Compass Conversations host Jared Klein sits down with Benis Reffkin, executive, life, and leadership coach and founder of Benis Reffkin Coaching, to discuss company culture, effective coaching, meaningful communication, client feedback, and building a life around your strengths.

Benis shares how her path from NYU and Columbia Business School to executive recruiting, private wealth management, and coaching shaped her approach to leadership. She also reflects on Compass’s early growth, her work on No One Succeeds Alone, and why personal connection remains essential in business.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Build Culture From the Top

Benis explains that company values only become meaningful when leaders model them and connect them to everyday decisions. She reflects on the early Urban Compass pivot and the importance of bringing respected people together around a shared mission.

1. Know the Difference Between Coaching and Advising

An advisor may tell you what to do. A coach helps you think more deeply, expand your perspective, and reach your own decisions. Benis recommends meeting several coaches before choosing one who truly listens and understands your goals.

1. Prioritize Face-to-Face Communication

Digital tools make communication easier, but they should not replace personal connection. Benis encourages agents to pick up the phone, schedule the meeting, and create more opportunities to connect in person.

1. Ask for Useful Feedback

Testimonials can build trust, but honest feedback helps improve the client experience. Benis recommends asking valued clients what worked, what could have been better, and what made the relationship meaningful.

1. Turn Experience Into Actionable Lessons

Benis discusses helping shape No One Succeeds Alone by identifying the practical takeaway behind each story. Her approach is a reminder to break large goals into clear lessons and manageable actions.

1. Wear Your Different Crowns

Rather than giving all her energy to one role, Benis thinks about the different “crowns” she wears as a coach, Compass community leader, partner, and parent. The balance changes over time, but each part deserves attention.

1. Maximize Your Strengths

Benis chooses Maximize Your Strengths as the Compass Entrepreneurship Principle that best reflects her current focus. She encourages people to invest more energy in what works while outsourcing tasks that create unnecessary drain.

💼 Why This Matters

This episode shows that sustainable growth comes from self-awareness, strong relationships, honest feedback, and intentional use of your energy. Benis’s message is clear: stay connected, learn from experience, build around your strengths, and create space for every part of your life.

🔗 Connect with the Speakers

Host Jared Klein: https://www.compass.com/agents/jared-klein/

Guest Benis Reffkin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benisreffkin

Benis Reffkin Coaching: https://www.benisreffkincoaching.com/

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