Gandolfo Group Executive Coaching & Consulting

EXECUTIVE COACHIng
By adulthood, you’ve spent years learning about yourself and the world you live in. But how often do you compartmentalize these insights into one area of your life? You can create a more original, impactful, colorful life—both professionally and personally—when you are able to integrate:
Integrate your professional and personal identities so they can work together in balance.
Integrate your unique leadership strengths with 360° feedback and new insights about yourself to help you get promoted for being your most effective self.
Integrate your choices and actions today with your life purpose and values so that you can see the path to realizing your goals.
What in your life do you need to integrate? Only you can answer this question. As your coach, I’m here to guide you through the process.
The challenges today's leaders and their subordinates face are not, for the most part, a problem of will. The problem is the inability to close the gap between what we genuinely, even passionately, want and what we are actually able to do.
Kegan and LAHEY
WHO CAN BENEFIT?
Coaching is especially valuable when:
You want to develop a personalized, authentic leadership style.
You want to move into the driver's seat of your career.
You've moved (or want to move) into a new role, and you realize that what got you here is different from what you are called to do now.
You want to identify your strengths—as well as your potential derailers—so that you can continue to advance as a leader.
You want to pursue a better work/life integration without sacrificing the career you’ve worked so hard to build.
You’ve spent years working toward a degree or position, but now you wonder if this path was the right one for you.
A shift in your personal life pushes you to reevaluate your priorities.
You're leaving a job, either by your own decision or someone else's, and you want to make sure your next move is the right one.
Corporate Coaching
My Process
I've coached leaders of all levels (Director to CEO) from diverse industries, including consumer packaged goods, entertainment, tech, healthcare, real estate, professional services, advertising, architecture, higher education, law, and more. My clients have worked at Google, Facebook, Snap, Dropbox, Square, Roblox, Winc, inVibe Labs, CreatorUp, Revry, NVA, Neutrogena, MOB Beauty, TJX, Shure, System1, Radiology Partners, Kite Pharma, Cerner, Bain, E&Y, Kearney, City National Bank, Pardee Properties, the California Medical Association, the Jewish Federation, and more.

I believe in the importance of clients choosing their coach. I welcome the opportunity for an introductory conversation with HR professionals and leaders. This enables them to assess the fit of working together, as a strong working alliance is key to driving effective change. In addition, I partner with my clients in receiving input from key stakeholders on coaching goals, a development plan and progress.

When useful, I incorporate assessments to build the client’s awareness of their reputation, strengths, potential derailers and values. These can provide insights to drive coaching goals on their own, or complement feedback from a 360° review and/or stakeholder interviews. Depending on the client’s preference, I can utilize an electronic 360 tool or perform the interviews and provide the client with a summary of key themes.
My Focus
I help clients become more effective leaders by building on their natural strengths. While each engagement is tailored to the individual, one or more of these three themes comes forward in much of my work:
Differentiate the attitudes and behaviors that got you to where you are today from what’s required to get you where you want to go. This involves letting go and developing new skills. It’s particularly valuable for newly promoted leaders, or leaders who want to prepare for the next move.
Build communication skills, especially in giving/receiving feedback and navigating high stakes conversations.
Break through competing commitments that prevent you from following through on changes you genuinely want for yourself.
Transformation VALUES
My values on driving professional and personal growth are informed by my own experience and more than two decades of supporting clients, colleagues and direct reports with their own development.
Effectiveness is not innate; you can learn it.
Feedback is a muscle that gets stronger and more comfortable the more you use it.
Building on strengths adds new rungs to your ladder; recognizing weaknesses keeps you from falling off the lower rungs in the climb.
Achieving meaningful change requires looking at your whole self.
You deliver better results when you integrate rather than compartmentalize your personal and professional identities.
There’s a difference between being good at your work and being energized by it.
Sharing your goals with others reveals opportunities and support from unexpected places.
You are too young to give up on your lifetime goals and too old to put them off for the future.
Your ability to make your mark on the world is determined by your mindset, not your age.
Sustained success comes only when you take what's unique about you and figure out how to make it useful.
MARCUS BUCKINGHAM
HOW WILL WE WORK TOGEthER?
Executive coaching doesn’t have to happen in person. We can connect through a mix of face-to-face meetings, video conferences, audio calls, email, Slack, or even texting. When clients are local, we can even leverage the power of coaching in the outdoors, while on a hike or walk. My aspiration is to do mountaintop coaching, where we coach on the chairlift and the client processes their thoughts while skiing or snowboarding down the mountain.

