Can you please tell us a bit about yourself personally?
I grew up in upstate New York, the son of a lawyer and a nurse who taught me the importance of service and rising to my abilities. I’ve lived in many places in the northeast corridor and had two tours of study in Europe, which cemented my love of travel and global thinking. I was fortunate to meet Arlene, the sister of one of my stockbrokers, and we’ve been married 24 years. While I worked in finance in New York and Boston, Arlene served our communities as a Nurse Practitioner. We have two wonderful daughters who give so much meaning to our lives. Charlotte (almost 20) has cerebral palsy, is in a wheelchair and doesn’t speak, but has a lot to say and starts every day with a smile. Claire (16) is brilliant and beautiful, with an angelic voice and a trial lawyer’s mind.
Please tell us about Guided Ascent Coaching and what makes it unique
I named my company Guided Ascent because I see every career journey like an Everest expedition – keep your summit in view and find a path to get there. Two qualities make my coaching unique: significant real-world experience as a finance industry veteran and former hiring manager and my approach to building trust and bringing out the best in everyone I work with. I listen. Really listen. I focus on showing clients how special they are – something parents have done their child’s entire life, but at some point our children stop hearing it. My wife refers to my ability to understand and truly see people as a superpower, honed by years of bringing the best out in my non-speaking daughter. In my work, I practice “compassionate candor,” boosting my clients’ skills and confidence simultaneously. Then I apply a methodical process, starting with career path brainstorming based on their genuine interests and skills. We build everything from there – candidate profile, networking skills, interview training, even critical AI tools for their resume. The common thread is always confidence building, because showing up knowing they deserve to be there is essential to career and life success.
How did you come to start Guided Ascent Coaching ?
After 30 years on Wall Street, I realized the coaching and mentoring I’d been offering my entire career were what I loved most about my job. As a Boy Scout raised by parents who taught me to give back, I finally decided it was time to do full-time what I’m truly passionate about and help as many people as I can to find more success launching their careers, particularly those targeting the ultra-competitive world of finance.
What are some of the biggest challenges you are seeing in career searches?
The statistics are alarming. More than half of college graduates take jobs that don’t require a college degree, earning 50% less than peers who land college-level positions (check out the landmark study “Talent Disrupted” for all the details). And today’s college grads often lack the “soft skills” that separate the winners from the growing crowd of candidates for every job. The good news is, those skills can be taught.
After hundreds of conversations with parents and young job seekers, the number one issue I’ve encountered is an epidemic of self doubt. When students and recent grads see their peers getting roles while their applications go nowhere, confidence takes a major hit. Coming home without a job after parents paid for college? Double hit. I can see that debilitating loss of confidence immediately. And the longer the unsuccessful search, the more work restoring confidence requires. These smart kids think something’s wrong with them when, really, DIY simply doesn’t work anymore.
Top three things to consider when looking for a career after college?
First, take the time to identify the best career path by combining your genuine interests with your skills and talents. Don’t just follow what seems safe or what your parents do. When an Ivy League athlete embraced the idea that she could pursue her dream of working in Formula One rather than finance, she was two inches taller by the end of our call. Second, believe it will work out and surround yourself with people who lift you up. If you don’t believe you deserve to be in that interview room, you won’t get the job. Third, master networking because finding people to step up and vouch for you is more important than ever. You can’t just apply online and wait; there are simply too many applicants for that. Find people to reach out to — alumni from your school, people in your family network — and get them on your side, with the hope they can push your resume forward.
What are the biggest advantages that clients receive when working with Guided Ascent Coaching?
My clients rebuild their confidence and develop a complete toolkit of practical skills – networking, interviewing, storytelling, and critical AI expertise that ends up on their resume. They walk away with a clear career path and all the professional materials needed to pursue it. If they’re hoping to launch a career in finance, I teach them what they need to stand out and train them in finance topics, so they go into interviews with an unusually strong understanding of the industry. My clients have landed at premier companies like Amazon, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Boston Consulting Group. When people enrolled in my coaching program reach the final round, the chances are high that their extra skills will lead to the offer. I also offer a personal guarantee: if your child doesn’t walk out of our first session convinced my coaching will help them achieve their goal, I’ll immediately refund your entire investment.
How do you balance being a Dad and business owner?
Compartmentalization is key. I work hard to have defined work and family times and try not to allow my business to creep into those precious hours with my wife and daughters. It’s not always easy, as all entrepreneurs know, but it’s really important to me. I’m also proud to have my daughters see the example of their dad choosing to serve others and lift up young people over chasing a big finance paycheck. They’re watching me build something that matters, and I believe that’s a valuable lesson about what work can mean when you’re doing something you believe in.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another parent?
A dad who has been a huge influence on me since our daughters were born gave me a great piece of advice: Travel light. Don’t carry baggage from the past because it just weighs you down. Focus on the future, the possibilities. Leave pain and guilt and mistakes in the past, bringing only lessons learned with you. It is incredible how much this simple idea can pave the way toward true confidence and comfort with who you are. And it has made me a better husband, father and coach.
What do you like to do to relax/have fun for yourself and as a family?
We love our downtime together – watching movies, enjoying a family dinner at our favorite local restaurant, and long car rides traveling the coast to Boston and Cape Cod. There’s something about those coastal drives that brings out the best conversations. We also prioritize experiences that match what typical families enjoy and involve community, like Challenger Baseball and road races with myTeamTriumph,
And to maintain my perspective, I love painting, gardening, movie dates with Arlene and learning as much as I can from the latest audiobooks.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I look forward to helping Greenwich families where your young people can believe in themselves and succeed in launching the careers they want, while parents can focus on being supportive rather than becoming career counselors who create friction with their kids. When I take that burden off the family dynamic and let parents go back to being Mom and Dad, everything changes for the better.
We love to support local businesses. What are your fave places when you are in Greenwich to:
Go on a date night: I’m a big fan of The Little Pub, which has a really fun atmosphere and terrific food.
Have fun as a family: We love to visit my wife’s sister in Cos Cob and relax on the patio among her incredible gardens. We’re also a musical theater family, and we really enjoy the community theater productions at St. Catherine’s.
