Ottawa coaching team offers tailored programs for leaders

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This is the latest entry in a series called Who Owns That. We've asked readers on our LinkedIn group to identify their favourite small businesses from across Canada, and we track down the owners so they can tell us their stories. Their answers are edited.

Introducing Marc Davidson, vice-president of EQUI Coaching Inc., which offers personalized coaching programs that allow their clients to develop the new perspectives and practices required to attain the desired results. The company is based in Rockland, Ont.

Let's start with the basics. Can you briefly describe your business, including when it was founded, what it does, and where you operate?

EQUI Coaching Inc. was founded in 2002 by Nicole St-Amour and Marc Davidson. We are both certified professional coaches operating primarily in the Ottawa area, although we also have clients in Kingston and Montreal. We provide a variety of coaching services to individuals and teams. We work with individuals who wish to develop their leadership skills, develop and implement a career vision, and help them adapt to a new environment, a new role, some new responsibilities. We work with teams to help them achieve a high level of performance, improve collaboration and cohesion.

2. What inspired you to be an entrepreneur and to branch out on your own with this idea?

We both had experienced the power of coaching and wanted to leverage our unique experience in contributing to others. With so many changes in the workplace and in society, we felt that personal and team coaching could have a big impact on individuals' and teams' development and performance. Nicole has a varied background: she has work experience in the non-profit sector, has worked with entrepreneurs and has also coached a number of individuals in the public sector. She has a double coaching certification, as an Integral Coach with New Ventures West and as a somatic coach with the Strozzi Institute.

She has achieved the level of Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. She offers programs in Somatic Development to other certified coaches. Marc has a corporate background, having worked for more than 25 years in the Bell Canada organization, the last 10 years at the Executive Level. Marc has received his certification as an integral coach from New Ventures West and has also been certified as a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.

3. Who are your typical customers, and how do they find you?

Typical clients are director-level managers in large organizations (both public and private sector). Marc is a personal and team coach with Queens University's MBA and other master level programs. Nicole offers learning opportunities to new coaches to help them deepen and expand their area of interventions with their clients. She also work with team leaders to allow them to become more efficient in their role. A lot of clients come to us from word of mouth reference from previously satisfied clients. We also have a website, are members of LinkedIn and participate in various networking events, such as seminars/meetings put on by the Ottawa and Gatineau Chapter of the International Coaching Federation.

4. What are the roles of you and your co-founder in the business? Do you have any employees?

Our business consists of Nicole as president and treasurer and Marc as vice-president. We have no employees.

5. You've been identified by one of our readers as a standout business. What do you consider the key element of your success?

The key element of our success is our ability to truly listen and empathize with our clients and out of that listening understand their world, their challenges, their aspirations and design and implement coaching programs that are uniquely tailored to their requirements.

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