My rates depend on a company’s stage, but I price at about the 95th percentile relative to the market. For seed and series A, I charge $4,000 / mo., and for companies at the B and beyond (or over $10M in revenue), I charge $6,000 / mo. (both rates are sessions every other week).
Source: CEO Executive Coach Compensation Benchmarks (Pave, 2023)
We can do asynchronous, survey-based 360° feedback at any time as part of our work together. If you’d like to do the premium version of 360° feedback, where I interview 4-10 people on your team and in your life, summarize the feedback and share it with you, then I can put together a package for you.
Another idea I’ve adopted from therapists is “The Therapy Frame.” [9] Great therapists establish a clear "frame” for effective therapy and set boundaries outside of which good therapy cannot happen. For instance, many therapists refuse to allow emails, texts, or calls outside sessions to avoid resentment and maintain their supportive effectiveness.
Below, I’ve outlined several guidelines of my “Coaching Frame,” all designed to facilitate great coaching. Please keep in mind that while I consistently apply these general principles, I may choose to deviate in exceptional circumstances.
Regular Sessions. My clients have recurring sessions at the same time each week or every other week. I rarely book one-off sessions outside emergencies because my calendar is almost full. Time management is an issue I address with most of the founders I coach. Having a set schedule helps model good time management behaviors and identify time management issues that may arise with others. Being flexible with schedule changes for a client trying to improve their time management is like agreeing to have a beer with someone trying to stop drinking.
I see clients at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm PT on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. In extreme cases, I may see a client outside those hours, but don’t expect availability during those times.
On Time. I commit to punctuality for all our sessions and expect the same from you. We will also end on time, meaning we’ll start wrapping up at the :55 minute mark, not at the :59 minute mark or beyond the hour.
Presence. I commit to being present and expect the same from you. That means no Slack notifications, text messages, phone calls (except for family or emergencies), or loud background noise. I recommend clients choose a location where others won’t overhear them. If you take our calls while walking, please find a quiet place, as background noise and signal loss are counterproductive.
A Coach/Client Relationship. A downside of my work is that no matter how wonderful my clients are, I believe developing friendships or non-coaching relationships with my clients is counterproductive. While I appreciate invites to dinner, happy hour, event invitations, I will decline to maintain our coach-client relationship.
Many clients eventually wish to know me better, often before “going deeper.” I’m happy to share to the extent it benefits you, but our time is for your benefit, not mine. I may also refrain from answering personal questions.
Cancellation, Rescheduling, & Billing. Client cancellations or rescheduling requests to meet outside my available hours due to their poor time management annoy me and breed resentment. I charge for cancellations to prevent such—again, counterproductive—feelings.
To accommodate unforeseen events, clients receive two free cancellations yearly.
Please coordinate schedule changes or cancellations with my assistant rather than texting or emailing me directly, as she manages my calendar and I'll only relay the message.
See Rescheduling, Cancellation, and Refund Policies for more detailed information.
Coaching Outside of Sessions. I don’t coach outside sessions except in extreme circumstances. 99% of the time, delaying a response to an “urgent” text or email by a few hours results in the founder solving the problem before I reply. Being overly responsive fosters dependence, which isn't beneficial for my clients. If you've had a particularly troubling experience, like being involved in a confrontation, I suggest writing a detailed email or sending a voice note while your emotions are still fresh. We'll discuss it in our next session. In rare cases, I may respond with thoughts before our session, but don't expect a reply.
Privacy. In our contract, I agree not to disclose anything we discuss in our sessions with anyone else.
Other People. Work is collaborative, involving others. That means we'll often discuss them in our coaching sessions. I will emphasize what you control (how you take responsibility vs. blaming others). Prepare for me to encourage first-person speech about what’s happening (e.g., “I get scared and angry when I notice Gary interrupting customers and going on tangents in meetings,” rather than “Gary totally blew that meeting.”). Also, get ready for me to ask how you’re responsible for creating the circumstances leading to a conflict.
While more guidelines for great coaching exist*,* that’s enough for now. I hope this serves as an example of setting and communicating professional expectations.