When family relationships, ownership expectations, and business decisions collide, even the best coaching frameworks get tested.

In this episode of The Ambitious Coach Lab, Cam sits down with veteran EOS Implementer and family business expert Sara B. Stern to explore the unique challenges of coaching family-owned businesses. Drawing on more than 11 years of experience, Sara shares powerful stories from the session room, including a father whose hesitation to promote his daughter revealed something far deeper than a question of professional capability. They unpack the Three-Circle Model of family, business, and ownership, why separating those roles creates healthier conversations, and how coaches can navigate generational transitions without getting caught in decades of family history. Sara also explains why she sticks closely to the EOS tools, how humor can diffuse emotionally charged conversations, and why protecting client confidentiality is especially important when working with families. Along the way, she reflects on her own journey of finding confidence, embracing authenticity, and continuing to grow as a coach.

Biography

Sara B. Stern is an Expert EOS Implementer and family business advisor with more than a decade of experience helping leadership teams navigate the complexities of family-owned companies. Before becoming an EOS Implementer, Sara led a Family Business Center in Minnesota, where she developed a passion for helping families balance business performance, ownership responsibilities, and multigenerational relationships. Today, she is recognized throughout the EOS community for her expertise in family business dynamics, particularly her application of the Three-Circle Model. In addition to EOS implementation, Sara advises family ownership groups, hosts monthly family business office hours, and has developed resources to help owners navigate the unique challenges of running and transitioning family enterprises.

Links

Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarabstern

Learn more about Sara's work: https://www.sarabstern.com/

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What happens when your personal brand becomes so successful that it starts holding your business back?

In this episode of The Ambitious Coach Lab, Cam sits down with Stephany Day, founder of Duke Business Consulting Group, to explore the transition from building a successful solo practice to creating a firm that can grow beyond its founder. Stephany shares how she transformed Duke from a one-person fractional consulting practice into a 10-person team, including the unexpected challenges of turning her personal brand into a business development engine for others. They unpack how LinkedIn, referrals, and strategic relationships have fueled her growth, why authentic storytelling outperforms generic content, and how to establish boundaries that protect both your clients and your practice. Stephany also shares her approach to hiring for grit and growth, managing scope creep, and knowing when to say no to opportunities that aren't the right fit. Throughout the conversation, she offers practical lessons on building a sustainable practice, developing other practitioners, and creating a business that doesn't depend entirely on you. Stephany Day Transcript

Biography

Stephany Day is the founder of Duke Business Consulting Group (Duke BCG), a fractional leadership and consulting firm she launched in 2020. What began as a solo consulting practice has grown into a 10-person organization helping businesses strengthen their operations, leadership, and execution. Stephany is also the creator of Fractional Leap Academy, where she has helped approximately 100 professionals navigate the transition into fractional leadership. Known for her candid approach to business, authentic LinkedIn presence, and commitment to developing exceptional fractional executives, Stephany is passionate about helping practitioners build sustainable careers while delivering meaningful results for their clients.

Links

Connect with Stephany on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanyday/

Learn more about Duke Business Consulting Group: https://www.dukebcg.com/

Check out the Fractional Leap: https://www.fractionalleap.com/

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Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/

What if the biggest obstacle to building the coaching practice you actually want is your inability to say no to the opportunities you don't?

In this episode of The Ambitious Coach Lab, Cam sits down with Rachael Reece, founder of Ignite Engagement Consulting, to explore how clarity of vision shapes the way coaches build their practices and serve their clients. Drawing from nearly a decade of entrepreneurship, Rachael shares how her practice has evolved across fractional leadership, consulting, and coaching, and why she's becoming increasingly intentional about the work she accepts. They unpack the danger of collecting certifications and knowledge without creating space to apply them, why presence matters more than being the smartest person in the room, and how great facilitators recognize the human dynamics that frameworks alone cannot address. Rachael also shares lessons from navigating difficult leadership teams, simplifying her business, and learning to balance authentic relationship building with the pressure to constantly create content. Rachael Reece Transcript (1)

Biography

Rachael Reece is the founder of Ignite Engagement Consulting, a Greenville, South Carolina-based advisory and coaching practice she established in 2018. A Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Predictive Index practitioner, and certified coach, Rachael brings more than 25 years of experience across operations, organizational leadership, and business growth, including helping scale a biotech startup through its IPO. Today, she works with business owners and leadership teams to align vision, values, strategy, and talent, with a particular passion for executive coaching, team dynamics, and helping leaders navigate the human side of business.

Links

Connect with Rachael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-reece/

Learn more about Ignite Engagement Consulting: https://ignite-engagement.com/

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What happens when the playbook runs out of pages and the coach has to make the call?

In this solo episode of The Ambitious Coach Lab, Cam Lawson unpacks a conviction that has emerged after more than 40 conversations with coaches, consultants, and fractional leaders: the coaching industry overvalues knowledge and undervalues judgment. Cam explores why knowing a framework is different from mastering the craft, the danger of becoming a “page-turner” coach, and five judgment calls great coaches constantly navigate: when to speak or stay silent, ask or tell, push or protect, follow the agenda or follow the energy, and solve the problem or return ownership to the team. He also explores why AI will make human judgment even more valuable and offers a simple path toward mastery: reps, reflection, and community. Ultimately, great coaches don’t abandon the playbook. They become fluent enough to know what the humans in front of them need when the playbook no longer has the answer.

Biography

Dr. Cam Lawson is a fractional CRO, entrepreneur, partnership leader, and host of The Ambitious Coach Lab. With an MBA and PhD in Strategic Communication, Cam brings together academic research and real-world experience across growth, revenue, partnerships, entrepreneurship, and the business coaching ecosystem. Through The Ambitious Coach Lab, he has interviewed dozens of coaches, consultants, facilitators, and fractional leaders to explore both sides of building a great coaching practice: mastering the craft itself and building a sustainable business around it.

