“Dear Jan:

I’m back on my feet, much thanks to you. I quit work six months ago today and two weeks ago started a new position at a different law firm. It’s new people, new things to learn and I’m ready to get back to it.

You were a great lifeline to me, Jan. I’m so grateful that my friend directed me to you.

Thank you.”

Lind O.

“Our experience in working with Dr. Hoistad was insightful, efficient, and effective. We found her suggestion of meeting together as a group and one-on-one meetings to be very helpful. She helped each of us individually create a framework that we merged together as a group. We made great strides in our communication skills and found tactical solutions to use going forward in to the future. We would recommend any partnership to hire Dr. Hoistad.”

And 9  months later I received this note:

“We are doing great, and your guidance helped us out a lot during this month’s investment committee meetings. We all collaborated on investment decisions and are pleased with the outcome for the first time since we launched our business 4 years ago. Thanks again!”

I originally worked with Dr. Jan Hoistad as my executive and career coach for a number of years as I have moved through various transitions. First and foremost was growing me into a greater leadership and training role in my organization. At the same time she’s offered great guidance to me as a single working mom, and to my two sons as they’ve grown into young adults exploring college options and developing their career paths. Finally she helped me think through what I wanted to do next as I prepared myself for a much planned for early retirement.

After successfully reaching my goal to retire early, coaching with Dr. Jan keeps me on track. We focus on the new priorities for my newfound freedom. These include traveling the country to find a compatible geographic home. Enjoying exercise and self-care activities. Making new friends. Navigating distant parenting of twenty-somethings while keeping an eye on aging parents. All the while we’re tapping into a dream I have of sharing my experiences in a podcast for others like me–early retirees who want to create a vibrant life they enjoy for the next 30+ years!

-Beth Klute

When we came to Jan, our company was financially strong.  We’d been in business for over 20 years, had a strong customer base and good employees.  But we were new business partners and had just purchased the business together the prior year.  Our different management styles negatively affected our employees, sowing distrust among the ranks. We had a very difficult time working together running the business.  In front of the customers we were great.  In front of our employees was another thing altogether.

We reached out to Jan in an attempt to fix what was broken.  She’s worked diligently with us to learn to trust each other, embrace each other’s style of management and to realize that we both had the best interest of the company at heart.  One of us is a process driven engineer and the other a big picture sales person at heart – a hard combination if not managed correctly.  Jan showed us how the business needs both our ways of thinking and will thrive if we allow our each other’s strength to shine.

We have been working with Jan for a year and a half.  If we did not find her, I am convinced that we would either be out of business or one of us would have left.  With her guidance, we are continuing to grow our business and are actually having fun working as business partners.  As our business relationship mends, she continues to be a big part of our team.  She assists us with long range planning, employee HR issues and marketing plans.  We came to her to help us work better together.  What we found was so much more.

-Peter McGurran

I have been working with Jan for the past few years on a one-on-one basis to tackle some specific communication and leadership issues in my professional career. Jan has acted as my personal coach on dozens of challenges as our company has grown from 7 employees to more than 50 over the past three years. With her direction and insight, I have developed new leadership muscles that have enabled me to work more efficiently. Jan has also been an instrumental partner in my pursuit to align my professional and personal goals. The overall result is that I am a happier person and a more effective leader.

On a more personal note, Jan is simply a fabulous person to work with. She is insightful, direct and compassionate. Her suggestions and insights are well-grounded and she has a great sense of humor (which is a requirement for anyone I work with). It has been a great pleasure to learn with her and I consider my consulting time with Jan to be one of the most important development tools I have in my life. I have recommended her services to many of my associates with great success and will continue to do so.

“There are few things more important than honesty and getting feedback and an objective perspective on my career was something I longed for. As a typical successful, type-A, overworked, stretched-to-the-max director in a fast-paced agency, I had lost my ability to look at my career, my accomplishments and my setbacks in a way that would allow me to make good choices about what’s the next best step for me.

I began working with Jan in the Deep Dive coaching program, a combination of individual coaching and group mastermind sessions.

In the first phase, Jan guided me through my fears and obstacles. She helped me start to create a new big picture for my life.

Then we started working toward creating an exit strategy to leave my company. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m in the middle of this transition and I can feel my creativity starting to soar.

Now we’re beginning to envision and strategize my new start-up company. I plan to launch later this year!”

-Sharon J.