Face-to-Face
Video Conferencing
Phone and Text
Email
The effective executives I have seen differ...in fact in almost everything that distinguishes human beings...Be yourself.
Peter F. Drucker
I'm a partner with Evolution, a coaching and consulting firm, for delivery of engagements. They’re vital to the work we’ll do together. My network of partners, each bringing deep experience in specific industries and methodologies, join client engagements as needed. My partnership with Evolution also allows my clients to tap into a world of hard-earned wisdom and professional know-how.
ABOUT PETER
My name is Peter Gandolfo. I have certifications from the world-renowned Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, California and ICF (PCC). Coaching combines my 25+ years of experience in marketing, management, and consulting with my love for helping others step into their power. I'm passionate about creating a more diverse workforce by helping leaders develop their authentic leadership styles.

Many of his engagements focus on identifying what’s needed (and no longer needed) to reach future goals; developing communication skills, especially in giving/receiving feedback and navigating high stakes conversations; and identifying competing beliefs that prevent clients from following through on changes they genuinely want.

My life experience informs much of my coaching work. For instance, straight out of college, I enrolled in medical school. Three weeks in, I realized I'd spent so much time proving to myself that I could get into medical school, I’d never considered whether I wanted to be a physician! So I switched to a career in business, which is a much better fit for me. Since then, I've always taken time to find and follow my inner “true north” when making career and life decisions, a process that’s especially important now that I’m a husband and father. All these experiences guide me in my coaching work.

Before dedicating my career to coaching, I was the senior director of client engagement for the Drucker Institute, a social enterprise grounded in the revolutionary management principles of Peter Drucker. Prior to joining Drucker, I spent nine years in brand management and international marketing at Mattel, and before that I did product marketing for Ford Motor Company, advertising account management at Foote, Cone & Belding, and product management at Alltech, Inc.

I enjoy writing to share my story and to inspire others to bring more of themselves and the life experience into their leadership style. I write about examples of leadership from pop culture, diversity equity & inclusion, and the intersection of fatherhood and leadership. I've been published in People Matters, MyTech Decisions, Management Today, Fatherly, Payscale, and more.
Education & CERTificATIONS

Intercultural Development Inventory
2022
IDI Qualified Administrator Certification
The Fearless Organization / Aristotle Performance
2021
Psychological Safety Certified Practitioner
Enneagram in Business
2021
Enneagram Coaching Program
International Coach Federation
2019
Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
StandOut
2018
Certified StandOut Strengths Coach
Hogan Assessment
2017
Hogan Assessment Certification Program
International Coach Federation
2017
Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Hudson Institute of Coaching
2016
Certification
UCLA Anderson
2001-2003
MBA, Concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship
University of Notre Dame
1992-1996
B.A. in Psychology and Pre-Professional Studies
Results
Testimonials

EXECUTIVE COACHING
"Working with Peter enabled me to do better (much better) during a personally and professional challenging time. Talking with him was as productive as it was reassuring in its human connection. Peter draws from a wide range of personal experiences and combines them with his coaching toolset - this resulted in every session creating positive, actionable outcomes that I was able to apply immediately."
—Stephan H., CTO

"Peter is a very empathic listener and excellent questioner. It was easy for me to develop a trust base and share certain details I would usually not share, which made the experience and eventual output so much more customized and valuable."
—Raoul M., Venture Capitalist

"Having Peter as a coach allowed me to express my frustrations about my business, and have them heard and supported in a way that felt authentic and empowering. I found myself able to ask better questions and gained new perspectives on my own strengths and resources. Peter was grounded in the reality of business and his advice was practical and his support far reaching."
—Sourabh J., Startup Founder

"I first reached out to Peter as a relatively fresh MBA graduate, hoping to gain insights from an experienced corporate executive. Peter was very generous with his time and provided solid guidance. Fast forward a few years later, during a particularly turbulent time of my professional life, I reached out to Peter again for coaching. Peter is an empathetic listener who asks very insightful and challenging questions. He guided me through a difficult decision process, and as a result, I was able to continue reaching for higher career platforms while maintaining a healthy work-life balance."
—JT X., Marketing Executive

CAREER COACHING
"Peter was a secret weapon in my job search. I started on my own, but was not getting traction. When I started working with Peter, I started to see results. He provided me with a safe space to address areas I needed to work on, but that I had avoided to that point. He was always encouraging, diplomatic and professional. After working with Peter, I secured multiple job offers."
—Carrie F., Director of Content Development

"I highly recommend Peter. From the very first interaction we had, I've felt supported and valued. I was able to work with him to tailor my coaching journey based on my individual needs, and the advice I received was instrumental in my job search and salary negotiation process. Peter is a very well-experienced and approachable coach who will go above and beyond to support his clients."
—AZ, Strategy Executive
Success Stories

