Clearing the Path to Success: Veronique Ficheux on Coaching Executives

Clarity Coaching for Leaders: Decisions, Fear, and the Human Element of AI

In a conversation at a B2B expo, Veronique explains her work as a clarity coach for CEOs and C-suite leaders who lack a safe space to exchange ideas. She describes “holding the pockets” for clients to unload thoughts, “holding the mirror” to help them decide and stay accountable, and removing “baggage” that blocks progress, often tied to fear—especially fear of rejection and concern about what others will think. She discusses how emotions can derail thinking, the “tyranny of how,” prioritization challenges, and the impact of starting days in reactive email mode. The discussion also covers the prevalence of AI at the expo, the need to balance AI with the human element, and the value of community and in-person connection. Veronique emphasizes daily centering practices, choosing grace, and simple breathing to regulate emotions and reset.

00:00 Meet Veronique
00:14 What a Clarity Coach Does
01:20 Baggage and Taking Risks
02:13 Fear of Rejection
03:40 The Mirror and Decisions
04:12 Tyranny of How
04:38 Time Priorities and Momentum
06:32 Cause vs Effect Mindset
06:59 B2B Expo and AI Everywhere
08:09 Human Element and Community
10:20 What Business Are You In
11:26 Daily Reset Choose Grace
12:46 Breathing to Regulate Stress
13:18 Wrap Up and Thanks

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Veronique. Verionique. Veronique. I want to say it right. Véronique. Véronique. I'm not I clearly don't have a French accent. You could do Véronique. That works. Okay. Per friends. I'm so excited you joined us today. Thank you so so much. Please tell our audience what you do as a clarity coach. You were just explaining this to me, and I think it's so wonderful. So please share what does it mean to be a clarity coach. And it's really what it means to me.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Okay. You know how it's lonely at the top. Like say the executives, they get to the top and they don't have people to exchange ideas with safely. Is that that's what they feel? Or they're a business owner or a business creator, and they just don't have anybody to bounce ideas off. So the way I describe what I do for them is I hold the buckets for people to dump all their things in. And then I hold the mirror so people can actually make decisions and hold themselves to the decision. And last but not least, I help take out the baggage. Sometimes there are things that are in the way that are blocking. So on a one-to-one and on a group basis, that's what I do for CEOs, Suzuized executives, all this, all this songs. Wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

I especially love the last piece about taking out taking out the garbage. Yeah, taking out the baggage. And I guess you know, we all come with baggage, right? Right. I mean, everybody does. Yes. Everybody does. But that's a I mean, that's so important because if you are carrying around all of that extra baggage, you're not gonna make progress. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Or you make a little bit of progress and then you step back because you remember the last time you made a suggestion to uh say the shareholders and they say that's a really bad idea, for instance. So it's really important to really be able to take the risk in a way.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Yes, and and taking a risk is easy to say, but doing it is completely different. It is completely different, absolutely. There's often a lot of fear involved. Yeah. Do you find that fear is one of those things that you end up having to help people navigate? Huge.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

And you're gonna last, but I think the one of the biggest ones is fear of rejection. Okay. Right. Because of course, fear is a lot of different things. Yeah. So, you know, you're gonna have fear of heights, actually. Most people have one and that's healthy. Yeah. When it becomes unhealthy, it's called a phobia for a reason. But what do people think of me is probably one of the biggest questions that people ask themselves. Yeah. Or if I make the suggestion, what are they going to what are they gonna say about me? And of course, your image is important. And at the same time, being able to speak up and share ideas or share little tweaks that will make a difference, or simply take the lead. Right? If the business if the building is is burning, somebody has to take the lead. Yes, absolutely. It's not the time for consensus. Right. So knowing when it's burning and when it's not, that's actually really important as well. Yeah. Because when when people are run by the emotions, the thinking kind of goes hurt.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Right. All of a sudden we forget how to make good decisions. Yes, exactly. And we're just reacting. Yes, exactly. And that be that is chaos begets chaos. Yeah. In many cases, at least. In many cases, exactly. Exactly. So, what do you find when you sort of lift that mirror up that you talked about? What do people typically reflect on in that mirror?

SPEAKER_00 3:55

So a couple of things that happen a lot is they dump the problem, we sort through it, or they dump whatever is on their mind, and then they come up with a decision. The biggest challenge with coming up with the decision is, as I say, what will people say? Can I do it? How can I do it? And they focus on how. My mentor Tony Robbins calls it the tyranny of how. Because the truth is, it's the psychology that is going to make the difference. It's how, what state you're in, what emotions you are in, will allow you to be resourceful. It's it's not a lack of resources, it's a lack of resourceful death. Oh, that's an interesting distinction. Very often. So that's that's definitely one of the things. And then the second thing that happens with the mirror is from one week to the other, or two weeks, because I often work every two weeks with people, is oh my god, I didn't have the time. And that's a constant problem in our world, right? We are solicited by so many things, and I'm as guilty as everybody else. Yeah. And really putting together a plan and putting together the emotions where this has priority. And where do you put the priority is really important.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Yeah, and priorities for whatever reason can shift sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

And it's oh, you know, I'll be able to do it at the end of the day when it's calm in the office, for instance. And it's starting the day with reading all your emails so you're in reaction mode right away. Right from the start. And that also stops you from thinking. Yeah. Which what sometimes can be useful, but most of the time it's like, okay, what's on today? I want to move this forward. What's one thing I can do right now to move it forward? Right. Create the momentum. Just one step in the right direction.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