Jan has been an invaluable resource to grow, define, and sharpen our farm business. She is supportive, intuitive, clear, and creative. She has helped us vastly improve our hiring, employee management, and risk management processes, often with simple, creative strategies that make a big positive impact. She’s also helped us step back and look at the Big Picture, further defining our farm’s mission, values, and visioning for the future, and then grounding that vision in the present. Her blending of the practical improvement of systems with the creative visioning for the future has been an inspiring part of our work with her. With Jan’s help, we’ve been able to move our farm forward without sacrificing our quality of life and partnering goals.

– Laura Frerichs / Adam Cullip, Loon Organics Farm

Co-Business Owners, Married Couple

There could be no greater compliment to our working relationship than when coaching clients successfully acknowledge the growth they’ve made through our work. Such a compliment was shared by long-time Executive coaching client and his wife who have enjoyed traversing the globe for his multinational company these past years while raising a family. When asked how they were going to celebrate their anniversary, they said:

“We’re going to have a celebration dinner and talk about what we are most proud of over the past 7 years and what we want to be proud of 7 years from now.”

Now that’s quite a celebration!

Dr. Jan Hoistad is an incredible professional partner to my advisory practice. Her attentiveness to clients who are either in career transition, business growth mode or partnership challenges, has been rewarding to clients. I appreciate Jan’s perspective on how to help cut through the brush to get to the root of issues that need to be flushed out and refined for success. As an advisor to clients, i appreciate her skill set in guiding people through some of the greatest challenges and opportunities! I like to refer clients, acquaintances and friends to Dr. Jan Hoistad!

-Tony Rubin

I was lucky to have a resource like Jan early in my career – straight out of graduate school while working independently for a green building start-up. Jan helps her clients develop actionable plans befitting of lofty goals and motivations. I gained a lot from the work we did and am better positioned today as the result.

-Agatha Kazden

I have known and worked with Jan personally and professionally for a number of years. As a personal mentor, she has provided me genuine and valuable advice and expertise when it came to pursuing a career path based on my passions, values, and interests. She spent time talking me through the important and critical steps to begin my career and has influenced me to go into the field that I’m in, career development among young professionals. My professional work with Jan helped me to develop a critical-thinking, creative, and business-savvy mindset. I learned from her how to listen to someone’s story and help create solution-focused goals, generally from an organizational standpoint. Her focus on collaboration and teamwork have been admirable for creating an environment in which strategic ideas have developed. Jan has always encouraged partnering with others and building relationships, which I have learned is vital to creative professional development. As I have embarked on my own journey through graduate school and into my first professional career position, I must give credit to Jan’s influence and dedication in working with me.

-Emily Nahem

Through coaching with Jan, I finally talked with my family about my needs. I was really resistant to the idea at first, but when I finally did, they were delighted I was going to get some help. And they insisted I hire the “in-house” experts I’d been overlooking these past 7 years while running my business all on my own. Right under my nose!

I’ve gone from doing everything in the running my own business to hiring my wife, daughter AND a virtual assistant in the past 6 months—My profits have nearly doubled. I’m back on my Big Picture vision of a business I love at this stage of my life. I’m happier than I’ve ever been!

Plus I had little relaxing time with my family.

My wife, Marilyn is now my bookkeeper, invoicing clients and tracking QuickBooks, meetings with the CPA, lawyer, etc. Thing she’s always been really good at in our personal financial life.

Daughter, Sue, is recently graduated with her BA in communications and is looking for fulltime work. She’s taken on the equipment organization as well as writing a blog including all the suggestions I offer to people so they can look them up online.

In addition we hired a virtual assistant who works 2 hours each week helping with scheduling so I am not inundated with phone calls and a backlog of work or upset customers! We have a system in place that is working like a dream.

It helps to invoice on a regular basis. My profits have nearly doubled. But more importantly I look forward to getting up each day.

Thanks Dr. Jan!

-Bob Jamison

A number of years ago, Kara, discovered that she was ready to go back to the work world. Here’s how she prepared herself and her family for this major life transition.

“Following my heart to return to the work world, after seven years as a stay-at-home mom, was a major transition for me and my family of five. I achieved it successfully—with support!”

As a stay at home mom for seven years—a conscious choice for our family and a focus I’ve really enjoyed—this past year I realized that what was once fulfilling was no longer satisfying for me.

Looking back, three things really helped in this transition. The first was career coaching (not with Dr. Jan) I sought out along with taking a temporary position—these gave me confidence in my resume, interviewing skills and working capabilities.

