Why I Hired an Executive Coach (and What Changed)

I hired an executive coach because I hit what I call my intuitive fence: the point where you can't see past your own instincts, habits and assumptions. I've worked with Seth Schmidt, first through Novus Global and now through his own practice, FORTIV. It changed how I run my business, and more importantly how I show up at home.

Why would a self-motivated founder need a coach?

For most of my career I prided myself on being self-motivated. I set goals, built businesses and pushed through. That works, until it doesn't.

Left to myself, I made decisions on gut and experience. Seth helped me see that the same instincts that got me this far could also be what was holding me back. Working with him, I learned to:

• Challenge assumptions I thought were immovable.
• Ask "what else might be true?" when I felt stuck.
• Look past the immediate horizon for opportunities I wasn't seeing.

What does good accountability look like?

Not the shallow kind where someone checks whether you finished a task. The kind that holds you to the vision you say you want for your life.

Every conversation with Seth was a reminder that my words, choices and actions needed to line up. That was uncomfortable at first. It was also exactly the push I needed.

What does integrity have to do with performance?

One idea that stuck with me is integrity as economist Michael Jensen defines it. Not good versus bad, but whole and complete:

• Integrity is workability. Like gravity, it isn't good or bad. When something is whole, it works. When it's broken or inconsistent, performance suffers.
• Your word is your wholeness. You keep integrity by keeping your word, and by honoring it when you can't: saying so, cleaning up the mess and restoring trust.
• Without integrity, nothing works. In a business system, a leadership team or your own life, being out of integrity creates breakdowns that ripple everywhere.

Seth held me to that standard. Was I doing what I said? Was I honoring my commitments to myself, my family and my clients? That question changed the way I lead. You can read Michael Jensen's work here.

Did coaching help the business or my life?

Both, but the biggest payoff was at home. Seth helped me get clear on the kind of husband, father and leader I want to be.

For me, success isn't just revenue or client growth. It's building a life where I'm fully present for my wife and kids while still growing a business. Coaching gave me the clarity to go after both.

What did I take away?

• Accountability is a gift. Having someone hold you to your highest standard is how you grow.
• Your instincts aren't always enough. The thinking that got you here won't get you there.
• Coaching is about wholeness. The best leadership isn't compartmentalized. Business, family and personal vision all connect.

Quick answers

Who is Stewart Ramsey's executive coach?

Seth Schmidt, first through Novus Global and now through his own coaching practice, FORTIV (fortiv.co).

What is an "intuitive fence"?

Stewart's term for the point where a leader can't see past their own instincts, habits and assumptions, and needs an outside voice to grow.

Is an executive coach worth it for a small business owner?

In Stewart's experience, yes: coaching paid off in business clarity and revenue, and even more in his family life.

If you've hit your own intuitive fence, find a coach who will push you past it. And if your brand needs the same kind of clarity, let's talk.