In many ways, I’m floating towards my coaching destiny on a fluffy cloud of alignment and purpose.
As a high school senior selected to mentor freshmen, I practiced active listening and designed brave spaces for vulnerable sharing among the pimpled and potential-filled. When I was building Arq, I eventually embraced the question and challenge of what it means to be a spiritual leader. While developing a heart-filled and high-performing team at Patreon, I looked forward to hosting holistic “where’s your life going and how does this work fit in” conversations with my direct reports. Being a spouse and a parent has given me the daily (hourly?) opportunity to practice being present and to support the people closest to me in becoming who they are always becoming. Over the past decade, coaches and spiritual directors have guided me into some of my most enlightening revelations and supplied the repeat-worthy quotes pinned to my wall on post-it notes.
I eat up the Enneagram and Human Design, find meaning in my astrological chart, love a juicy reflection prompt, and find equal inspiration in Vogue articles about Bennifer 2.0 (Jen has done some deep inner work, y’all) and Mark Nepo’s poetry. Constant Learning is one of my most deeply held core values. In a note on my phone, I wrote, “I love witnessing people see themselves.” I'm playful, wise, warm, incisive, steadfast, trustworthy, spiritual, curious, vibrant, optimistic, creative, in love with myself and with you, ever unfolding, and ready.
I’ve also been doing lots of work to meet this moment.
I once got my grades docked for repeatedly speaking up in class and over others (teacher included) without raising my hand, now I’m rarely the first to share. I had a chutzpah-powered blog called Danyaneering (root word: domineering), now I’m finding out what being soft and strong looks like. It took me years to finally (OK, mostly) stop telling my adult siblings what to do (which is really hard when you’re the eldest and know best). I’ve historically spent a lot of time in my head — thinking, stewing, and rethinking — and not in tune with, or even ignoring, my heart or my body. I’ve often given preference to the shoulds over my inner guidance, seeking something ahead instead of embracing where I am right here right now, and holding fast when going with the flow and evolving would better serve me.
When I enrolled in a yearlong coaching training last summer, it felt bashert and bold, intuitive and intimidating.
Now, I’m a certified Integral Coach. The training program I participated in — New Ventures West — shaped and strengthened me in ways I only dreamed it would.
My faculty provided a rigorous, structured, deep foundation upon which I could build a coaching body and practice, rather than rely on a strictly intuitive approach or a make-it-up-as-you-go strategy. The program’s reputation and alumni group showed me that I could work with a wide range of clients, from a friend of a friend to a high-powered CEO. This was the most holistic, values-aligned method I found: plenty intellectual, as well as heart, soul, and body-deep.
I can assess a brand new client and craft an actionable development plan, but I also learned that my body’s wisdom is abundant if I listen to it, that radical self-acceptance and surrender are my own next frontiers, and that there’s nothing — nothing — better than being truly seen and known for all that each of us is. The love and care I received and got to give to my classmates will bolster me forever.
As a coach, I invite my clients to be fully alive and wholly themselves. I ask them to join me in a collaborative, custom process and relationship built on mutual trust, respect, openness, and participation.
My coaching focuses on the practical and doable, meeting clients exactly as they are at a particular moment in time and addressing their specific challenge or aspiration. It’s also deep and long-term, focused on the person and the patterns behind the issue, supporting a person’s development over time, and ultimately helping them build the capacity to solve current and future problems on their own.
For some clients, my 15+ years of operating experience is essential, since I come with contextual understanding and can offer strategic advice when appropriate.
I offer a container of kind, compassionate support and rich learning filled with care for and about my clients. In order to do that and to design an effective, outcome-based program for my clients, I do my own work: I meditate to build presence and patience, journal to get curious and be self-aware, exercise to build stamina, keep learning (I’m currently curious about somatics and dream work), take on new challenges (beginner surfer here!) to build empathy, and more.
I can coach anyone who wants to learn, grow, and shift. And, I’m also particularly inspired and galvanized by the opportunity - and, for me, moral and cultural imperative - to coach leaders to better understand themselves and to be responsible for their impact, whether that’s on their teams, customers, or society.
Just a sample of the open and committed humans I’ve worked with:
multiple venture-backed startup founders on key decisions and processes, as well as deepening their capacity for self-care and resilience
a pre-retirement public school leader on effective communication and future plans
an Emmy-winning freelance photographer and videographer on bringing her emotions and body’s wisdom into her decision-making
a spiritual leader on stepping into her own unique form of power and reframing her experience as an empath
I’ve never enlisted the help of a coach before, but I would imagine few are as thoughtful, intentional and aware of the nuances of an individual as Danya is. While I approached the initial sessions with a specific “decision” or “choice” in mind, Danya helped me see beyond traditionally structured ways of thinking and fundamentally changed the way I approach decision making for the better. I have no doubt that the benefits from our sessions will continue to reveal themselves throughout the years. I’m extremely grateful! — A recent client
I plan to continue to coach and advise clients within technology (where I’ve spent the bulk of my career), and I’m also interested in non-profit (I’ve served on boards), politics (this is urgent), education (public, in particular), and religion/spirituality (the company I founded was in this space). I can coach women, parents, and entrepreneurs — all identities I hold — and I hope to coach people who are not at all like me, building my own empathy and maybe even bridges in our increasingly divided world.
I love to teach and gather, and I believe in the power of storytelling, so I may offer group coaching, bring together peer groups of fellow coaches, speak publicly, or create educational content. I’m excited about the flexibility and agency that comes with building an independent coaching practice since I’ll continue to launch passion projects alongside that work — check out lafamilies.bike (h/t to my husband and collaborator, Andrew), and get ready for my podcast about personal transformation with
(coming soon)!However my career — my calling — as a coach unfolds over time, I can already feel the ways this work is showing up in my own life. I’m a better partner, parent, family member, and local community leader. My deepest wish is that we all begin and stay the course on this ongoing journey home to ourselves so we can connect and lead better. Who’s signing up?!
Who do you know who can benefit from my support?
I would love your thoughtful, generous client referrals. Have anyone in mind? Send them this blog post or introduce me directly at danyashults@gmail.com. Thank you!
Do you want to be coached?
While I can’t coach friends or family, I do have an ever-expanding list of highly capable, caring practitioners to recommend to you. Send me a note at danyashults@gmail.com.
Go Danya!