Links

Connect with Cam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camlawson90

Learn more about Cam’s work as a fractional CRO: https://readyforthenextlevel.com/

Use code AC20 for 20% off Ninety: https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=community&utm_medium=abl&utm_campaign=cam

Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/

What changes when a coach stops seeing seats on an Accountability Chart and starts seeing the humans sitting in them?

In this episode of Stories From the Session Room, Cam sits down with Certified EOS Implementer Wendy Waldron to explore the human side of building better businesses. Wendy shares a powerful story about a longtime sales leader who everyone assumed wanted a bigger role, until one honest conversation revealed that the life he actually wanted looked very different. They unpack why great coaching starts with listening and presence, how to create a session room where people feel safe enough to be open and honest, and why coaches have to balance empathy for individuals with what is best for the company. Wendy also shares how she builds trust beyond the owner, why “coachable” has become one of her filters for choosing clients, and what she has learned about creating workplaces that simply make more sense for the humans inside them.

Biography

Wendy Waldron is a Certified EOS Implementer who works with heart-centered leaders to transform their companies. Before becoming an Implementer, Wendy built a career in healthcare leadership, where she led teams, scaled services across hundreds of miles, navigated organizational change, and worked inside complex healthcare environments. After discovering EOS in 2018, she recognized many of the principles that had shaped her most successful leadership experiences and began helping entrepreneurial leadership teams use those tools to build healthier, more aligned organizations. Today, Wendy brings a deeply human approach to the session room, helping leaders build companies that work better for both the business and the people behind it.

Links

Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendywaldron/

Learn more about Wendy’s work with EOS: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/wendy-waldron/

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Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/

What if the biggest issue in the session room is the one nobody feels safe enough to put on the issues list?

In this episode, Cam sits down with David Ridenhour, founder of Undercurrent, to explore the human dynamics operating beneath the surface of every coaching engagement. David challenges coaches to look beyond frameworks, tools, and processes to understand the fears, desires, relationships, and defensive patterns influencing how people actually behave. They unpack the difference between technical and adaptive problems, why a lack of buy-in may be a desire problem rather than a knowledge problem, and how unresolved tension can quietly undermine even the best operating system. David also shares how coaches can become more curious about what is happening beneath the surface so they can move beyond simply “turning the pages” and help clients discover the issues they may not even realize are shaping the room.

Biography

David Ridenhour is the founder of Undercurrent, a platform designed to help coaches, consultants, and fractional leaders better understand the behavioral dynamics operating beneath the surface of an organization. His background spans more than 20 years across nonprofit leadership, pastoral ministry, technology, cybersecurity consulting, and entrepreneurship. Through Undercurrent, David brings together behavioral research, organizational dynamics, and technology to help advisors identify patterns that traditional frameworks and surface-level data can easily miss.

Links

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dfridenhour/

Check out Undercurrent: https://undercurrentresearchlabs.com/

Use code AC20 for 20% off Ninety: https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=community&utm_medium=abl&utm_campaign=cam

Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/

What happens when technology stops competing with great coaching and starts making great coaches even better?

In this episode, Cam sits down with Christine Watts, one of Ninety’s earliest employees, to explore how technology has evolved alongside the coaching experience. Christine shares stories from Ninety’s earliest days, how COVID accelerated the shift toward virtual sessions, and why software can create structure and visibility but can’t fix broken team dynamics. They also explore how coaches can use technology and AI to better prepare for sessions, stay connected between quarterlies, manage their practices, and spend more of their energy on the deeply human work that makes coaching transformational.

Biography

Christine Watts is the Head of Professional Services at Ninety and one of the company’s earliest employees, joining when the platform was still in beta with roughly 50 users. Over the past decade, she has held leadership roles across client success, marketing, product, and chief of staff, giving her a unique perspective on how technology can support coaches and leadership teams. Today, Christine leads Ninety’s Professional Services team and continues to help shape how companies use technology, data, and AI to work more effectively.

Links

• Connect with Christine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wattschristine/
• Check out Christine’s podcast “Impact Moments”: https://www.ninety.io/impact-moments
• Learn more about Ninety’s Maz: https://www.ninety.io/features/ask-maz
• Use code AC20 for 20% off Ninety: https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=community&utm_medium=abl&utm_campaign=cam
• Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/

What if the best business development strategy for your coaching practice is building a network of people who can sell you when you’re not in the room?

In this episode, Cam sits down with Mike Snively to unpack his systematic approach to building an intentional network of Centers of Influence. Mike shares how he arrived in Greenville with virtually no network and grew from zero to more than 1,300 connections in three years by replacing transactional networking with consistent relationship building. They explore his “pie” model for identifying ideal referral partners, the 18 “Purple Pelicans” who know his business well enough to pitch it themselves, and why he gives 10 to 15 times more than he expects to receive. Mike also breaks down the habits behind hundreds of introductions and COI meetings, offering coaches a practical roadmap for building a network that compounds over time.

Biography

Mike Snively is a business development leader with decades of experience across sales, marketing, and executive leadership. Today, he leads business development for a cybersecurity-focused managed service provider while teaching leaders how to systematically build meaningful professional networks. Known for his highly intentional approach to relationship building, Mike has developed a repeatable methodology around Centers of Influence, consistent giving, and strategic introductions that turns networking from an occasional activity into a business development habit.

Links

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-snively-17944513/

Learn more about Mike’s work: https://expertip.net/

Use code AC20 for 20% off Ninety: https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=community&utm_medium=abl&utm_campaign=cam

Join our free LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16297012/