What happens when a former CFO and CEO who has lived across four countries decides to become a coach?

In this episode, I sit down with Farhaz Farouk — Life & Business Coach based in Sri Lanka, former CFO and CEO, and a fellow alumnus of our very first coaching cohort — to talk about how a career spanning Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Bahrain shaped the way he sees people, why titles and appearances tell you nothing about who someone really is, and why coaching skills belong in every leader's toolkit — not just something you pick up after retirement.

What you'll learn:

→ Why growing up across cultures makes it easier to coach without judgment

→ The real story behind "never judge a person by how they look"

→ How Toastmasters training transfers directly into coaching presence

→ Why your past career — whatever it was — is never wasted when you become a coach

→ What separates a coach from a mentor, and why that distinction matters for leaders

→ Why coaching skills should be learned in your 20s, not after decades of leading

One line from this conversation that stayed with me:

"A coach is not an expert. He's just a facilitator."

🕒 CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction and podcast overview

00:51 – Who is Farhaz Farouk?

02:48 – Growing up across cultures: Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Bahrain

05:49 – Seeing the human, not the label

07:43 – Never judge a person by how they look

11:09 – Bias, the ICF Code of Ethics, and our common humanity

14:46 – Toastmasters: building confidence and communication

20:38 – Why your past experience is never wasted in coaching

22:25 – The defining moment that led to coaching

26:56 – How a master's in professional coaching changed his practice

30:25 – The reflective practice that surfaced a hidden pattern

35:11 – Who are Farhaz's clients?

38:40 – What companies are really looking for

41:13 – Conflict, communication, and the marathon analogy

43:37 – What individual clients struggle with

45:41 – A corporate coaching success story

47:19 – Why every leader needs coaching skills

53:03 – Where to find Farhaz

🔗 CONNECT WITH FARHAZ FAROUK

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhazfarouk/

🔗 CONNECT WITH JOERG SAUER

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joergsauer-coach/

Instagram: @joergsauer_coach

Web: https://joergsauer.coach

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Doing more won't fix what doing more created.

I work with leaders ready to become more.

#LifeCoaching #BusinessCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalCoaching #ICF #LeadershipDevelopment #CoachingPsychology #CoachingEcosystem #COACHpreneurJourney #Leadership

Most leaders are excellent firefighters. The problem is when constant firefighting becomes the culture — and nobody goes up to the balcony to see why the same fires keep appearing in different locations.

Dr. Emmanuel G. Zara, Jr. is an Executive Coach and Leadership & Organizational Development Consultant based in Manila, Philippines. With a PhD in Leadership Studies and 20 years working with senior leaders across sectors, his research focuses on what it takes to flourish — not just survive — in a complex world. He serves as adjunct faculty at Golden Gate University.

In this conversation: the difference between thriving and flourishing, why firefighting is physiologically addictive, the square wheels most organizations never see, why the leader you are today mirrors the leader you once reported to, and how mindfulness research is changing the tools available to leaders in crisis.

Connect with Emmanuel Zara, Jr.:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-zara-jr-phd-984515a/

Instagram: @emmanueljr.zara

About Joerg Sauer (host):

Transformational coach, ICF ACC, MSc Professional Coaching & Entrepreneurship. Country Leader, Morphosis Coaching Indonesia. Jakarta, Indonesia.

Instagram: @joergsauer_coach | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joergsauer-coach/

About The COACHpreneur Journey: Conversations with coaches, coach entrepreneurs, clients, and service providers in the coaching ecosystem. Hosted by Joerg Sauer, Jakarta.

Most leaders are hired to have the answers. Ryan Charland — CEO of Manulife Japan — learned that speaking last is a more powerful leadership tool than speaking first.

In this episode, Ryan shares how coaching shaped his approach to leadership across three cultures — Canada, Indonesia, and Japan — and why alignment, listening, and psychological safety aren't soft skills. They're the hard work of leadership.

What you'll take away:

→ Why leaders who speak first quietly bias every decision their team makes

→ The 30 priorities trap and how to escape it

→ How to choose between internal and external coaching

→ How to build a values-driven team that holds itself accountable

→ What coaching across cultures taught a CEO about directness, face, and respect

"I tried to be the last one to speak. If I spoke first, it would just naturally — human nature — bias the conversation in that direction." — Ryan Charland

Connect with Ryan Charland:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-charland-b884b741

Connect with Joerg Sauer:

Instagram: @joergsauer_coach

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joergsauer-coach

What if coaching skills could make you a better leader — even if you never become a full-time coach?

