In 1992, Christine Martin ventured into the unknown world of business coaching. Coaching remained a significant part of our work for ten years. In 1999, she acquired her Master Certified Coach credential from the International Coach Federation (www.coachfederation.org). She also created a vast virtual network of business relationships with coaches worldwide.
In 2002, we added Innovation Coaching and made a decision to become a full-time coaching firm. In the fall of 2003, Christine became a coach affiliate of 4-D Systems, Inc. a leadership development program for NASA teams, project leaders and line managers. Working with NASA leaders at all 10 Centers continues to this day. In 2004-5 we worked virtually as a management development specialist coach with Informatica Corporation in Redwood City, CA. In 2009 we created a strategic alliance with Renoir Corporation (Montreal, Ottawa, Newark, Chicago and Toronto) to develop coaches in the 4-D model who will work with Renoir’s clients in technical fields. Our plans and choices have brought us exactly where we want to be as a company.
Part of our private client work includes professional coaches (as individuals or in groups) who are seeking advanced work on their coaching skills, credential preparation, and/or their continuing specialty education.
"Our aspirations are our possibilities."... Robert Browning, Poet
Where We Began
Founded in 1986, T. L. Consultants, Inc. (the original parent company of Innovation Coaching) entered the field of aquatics facility consulting as a result of working for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. We worked on various projects with municipalities, universities, school districts and occasionally a private enterprise. We were experts in the design and function of competitive swimming pools and the programs that supported them.
In 1992, founder Christine Martin redesigned the work of the company to reflect her expanded expertise in enterprise design and development. She began working with entrepreneurs primarily writing the business plans they would need to obtain various rounds of venture capital and debt funding. For the next ten years Christine wrote over 30 major business plans that included full financials, business model development, and marketing plans.
In 2003 Christine was contracted as Competition Director for the 2004 U. S. Olympic Trials for swimming, capping off a long career in designing and directing large competitions, including two Olympic Games swimming events. This event provided the transition time and resources required for a significant change in business focus from consulting and part time coaching to full time coaching – our core business ever since.
Where We Are Going
Our business has grown steadily for the past decade. In order to deliver on our vision: "Sustain Excellence and Top Performance Over Time," we must do the same. Our future plans include a book (co-author Sherry Lowry, MCC of Austin, Texas), a steady diet of advanced coaching tele-seminars for experienced coaches, occasional classes to teach, lots of keynotes and conference presentations … all this along with our large menu of coaching work. We look forward to new and exciting projects (in English and French) with Renoir and innovative idea development with Sherry and colleagues.
