Tom Henschel
Tom Henschel is an Executive Coach. He tells us that, “We are not wizards, but we are guides. We have been in the game a long time, so we bring experience and wisdom.”
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
Experience has taught me that I am not the best coach for my clients if I am not well-rested, grounded and centered. In my early years, I was willing to do anything for my clients — late nights, long days, inconveniences — in the name of “customer service.” Now I have found that customer service includes self-care. I remind myself about self-care many times a day.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
I do not take anything in business personally. I have lost major corporate clients. I have had individual clients tell me they wanted to stop our work. I have had leaders betray information I thought was confidential. No matter what the obstacle, I work hard to remember that it is never personal. How I choose to respond is the only power I have.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
I watch 3 factors … 1. How much of my business comes from referrals? 2. How much engagement am I getting through my podcast? 3. What feedback am I getting from current clients. Combined, those measurements give me a good sense of my company’s health.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
In 2023, a senior executive I had coached 15 years ago reached out to me asking for help with two of his direct reports. That felt like an affirmation of the lasting impact on my work. Before the end of the year, two other senior leaders (none of whom knew each other) also reconnected with me after years and years of silence. That pattern felt like a deepening and strengthening of my company’s roots.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
Relationships, in general, are critical to entrepreneurial success. Mentors, in particular, accelerate learning and growth. Without my mentors, my journey would have been harder, longer, and much less successful.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
As a leadership coach, I work with leaders who tend to be highly skilled in their tasks and less skilled in their ability to build and maintain positive relationships in the workplace. This may be a woman struggling to get promoted, or who needs to “find her voice,” or who wants to polish her executive presence, or be a stronger leader for her team. Clients express gratitude for their work with me, which is how I know I’ve made a difference.