In this episode, I sit down with Pascale Feldmann — biologist, project leader, and internal coach at a multinational in Ghent, Belgium — who came to coaching by chance and never looked back.

What you'll take away:

→ How the shift from telling to listening transforms leadership impact

→ Why slowing down counterintuitively makes you more productive

→ The real difference between a coaching leader and a professional coach

→ Why internal coaching reaches people that external programmes never can

→ How to give every voice in a team a genuine chance to be heard

"I do more if I slow down." — Pascale Feldmann

Connect with Pascale Feldmann:

LinkedIn: see show notes

Connect with Joerg Sauer:

@joergsauer_coach

Most teams don't fail because of strategy. They fail because nobody creates the conditions for an honest conversation.

In this episode, I sit down with Nami Ishihara — IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and founder of HappyTeams in Jakarta — to explore what skilled facilitation actually looks like inside real organizations.

We go into the uncomfortable stuff: why leadership teams build kingdoms instead of collaborating, why emotions belong in the boardroom, and why the best facilitator in the room is often the one who knows the least about your industry.

What you'll take away:

→ Why leaders who try to have all the answers are the biggest obstacle to team performance

→ The invisible foundations of accountability that org charts and Gantt charts miss entirely

→ How to navigate emotions at work without calling it therapy

→ The Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model — a practical diagnostic for stuck teams

→ Why facilitators, coaches, and consultants are not interchangeable

→ The one question to ask before your next leadership retreat

"People already know what needs to be done. They just need a safe space to say it." — Nami Ishihara

Connect with Nami Ishihara:

happyteams1.com | @happyteams1 | linkedin.com/in/nami73ishihara

Connect with Joerg Sauer:

@joergsauer_coach

Martha Markaki was a successful divorce lawyer who realized something was wrong: her clients got legal agreements, even court decisions, but they weren't happy. After years of listening to clients for hours about non-legal struggles—the real pain behind divorce—she discovered she wasn't doing legal work at all. She was doing something else.

In this episode, Martha shares her transformation from frustrated lawyer to fulfilled divorce coach and family mediator. We explore why divorce is like "climbing Mount Everest in sandals," the real question facing people after separation (choosing who you WANT to be), and how coaching helps couples navigate conflict before crisis.

Whether you're a coach, a couple in transition, or someone navigating difficult conversations, this conversation offers powerful insights into transformation during life's hardest moments.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction

3:04 From divorce lawyer to divorce coach

4:53 "I invented something... that ended in 30 seconds"

9:12 Mount Everest in sandals: Why divorce is traumatic

11:52 Choose who you WANT to be

12:19 Joerg's journey coaching divorced women in Indonesia

16:51 The hidden needs behind every conflict

20:36 Working with couples vs. individuals

27:55 Conflict in relationships vs. workplace—same dynamics

30:09 The 30-second touch story: What happens when emotions take over

37:56 From frustrated lawyer to fulfilled coach

39:47 "I have wings and I'm flying"

41:09 How to work with Martha

43:26 Closing reflections

KEY TOPICS:

- Divorce coaching and family mediation

- Career transitions in the coaching profession

- Working with couples vs. individuals

- Conflict resolution in relationships and workplace

- Choosing transformation over trauma

- Building a coaching practice in a specialized niche

ABOUT MARTHA MARKAKI:

Based in Athens, Greece, Martha is a certified family mediator, relationship coach, and divorce specialist. She's completing her second year of mental health counseling training and works with couples internationally.

Connect with Martha:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-markaki-b03b01175/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martha_markaki/

ABOUT JOERG SAUER (HOST):

Joerg Sauer is a transformational coach specializing in executive leadership and organizational transformation. Based in Jakarta, Indonesia for over 20 years, Joerg brings a unique perspective shaped by his transition from C-suite executive roles to professional coaching. He holds an MSc in Professional Coaching & Entrepreneurship (with Merit) and is an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC).

As Country Leader of Morphosis Coaching Indonesia, Joerg works with senior leaders and organizations navigating complex change. Inspired by his own life experience, he also coaches singles over 30 and divorced women finding their path forward after major life transitions.

Connect with Joerg:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joergsauer-coach/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joergsauer_coach/

Website: https://joergsauer.coach

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

The COACHpreneur Journey features conversations with coaches, coach entrepreneurs, clients, and service providers in the coaching ecosystem. Hosted by Joerg Sauer from Jakarta, Indonesia.

New episodes every two weeks on Wednesday.

