Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Merrill.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Christopher. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After 20 years of doing research and drug development, at the age of 40 and with a newborn baby girl having just arrived, I left the (relative) comfort and security of the corporate world to pursue work that has true meaning for me. In spite of the fearful internal voice that warned against this (quite loudly at times), I launched an executive coaching firm in Boston. The business has nearly doubled every year since inception, and while not always easy, this transition has led to unimaginable experiences, connections, growth, and fulfillment. I am engaged, challenged, and inspired every day by the people I have the privilege to support as they work to become better leaders.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Far from smooth! The most challenging periods were when business was slow and the future was uncertain. Should I go back to the corporate world, or carry on? At some point in the journey you reach the point of no return and that felt both terrifying and thrilling. Other challenges included managing boundaries between work and personal life – as a business owner, it’s always on your mind and it is important to create separation. Also, there were many times when planned work changed due to acquisitions, mergers, and changes in personnel. Being able to handle that uncertainty and change has taken time to manage.
Please tell us about Shift Coaching Group.
Shift Coaching Group is a specialty coaching firm focused on helping high-potential experts and established technical leaders make the tough but rewarding shift from driving process to leading people. What makes us unique and especially good at this is together, our team has 80+ years of practical business experience in a range of professional and specialized industries. We know what it’s like to make the difficult leap from technical expert to leader, to build high-performing teams, and to manage dynamic and complex organizations with global reach. This real-world expertise allows us to coach individuals and teams with an insider’s understanding of their challenges and the empathy of someone who’s been there. Drawing on our extensive experience working with senior scientists, researchers, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, and other specialized professionals, we coach individuals and teams to gain the critical people skills that are the foundation of good leadership.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have worked harder to secure seed capital that would have allowed for less financial stress in the early days. I also would have focused our business model sooner. We have a set of professional skills and experiences that make us unique in our industry and that greatly benefits our customers. I would have focused more on leveraging this to focus on our client niche (technical experts transitioning to leaders) rather than try to serve a broader customer base.
Contact Info:
- Address: 51 Melcher St.,
Boston, MA 02210 - Website: www.shiftcoachinggroup.com
- Phone: (617) 669-7629
- Email: info@shiftcoachinggroup.com
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiftcoachinggroup
Image Credit:
Leo Kenney (personal photo)
Christopher Merrill (gears photo)
iStock Photo (light bulb, hikers, road photos)
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