I initially was reticent and didn’t understand the need for an executive coach. I had been in my role as CEO for over four years and felt I had matters well in hand. As the old saying goes: 'You sometimes resist what isn’t comfortable.' Marty’s help gave me a different line of sight on where my weaknesses were and how I could maximize my impact with my team. Be prepared to be challenged, you will be entering a 'hard hat zone.' You need to check you ego at the door if you want to reap the benefits of her extensive years of wisdom and toolkit. Marty is an independent advisor, who will provide frank and neutral advice. This is often impossible to find within the confines of one’s workspace. In particular, Marty was extremely helpful in guiding my relationship with my Board of Directors and provided insightful views into our company strategy. What I hadn’t prepared for, was Marty’s invaluable advice as I contemplated my retirement, our succession planning and what my world could and would look like once I left my CEO role. Her guidance started with some tough love and morphed into a cohesive plan I am now following in the next chapter of my life. I was very lucky to be referred to Marty Petty by my Board of Directors. She had the ability to get me to really think about my goals, identify what I needed to change to achieve those goals and helped me execute some necessary but difficult changes.