Are coaches supposed to be experts? Anne Lawson, a Sydney-based coaching psychologist with a Master's in Coaching Psychology, challenges this common misconception.

In this conversation, Anne explains why clients are the real experts of their own lives, and what professional coaches actually bring to the table. We explore:

- Why humanity is at the heart of transformational coaching

- The journey from corporate communications to coaching psychology

- How to shift from "selling yourself" to selling a proven process

- What transformation really means in coaching (it's not what you think)

- The difference between accredited and self-proclaimed coaches

- Making mindfulness accessible to corporate clients

- Building a sustainable coaching practice

Anne shares insights from her work as both an internal coach within a government organization and her external coaching practice, specializing in midlife transitions and women navigating significant life shifts.

Perfect for practicing coaches, aspiring coaches, and organizational leaders exploring professional coaching.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction

01:00 - Anne's Background & Introduction

02:30 - What is Humanity in Coaching?

06:07 - Journey from Corporate to Coaching

07:22 - Why Coaching Energizes Instead of Drains

09:34 - Client-Centered Coaching: It's Not About You

11:16 - Coaching What You Haven't Mastered

14:27 - Why Coaches Are NOT Subject Matter Experts

16:20 - Coaching as Mirror: Learning from Your Clients

20:25 - Coaches vs. Consultants: What's the Difference?

22:15 - Values in Action Strengths Framework

24:30 - Mindfulness in Transformational Coaching

31:44 - Making Mindfulness Accessible to Corporate Clients

34:50 - The Coaching Ecosystem & Building Your Practice

37:38 - Why Coaches Undervalue Their Services

40:27 - Not Selling Yourself - Selling a Process You Believe In

42:36 - What Transformation Really Means in Coaching

44:20 - Master's in Coaching Psychology: Credibility & Confidence

45:20 - There's Coaches... and Then There's COACHES

46:29 - Closing & How to Connect with Anne

🔗 Connect with Anne:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-lawson-60b88a34/

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

ICF Core Competencies: https://coachingfederation.org/credentialing/coaching-competencies/icf-core-competencies/

Morphosis Coaching: https://morphosiscoaching.com

🎙️ Host: Joerg Sauer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joergsauer-coach/

Instagram: @joergsauer_coach

Website: https://joergsauer.coach/podcast

#Coaching #CoachingPsychology #ProfessionalCoaching #ICF #TransformationalCoaching

🔊 Host: Joerg Sauer, ACC – Transformational Coach & Morphosis Country Leader, Indonesia
🎤 Guest: Ifigeneia (Ifi) Paraskevopoulou – Mental Health Counselor & Coach, Athens, Greece

“Transition is not change. Change happens around us — transition is the inner journey that helps us reach the next chapter of our lives.”

“You don’t have to have the whole ladder in front of you. Take the first step, and the next one will appear.”

In this heartfelt conversation, Coach Ifigeneia Paraskevopoulou shares her evolution from psychologist and HR leader to a coach supporting women navigating life transitions — from career shifts and motherhood to divorce and rediscovering purpose.
Her work blends psychology, therapeutic tools, and coaching into a deeply human approach that honors both emotion and action.

💡 If you’re standing at a crossroads in life or career, this episode will help you embrace change with courage and compassion.

Ifigeneia highlights:
✅ Why transitions—not changes—create lasting transformation
✅ How inner work, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness shape growth
✅ The role of psychological safety and trust in today’s organizations
✅ Why you never truly feel “ready”—and why that’s perfectly okay

💡 What you’ll learn:

• How to navigate life’s transitions without losing your balance
• Why being “true to yourself” is the foundation of personal and professional success
• The difference between therapy and coaching — and how they complement each other
• How systemic coaching creates ripple effects that transform relationships and workplaces
• What “funpreneurship” means and how joy fuels sustainable coaching

“It’s not about changing who you are — it’s about meeting a new version of yourself.” – Ifigeneia Paraskevopoulou

🎧 Listen now and get inspired to embrace your next transition with confidence and heart.
📲 Ready to take your next step? Comment BALANCE

