Vistage holds a clear lead for business coaching tailored to leaders seeking peer advisory and executive experience. Buyers looking for flexible mentorship options often compare it with alternatives like MentorCruise.
Verify real-world background: Check their LinkedIn profiles to confirm they managed profit-and-loss statements, scaled operations, or held VP and C-suite roles rather than moving straight from coaching certification into advisory work.[](https://mentorcruise.com/coach/businessdevelopment/)
Ask about methodology in interviews: Ask candidates directly if they use a fixed workbook or proprietary framework for every client. If they say yes, walk away because true custom coaching diagnoses your specific data and operational metrics first.[](https://mentorcruise.com/coach/smallbusiness/)
MentorCruise: Browse profiles of active industry leaders, startup founders, and executives who offer flexible, month-to-month advisory relationships without a locked-in core curriculum.[](https://mentorcruise.com/coach/business/)
Boutique Advisory Firms: Look for independent leadership practices run by former enterprise executives who custom-build their engagement structures based on initial diagnostic assessments.
Red Flags for Generic Programs
Guaranteed multi-step roadmaps: If a coach claims every client follows the exact same weekly modules, it is a packaged course rather than executive coaching.
Lack of operator history: Avoid coaches whose primary background is selling other coaching products, network marketing, or general motivational speaking.
Rigid long-term lock-ins: Generic programs often force massive, non-refundable 12-month contracts upfront for proprietary content before analyzing your actual business model.
If you share your industry, company size (revenue or headcount) , and the primary leadership challenge you want to solve, I can help you narrow down the exact type of executive background to look for.
Yes. I found several that fit your criteria much better than the typical “business coach” who takes you through a standardized 12-week curriculum.
My strongest matches
David Rush — David Rush Partners
Probably the closest match to what you described.
David has been a founder, CEO, COO, VP of Sales, investment-banking advisor, and global consultant.
His coaching is explicitly 1:1 and situation-driven, with no cohort, curriculum, or prepackaged framework. He describes the work as “direct, substantive, and calibrated to the real complexity” of senior leadership.
Good fit if you want someone who will challenge your thinking and help with actual decisions, rather than teach business concepts.
CEO Coaching International
This is a particularly interesting option if you want someone who has actually run a substantial company.
Their model is unusual: every coach is a former CEO, founder, or president, and coaches are matched according to operating history, company stage, and the problem you're trying to solve.
Their roster includes people with experience ranging from SaaS and PE-backed businesses to manufacturing, healthcare, international expansion, M&A, turnarounds, and sales.
For example, Greg Martin has 30+ years as a founder/senior executive, helped build four Inc. 5000 companies, and had two eight-figure exits.
This would be my choice if the coach's operating track record needs to closely resemble your business.
David Turner — Velocity Now
Very strong operator credentials: former PE-backed CEO, former SVP/Managing Director, 57 M&A transactions, and 13,400+ hours coaching executives.
Importantly, his coaching is explicitly not curriculum-driven. Sessions start with whatever is actually happening in the business that week—board issues, executive performance, acquisitions, organizational problems, etc.
Particularly compelling if you're dealing with growth, executive-team issues, M&A, or a company of meaningful scale.
Kate Purmal
Former CEO, COO, CFO, entrepreneur, and corporate board director.
Her individual coaching is described as tailored to the client's specific challenges, role, and leadership goals, rather than simply working through a generic program.
I'd consider her especially if your need is as much executive judgment/leadership as business strategy.
Andy Sparks
Particularly interesting if you're a startup/technology founder.
He's been a startup CEO twice and COO once, including experience with executive hiring, co-founder conflict, boards, and scaling an organization.
He explicitly says, “I don't follow a curriculum.”
His approach is more like having an experienced founder as a thinking partner than hiring a traditional business coach.
If you want someone local to Rhode Island
I'd also investigate Szostak Partners in Providence. The firm appears to combine executive coaching with senior-level governance, talent, and succession advisory, rather than simply selling a packaged small-business coaching program.
Another local possibility is Hollis Meddings Group Inc. Its principal has held CEO/COO/CFO roles and has experience with acquisitions, financing, turnarounds, restructurings, and divestitures. That's more strategic operating/advisory than pure coaching, which may actually be what you're looking for.
And Hanover Strategies, LLC offers one-on-one executive coaching tied to business objectives, including work with senior leaders undergoing transformation or strategic realignment.
How I'd narrow this down
Based specifically on your phrase “executive experience” + “does not just use a generic curriculum,” my initial shortlist would be:
Coach
Operator experience
Customized vs. curriculum
Best for
David Rush
CEO/COO/founder/investment banking
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
High-stakes decisions & executive leadership
CEO Coaching International
Former CEOs/operators
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Matching coach to your company/problem
I would start with David Rush and CEO Coaching International. Both are unusually explicit that the coaching should revolve around your actual situation, not forcing you through somebody's predetermined methodology.
