GET TO KNOW COACH PHIL

Coaching is a rewarding career. Every day, I have the great privilege of helping people achieve what matters most to them and realize the success and potential they have within.

I started my coaching career in 1999. I’m also a published author of two business/sales books. I’ve received a great deal of training and earned multiple certifications, but the greatest training ground of all has been my field experience with my clients. I’ve coached hundreds of professionals and companies in a variety of industries.

How did I wind up as a business coach? It’s been quite a journey, with multiple forks in the road.

I grew up in San Antonio, Texas. My passion was music, and at the age of seven I decided I wanted to be a drummer. I took lessons and played in rock, concert, and marching bands. After graduating from the University of Texas, I packed my drums into my car and headed to Hollywood. I played as a professional drummer for twelve years. During that time I worked as a recording musician and appeared with groups opening for Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and others. The music industry is extremely fickle and competitive and I “paid my dues” heavily. There came a point when I realized that I wasn’t willing to put up with the lifestyle and uncertainties of the music business in anticipation that someday I just MIGHT “make it big.”

Looking for a career to fall back (or forward) on, I went back to school and earned a degree in Computer Science. I spent the next fifteen years in the corporate world as a communication specialist, senior manager and team leader in the software industry.

During that time, I became very interested in my own career development issues. By extension, I became fascinated by what made some people successful and fulfilled, while others with equal or higher ability seemed caught in perpetual struggle. I began to read heavily in the fields of personal development, leadership, motivation, psychology, business, marketing, and success. I attended numerous seminars and accelerated learning workshops. I began to develop a passion for personal development and success strategies.

In 1998, I was ready for a career change. I wanted to combine everything I was learning about business and personal development into some kind of career. By chance, I met a business coach at a party and I hired him to help me figure out what to do next with my career. Very quickly, I grasped the value and power of the coaching process. I also realized that coaching intersected with all my experience, learning, and interests.

Within a couple months of beginning coaching, I decided to become a coach myself. I asked my coach to mentor me and I spent the next three years with him, learning the ropes of business, sales and executive coaching. I also attended Corporate Coach U International, and became a Certified Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming—a system of technologies for improving human communication, influence, and performance). I am dedicated to excellence in my field and regularly attend trainings and seminars to sharpen my skills so I can better serve my clients.

In 2005, I partnered with my original coach, Larry Pinci, to write business/sales books and do corporate sales training. Our first book was Sell the Feeling: The 6-Step System that Drives People to Do Business with You. This book is for anyone in any business who sells products, services, or advice. Our second book was The Referral Code: Unlock a Constant Stream of Business Through the Power of Your Relationships. It is for people who want to grow their business through referrals. Sadly, my partner and coauthor, Larry Pinci passed away in 2011.

In addition to my individual coaching practice, I spent four years leading private CEO peer advisory boards through Vistage International.

I live in Los Angeles with my wife Paula. We have two children, Zak and Julia. I still play drums occasionally and I have a passion for jazz and Brazilian music. My other hobbies are trail running, skiing, mountain biking, and reading.

I am a passionate advocate for people affected by mental illness and am a former board member and regular volunteer at a remarkable mental health organization called Step Up on Second.