The second was the PAUSE.REFRESH.REBOOT YOUR LIFE workshop offered by Dr. Jan. This retreat helped me identify and outline the things I needed to put in place to make a smooth transition, balancing my career and lifestyle at home as I returned to work full time. With the guidance of Dr. Jan, and working with the other workshop participants, I was able to put into place some steps to overcome the scheduling and emotional barriers of making a major career move for me—and everyone in my family.

The on-going foundation to all this continues to be the solid Big Picture Partnering skills my husband and I learned years ago that continue to benefit us to this day! We still talk about your work all the time as we continue to iron out the wrinkles in our plans — ideas like living your dreams, setting goals, talking and listening frequently, tabling an issue to revisit when we can talk reasonably and so on. I highly recommend it for all couples going through transition.

 

-Kara Pederson

Dr. Jan has played a pivotal role in our partnership over the years. We’ve experienced a number of significant changes that have affected our relationship and professional aspirations. Jan’s ability to get to the heart of an issue and assist in clearing away obstacles that prevent growth is remarkable. She’s helped us stayed focused on what’s most important as we go through so many changes. I attribute the successes we’ve experienced since, in part, to her insights.

-Matthew Plumstead

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jan as a colleague on a number of occasions. She is smart, focused, and insightful, and a pleasure to work with. We worked together very successfully on an assignment involving corporate structuring and exit planning for a successful entrepreneur. I’ve seen first-hand that Jan is an effective business coach. Her psychology background and business experience allow her to work well with her clients to achieve their business and personal goals.

-David Peteler

Jan, after reading the SUCCESS STORY about Mary and Tom, I realized that Mary and Tom’s story is essentially what happened when you coached Jim and me in Big Picture Partnering years ago.

When I spoke with you recently I told you how much happier we are now, but I forgot to thank you! Your help was the turning point for us. You taught us how to listen for understanding, acknowledge before responding, and calm down before speaking. It has made all the difference in our long lasting marriage.

What makes me especially happy is to see how naturally this comes to our son. He learned these skills because this is the model he grew up with. He doesn’t know any other way; we have broken the dysfunctional communication/conflict resolution patterns that existed in our families for generations.

This is exactly what we wanted to do! Thanks!

-Margaret and Jim Henderson

I can’t thank you enough for all of the help, insights, encouragement and guidance you have given us over the past two years.  During our journey together my family and I have greatly benefited and continue to move more easily forward in business and life, using the helpful tools and skills that you have taught us.

Some quick catch up: I want to share because you are an integral part of all of this positive activity that you have helped us achieve.  (The generations) are all doing our daily work together on the farm and at markets. And we are involved in our own individual creative endeavors as well…. community theater, performing and directing… opening an office with others that practice massage and acupuncture.  I have begun to write music and play my instruments again….. also skiing, mountain biking and hockey.

With your help we have all been able to move through some sad losses, challenging times and adjustments in our business and personal lives.  We have actually began to thrive with other activities along with our daily work.  These outside activities have helped us to deal with the ups and downs on the farm, in business and also in everyday life.

We feel really feel good that the door is open with you for any needs in the future.  We are able to move forward with our work and lives in a much better “mind set” and “skill set” thanks to you!

In much gratitude,

-Mike Braucher, Owner Sunshine Harvest Farm

Dr. Jan keeps busy professionals on track with their future goals. Her business coaching talent helped build our partnership, our team of employees, and strategies for growth. As a coach integrating your life and business, she and her resource partners keep us focused on the big picture to balance both work and personal environments.”

-DAVID BIEKER
Owner, Denali Custom Homes

Dr. Jan helped me uncover and articulate what I have to offer that others don’t. Then she helped me build a marketing plan around it. I not only gained a clear vision of what steps I needed to take next to get my business going, she helped me with the confidence to do it! Dr. Jan helped me hone my unique approach and strategize how to connect with the clients who want what I have to offer. That’s been priceless!

-Megan Plumstead

I am an entrepreneur currently buying a well-established business I hope to grow in the coming years while I complete my education. I have worked with Dr. Jan since my senior year of high school, going on year 6 now. She’s helped me through many decisions from changing colleges and majors to supporting my plans for this next stage of my career and life.

Having Jan to bounce ideas off of and get my thoughts out to someone impartial is very helpful. She also has helped me in my professional life with her resources that include attorneys and finance connections. I am very grateful to work with Dr. Jan.

