When I was 6 years old, my favorite class was “Communication.”
Each week, we'd role-play different scenarios: how to navigate disputes on the playground, how to express our feelings to our siblings and parents, and how to be more patient when our parents were busy talking on the phone or cooking a meal.
And each week, my teacher told me, “Claire Bird, you’re going to teach this when I retire.”
Coaching is me fulfilling that promise.
I work with three types of people in my coaching:
(1) startup cofounding teams
(2) empathic leaders and managers
(3) individuals feeling burnt out
You can read more about my offerings below and about my background here or here (tl;dr: I’ve worked at high-growth startups for 10 years and am a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach).
If you're interested in seeing if I'd be a good fit, set up a free consultation! We'll jump right into some coaching so you can see how I work and we can determine if we're a match.
Co-Founder Coaching
Building a company is incredibly challenging and super personal, and the co-founder relationship can make or break your startup.
I work with co-founders 1-on-1 and as a unit to help you harness your strengths, clarify your values, and develop frameworks and tools to build a strong, long-lasting strategy to manage yourself and each other—since it's a marathon and a sprint.
How it Works
I work with co-founders for a minimum of 6 months and ideally 9-12 months.
Startup years are like "dog years," and change and uncertainty are constant. Establishing a longer-term working relationship allows us to establish effective habits, create meaningful change together and set a strong foundation for your cofounding team—and for your company.
In our first 3 months together, we'll fill up your leadership toolkit with deep dives on your vision, strengths, limiting beliefs, communication style, and more.
After that, we'll design goals for each quarter for you as individuals and as a cofounding team, just like you would with your team.
What I Bring
I combine my own experience across a variety of startup roles, sizes, stages, and industries with my Co-Active coaching background to provide coaching informed by real-world experience.
If you're looking for someone who understands the unique challenges of a startup and can help you level up as an individual and a co-founding team, let’s chat.
Kind Words From Clients
"Working with Claire has leveled up our cofounding team. Through both 1-on-1 coaching and group workshops she’s pushed us to refine our processes and reframe the way we think, communicate, and work. I leave each session more energized and equipped for what’s ahead — she’s an invaluable resource for a fast-growing team navigating uncharted territory."
— Marisa Repka, Co-Founder at Cambium Carbon
"Claire listens intently, asks thoughtful leading questions, isn't afraid to push on sensitive areas when appropriate, and genuinely cares deeply. It has been a joy to work with Claire, not only in that we have become friends, but that I can honestly say I have a more nuanced view of myself and how to leverage that to address current and evolving business challenges."
— Theo Hooker, Co-Founder at Cambium Carbon
Empathic Leaders and Managers
Transitioning from being a high-achieving individual contributor to managing a team is a challenging and often humbling experience. As they say, "What got you here won't get you there."
I'm here to help you navigate the new set of challenges and exciting opportunities of leading a team.
How it Works
I work with leaders for 6 to 12 months to help you build a "User Guide" to you as a leader.
We'll complete exercises to uncover your leadership style, clarify your non-negotiables, align your work with your strengths, and create frameworks and practices to promote self-care and prevent burnout.
In addition to working with you 1-on-1, I can also complete a 360º with your team to give you a full picture of where you're excelling and where you can grow.
What I Bring
I know what it's like to be a new manager and the challenges that come with being responsible for work other than your own. I've also built custom programs for new managers at growing startups and have experience supporting people in this unique and exciting transition period.
If you'd like to chat about 1-on-1 coaching or building a custom program for managers at your company, let’s talk!
Kind Words From Clients
“Claire is an excellent listener, coach and strategist. From high level concepts to low level tactics, she always knew what would be most helpful at the time, and I’m incredibly grateful for our sessions together. I’m already a better manager as a result and I know I’ll carry the learnings with me for years to come.”
— New Tech Lead Manager
"Claire was an exceptional coach - she dove into understanding where I excel and tailored her advice to the best way I learn. She has the innate ability to extract the best out of people so they can soar with their strengths. She was an incredible listener and guide to how to work through situations and held me accountable to those (a way a coach should)!"
— New Recruiting Manager
Burnt Out Humans
When you identify as ambitious, driven, or achievement-oriented, it's deeply confusing to run into burnout. I've been here before and it can seismically shake your sense of who you are.
Burnout is often a sign that your life is out of alignment, and it's a powerful reminder to reconnect with what matters most to you. I'm here to help with that.
How it Works
I work with individuals for 6 or 12 months to reverse burnout and build a strong foundation to prevent it in the future.
First, we'll take an inventory of the different areas of your life (work, relationships, hobbies, etc.) to determine where to focus our energy.
Then, we'll recharge your battery by connecting with your values, vision, core beliefs, and inner allies.
We'll also use the power of tiny habits to create daily practices and self-care routines that will provide you with ongoing, sustainable energy and fulfillment.
What I Bring
A deep empathy for what it's like to feel this way, caring and curiosity about how to help you define and find fulfillment, and lots of questions and exercises to help you remember who you are.
Beating burnout happens one step at a time. Let’s talk and figure out where to start our work together.
