We’d like to highlight Jackie Hanselmann Sergi, founder and leadership coach of Radical Spark Coaching, who provides leadership coaching, career transition support, and talent strategy for many executives and organizations in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. An experienced trainer, leader, recruiter, and public speaker, Jackie’s professional background spans both the corporate and nonprofit spaces including roles in philanthropy, start ups, leadership training, education advocacy, talent strategy, and executive recruitment. It is with this variety of experiences and her natural curiosity that she is able to provide clients a coaching experience that embraces them as a whole person.
“…a coach can help leaders connect to the bigger picture and be a dedicated person for leadership to be able to work through problems.”
Many executives may wonder whether a personal coach is the right move for them. Jackie encourages clients to find a coach they can relate to and adds that hiring a coach is an active investment in you. The leadership role can be lonely, because you lose your peer group and ability to connect with others in your workplace like you used to, and the pressure may feel intensified and higher stakes with new place of power and authority.
“Working with a coach can give leaders a space to be able to be seen, to be vulnerable,
and to feel a lot less lonely” says Jackie. “With their coach, clients can be messy, honest, authentic with a safe space to process and /or panic with someone in your corner…[a coach can] help leaders connect to the bigger picture and be a dedicated person for leadership to be able to work through problems.”
Jackie has a diverse group of clients that she works with, but her passion lies in working with strong female leaders, leaders of color, and working parents. She also enjoys an area of coaching where a lot of coaches don’t dive into: career transition coaching.
Jackie supports clients and organizations through restructuring and staff transitions from a place of authenticity with job seeker supports and tools. Whether it’s because of downsizing or reorganization or any other reason that makes sense, she says it still hurts to lose your job. She thrives on getting clients through these transitional periods and helping them find the next journey that will bring them joy. Radical Spark’s tagline is “Ignite the Possibilities,” and Jackie is not averse to getting a little crazy and a little dreamy to help her clients see their biggest critic and limiter is themselves.
Jackie seeks to work in the best manner that maps to the needs and preferences of the client, whether that’s over the phone, via video conferencing, or face to face. She also has several different tools she can provide, including TotalSDI, an assessment process that helps individuals understand how to communicate and tap into their intrinsic motivation, and the Enneagram personality model. All tools are optional, based on client request.
Being at the top definitely has its benefits, but it can also be limiting at times. If you find yourself looking for a shoulder to lean on, or just want someone to bounce ideas off of, you may want to consider an executive coach. “I help people get out of their own way,” Jackie notes, “to be able to embrace their strengths and their gifts from a place of authenticity and abundance.”
For more information on executive coaching, visit www.radicalsparkcoaching.com
