Today we’d like to introduce you to David Brendel.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey to executive coaching and leadership development grew out of my years-long attempts to integrate science and humanism in my professional work. Since my time as a philosophy major who was also taking pre-med courses at Yale College. I’ve had a fascination with how powerful conversations can deepen people’s self-awareness, alter their brain functioning, and transform their work and personal lives for the better. I charted a winding academic course that led me through an M.D. at Harvard Medical School, a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Chicago, a psychiatry residency here in Boston (at Mass General and McLean Hospitals), and a private practice of psychiatry in Belmont.
Several years ago I decided to supplement my clinical work by also becoming an executive coach. A complexity of personal and professional factors prompted me at this mid-career point to step back from the intense work I had been doing as a psychiatrist and reassess how else I could add value to people’s lives. Psychiatrists diagnose mental illnesses, prescribe powerful psychotropic medications, and in some cases provide talk therapy. I have continued to find fulfillment in this work as a psychiatrist who specializes in treating people with anxiety, attention deficit disorder, and mood disturbances such as depression and bipolar disorder. But I also realized that I had a passion for other ways of interacting with clients, free of my prescription pad or a list of diagnostic labels.
As an executive coach, I facilitate thought-provoking conversations that enable my clients to reflect on their core values, set clear priorities, shift their mindset in positive ways, and develop strategies for personal and career growth. Drawing on my interests in philosophical dialogue and cognitive therapy, I help clients to deepen their self-understanding and implement action plans rooted in their chosen life mission. By weaving between discussions of the client’s belief system and the specific behaviors needed to reach key business and personal goals, we develop highly detailed action plans for success. We use ongoing coaching sessions to help the client hold himself or herself accountable to reaching their own carefully chosen goals. Some common challenges I help my client’s address are stress management, effective communication, team building, strategic planning, task delegation, and “executive presence.”
It is so rewarding as a coach to support clients in achieving resounding successes in their careers, businesses, and personal lives. We develop a special professional alliance around the client’s most profound personal experiences and choices in their careers, business pursuits, and interpersonal relationships. It is especially rewarding when I realize that I have made myself obsolete by empowering clients to continue on their own paths of self-discovery and growth after the official coaching engagement has come to an end.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a rewarding, even at time exhilarating, path. But there have been numerous struggles and setbacks along the way — stemming from the realities of managing demanding businesses while also navigating twists and turns in family life and fatherhood. I can say honestly that I am never bored, though sometimes I wish I could be! Between running a psychiatry practice and an executive coaching firm (not to mention serving as a Partner for a Boston consulting firm and co-founding a start-up company), I sometimes need to have the self-discipline to turn off my iPhone, avoid email, and completely disconnect from work. This is critical because I’m actually a pretty strong introvert, so I crave alone time to rejuvenate myself. And I value and depend on my time with close family and friends.
Running a psychiatry practice can be intense and daunting. The people I see in my office are often confronting sad and overwhelming and traumatic situations, so it can be draining to stay emotionally present in sessions throughout the day. Over the years, I’ve figured out how to take care of myself well so that I can take care of my patients well. For me, that means taking frequent breaks between sessions, adhering to a healthy sleep schedule, eating well, taking meditative walks during workdays when I can, and exercising regularly. I’ve also found ways to manage the logistics of my practice so that I am not constantly bombarded by paperwork, phone messages, and other disruptions to patient care and self-care.
Running an executive coaching firm is a bit easier than running a psychiatry practice. I have two amazing Associates along with me at Leading Minds Executive Coaching (Stefan Kalt and Emmie Stamell) — and their collaborative support and camaraderie have been a huge enhancement over the last few years. Having trusted colleagues by one’s side increases both the enjoyment and quality of the work we do. But the road was a bit rocky at the beginning, as we grappled with how to position Leading Minds in the marketplace and attract clients that are best suited to our practice. We have arrived at a wonderful point where we offer a unique set of services that includes executive coaching, career coaching, philosophical counseling, and mindfulness approaches such as meditation and yoga.
Please tell us about Leading Minds Executive Coaching.
I have leadership roles in 4 different companies, so I’ll briefly describe each one and what its differentiating factors are.
Leading Minds Executive Coaching (I am Founder and Director). We are a boutique firm that provides executive coaching and career coaching services to individuals at all stages of their careers, from the executive C-suite to new managers in the early stages of their careers. We are uniquely capable of helping our clients reach their career and personal goals by managing stress, transforming their mindset, and making critical behavior changes. My Associates (Stefan Kalt and Emmie Stamell) and I can construct comprehensive coaching plans that help our clients to overcome limiting beliefs, incorporate mindfulness strategies, enhance their “executive functions,” and develop strong action plans for success.
Private practice of psychiatry. I specialize in diagnosing and establishing treatment plans for adults suffering from anxiety, stress, attention deficit disorder, mood disorders (major depression and bipolar disorder), psychosis, and substance abuse. Effectively combining psychopharmacology and psychotherapy is one of my areas of expertise.
Strategy of Mind. This is a start-up company that I run along with my co-founder, Ryan Stelzer. We have developed an executive coaching app that allows clients to have an in-depth, self-directed executive coaching experience for approximately 2% of the cost of a traditional executive coaching engagement. We are excited to offer this service to a wide range of individuals for whom traditional executive coaching may be prohibitively expensive or unavailable through their employers.
Camden Consulting Group: I am fortunate to be a Partner at this Boston-based firm which provides an array of unique, top-tier executive coaching and leadership development programs. Camden is a division of Keystone Partners, which also provides executive-level career transition services and outplacement services.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up on Long Island and will never forget the euphoria when the local New York Islanders hockey team in 1980 won their first of 4 consecutive NHL Stanley Cup championships. They had been such a beloved, but fledgling, suburban underdog for my entire childhood until that crowning moment in 1980. It inspired me to overcome major obstacles and never be daunted by goliaths like the New York Rangers or Boston Bruins. To this day, my sons and I remain die-hard fans — and we always show up at the TD Garden in our Islanders jerseys when they’re in town facing the Bruins!
Contact Info:
- Address: 26 Trapelo Road, Belmont, MA 02478
- Website: https://leadingmindsexecutivecoaching.com
- Phone: (617) 932-1548
- Email: david@drdavidbrendel.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/David-Brendel/100011721379158
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDavidBrendel
- Other: https://www.drdavidbrendel.com
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