– Jake Klute

Before coaching with Dr. Jan in THE DEEP DIVE Coaching & Mastermind Program, I was truly miserable. I had a paycheck but was stuck in an outdated human service role that was a daily drain on my energy. I was under-utilizing my years of experience and expertise. I was in a fog and could not see my way out. I just knew I needed help.

In our first half-day VIP session, with her gentle but laser-focused coaching, Jan quickly zeroed in on my consistent life passion. She’s helped me embrace my expertise as a Thought Leader in the world of aging robustly.

She’s helped me get clear inside and develop a written plan of action outside. She makes me be courageous inside and not cut corners on my outer path as I work to achieve my dream. She holds me accountable and has unwavering faith in me and my direction. She holds my long-term future vision while also creating a clear path of current work and influence to get there.

She helped me clear the doubts and inner clutter to then land a position I’m passionate about. I’m excited about the future and love getting up every day once again—Anything feels possible when you are supported and guided so fully!

 

-Roxanne Cornell

I can’t believe it’s only been 6 months. As a well-known and highly-respected expert in my field I needed to GET OUT! My passion was being stifled! I did it with your encouragement, support and expert coaching!

When I started THE DEEP DIVE Coaching & Mastermind I was unable to express my true gifts and talents. Feeling depleted and defeated, I was boxed in by a business I had helped grow over the past 16 years. The leadership could not support my CREATIVITY – and my PASSION about what I bring to the world.

The support offered to me from Jan & the Mastermind Group has been to focus on me and not my circumstances, accountability to keep moving through the unknown, and an emphasis on seeing abundance in what looked like scarcity.

Jan forced me to Dream Bigger/Keep the focus on the My Vision while taking practical day to day action steps as I recuperated from my old job, re-energized and balanced myself. She has forced me to accept that I AM an Expert and a Thought Leader and to plan accordingly! It’s sometimes scary –but that’s where breathing and tap-dancing come in!

I’m now excited for the future and am being embraced by others who want to learn from me. I’m moving forward as the creative expert I am.

-Alison B. Campbell

I engaged Jan to help me with a big career transition. She helped me see opportunities and take a path that I never thought I would. It’s worked out so well, I couldn’t have gotten where I am now without her help.

-Catherine Bear

Insightful, dedicated, brilliant, experienced entrepreneur: Dr. Jan Hoistad is an extraordinarily gifted leader who knows how to build businesses and develop the people who run them. I was a business client of Dr. Hoistad’s for five years. Her work made it possible for me to start , manage and build my design business. She led me, pushed me, informed me, supported me as I negotiated each new phase of my enterprise. I could not have done what I did without her.

I recommend her most highly.

And later she sent me this lovely, spontaneous note: ” Thank you a thousand times over for your advice, guidance, beauty, modeling and constant presence through the years of JHDESIGNS. You have always been an essential part of that enterprise. I am grateful beyond telling. ”

-Judy Hornbacher, Owner JHDesigns

Dr. Hoistad has been working with me as I’ve grown into an adult by helping me put myself in the best position possible to succeed in my education, career, and relationships. Dr. Hoistad has installed a “why not” attitude into my life, which has given me the freedom to fearlessly chase my dreams while also growing as an individual. I enjoy my time when I’m working with Dr. Hoistad, as she encourages me to push my boundaries, and helps me grow my network. I would recommend Dr. Hoistad to anyone interested in working to advance in both their personal and professional life.

– Wyatt Klute

Thanks again for everything, Jan. We feel like friends and companions again. Amazingly, we’re on the same page. We now know how to talk about things we couldn’t even discuss before! We’ve told our kids you are a “miracle worker!”

Tom and Mary

Jan is what I want in a business coach; she’s knowledgeable, thoughtful, intuitive, creative, gentle, firm, honest and fun. When we confer, she listens so well and sparks me to consider fresh perspectives that allow me to make next steps that always feel rightly aligned with both my soul and my goals. If you seek a coach to take you from feeling stuck, conflicted or overburdened with “shoulds,” to the next level of success, hire Jan Hoistad!

-Cheryl Moore-Brinkley, Owner B-Vocal

A few years ago Emily worked on my team as she forged her future career path. We worked closely together for a number of years. Without her expertise and fresh perspective, I never could have accomplished so much during that time–for my own business and for my clients who also benefited from her skills.

In her generous review she says:

“Dr. Jan Hoistad has been a huge influence in my life for the past 2 1/2 years since I started working with her. She has greatly assisted me in exploring the path of opportunities and choices regarding my professional life and truly finding the bigger picture goal and helping me get there through her expertise, experience, and creativity.”

