APRIL 2025

Vision Coaching's next chapter begins

One of my favorite business books remains Jim Collins' Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't. In it, Collins emphasizes that transformational companies first focus on "getting the right people on the bus" before determining where to drive it.

That thinking has stuck with me over the nearly 20 years since founding Vision Coaching. In fact, one of the very first on the bus right from the beginning was Marilyn Orr, a friend and a phenomenal coach.

Marilyn is still with Vision Coaching today (with a few detours along the way) and is an integral part of our success in her leadership in our company.

Over two decades, Vision has carefully grown our roster to more than 25 internationally accredited coaches. They bring diverse expertise, complementary strengths, and shared values to our clients. Each addition to our team has been aligned with our vision to transform leadership through coaching.

And now this month I am excited to announce that Peter Stoddart is Vision Coaching’s Chief Operating Officer.

Peter Stoddart named Chief Executive Officer of Vision Coaching

Peter Stoddart, a respected leadership coach with a long history in entrepreneurship and operations, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Vision Coaching.

In this new leadership role, Pete will help Vision realize its bold ambitions for growth – supporting our growing roster of coaches, scaling our services, and expanding our reach into new markets.

“When I first started Vision Coaching 20 years ago, I knew that assembling the right people would be the difference between building a good business and building a business that would endure,” says Dave Veale, Founder & CEO of Vision Coaching.

Michelle's story: How a coaching conversation led to her dream job

Through leadership coaching sessions, Michelle Robichaud kept careful notes about the vision she had for her dream job.

For almost a decade, those notes sat in a file – until the perfect opportunity finally appeared.

"I literally went to my folder and said, 'My goodness, I think this is my dream job,'" Michelle recalls of discovering the position as President of the Atlantica Centre for Energy, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable growth in Atlantic Canada's energy sector. "Lo and behold, of the six or eight things I wrote down, every single one was checked."

Our youth leadership program expanding to schools

Leadership doesn’t wait for adulthood – and it doesn’t come from a textbook. This winter, a pilot of our Accelerate youth leadership program at middle school helped 15 students unlock confidence, courage and connection in just four weeks.

Participants explored leadership, communication and self-confidence through a blend of physical activities like yoga, boxing and Pilates, paired with interactive classroom conversations. Each session connected movement with mindset, and leadership with lived experience.

Feedback from the school and participants was deeply encouraging.

“I have experienced firsthand the results of your work with our students,” the vice-principal remarked. “In one instance, a student who may not have always been forthcoming was extremely so when I had to address their behaviour. The student took accountability for their actions… It was a wonderful moment.”

Finding clarity in the chaos

Digging into Boiling Point episodes of the past, we uncovered Bringing Clarity to the Entrepreneurial Chaos.

Co-hosts Dave Veale and Greg Hemmings enjoy a wide-ranging conversation with strategist and coach Dolores Hirschmann, who shares how clarity, mindset and letting go of limiting beliefs can help leaders move from overwhelmed to focused – and unlock the next stage of growth. Tune in now through the Boiling Point website or your favorite podcast platform.

What Sets Inspirational Leaders Apart in Harvard Business Review identifies three essential leadership roles – visionary, exemplar and mentor. When leaders embody these consistently, they connect to human needs and inspire trust, engagement and performance.

In Time magazine, Why the Best Leaders Let Themselves Be Vulnerable explores why true leadership requires emotional openness. Vulnerability, curiosity and self-reflection create deeper connections and inspire growth – transforming “Teflon” personas into authentic, effective leaders.

Deloitte Insights features Is There Still Value in the Role of Managers? The piece details a new model for leadership: rather than eliminate managers, organizations must reinvent the role – emphasizing judgment, coaching and agility in a world reshaped by AI.