Todd Karges - From Burnout to Breakthrough to Success

In this episode, host Kat Knecht sits down with Todd Karges, a seasoned coach with a background in corporate leadership and a passion for transformational coaching. They explore the importance of storytelling in the coaching profession, emphasizing how sharing personal, vulnerable stories can create authentic connections with clients. Todd shares insights from his coaching journey, highlighting how telling the hard truths—about both successes and mistakes—can foster deep client engagement and inspire growth.

Throughout the conversation, Todd reflects on his own evolution as a coach, sharing his experiences of corporate burnout, the realization of living “below the line,” and the healing process that came from telling his story. The discussion touches on the importance of coaches doing their own self-healing work in order to truly help others, and how sharing authentic stories can resonate with potential clients in unexpected ways.

In this episode, Kat and Todd talk about:

The power of storytelling in creating authentic connections with clients.
How sharing vulnerable, personal stories can attract the right clients to your coaching practice.
The challenge of crafting stories in a way that is healing for both the coach and the audience.
Todd’s personal journey from corporate leadership burnout to transformational coaching.
The concept of “living below the line” and recognizing when life needs a course correction.
How telling hard-to-share stories, including professional mistakes, can be pivotal for personal growth.
The importance of coaches undergoing their own healing to provide genuine support for their clients.
Why consistency and purpose are key when sharing stories and content as a coach.
The surprising impact of stories on others and how it often resonates in ways the storyteller might not expect.
Todd’s philosophy on helping clients loosen their grip on negative self-perceptions to facilitate growth.

Todd Karges is an Executive and Leadership Development Coach based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Before coaching, he had a long career in corporate leadership across multiple industries and NGOs.

Now, he has a passion for unlocking purpose and fulfillment in leaders who struggle to discover those qualities in the jobs they’ve worked so hard to get. He does this because our world desperately needs more and more purpose-driven leaders who are called to make a difference.