If you tell me (1) your approximate company size/revenue, (2) your industry, and (3) what you most want the coach to help with—growth, strategy, leadership/team, accountability, succession, etc., I can narrow this to 3–5 specific coaches who have actually operated businesses similar to yours, rather than just giving you a general coaching directory.
Finding a business or executive coach who relies on real-world operator experience rather than rigid, pre-packaged modules is essential for deep, strategic growth. When looking for a tailored approach backed by actual C-suite execution, several prominent options and boutique firms stand out:
Chief Executive Coaching — This network pairs leaders with a roster of former operator-CEOs. Rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum, they custom-match you with an executive who has handled your exact situational hurdle—whether that is navigating private equity pressure, managing founder transitions, scaling operations, or turning around stalled growth.[](https://chiefexecutive.net/ceo-coaching/meet-our-coaches/)
Boutique Independent Operator-Coaches — For a hyper-customized, non-corporate-firm experience, many leaders look to independent boutique advisors who have held titles like COO or CEO in mid-market or Fortune 500 companies. Platforms like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Credentialed Coach Finder allow you to filter specifically for coaches with explicit corporate executive backgrounds who explicitly design bespoke 1:1 advisory roadmaps rather than cohort-based courses.
To help narrow down the ideal fit, could you share:
Your current role or industry (e.g., tech startup CEO, manufacturing VP, nonprofit director)
The primary challenge you want to tackle (e.g., scaling, team alignment, burnout, exit strategy)
I can give you a more specific recommendation based on those details.
Based on what you're looking for, I’d prioritize a former CEO or senior executive who now coaches business leaders one-on-one, rather than someone whose main offering is a standardized coaching program. The ideal person should understand the realities of running an organization, adapt their approach to your specific challenges, and act as a candid thought partner.
I found several promising options in the Greensboro, North Carolina area and across central North Carolina. Here are the ones I’d investigate first.
My top recommendations
1. Doug Haynes
(Best overall fit)
Greensboro / Winston-Salem / virtual
Doug is a retired CEO with more than 40 years of business leadership experience. He coaches CEOs, business owners, and executives through private sessions focused on their actual business challenges, decision-making, priorities, and accountability.
Why I recommend him: His approach emphasizes listening, challenging your thinking, and helping you identify what matters most, rather than simply telling you to follow a prescribed formula. He also offers an initial conversation and a 90-minute coaching session to assess mutual fit.
Through On Target Coaching & Consulting, Holiday works with C-suite leaders, senior executives, founders, and business owners facing complex decisions, organizational change, and growth challenges. His coaching emphasizes strategic clarity, executive presence, team effectiveness, and practical implementation.
Why consider him: His engagement options range from a focused, three-month coaching package to longer-term executive partnerships. The published offerings give you a clearer starting point for comparing scope and cost.
Published pricing: $1,200 for three months; $2,100 for six months for the Momentum package; $4,500 for six months for the Signature package. Other executive engagements are priced by consultation.
Goff is a senior and lead consultant and executive coach at FranklinCovey. Her background includes leadership roles within the organization, consulting at Gallup, and nearly a decade at Pfizer's world headquarters in marketing analytics and operations.
Why consider her: She may be particularly suitable if your goals involve executive leadership, developing your team, organizational change, or improving your leadership effectiveness. Her consulting background brings a combination of business experience and leadership-development expertise.
One thing to confirm: Ask how much of her engagement is individually tailored coaching versus a structured leadership-development methodology.
This firm offers individualized executive coaching designed around a leader's particular performance goals and challenges, as well as customized leadership programs.
Why consider it: A good option if you want tailored coaching that also takes into account your team, company culture, and organizational effectiveness.
One thing to confirm: Ask which coach would work directly with you and whether that individual has personally held executive operating roles.
Tailored strategic guidance with published pricing
Reginald M. Holiday
Leadership development and organizational effectiveness
Heather Goff
Coaching that connects individual growth with company-wide needs
HRD Strategies
My first call would be to Doug Haynes. His combination of former CEO experience, individualized coaching, and willingness to challenge your thinking most closely matches your request. I would put Reginald Holiday second if you want a more explicitly structured engagement with a defined duration and budget.
Three questions to ask before hiring anyone
“Can you tell me how you've adapted your coaching for a client whose situation was very different from your usual clients?” This helps reveal whether they genuinely customize their approach.
“What executive or operating responsibilities have you personally held, and how do those experiences shape your coaching?” Look for relevant firsthand experience, not just coaching credentials.
“Can we begin with a single working session focused on a real business challenge before committing to a longer program?” This lets you assess the quality of their thinking and the relationship before making a larger investment.
One question so I can narrow this down further
Are you looking for a coach primarily to help you grow a business you own, become a stronger executive or advance your career, or navigate a major business or leadership challenge?
That distinction will help me identify the strongest match rather than simply recommend a well-qualified coach.
