After spending 12 years with the same organization, I was finally ready to make a change. But approaching my job search and defining my skills to fit that search felt overwhelming. Fortunately, I was introduced to Bob at just the right time.

Our work together helped me think outside the box and navigate the challenges associated with leaving my former position, crafting my resume for my search, and finding just the right fit for where I was in my career. Bob was patient, understanding, and overwhelmingly positive as I embarked on this journey.

Bob’s experience, objectivity, and steady guidance make him an invaluable partner for anyone looking to make a change in their career. Thank you for everything, Bob!

– Doug S.

Go to top

What sets Bob apart as a career coach are his wide range of knowledge across many industries and unique ability to connect with his clients personally to help them zero in on their priorities. As a professional runner in a time of transition, I started working with Bob at the beginning of the COVID pandemic to figure out what the best options were for my professional development. Not only did Bob ask me the hard questions that helped me decide what I wanted to do–ultimately apply to medical school–but over the next year, he guided me through the long application process. He helped me craft a personal statement that truly told my story, practice to nail my interviews, and communicate with medical school administrators in ways that built relationships and left lasting impressions.

In the end, I received multiple interviews and acceptance to one of the top medical schools in the country and cultivated skills that continue to be invaluable in my personal and professional life. I would strongly recommend Bob to both people who have a clear direction and are looking to advance in their careers and people who are just trying to figure out what’s next.

– Olivia B.

Go to top

Working with David these past few months has been so amazing. He is one of the most genuine, experienced and intelligent coaches I’ve ever worked with and he’s truly helped me in all aspects of my life: personally, professionally, and socially. Being an athlete all of my life, I can say it’s rare for a coach to ask you what you want to focus on instead of just telling you what you need to focus on. It has really allowed me to be vulnerable, strategic, and in the moment. We talk a lot about my values and the person I ultimately want to become, and when I’m in distress I now go back to those values, and it helps me put things into perspective and remain positive. He’s one of the only coaches that I can feel is genuinely looking out for me and my success, and that is very rare to find. He’s one of the best!

– Gaby S.

Go to top

As a woman-owned business, I have hired a few coaches over the years. I had the pleasure of working with David Newman this past year. His coaching was invaluable, and it made a huge impact on my public speaking business. David helped me outline a clear roadmap for where I wanted to be, held me accountable to implement my strategies, and celebrated my business success! Because of his broad experience of business, people, and culture, David helped me see my blind spots and enhanced my visibility. He asked thought-provoking questions, which led me to make well-informed decisions. Most importantly, he had a remarkable talent for finding out where my values showed up in my business. His coaching made me a more confident and successful entrepreneur.

– MK L.

Go to top

As I have transitioned from an active surgical practice into an administrative role in our healthcare system, I felt that I intrinsically had many of the necessary leadership skills to be equally successful in my new role. My experiences with Bob, however, have shown me how far I really needed to go to truly amass such skills. Through his compassionate, insightful, and objective feedback and knowledge, I have been able to redirect real-life experiences and issues into useful and positive personal and professional outcomes. I have become practically motivated to address the difficult conversations that I have historically consciously or subconsciously avoided while learning to be much more patient with others and myself.

– Alan S.

Go to top

I first met Bob back in the mid 80s when he was a VP for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, Inc. The company was embarking on its first international tour of Walt Disney’s World On Ice, and Bob was selected as a key person to help the company pioneer this new venture. Bob helped lay down the foundation for a company that would eventually grow to a multi-billion-dollar business.

It was with this rich pedigree in mind, that I approached Bob about assisting me when I started my own entertainment company in 2010. In 2015, I booked a monster truck show in Istanbul only to find that the promoter in Turkey wanted to keep our equipment. After 7 long weeks, Bob’s sage advice was instrumental in helping us get our cargo out of the country. On our many transatlantic phone calls, I always had the sense Bob was genuinely interested in helping us resolve our dilemmas, and about the safety of our show personnel. It was then that I came to fully appreciate why Bob was pegged to help lead the charge for Disney On Ice’s international endeavors.

