Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting

Women's Equality Day is a good moment to pause on what actual equality looks like inside an organization:

It's when she can say what she's actually thinking, without softening it first.
It's when her disagreement gets treated as a contribution instead of a complication.
It's when the idea she raised in the meeting still has her name on it an hour later.

We see this play out constantly in the teams we work with. Real alignment depends on every seat at the table getting used well.

When I started my master’s thesis on coaching in 2004 (22 years ago!), I discovered the International Coaching Federation. More than 20 years later, I'm still a proud ICF member—and even more convinced of its impact.

ICF has continually challenged our profession to raise the bar through strong ethics, high standards, and a commitment to continuous learning. It's made me a better coach, and I'm grateful to be part of a community that never stops growing.

That’s why it was such an honor to deliver the closing keynote at the very first ICF Midwest Coaches Conference. Seeing leaders from across the region come together to learn, connect, and strengthen their chapters reminded me that coaching is never a solo pursuit. We get better together.

A special shout-out to Jen Farley, President of ICF Wisconsin, for graciously hosting such an outstanding event; Brian Sullivan, Regional Manager for North America at ICF, and Anik Clemens, Regional Director for North America and Latin America for the ICF Professional Coaches Team, for organizing an exceptional conference.

Thank you to every ICF leader for your servant leadership, for investing in our profession, and for creating a community where coaches can continue to learn and grow. I’m grateful to be part of it. 💛

Ever leave a meeting where nothing actually got resolved?

Your team might be thinking it too:

"We keep having the same conversation over and over again."

"Everyone says they're fine. I'm not sure they are."

“The real conversation happens outside of the meeting.”

When those thoughts start circulating, the common move is to book a one-time workshop and hope something sticks. What actually drives lasting team performance is real conversations about what is actually happening with everyone on the team.

The Team Dynamics Snapshot is a focused, real-time evaluation of how your team is operating today. You get a clear picture of what's happening beneath the surface and a plan for how to keep the momentum going.

Curious what your team's snapshot would show? Book yours today: https://darcyluoma.com/teamsnapshot/

I started attending National Speakers Association conferences in 2013, right after launching my business. Every year, I leave with fresh ideas, practical ways to improve my keynotes, and a renewed appreciation for this profession. Being surrounded by some of the world's best speakers, trainers, and facilitators is both energizing and inspiring. But, this year felt different.

For five years, both of my daughters attended the NSA Youth Leadership Conference as participants. This year, my oldest daughter, Josie, returned for the first time as one of the youth leaders (while my youngest, Jadyn, was leading at German camp in northern Minnesota!).

On the first day, I stopped by the youth program to say hello. There were 70 high-energy kids running around, and Josie was leading a group of a dozen 13-year-old boys. I stood back and watched her meet their energy with energy of her own, while somehow also earning their complete respect. It was one of those moments when you realize your child isn't just growing up...she's becoming the kind of leader people naturally want to follow. (I'll admit, I was also pretty happy that wrangling a dozen teenage boys wasn't my assignment for the week. 😊)

The best part? We'd already spent a few days beforehand playing tourists in Austin eating tacos, listening to live music, and soaking up some mother-daughter time before the conference began.

That moment alone would have made the trip worthwhile. But I also got to share the experience with my executive assistant, Sydney, who attended the staff track for the first time. It was great to watch her experience this community through fresh eyes and compare notes on the sessions we were attending.

I flew home from Austin with tremendous gratitude, and I'm still reflecting on what a great experience it was (so much so that my social media post is embarrassingly delayed!).

The Team Catalyst is our retreat experience, built for leadership teams who need space away from the day-to-day to reset, realign, and leave with a real plan.

If your team could use that kind of reset, this is where to start: https://darcyluoma.com/team-retreat/

AI can give a leader advice in seconds.

But it can’t sit in a room with eight people, notice what’s not being said, surface the tension everyone is avoiding, and help that team change how they work together.

Tomorrow, August 19 at 8:00 a.m. CT, Darcy Luoma is joining Spencer Horn, President of Team Coaching International, for a free webinar: Expanding Your Practice Into Team Coaching

They'll explore what makes high-performing teams work, why traditional team building rarely leads to lasting change, and how the right assessment can help identify what’s getting in a team’s way.

Register here: https://teamcoachinginternational.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0HNK12J6S7SDrbsquIKFNg

National Relaxation Day is a good excuse to say something we tell leaders all the time: recovery is an incredibly important part of training.

Thoughtfully Fit® builds in deliberate rest alongside deliberate effort.

Want to build recovery into how your team works, not just how it rests?

Start here: https://darcyluoma.com/thoughtfully-fit/