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Are you holding back on your dreams because you're scared of failing or not being perfect?

Tune in as Vic and Ryan discuss why starting small, slow, and even scared is the secret to forward momentum.

Through personal stories and practical tips to help you take that leap this epidose covers how to get started despite the fear or desire for perfection. Its never too late, you are not too old, you are qualified enough, start slow, start small, start scared, just get started.

Links to Previous Episodes

Summer Shorts - This is Goodness in Failure

Why is 'What Do You Want?' Such a Tough Question

Confronting Your Inner Sabateurs

Finding, Connecting and Nurturing Your Leader Within

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Whether you're seeking personal growth, career advancement, or creative inspiration, choosing the right coach makes all the difference.

Join Vic and Ryan in this episode of Go Coach Yourself! as they navigate the essentials—from understanding your goals, and budget considerations, to uncovering the credentials that matter.

This episode offers insights and actionable tips that demystify the coaching process, helping you find that perfect partnership.

Links in this episode:

What is Co-Acive Coaching, Really?

IPEC Coaching

Hudson Institute of Coaching

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this conversation, Ryan and Vic welcome Susan Clark—founder of heartspark and the creator of Ignite the Spark—to explore what actually makes relationships meaningful. We talk intimacy (beyond romance), why vulnerability creates safety, and how “the energy between us” matters more than hours logged. Susan shares stories from decades of community-building, plus research notes on how friendships form and endure. You’ll hear simple, powerful practices to deepen connection with the people who make you more you.

Resources

• Connect with Susan Clark on Linkedin
• Want to learn more about Ignite the Spark? Let's chat!

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Ever wondered what coaches mean when they say they’re Co-Active? In this behind-the-scenes episode, Ryan and Vic unpack what Co-Active Coaching really is — not as a training manual, but as the mindset that shapes how they coach, lead, and live.

They share how they each discovered the Co-Active model (spoiler: it starts with our mutual friend named Lisa), and explore its four cornerstones and three core principles.

You’ll also hear how Co-Active has shaped who they are as humans — not just coaches. From learning to stay with emotion, to designing alliances, to trusting the process of change, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight.

Resources mentioned:

• Learn more about Co-Active
• The Co-Active Coaching Model
• Go Coach Yourself: Building Perspectives
• Go Coach Yourself: Leader Within

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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We’ve all heard it: “Bring your whole self to work.” Or maybe it’s “Show up as your best self.” Lately, though, the conversation has started to shift. Some people are pushing back—saying that maybe your “whole self” isn’t what every space needs. In this episode, Ryan and Vic unpack what’s behind these buzzwords and explore how to navigate authenticity, discernment, and emotional intelligence in real life.

Together, they explore the differences between your whole self, best self, and higher self—and what it looks like to choose which version of you to bring forward based on context, safety, and purpose. The conversation moves from the pitfalls of unfiltered “wholeness,” to the exhaustion of trying to be your “best” all the time, to the power of showing up from your higher self—that calm, aware part of you that acts with alignment and service, not ego.

It’s a thoughtful, funny, and refreshingly real take on what it actually means to “bring yourself” to the world—and how to do it without losing who you are in the process.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dr. Victoria Mattingly on authenticity + emotional intelligence
• Dr. Paige Williams on focusing on your true self
• Go Coach Yourself: Self-Awareness, part of EQ (helpful pairing)

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this episode of Go Coach Yourself! Ryan and Vic talk about what it means to build a life you want to share with others. The episode is inspired by Vic's 50th Birthday celebration, where she invited 15 friends from around the globe to spend the weekend in NYC.

They emphasize the importance of incremental changes and deliberate choices to align with your values and purpose and share personal anecdotes about significant decisions and daily habits that brought them to where they are now. Recognizing everyone's journey is different, Vic and Ryan encourage listeners to envision their future selves, adopt small, bridge habits, and embrace discomfort as a growth opportunity. Practical steps include a vision exercise and auditing recent decisions.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Join Vic and Ryan as they discuss passion on this week's episode of Go Coach Yourself! This inspriation for this episode was a recent line of people Vic saw on the street in New York City it prompted the question: what am I so passionate about that I would stand in line for it? This episode is a response to that question.

In this episode they dive into what passion is, where it comes from, how you find it and how you nurture it. If you want to find out more about what you would stand in line for and more importantly why - listen in.

If you want to uncover your passion and what drives your success check out Ryan's Ignite The Spark series.

Mentioned in this podcast episode:

Bros, When Will I be Famous

Link to previous episode:

Building New Perspectives

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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What happens when your job title becomes your identity? In this episode, Ryan and Vic unpack the modern trap of defining yourself by your career — and what it takes to find a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment beyond work.

They explore how brand prestige and job titles can quietly shape our self-worth, share personal experiences from Nike, Google, and Amazon, and bring in psychology research that explains why we cling so tightly to professional identities.

Listeners will walk away with practical tools and reflection questions to start separating who you are from what you do.

In This Episode:

• Why 70% of people say work is their main source of identity
• How “work-role centrality” impacts your confidence and resilience
• What research shows about the difference between a job, career, and calling
• Personal stories of redefining identity beyond corporate prestige
• Four reflection tools to expand your sense of self

Reflection Prompts:

1. What sentence captures why you do what you do?
2. Which non-work role in your life deserves more of your energy right now?
3. If money and status were off the table, how would you define success?
4. Where does your compass need to point this week to feel aligned?

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Amy Wrzesniewski’s research on “Job, Career, or Calling” (Yale University)
• Robert Leahy in Psychology Today, "You Are Not Your Job"

If you’re in transition:

Ryan’s Foundation Series: Being Uniquely You helps you rediscover who you are beyond your job title through a 3-session small group experience.

Learn more here →

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk