23: From TV to Training Fortune 500 Leaders with Tom Henschel

In this episode, Adam interviews Tom Henschel, a seasoned coach with over 34 years of experience. Tom transitioned from a successful acting career to coaching, focusing primarily on Fortune 500 executives, rising women leaders, and disruptive executives. Tom dives into how to build a referral-based business and leverage your network without heavy outbound marketing. Tune in to hear his valuable insights on creating a self-sustaining coaching practice and the importance of nurturing professional relationships.

For more than thirty years, senior leaders at Amazon, Disney, Dole, HP, KONE, Netflix, Toyota, Warner Bros., and dozens of other companies have received coaching from Tom Henschel. He has helped leaders get promotions, deepen their workplace relationships, and improve how they’re perceived in the workplace.

Tom has a unique ability to listen deeply to his clients. This ability allowed him to create a unique podcast, "The Look & Sound of Leadership." For fifteen years, listeners have expressed gratitude for the coaching they receive from the show. The audience has pushed it into the top 1% of the world’s more-than-three million podcasts. Tom is proud of the deep relationships he’s built with other coaches. He’s a founding coach at Corporate Coaching International and a senior coach with Aria Consulting, Arden Coaching, and Volition Enterprises.

Trained as a classical actor at The Juilliard School, Tom made his living as an actor in more than 100 plays and vairous TV episodes. He was also an award-winning director in theatre. His shows have won 13 awards from Los Angeles critics, including five for Best Director.

Tom is honored to donate coaching to multiple non-profit organizations. He provides coaching for the Women’s Impact Alliance (focusing on emerging female global leader) and Women in Animation (supporting women around the world in the enormous animation industry). He is a passionate Board Member at Children’s Community School, a haven of progressive education in Los Angeles. He gives back to his local chapter of the International Coach Federation, leading a “special interest group” of coaches exploring issues related to executive coaching. They meet six times a year, those days are some of his favorites on the calendar.

His favorite day of the year is in spring. A late-in-life accidental gardener, Tom has created inspiring gardens of California native plants. Yearly, he is part of a county-wide tour where hundreds of people come to visit his gardens. He raises corn snakes and zebra finches. But most important of all his accomplishments, he raised two daughters for whom he has the deepest love.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Transitioning from acting to coaching
• Building a referral-based business
• Coaching Fortune 500 Executives
• Overcoming people-pleasing tendencies
• Importance of networking for growth

Timestamps:

03:45 Actor transitions from a successful acting career to coaching.

11:52 A board member conceals true profession from a colleague.

13:04 Intuitive skills are valued.

18:34 Opportunities arise from consistent in-person networking.

20:02 Learning to stop people pleasing and speak up as a coach.

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