We all have the power to change the world in some fashion, one person at a time. I have no doubt that Bob will have a profound influence on the lives of the people he will touch in his capacity as a coach!

– Jorge P.

Go to top

Working with an executive coach was a very good idea. Choosing Bob Fleshner as my executive coach, however, is what turned that good idea into a great one. Bob’s incredibly diverse work experience makes him particularly valuable as an executive coach. What really sets Bob apart though is that he is intuitive, an excellent listener, a creative thinker, a problem solver, understanding, compassionate, and, above all, he genuinely cares.

After more than 30 years of practicing law, I was at a crossroads. Although I still enjoyed parts of my job as a lawyer, I was beginning to feel the need for a change from my current position and yet unsure as to what that change might be. I wasn’t certain whether I wanted to look for another legal position or whether I wanted to consider doing something entirely different and, if the latter, what that work might be. I only knew that while I was generally comfortable and satisfied with my current job, I lacked passion for my work and was no longer feeling fulfilled. Thinking about making a career move excited me, but the idea of a huge change also made me feel anxious. To add to that, I had absolutely no idea what types of jobs existed that I might find meaningful and fulfilling, nor did I even know what areas of work might interest me and be a good fit. Then, I began working with Bob.

As my executive coach, Bob skillfully asked probing questions that lead me to better understand the heart of the issues that were holding me back from making a change. Through his guidance, he helped me to see my situation from a different perspective and to come up with concrete plans to help me identify and explore new possible areas of work. He actively listened to me, perceptively identified topics that excited me, and adeptly guided me to focus and explore new job opportunities in areas that I had never before considered. In short, Bob successfully helped move me away from my self-imposed limitations and anxieties about changing jobs, and he lead me to see a broader realm of job opportunities in which I could make a difference and find the fulfillment and passion I was seeking.

– Jenna L.

Go to top

After several months of looking for a position in a new field, I needed to renew my flagging mindset and come up with a better job search plan. I had spoken to Bob in the past about his work as a lawyer, businessman, and race director, and we scheduled three coaching sessions.

In our first coaching session, I summed up my career as a “jack of all trades; master of none.” Bob helped me recognize that this assessment was not only unfair; it wasn’t true. We discussed why I had felt this way and, with Bob’s guidance and objective analysis, my situation became clearer: I had more marketable skills than I realized. I felt energized, more confident, and purpose-driven. Bob’s insightful questions guided me away from feeling stuck and toward a new job search approach.

I would recommend Bob to people who are either changing careers or who are looking to advance within their current field. Bob brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his varied career, but it’s his compassionate and caring approach that sets him apart.

– Christiaan C.

Go to top

After more than a decade of owning a healthcare company, it was time for me to sell the business. I needed someone to coach me through the process and immediately thought of Bob. As an experienced coach and someone who had been a lawyer, healthcare CEO and entrepreneur, Bob had the rare combination of expertise and experience that I was seeking.

Bob was by my side throughout the entire process, providing me with the coaching I needed to successfully sell the business. I am very fortunate in that I not only benefitted from Bob’s exceptional coaching skills, but also his wealth of business knowledge and experience. Bob not only helped me realize that selling the company was a possibility, he helped make it a reality.

– Sarah T.

Go to top

As a professional athlete coming upon retirement and moving to a full time professional business career, I needed a solid plan that would set me up for success. I worked with Bob for over a year to help me create a business plan to launch my own consulting business in the employee wellness field. This included myriad speaking and one-off program events, a professional website, a registered LLC and more. His expertise and ability to help direct my efforts was key to my success. Ten years later, I am a corporate director of a national organization who has just been awarded official registered trademark status on my current wellness initiative. I consider my career on track. And as a professional track athlete, my bar is high.

– Jolene M.

Go to top

Bob has a great way of probing and asking the hard questions which forces his clients to identify their professional priorities. Bob also has such a diverse range of professional experience from which to draw, that he’s well-equipped to help a wide range of professionals and scenarios. The time I’ve spent with Bob has proven helpful to me beyond description.

– John B.