(00:00) The COACHpreneur Journey - Coach Ifigeneia Paraskevopoulou(01:02)  Who are you as a human? Who are you beyond titles and bios?(02:28)  So what called you into coaching? Was there a pivotal moment or experience that led you to this path?(04:19) Were there any early signs or patterns that hinted coaching might be part of your journey?(05:04)  What is it about coaching that lights you up?(06:01)  What values guide your work as a coach?(08:43) If you had to name your ‘why’ — the deeper reason you do this work — what would it be?(09:41) What keeps you going when things get tough in your coaching journey?(10:25) Tell us about the people you feel most called to work with. Who are they? What are they navigating when they come to you?(12:22) What are transitions in organizations?(14:27) How do your clients usually describe the transformation they experience from working with you?(16:22) Why do you think your voice or approach resonates with the clients you serve?(17:21) Distinction between therapy and coacing.(18:46) What does your coaching offer look like today?(19:30) Are there any tools or methodologies you would like to highlight? (21:30) Is there an offering or piece of your work that feels especially close to your heart?(22:50) What kind of ripple effect do you hope your coaching creates — in your clients’ lives, or beyond?(23:32) If everything aligned perfectly, what would your coaching practice look like in a few years?(25:03) What’s a dream or creative edge you’re leaning into right now?(26:09) For aspiring coaches - If someone feels drawn to coaching but is doubting whether they’re ‘ready’ or ‘enough,’ what would you want them to know? (27:29) For someone who’s never worked with a coach — what do you wish they knew about what’s possible through coaching? (28:22) Where can people connect with you, follow your work, or learn more about what you do?(29:01) Rapid Fire Questions

🔊 Host: Joerg Sauer, ACC – Transformational Coach & Morphosis Country Leader, Indonesia
🎤 Guest: Giorgia Alioto – Talent Coach & HR Leader, Milan, Italy

“Talent is not a privilege of a few — it’s the essence of every individual.”
“We can only shine when we reconnect with our inner beauty and self-worth.”

In this inspiring conversation, Coach Giorgia Alioto shares her journey becoming a Talent Coach — helping people rediscover their self-esteem, recognize their gifts, and cultivate inner fulfillment beyond external achievements.

💡 If you’ve ever felt unseen, undervalued, or disconnected from your purpose, this episode is for you.

Giorgia highlights:
✅ Why talent lives within everyone, not just high performers
✅ How self-love and self-awareness prevent burnout and drive success
✅ Why a coaching mindset is essential for leaders and organizations today

💡 What you’ll learn:
• How Giorgia turned her HR experience into a purpose-driven coaching practice
• Why inner work and presence are the foundation of authentic growth
• The power of shifting perspective and finding beauty in imperfection
• How the Italian Morphosis Coaching community is growing into a hub of support and inspiration

“Every change starts from within. When we rediscover who we truly are, everything else aligns.” – Giorgia Alioto

🎧 Listen now and reconnect with your inner flame.
📲 Ready to explore your own talents? Comment TALENT

You can reach Giorgia Alioto on LinkedIn Instagram Website

Follow me, Joerg on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more content. Connect on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ and via ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree.⁠⁠

Show notes, including transcript posted soon.

#TalentCoaching #SelfWorth #MorphosisCoaching #CoachingJourney #InnerWork #AuthenticLeadership #PersonalGrowth #CoachingMindset

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🔊 Host: Joerg Sauer, ACC – Transformational Coach & Morphosis Country Leader, Indonesia
🎤 Guest: Serena Savini – Back to Work Coach, Milano, Italy

"I want my clients to become the main character of their journey, not just participants."

“After my accident, I went from top performer to forgotten. Coaching helped me come back—and now I help others do the same.”

In this powerful conversation, Coach Serena Savini shares her journey from surviving a life-altering accident to founding “I'm Back”, a coaching practice supporting people returning to work after trauma, illness, burnout, or maternity. As a Back to Work Coach, Serena is helping individuals rediscover their potential and rewrite their own stories.

💡 If you’re feeling stuck in your career or personal life, this episode is for you!
Serena highlights:
✅ The power of recognizing inner potential
✅ How coaching can turn ‘impossible’ into ‘possible’
✅ Why becoming the protagonist of your own life leads to lasting transformation

💡 What you'll learn:

• What returnship coaching is and why we need more of it

• How to hold space without rushing transformation

• The healing power of seeing yourself in your clients

• Why “you don’t need to be ready to start”“The more we work together, the more they become the main character of their journey.” – Serena

🎧 Listen now and be inspired to take control of your story.

I hope you found this episode interesting. Let me know your thoughts.

Cheers, Joerg

You can reach Serena Savini at LinkedIn, I'm Back, or her Podcast.

Follow me, Joerg on ⁠⁠⁠Youtube ⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ for more content. Connect on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ and via ⁠⁠⁠LinkTree.⁠

Show notes, including transcript posted soon.

#CoachingJourney #BackToWorkCoach #CoachingDiversity #Empowerment #RewriteYourStory