October 15, 2024

Whitney Hess - Coaching with Presence and Purpose

1 hour 20 minutes

Today, our special guest is Whitney Hess, Founder and Executive Coach of Vicarious Partners Inc. We discuss the power of bravery, vulnerability, and personal growth. Discover how to overcome fear, cultivate self-awareness, and embrace failure as a stepping stone toward success. With practical tips and inspiring stories, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to live a more courageous and purposeful life.

Highlights include:

0:00-4:25 - Whitney discusses her perspective on failure

04:26-8:17 - Whitney shares her backstory, including living on a sailboat

08:18-14:03 - The importance of being present and fully engaged with clients

14:04-19:48 - A closer look at the power dynamics in coaching relationships

19:49-24:12 - Whitney shares a personal anecdote

24:13-29:45 - More on coaching, UX, and the challenges facing the field

29:46-33:58 - Whitney’s perspective on the risks of pursuing the management track

33:59-38:20 - Coaching dynamics and the importance of an opt-in relationship

43:03-46:26 - Brendan and Whitney highlight the importance of self-reflection

Who is Whitney Hess

Whitney Hess is a coach, writer, and designer on a mission to put humanity back into business. She believes empathy builds empires, and she helps progressive, creative leaders design their careers and accelerate their missions. Her techniques help people gain self-awareness, identify blind spots, navigate obstacles, and bring their whole selves to their work.

Whitney has been a user experience (UX) consultant for over a decade, hired to make technology easier and more pleasurable. She has been recognized for her work with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Foundation Center, Seamless, Boxee, and WNYC. She is named as a co-inventor on a U.S. patent with American Express.

Whitney is a two-time Carnegie Mellon University graduate with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction and a Bachelor’s in Professional Writing and HCI. She is a Certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. She writes on her blog Pleasure & Pain, co-hosts the podcast Designing Yourself, and speaks at conferences and corporations worldwide.

Find Whitney Here: