Trusted Advisor, 9x Founder, and CEO Coach
I'm John Hittler, and yes, that really is my name.
I've been in your shoes….9 different times, building and selling medical device companies, financial service companies, an international non-profit in Russia, and even a catering company, among the businesses I have founded.
Having navigated the challenges and triumphs of leadership across multiple industries, I've led organizations ranging from innovative startups to multimillion-dollar enterprises, building and leading teams of 50 to 500+. The companies were varied.
The CEO role is generally the same.
You’re the one member of the organization in charge of everything, whether or not you run it day-to-day. If you’re good at the role, you’re not in control of much. That’s a fine line to walk–in charge of everything, and in control of hardly anything.
That means you have to build teams, trust the leaders, hold people accountable, inspire people with a compelling mission, and fund the whole enterprise, almost always without the full resources needed to succeed!
It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, and like you, I didn't want any other role.
I understand the pressures, the decisions, and the loneliness that comes with the CEO role because I've faced it myself. I have had successful exits and disappointing failures among the 9 companies, and learned from each assignment.
The most challenging part?
Running a family and participating in a marriage with 7 kids, all while attempting to keep my personal health a priority.
I managed to do that with multiple companies, and I now partner with CEOs to win at the same big game.
Passionate Coach
I got into coaching because someone asked me if I would advise them.
Until that moment, I had never considered it. Turns out, coaching was the perfect fit for my genius talent. After all, my specialty as a CEO was creating “seemingly impossible” results.
I had just never considered the idea that I could partner with other CEOs to do the same thing. Turns out, it was more fun than ‘just being a CEO’, since I could play with multiple CEOs in multiple companies. I only succeeded when they succeeded!
I coach because it’s the one activity where I get up every morning and can’t wait to collaborate with clients–all of whom are facing gigantic challenges!
I work with no contracts, rather with a handshake. Client engagements last on average 5 years, 7 months, as we measure the effectiveness by tracking ROI. Most clients tell me the ROI is between 10x and as much as 100x.
My style is highly personalized, collaborative, and playful. We’ll both laugh at each other, and at ourselves, even while tackling very serious topics.
For me, my favorite part is when clients create more than $1M in captured revenue, net profit, or savings all on one call. We call them “Million Dollar Calls”! Super fun. Super valuable.
The most satisfying part about coaching are the relationships and partnerships that form between myself and each client. The clients report after a year or so, that they are happier now with the non-financial and non-business objectives that they have accomplished. That’s on top of a 10x return on their investment.
That’s a big win for both of us!
My Coaching Approach
My coaching methodology is built on years of experience….as a CEO, not a trained coach!
Who better to partner with in a really tough role than someone who has succeeded and failed at the same role you hold?
A few themes are always present in our coaching collaboration:
Genius Talent
You have one genius level talent, most likely embedded in your DNA. Let’s find that specific talent, articulate it, and then implement it as the cornerstone of your role as CEO, spouse, parent, friend, and difference maker.
Self-responsibility
There is no blame, only responsibility. If a team fails, it’s never just their fault. The question we will address: “Who am I that the team failed?”
Problems get solved much faster when we implement a methodology of (full) self-responsibility without any blame. We get on with solving the challenges.
Abundance
It sounds simple and many claim an abundance mindset, but statistically, 6 in 7 people on the planet hold a scarcity mentality. Abundance = “There is enough here.” Enough talent. Enough opportunity. Enough money. Enough resources to succeed.
Let’s create big success, exercising an abundance methodology, starting with you!
Beyond that, the coaching process simply feels like robust conversations, 2x monthly, with dedicated time slots. You bring to the coaching session anything and everything you would like to discuss, and sometimes, that means you have very little on the agenda.
We make concrete, measured progress on each call, which compounds quickly over time. Success starts to show up more easily. You find yourself in less meetings. Your team is playing bigger, more ambitious games. You’re home earlier. You’re sleeping better.
Your success starts to come much more easily.
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