And getting used to asking yourself that question. It's important to be able to understand where you have to sort of build that muscle. Yeah. It's like anything, it's creating that new habit, creating that new behavior for yourself, and making sure that you commit to it.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Yes. And reinforcing it until it becomes a habit. Yeah. Because that's it's so easy, right? I mean, we speak about it with eating, for instance. Sure. You know, people eat, equally, eat healthy, healthy, healthy, and then they come here and they're like, oh, you gotta have a sandwich because it's fast. Right. Same thing. It's exactly the same thing. Yeah. Are you at cause or are you at effect? If you are at the effect of things, you take people, you take people, people's reaction, and you just react to what they react. Right. You know, this gentleman that nearly crossed across here, for instance, I was at the effect. I'm like, I could see him. Right, right. But if you are at cause, right, you say, okay, this is my responsibility, and well be there.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Yeah. You mentioned you mentioned where we are. So we're at this B2B expo. Yes. And I would love to know if you know what so far have you seen that you have been really excited about, or what are you hoping to see or experience during this expo?

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Well, originally I'm from France and I do live in France at the moment. I was coming to visit with some friends and they are attending. So I'm like, that looks interesting. Let me go and see. For sure. Of course, right? And there's a lot of, of course, a lot of coaching and everything. What I notice a lot of is so much AI going on. Everybody it's everywhere. An AI thing, which is great until we come to the human elements. It's learning how to balance that. And I will say I'm studying AI as well for the same reason, right? Because I want to know how to make it human enough or how to balance it for my clients as a tool. But if they are not the tool of the AI.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Right. And we and I mean we're all learning it as we go. There's I I dare to say there are maybe two experts in the world. So all of us are learning this at the same time. And I I love what you said about the human element and how critical that is. Because really, we know AI is not going away. It is another tool in our toolbox. And how we as a culture and as a society choose to continue to use it and interact with it is going to impact the rest of our lives.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Yeah, exactly. And it's really about learning to use it the right way. Yes. It's great that you can do you can start conversations by AI and then but then you you cannot leave it just to the AI because you the clients will not feel connected. Right. Right. And we are in a people business 100%. So it's a fabulous tool.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

I'm so excited about what it can be, seriously. I think yeah, I love being able to look at it through a positive lens with silver linings. Yes. There's a lot of confusion right now, there's a lot of fear right now, and that is sort of a normal part of this process of something so dramatically different and new. And I I choose to look at it the same way that you are through this positive, productive potential that that's gonna happen. And it is, it's how we choose to partner with.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

And when you are a solopreneur or you have a really small business, it's a really great way to outsource something. Yes, yes. With controls.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Yes. And I, you know, and you you know, you made a great re you know, realization or a great observation that yes, everyone at this event is talking about it. It's hard to go somewhere and not care about it. It is, you know, the proverbial elephant in the room, but it is also, I think, a really interesting conversation point, like you said, the human element, what it will empower and make us capable of doing in the future. The other thing that I think has seemed to resonate in this space has been the sense of community. I don't know if you've sort of felt that or seen that as you've been in walking around, but I'm definitely sensing community. Yeah. Even with all of the technology advancement, yeah, I'm really enjoying being in presence with each other. Each other.

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Yes. Present to introductions and everything. Yes, and just finding out. Like I had a great conversation with someone, be a great person for you to interview as well. And you know, he's telling me all about what he does. I'm like, so how's business? And then we went a little bit deeper, and that's in part some of the things I learned with my mentor. But what business are we really in? Are we really coaches, marketing solution persons, everything? Or are we in the business exact for for you, for instance? And are you in the business of making people seen and heard so that they can serve more people? Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Yeah, and that's a big shift for people. It is, and it's how we connect with each other, it's how we tell stories, and it's there's a thanks. I think we have a different expectation of what it means to be in person these days. Yes. And we're all the expectations have been raised, so to speak. Absolutely. And it's it there's just there's something really wonderful about it that I hope continues to work. Yes, I agree. I love it. I love it. Well, what would you what would you hope that someone would take away from even a brief conversation with you? What's the one thing you hope that they walk away with?

SPEAKER_00 11:39

A couple of things, but I think the bigger thing is it all starts with you and your emotions. Gloomy. Right. And just hitting yourself, doing something for yourself every day, in the morning, for instance. But doing even like five minutes of okay, what is my day going to look like today? Oh my god, I have meeting with John, with Peter, I have a zoom with this, that, the other. Yeah, okay, where is my breathing space? Where do I gather myself again? Because kind of the way I describe it, is suddenly we go, and we're everywhere. Right. And it goes back to you. You are the common denominator. So how am I gonna make my day great? I have a primary question, which is how can I choose grace today? And grace might be being give grace to someone, give grace to me. To yourself.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Maybe maybe today giving myself grace is having enough. Being able to choose something for you because our lives get very busy very fast, and if you can take that opportunity to center something for yourself as a reset, that can make all the difference. Yes, and sometimes it's as simple as taking three deep breaths.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

I do like a lot with my clients, they think I'm mad. I can know that it and this breathing patterns that we do when we stress, for instance, that are so as simple as chance.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Yeah, it can slow your heart rate down, help you focus, regulate emotions. It's exactly it's really important, and it can be as simple as just a couple of breaths to pause. Yes. And that is exceptionally good advice, especially on big busy days like this. Yes, that's quite sure. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with us. This was so fun. Yes, really appreciate it. Thank you so much.