In this insightful episode of the Stepping In Podcast, New Ventures West managing partner Adam Klein engages in a profound dialogue with Joel Monk from Coaches Rising, exploring the evolving landscape of coaching, its shadows, and its future possibilities.

The conversation begins with both hosts sharing their personal journeys into coaching. Joel describes his transformation from a hedonistic lifestyle as a community artist and DJ to a spiritual seeker who discovered coaching through Ken Wilber's work after an existential crisis. Adam shares his parallel path, moving from engineering to founding an intentional community called Reimagine, eventually finding his way to New Ventures West through his interest in the Enneagram.

Together, they examine fundamental questions about coaching's foundations. They discuss how coaching often emphasizes success and improvement, potentially perpetuating a sense of lack in clients. Adam notes that New Ventures West's approach has evolved to be mindful of this shadow, recognizing that not everything needs to be about performance enhancement.

The conversation explores coaching's relationship with wisdom rather than success, questioning whether coaches should be provocateurs who challenge the status quo rather than simply helping clients adjust to unsustainable systems. Joel emphasizes the importance of recognizing our interconnectedness, moving beyond the hyper-individualistic approach that has dominated coaching.

A significant portion of the discussion examines AI's impact on coaching. While acknowledging AI might democratize access to coaching, both hosts agree that the human-to-human connection remains irreplaceable. They suggest AI might actually reveal what makes coaching truly powerful: the aliveness that emerges between human beings in authentic relationship.

Adam describes New Ventures West's approach as helping people "be in contact with their own aliveness," highlighting that coaching isn't merely about frameworks but about helping people connect with their unique life expression.

The hosts explore what it means for coaches to remain at their developmental edges. Joel describes the thrilling state of working at one's edge, where coaching feels alive and fresh rather than habituated. They agree that being part of a community of coaches who can offer refined feedback is essential for continued growth—something New Ventures West fosters in its cohort-based training model.

The conversation concludes with a brief mention of ethics in coaching, leaving listeners with questions about how the field might evolve while maintaining its integrity.

Throughout the dialogue, the New Ventures West philosophy shines through: an emphasis on the whole person, the importance of practice, the value of community, and a commitment to helping clients discover their unique aliveness. This conversation exemplifies the depth that New Ventures West brings to the coaching profession, inviting coaches to consider how they might continually evolve their practice.

In this thought-provoking episode of Stepping In, host Adam Klein engages with DEIB experts Dr. Kevin Sansberry and Fran about the evolving landscape of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Their conversation explores the delicate balance between individual identity and collective transformation in today's increasingly divided world.

Personal Journeys (00:07:43)Kevin shares his path of self-reclamation as a Black man in systems not designed for him, while Fran describes evolving from seeking personal safety as "a super weird queer kid" to seeing their "liberation tied up in that of someone else." These contrasting yet complementary journeys illuminate how both self-knowledge and collective responsibility serve the same goal.

The Art of Deep Listening (00:21:31)The guests explore transformative listening that pauses, suspends judgment, and creates space for change. As Kevin explains, effective leaders must "suspend preconceived judgments" to be genuinely changed by what they hear. Fran adds that we must retrain ourselves to hear perspectives different from our own equally.

Listening to the Margins (00:28:25)Fran emphasizes the importance of attending to voices "at the margins," sharing how a CEO dismissed concerns from a small group of Black women employees as "just a few people." Their powerful response: "The nature of this perspective is that it comes from a minority of your people, and that is why you should listen to it."

Equity: The Surprisingly Taboo Conversation (00:34:02)Kevin expresses surprise at how "taboo equity is" in many contexts. Using the example of a wheelchair ramp, he illustrates how equity creates access rather than unfair advantage. The conversation directly confronts the myth of meritocracy, revealing how career advancement often depends on "pre-existing relationships" rather than performance alone.

Building Bridges Through Human Connection (00:59:22)As DEIB faces political headwinds, both guests emphasize authentic connection across differences. Fran notes that "our remit headed into this new calendar year is to bring folks closer," while Kevin observes that many divisions stem from "narratives and not real-life experiences."

Collective Actualization (01:08:40)The conversation concludes with a vision of "collective actualization"—evolving beyond individual self-actualization toward systemic transformation. Kevin brings things full circle: "If you don't even know who you are in this space... it's gonna be hard for you to join the collective."

Adam Klein is an Integral Coach, facilitator, and educator dedicated to creating spaces for transformative learning. As faculty with New Ventures West, Adam brings deep expertise in Integral Coaching to his work with individuals and organizations.

New Ventures West is a premier coaching organization founded in 1987, dedicated to developing coaches who can meet complex challenges with wisdom and compassion through their innovative Integral Coaching® methodology.

In this special podcast episode of Stepping In we review three previous conversations about transformative journeys, purpose and calling, hosted by Adam Klein Managing Partner of New Ventures West. Adam weaves together conversations with three guests - Amiel Handelsman, Mo Edjlali, and Lizzie Azzolino - exploring four key themes about finding one's purpose in life. The themes include: how external life events can awaken inner awareness, how to productively engage with difficulty, how to recognize subtle internal signals about one's calling, and how to sustain commitment to one's purpose over time. Each guest shares personal stories of transformation, from Mo's experience with business failure leading to deep mindfulness work, to Lizzie's journey and profound awakening through illness, to Amiel's shifting relationship with coaching as he ages. The episode concludes with a poem about embracing life's mysteries and continuing forward despite uncertainty. Throughout, Adam emphasizes that while there may be common themes in finding purpose, each person's path is unique to becoming who they're meant to be - the importance is staying present to life's unfolding.