Meet Terence Davy, an executive coach and fractional COO who has transformed personal struggle into purpose. After nearly burning out while chasing professional success, Terence realized that leadership shouldn’t come at the cost of health and authenticity. Today, he dedicates his work to helping ambitious leaders grow into executive roles without losing sight of their values. Humans of Fuzia is proud to feature his story as part of our global mission to inspire and empower a community of over 5 million members—because building a future of inclusive leadership requires both He for She and She for She.
Q: Terence, could you tell us about your journey into leadership and coaching?
I started out as a chemist right after college, then made a drastic career shift into software. I joined GoGuardian, an education-focused tech company, where I started at the bottom as a contractor but worked my way up. Eventually, I became Director of Customer Success and later served as Chief of Staff to the CEO and COO. But that journey came at a cost—during the pandemic, I pushed myself so hard to deliver results that I ended up hospitalized with stress-related illness. That experience forced me to reflect. I realized I never wanted to sacrifice my health again, and I wanted to help others avoid the same path. That’s when I found coaching.
Q: What motivated you to start your executive coaching practice, Proactivity?
After working with my own executive coach, I learned how to align leadership with values rather than fear or burnout. I reached my goal of joining the executive team by leading with people-first principles, but I noticed many executives around me didn’t operate that way. They were fearful, exhausted, and inauthentic. I wanted to create a space where senior leaders—directors and VPs—could grow into higher roles without losing their integrity or well-being. That’s what inspired me to launch Proactivity.
Q: How does your coaching approach work?
It’s very personal. I partner with leaders in bi-weekly one-on-one sessions, where we reflect on their goals, challenges, and leadership style. My role is to be a supportive partner who cares about their success as much as they do. I also host free webinars and workshops to build awareness and community, but my main focus is helping individuals directly through executive coaching.
Q: What are your long-term aspirations?
My vision is to build a community of thousands of conscious leaders who support each other. Over time, I want Proactivity to grow into a coaching firm with multiple coaches, each serving 20–30 leaders annually. By equipping more good people to rise into C-suite roles, I believe we can create healthier, more effective organizations—and ultimately, positive change in the world.
Q: What challenges have you faced along the way?
Technology isn’t the challenge—I actually enjoy experimenting with AI tools to improve productivity. The bigger challenge is people’s fatigue with digital content. Social media is flooded with low-quality posts, and it’s harder than ever to get meaningful messages across. Another challenge has been working solo after being used to large teams. To address this, I’ve built community with other coaches, sharing experiences and supporting each other’s growth.
Q: What message would you like to share with our global audience?
I keep a simple reminder on my wall: “Little by little.” It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you think about where you are versus where you want to be. But if you focus on just getting a little bit better each day, those small steps compound over time. That’s how you create the life you dream of—by moving forward, little by little.
“Little by little, growth adds up to transformation.” – Terence Davy
Connect with Terence Davy: LinkedIn | Instagram
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