Coaching the next wave of entrepreneurial leaders

There's something profoundly meaningful about returning to where your journey began – especially when you get to bring someone along who represents the future of that journey.

Next month, Pete Stoddart and I will head up to a lodge on New Brunswick's famed Miramichi River to deliver our Using the Coach Approach program to ELP18 – the newest cohort of the Wallace McCain Institute's Entrepreneurial Leaders Program.

For me, it's a homecoming in more ways than one.

I am part of ELP5, one of the early cohorts of what has become a transformative program for Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs. The Wallace McCain Institute brings together exceptional groups of growth-stage entrepreneurs each year who are given what they need to grow as leaders, CEOs and most importantly, as individuals.

A remarkable run

When I went through the program years ago, Vision Coaching was already the organization trusted to deliver the foundational coaching skills education that kicks off each new cohort. We've now been doing this for 16 years – that's a remarkable run, and one I don't take for granted.

What makes this year especially exciting is that Pete will be joining me. Here's someone who has walked the entrepreneurial path himself – he spent two decades leading the Saint John Ale House Group before transitioning into coaching and, most recently, becoming our Chief Operating Officer. Pete brings that authentic entrepreneurial perspective that resonates so deeply with ELP participants.

What makes the program unique is the setting – we're not in a sterile corporate conference room. We're at Upper Oxbow on the banks of the Miramichi River, working with people who are doing genuinely exciting things to grow Atlantic Canada's economy.

Support through challenges

These business owners understand immediately why coaching skills matter. They're dealing with growing teams, increasing complexity, and the need to develop others around them. When we introduce the fundamentals of what coaching is, how it differs from mentoring, and how to structure effective coaching conversations, they get it. They see the practical application right away with their peer coach.

My ELP peer group has become an extended family. We've supported each other through business challenges, celebrated successes, and helped each other navigate major decisions. 

When my very good friend and colleague Bruce McLeod passed away, when I was wrestling with a potential merger that ultimately didn't happen, when Vision Coaching was finding its footing – this group was there for me.

Building lasting connections

That's the magic of what the Wallace McCain Institute has created. It's not just about business education – it's about building lasting connections among people who understand the unique challenges of entrepreneurial leadership.

As we prepare for this year's program, I'm reminded of how much coaching has evolved since those early days. The entrepreneurs we'll work with next month won't need convincing about coaching's value – they'll want to know how to do it better.

It's a privilege to return to where this particular part of our story began, bringing new energy and perspective, and helping another cohort of Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs discover the transformative power of the coach approach.

Sincerely,

Dave Veale Founder & CEO Vision Coaching Inc.