#004: Listening to Your Internal Coach with Nick Egan

Vet Med Wellness + Leadership

Several years ago, Nick Egan and I met at coach training at the Co-Active Training Institute. His energy, unique education, and journey have really interested me. Nick is an executive coach working with mission-driven entrepreneurs as well as the author of Shift: The Art of Transforming Limitations.

Nick studied psychology as his undergrad, but his passion for Zen led him to pursue a Masters in World Religion and ultimately his Ph.D. in Buddhism. From a young age, Nick was interested in spirituality and the inner workings of the mind. He trained at a monastery in Nepal for his fieldwork and spent some time afterward leading tours through the Himalayas. Upon his return, Nick joined his family in Real Estate where he learned about entrepreneurs and had his first experience with a coach, bringing him full circle to his current work of encouraging growth with his positive psychology and understanding of Buddhist philosophy.

The question that drives Nick is, "What is the essential point of something"? When working on something, he strives for understanding the what, how, and why of it. He talks about his "Kind Regard" with clients, and how with that he cannot give up a solution to their problems but instead, follows through with them and allows resolution to come through naturally. He promotes action based on insight and wisdom.

One of the biggest challenges Nick sees is imposter syndrome holding people back, especially when they're looking for external validation to rid that feeling. If you're waiting for someone else to tell you that you're the real deal, you're going to be waiting a very long time! When working with the challenge or any challenge, Nick looks for the cracks, and when he finds one he can usually get it to metaphorically bust right open.

Mindset is often people's biggest limitation, Nick finds people's setbacks to be 80% Mindset and 20% execution. So why the mindset? Nick shares then that when talking with clients, he realizes they're not specific enough about their goals, and sometimes forget to dream. Yes, you have an idea, but what is the dream behind the dream. What do you really want and what are you willing to do to get there?

Speaking of dreams, Nick's advice for leaders today is great if you want to build a life out of your passions. He says to lean into the things you're interested in wholeheartedly sooner rather than later. You don't need to silo elements of your personality that you think aren't connected, there is great power in making those connections.

Your personality is a really important part of who you are in business and leadership. If you're looking for a coach there is a lot to be said about the chemistry and alignment of who you work with. Nick urges clients to seek out the right energetic personality versus the methodology. However, if you're not working with a coach, there is much value to be found in your own internal coach.

If you'd like to learn more about Nick Egan, you can find him on LinkedIn or on his personal website.

What’s Inside:

• How Nick Egan’s unique background shaped his coaching style.
• What does it mean to give “Kind Regard”?
• Why is the mindset most people’s biggest limitation?
• Will external validation solve imposter syndrome?
• What should you look for in a coach?

Mentioned In This Episode:

Nick Egan, PhD
Nick Egan, Ph.D. on LinkedIn