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Jody Michael, MCC, BCC

Jody Michael, MCC, BCC

Founder and CEO, Executive Coach

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing my clients take themselves, their teams, and their organizations to new levels of awareness, discernment and performance. I focus on creating immediate impact, measurable results and sustainable change. That’s real transformation.”
20+ Years of Experience

Executive Coaching

As the CEO of Jody Michael Associates, a company she founded in 1996, Jody recognizes the value in disrupting the status quo to position people and organizations for growth.

Jody takes a direct, results-driven approach to executive coaching and leadership development, working with C-suite executives, senior managers, aspirational leaders and high potential employees seeking to enhance their performance.

Her coaching philosophy focuses on closing skill gaps while building emotional intelligence, executive presence and mental fitness — all essential to leading with impact and influence.

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The impact is real.

Ever since Jody came in and spoke to our team about Mental Fitness, our entire team has become more focused on accountability and self-awareness. I can confidently say that the hour we spent with Jody has put us on a new track toward better performance. The impact is real. Personally, I’m thinking differently now, noticing how much my thoughts affect my moods, which influence my actions and my outcomes.

Andy C., Co-Founder/Chief Marketing Officer, Orbit Media Studios

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Professional Experience

Jody Michael, CEO and founder, is a successful entrepreneur with extensive leadership experience in the finance industry.

As a leader, she led over 100 traders and support personnel on three trading floor operations; turned around an “in-the-red” vertical to a $40 million profitability center within two years; and partnered with HR to drive, attract and retain talent while driving cultural change.

It’s her life and her mission.

There were times I would see how hard [Jody] was working and ask, ‘How the heck do you do it — insanely long days, weekends too, to keep up with the business?’ and she would answer, ‘Because I love it.’ I loved her answer. It’s her life and her mission.

Shane M.

Insurance

Professional Experience

Jody Michael was born a trailblazer; as one of the first female traders on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and one of the first executive coaches in the country, she has challenged the boundaries of convention.

Today, she remains on the cutting edge of executive and organizational coaching. As a thought leader in the industry, she marries transformation and technology to facilitate rapid results for clients coast-to-coast.

Jody is passionate about delving deeper and pushing beyond the traditional standards of coaching, applying an approach that incorporates human behavior, psychology and neuroscience.

Jody is a Master Certified Coach (MCC), the highest international commendation awarded to coaches by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a distinction held by fewer than 4% of coaches worldwide, and fewer than 5% of coaches in the United States.

She is also a Board Certified Coach (BCC), a credential awarded by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) to those who are both licensed as a psychologist, credentialed as a coach, and pass a rigorous certification exam.

highlights

  • 20+ years coaching executives and leadership teams, with more than 40,000 one-on-one coaching hours
  • Master Certified Coach (MCC), Board Certified Coach (BCC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Master Practitioner – Perceptual Lens Assessment (ELI-MP)
  • Fortune 10, 100 and 500 C-level coaching experience
  • 15 years of corporate leadership and management experience in the finance industry
  • 12 years as a Chicago Mercantile Exchange options trader/broker
  • University of Chicago-trained licensed psychotherapist with 20+ years of experience
  • Founding Fellow: Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate
  • Member of the Forbes Coaches Council
  • Author and keynote speaker
  • Recognized as one of Crain’s Chicago’s Notable LGBTQ Executives
  • Appeared in FLOORED, a documentary about the history of floor trading
  • Featured in National Public Radio’s (WBEZ) Closing time for Chicago’s trading pits and Are some people hard-wired to take more risks? series
  • Appeared on MSNBC Primetime, PBS, CNN, Discovery Channel, the Today Show and Good Day Chicago
  • Featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Huffington Post, Money.com, Bustle, Mental Floss and more

It’s great to see a person who is on a mission to change the world one person at a time.

Have you ever met a person who wants you to grow and succeed? Maybe a teacher in high school or college? Now imagine that, plus no BS. That’s what you will get from Jody Michael. It’s great to see a person who is on a mission to change the world one person at a time. Live to your full potential! Thank you, Jody!​

Giedrius S.

Trader

Jody’s Personal Journey

Jody is no stranger to personal challenges. She learned to process her own far-from-idyllic childhood without negative residue or scars that may have otherwise impeded her capacity to trust, risk, love. By developing emotional intelligence at an early age, Jody realized the power of resilience first-hand and credits it as a springboard to her success.

She firmly believes that life is less about finding yourself; it’s more about creating yourself. With intention.

One of Jody’s core convictions is that people can change — often dramatically.

She has seen it first-hand, through partnering with over 1,000 clients who have employed coaching as a catalyst to change the trajectory of their leadership, career and lives.

“I’ve watched people reach goals they had coveted for years, even decades. I’ve witnessed people who dramatically change their perspective on the world. Like compounding interest, a small change over time can yield tremendous results.”

Core Personal Experiences

  • An early exposure to mental illness in her family led Jody to develop a fascination with the brain and cognitive functioning. It ultimately led to a career partnering with individuals to overcome debilitating thought patterns and mood states — anxiety, fear, overwhelm, to name a few — that prevail in today’s disruptive fast-paced society.
  • Being a three-sport college athlete taught Jody valuable lessons in leadership, teamwork, discipline and perseverance.
  • As one of the first female floor traders on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in the robust financial markets in the 1980s, Jody learned how to make high-stakes, rapid-fire decisions under pressure.
  • Her experience in “the men’s locker room” of the trading floor provided her with an intimate understanding of and connection with the psyche of alpha male personality types. It also rendered her comfortable — and confident — in the presence of powerful, successful men.

Thoughts create reality. Thoughts design your future. It’s imperative to choose them carefully.

Jody Michael

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Achieve measurable change in your leadership performance and capacity.

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… brings credibility, a great track record and expertise in coaching top leaders.

Exceptional, impactful, superb communicator are the phrases that come to mind when I think of Jody. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jody for the last year as an executive coach. She brings credibility, a great track record and expertise in coaching top leaders in the fast-moving tech sector. Her process, clarity and the workshops will undoubtedly have a strong impact on anyone who works with Jody. Her prior trading leadership background allows her to relate to fast-paced, high-stakes, action-based tech sector.

Silvija M.

CEO, Deputy - Board Director, Kiva

Jody Michael is one of the most powerful agents of change I have ever met. I feel confident you, too, will feel the same.

Elon C.

Licensed Acupuncturist