with the realities leaders face: training windows that shrank from days to minutes, rapid team turnover, and the quiet drift of proximity bias that privileges people in the office over those on the screen. Newell offers practical fixes you can ship tomorrow—design 50-minute meetings with a real pause, open with a quick check-in, close with appreciations, and equalize hybrid calls by having everyone join from their own space. He makes a strong case for in-person anchors like twice-yearly gatherings and face-to-face onboarding to establish the human channels that carry nuance and empathy when work gets tough. Along the way, we explore the “vulnerability paradox”: why measured honesty from leaders strengthens psychological safety and how a CEO’s choice to step back for family transformed his team’s confidence and cohesion.

We also talk boundaries at home, retirement as an identity shift, and the unglamorous habits that power great leadership: sleep, breath, movement, and presence. Expect concrete strategies to counter proximity bias, boost trust on hybrid teams, and design meeting norms that actually work. If you’ve been looking for leadership advice that respects both performance and people, you’ll find a toolkit here—simple, repeatable, and backed by lived experience.

If this conversation helps, follow the show, share it with a colleague who’s leading a hybrid team, and leave a quick review—what one trust-building practice will you try this week?

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Coaching supervision and social justice might seem like separate domains, but they share a powerful intersection that can transform coaching practice. DeBorah "Sunni" Smith reveals how these complementary frameworks create space for deeper awareness, innovation, and meaningful change.

Supervision offers coaches a reflective container—often called a "safe space"—though Sunni challenges us to recognize that safety is inherently subjective. What feels safe for one person may feel threatening to another based on their lived experience. This recognition aligns perfectly with social justice principles focused on equity and equal rights. Both domains honor diverse perspectives and seek to create environments where authentic dialogue can flourish.

What's particularly fascinating is how these principles appear in everyday coaching. When Sunni asks coaches to share cases where social justice doesn't apply, she finds they can't—because elements of power, communication, and equity appear in virtually every coaching conversation. Our bodies signal discomfort before our conscious minds register it, giving us valuable information about potential conflicts or misunderstandings. As coaches, we're trained to notice these subtle shifts, the same awareness that helps navigate social justice conversations.

"We bring so much as individuals to situations," Sunni explains. "Coaching supervision provides structure and process, whereas social justice brings purpose and passion." Together, they adjust how we see the world—like corrective lenses for our professional vision. This integration helps coaches recognize that while global issues may seem overwhelming, we can impact the conversations at our dinner tables, in our organizations, and communities. By facilitating win-win discussions rather than win-lose debates, coaches contribute to a more equitable society—one conversation at a time.

Ready to explore this intersection further? Join organizations like Coaching for Social Justice for their free bi-monthly dialogues, or connect directly with Sunni to continue this important conversation. The growth happens in the discomfort—are you ready to lean in?

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Receive a 30-minute Complimentary Discovery Coaching Session with Sunni via scheduling at enegaged@cassavacoaching.com. Please indicate Choice Comp Session in the subject line and Ana will schedule a time.

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Microaggressions aren't just about race—they can happen to anyone who feels marginalized. Master Certified Coach Cheryl Procter-Rogers reveals how these subtle slights create "little cuts that become bigger wounds" over time, affecting everything from workplace dynamics to personal confidence.

Drawing from over 40 years of experience, Cheryl shares her powerful "3P Framework"—Pause, Process, Proceed—that gives both coaches and clients a structured approach to navigate these challenging moments. Through compelling personal examples, including her own experience with a business colleague who couldn't comprehend that a Black woman held a senior executive position, she illustrates how microaggressions manifest in everyday interactions.

For coaches, this conversation provides crucial insights into recognizing when clients are experiencing microaggressions. Listen for phrases like "something felt off in that meeting" or "I don't know if I'm being too sensitive." Many clients presenting with imposter syndrome or unexplained fatigue may actually be suffering from the cumulative impact of these subtle forms of discrimination. Cheryl offers specific coaching strategies that avoid re-traumatizing clients while helping them develop effective responses.

The most transformative insight? Focus on intent rather than impact. This simple shift helps clients process their experiences without personalizing them, creating space for healing and growth. Whether you're a coach working with clients navigating difficult workplace dynamics or someone experiencing microaggressions yourself, this episode provides practical frameworks to transform these moments into opportunities for deeper understanding. Connect with Cheryl Proctor-Rogers on LinkedIn to continue this important conversation and explore more of her thought leadership on coaching through challenging situations.

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Shaunda Thompson opens a powerful window into the unique strengths BIPOC coaches bring to leadership development through their lived experiences and embodied wisdom. As an executive life coach, career strategist, and pre-licensed therapist whose leadership journey began as a US Army non-commissioned officer, Thompson speaks with authenticity about creating coaching relationships that honor clients' full identities.

"There are times where words don't have to be spoken, or there's this invisible pain that the client sitting across from you experiences that you as a BIPOC coach already know because you've gone through it," Thompson explains, highlighting the immediate connection and psychological safety this creates. This shared understanding accelerates the coaching relationship in ways that transcend traditional approaches.

The conversation dives deep into essential concepts for all coaches – cultural fluency, code-switching, and the mental tax of navigating predominantly white professional spaces. Thompson offers practical guidance: recognize your own history and privilege, examine your biases, unlearn dominant narratives, and get comfortable sitting in discomfort without centering guilt. Her coaching philosophy centers on what she calls "radical self-honesty" and bringing the fullness of her multiple identities into each session.

Perhaps most compelling is Thompson's vision for reshaping the coaching profession by challenging dominant norms and embracing culturally responsive frameworks. "Let's start rejecting these one-size-fits-all models and be more open to honoring identity, community, and intergenerational wisdom," she urges. This approach doesn't just benefit BIPOC coaches and clients – it enriches the entire field with diverse perspectives and approaches that support lasting transformation.

Ready to expand your coaching practice with greater cultural fluency? Connect with Shaunda at www.shaundathompson.com and discover how authentic leadership and intersectional empathy can transform your coaching relationships.

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What does true fairness look like in professional certification? Carrie Abner, Vice President of ICF Credentialing, pulls back the curtain on a groundbreaking initiative that's transforming how coaches around the world become certified.

Four years ago, amid growing social conversations about equity, ICF leadership asked themselves a challenging question: were they truly living their values when it came to fairness in their credentialing process? This moment of reflection sparked a comprehensive equity assessment that would examine every aspect of how coaches earn their ICF credentials. The project, completed in October 2024, reveals both courage and commitment from an organization willing to look critically at its own practices.

Working collaboratively with ICF's DEIB team and an academic researcher specializing in diversity, Abner's team developed sophisticated methods to collect data, listen to stakeholders, and identify potential barriers in their processes. What they discovered led to meaningful changes: expanded assessor diversity to match growth in global markets, enhanced exam accommodations that benefit all candidates, and free exam tutorials that demystify the testing experience. Perhaps most importantly, they established ongoing feedback mechanisms that ensure continuous improvement.

"Most things that matter take courage," Abner notes, reflecting on the vulnerability required to examine established systems for hidden biases. The assessment represents more than just procedural tweaks—it's a fundamental shift in how ICF approaches credentialing, balancing rigorous standards with accessibility and cultural awareness.

For coaches preparing for ICF credentials, these changes mean a more equitable path to certification. For the coaching profession as a whole, ICF's work demonstrates how organizations can move beyond good intentions to create measurable improvements in fairness and inclusion.

Share your experience with ICF's credentialing process—they're listening and using your feedback to drive positive change. Connect with Carrie Abner at carrieabner@coachingfederation.org or explore ICF's resources at coachingfederation.org.

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