On this episode of the Coaching Studio

The Heart of Coaching: Wisdom, Courage, and Connection with Jille Bartolome, MCC

On this episode of The Coaching Studio, host Lyssa deHart welcomes Jille Bartolome, MCC, a coach who has been shaping the profession since 1996. Known by colleagues and clients as “The Velvet Hammer,” Jille embodies a rare blend of compassion and candor, inviting people into courageous self-discovery while asking the questions that strike at the heart of what matters. In their conversation, Jille shares her personal journey into coaching, including the pivotal moment she discovered the field through a magazine article featuring Thomas Leonard.

She reflects on how coaching first transformed her own sense of authenticity and continues to evolve as the profession matures. Together, Lyssa and Jille explore why true coaching begins with self-awareness, how unresolved personal work shows up in sessions, and why coaching the person rather than the problem is the cornerstone of sustainable growth.

Jille also offers insights from decades as a mentor coach, faculty member, and ICF assessor. She highlights the growth edges many coaches face, particularly around creating clear agreements and facilitating lasting learning at the close of a session. Her stories underscore the importance of boundaries, transparency, and cultivating safe, empowering spaces for clients.

Looking ahead, Jille emphasizes the role of human connection as coaching’s most irreplaceable asset in a world increasingly shaped by AI. At the heart of her work, she hopes people leave with a deep trust in themselves and the courage to make decisions rooted in their own wisdom.

Jille’s book recommendation – Go check it out!

Jille Bartolome, MCC

Jille Bartolome, MCC has been a fixture in the coaching community since 1996. She is passionate about coaching and the transformative qualities that the coaching process has on individuals, companies and communities. Jille loves sharing her deep knowledge of the coaching process and is the founder of the CoachPath Life School and the CoachPath Academy.
She’s an expert in guiding her clients to ever-higher levels of leadership, achievement and happiness. She has led coaching and training events with thousands of clients from entrepreneurs, large corporations, small businesses, direct sales organizations, non-profits, coach training participants and personal growth communities.

Jille’s clients experience breakthroughs in living a life fully connected to their own wisdom because she creates full life cycle transformation for people moving from the basics of personal development and transformation to manifesting business, relationship, and life success. She has been called “The Velvet Hammer” by her colleagues and clients because of her soft, unassuming presence and her ability to hit the nail on the head with her edgy, confident questions that propel her clients and students forward. “My mission is to guide others to listen to the wisdom that is within them and to then go boldly and confidently toward their dreams. That is why I created Life School and CoachPath Academy. To guide participants to live their authentic truth and provide a platform to share that ability and to train the most successful and effective coaches in the world.“