-Emily Hinderaker

Dr. Jan Hoistad’s intuitive ability to guide her clients is incredibly effective. She uses her psychological expertise alongside her keen business sense to simultaneously listen and lead, so her clients are confident the solutions Dr. Jan provides are always in their best interest. She understands how critical it is to have healthy, thriving professional relationships, and she knows exactly how to help her clients achieve that. Dr. Jan has been both a client and a colleague of mine, and our time together is always as productive as it is enjoyable.

-David Mann

I’ve worked with Jan in a number of capacities including, as her marketer, as her client, and as a colleague. In all cases I’ve found her to be smart, focused, and flexible when we’ve needed to shift strategies. I value her ability to help get me out of my head and come up with new ideas and solutions. Working with Jan is really a pleasure!

-Connie Kroskin

As a student pursuing studies in the political science and astrophysics, I worked with Jan during a time of great transition where I was choosing between colleges in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with great upheaval in my personal life. I have a good idea of the future career path I’d like to pursue. Jan helped bring a calm, level-headed and knowledgeable perspective to an issue that was very contentious and stressful at home. She helped me make connections with people I otherwise wouldn’t have, in fields relevant to my professional interests, who also helped me make the decisions I had to. These were choices I had to make now for my best future and career outcome down the road.

I am very grateful to her for helping me through one of the largest decisions I’ve had to make, and doing it in such a way that the final decision was both informed and my own.

– Will Brennom

When we came in you weren’t vague. You said, ‘This is what you’ll get from this program. These are the benefits. These are the tools you’ll get. You can use them forever. This is how it will be delivered. And this is what you’ll need to do to achieve your goals. Boom. Not vague. Totally clear.

I’m a great salesman and that is great sales. It’s everything we are getting.

I’ve already told at least five guys about your partnering books and coaching. It’s a fact. Everyone’s dealing with the same stuff. Everyone in leadership, in relationship. It’s human.

Everyone needs this information. Especially men. This is great stuff!

-Ian Shepherd

Jan Hoistad is a creative powerhouse. She can quickly identify key issues and guide people to find innovative solutions that move business forward. I have worked with Jan many times over the past ten years and I always leave our meetings filled with ideas I can put into action immediately.

-Jacquelyn B. Fletcher, Author, Speaker, Business Owner

I’ve worked with Jan for over five years. She served as an excellent mentor through many stages of my life and career, and her guidance has been indispensable to my personal and professional growth. While working with her, I was able to expand my skillset, taking on new challenges and learning as a result. Working with Jan as a graphic designer has helped me to further exercise and increase my creativity, and has provided invaluable experience in teamwork and collaboration. These skills, in turn, have created an excellent foundation for the rest of my professional career. Jan is driven, thoughtful, and a joy to work with, and I’m grateful to be able to have worked with her over the years.

-Alex Locsin

You know I love to share my VIP couple’s successes! Well, checking in for their third (only their THIRD mind you!) Big Picture Partnering training module this week, Richard noted the many changes in his relationship with Carrie. Just a few months ago they were on the verge of divorce. Listen to what he says now:

“There’s a new atmosphere in our home. It’s different and positive and really, really, really nice. Carrie is being so much gentler and I feel more connected to her. There’s a lot more spontaneous affection and we’ve been practicing Regular Talking, Taking Turns Listening.”  

Looking back at the role-modeling from my mom and dad I realize I have very little knowledge about how to be a good husband and father, but I’m totally committed to learning!”

Carrie chimed in:

“I agree! I’ve been practicing ‘soft starts’ and it helps to realize my impatient, hurried and tough approach is not necessary. Richard’s really made a big, new commitment to me and our family and that feels so good.”

You can have this RELATIONSHIP SUCCESS too!

-Richard and Carrie

As owner of a small service company that has operated on a day-to-day basis for a number of years, there had been a lack of direction and focus – aside from the monthly budget and the immediate problems before us.

Working with Jan Hoistad has helped me tremendously in three different areas: clarifying my role as leader, planning in a realistic but wide ranging fashion and creating an exciting vision of what possibilities are on the horizon for our business. She has been patient, creative and a great help in moving a ‘stuck’ enterprise forward.

Jan’s expertise, professionalism, creativity and warmth are a powerfully effective combination. She can “size up” a situation very quickly and she knows so much about so many things that she has ideas what to do about it. I always go to Jan if I get stuck. She has had a profound impact on my personal and professional life over the past 25 years. I never hesitate to recommend her services.