CEO, Start-Up
The client wanted to understand what was holding her back from committing the resources to scale her company. Early work focused on adjusting her reactions when her expectations weren’t met so that she could have effective crucial conversations with team members. She built awareness that saying yes to everything prevented her from doing her best work or focusing on her top personal priorities, especially important family events. Aligning her behaviors with her priorities and values pushed her to find ways of being available for business needs, but on terms that allowed her to be fully present.
Operations Manager, Health System
The client wanted to engage her team and set boundaries at work. Coaching helped her tailor her involvement in projects to the team member's needs. To address an underperforming and overwhelmed direct report, we worked on leading direct but supportive conversations to get to the root of the issue, which improved the relationship and performance. The client’s desire to set an example for her team unlocked motivation to maintain a healthy work-life balance through a reorganization. When torn between honoring a social commitment and exercising to keep her stress in check, she realized that she’d want her friends to take care of themselves, and she could extend the same support to herself.
ReTREAT: Creating Your Future
In Q4 2018 we will be offering a retreat for gay men. Creating Your Future will help you connect with what’s most important to you now so that you can begin making the changes necessary to realize your dreams. This transformational experience for up to 16 men will most likely be held in Palm Springs, California.

You’ll reflect on defining moments of your life, prioritize key areas and relationships, bring your professional and person goals into focus, and build a plan to get there. This is not just a weekend to reflect; it will be a collaborative process where you’ll hear from others in similar circumstances and share collective wisdom in a safe and open place.

This next retreat is dedicated to gay men, and we will be announcing the dates for Creating Your Future for other audiences shortly.
Learn More
CONTACT US
I look forward to connecting with you. There's no charge for the initial consultation.
+1-323-868-2730
+1-323-868-2730
peter@gandolfogroup.com
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The Blog
What's on my mind
How Companies Can Break Down Barriers and Empower LGBTQ+ Employees
June 29, 2023
Fostering Inclusivity in Tech: Addressing the Barriers for LGBTQ+ Workers
June 8, 2023
How to Effectively Collaborate in a Hybrid Work Environment
October 7, 2022
What Ted Lasso can teach us about creating psychological safety
May 12, 2022
4 lessons from Ted Lasso about creating psychological safety
May 7, 2022
3 Things That Helped Me Stay Grounded As Life Returned to Full Speed
June 23, 2021
Three Leadership Lessons from Bryan Stockton
August 6, 2020
How I Want to Be Celebrated for Father’s Day
June 9, 2020
One Day, Two Perspectives
January 9, 2020
More Posts
Publications
Thoughts, musings, and ruminations.
How Companies Can Break Down Barriers and Empower LGBTQ+ Employees
June 29, 2023 · LGBTQ,Allyship,ERG,Equity
This article was first published on TriplePundit on June 28, 2023 https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2023/companies-empower-lgbtq-employees/777811
Fostering Inclusivity in Tech: Addressing the Barriers for LGBTQ+ Workers
June 8, 2023 · LGBTQ,Tech,Equity,Inclusion
This blog post was first published on Evolution's blog on June 7, 2023. https://evolution.team/blog/fostering-inclusivity-in-tech-addressing-the-barriers-for-lgbtq-workers
How to Effectively Collaborate in a Hybrid Work Environment
October 7, 2022 · Hybrid,Collaboration,Effectiveness
This article was first published in My TechDecisions on October 6, 2022. https://mytechdecisions.com/unified-communications/collaboration-hyrbid-work-environment/
What Ted Lasso can teach us about creating psychological safety
May 12, 2022 · Leadership,Psychological Safety,Coaching
This article was first published in PeopleMatters on May 11, 2022. https://www.peoplematters.in/article/talent-management/what-ted-lasso-can-teach-us-about-creating-psychological-safety-33950
4 lessons from Ted Lasso about creating psychological safety
May 7, 2022 · Coaching,Psychological Safety,Leadership
This article was first published in Management Today on May 6, 2022 https://evolution.team/blog/4-lessons-from-ted-lasso-about-creating-psychological-safety
3 Things That Helped Me Stay Grounded As Life Returned to Full Speed
June 23, 2021 · Connection,Experimentation,Burnout,Resilience
This article was published in Fatherly.com on June 28, 2021. https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/what-helped-me-stay-grounded-as-things-returned-to-normal
Three Leadership Lessons from Bryan Stockton
August 6, 2020
It’s been less than a week since I learned of Bryan Stockton’s passing. I’m still processing this loss and trying to clarify why knowing Bryan mattered to me. Bryan was well-known within the business community. He was an accomplished executive at Kraft, a globally recognized leader and...
How I Want to Be Celebrated for Father’s Day
June 9, 2020
This article first appeared on Fatherly.com on June 9, 2020. https://www.yahoo.com/video/dads-really-want-father-day-181955244.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig...
One Day, Two Perspectives
January 9, 2020 · Mindset,Above the Line,Choice,Positivity,Parenthood
On my birthday yesterday, I lived two days. In one day, my two sons were disagreeable (the kind description) through breakfast, getting ready, and heading out the door. They didn’t want to keep their voices down when I received a call from my aunt. There was unusual traffic on my drive home...
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