Executive Coaching | 720 stakeholder feedback | executive advisory
Navigate uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions with grace, presence, and flow
What Clients Are Saying
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![Dan Haut, Partner Osborne Partners]()
Dan Haut, Partner Osborne Partners
”Over the past 15 years, I have worked with three coaches. From each of them, I have taken many nuggets of valuable wisdom as it relates to career development, work-life balance, anxiety regulation, and relationship management. That said, my work with Kostja has been the most impactful.
First, at the beginning of every meeting, an intention is set. More specifically, Kostja asks what part of my life I would like to focus on. This simple, yet powerful question, highlights the purpose of the call or "north star" and provides the metaphorical rudder before we set sail. After the purpose of the call is set, Kostja guides me through several minutes of meditation, which invariably centers me on the moment. It is after this meditation that Kostja allows me to navigate where I want to go based on the purpose set.Regardless of where our call goes, he is an expert at weaving in relevant and timely guidance that is based on our past conversations. This proves how good of a listener he is and how he is able to integrate all facets of my life together (career, relationships, marriage, etc.).
One of the things I appreciate about Kostja is that he makes sure to keep me on track, without veering off path too much. He seeks clarity when unsure of my answer. He holds me accountable for the goals I set. To this last point, at the end of every call, he will email me a detailed 1-2 page synopsis which is broken down by recap, summary, and next steps. I have NEVER had a coach provide this level of care and expect this level of accountability. This shows how invested he is my success.
I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to challenge themselves to be the best version of themselves they can be.”
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![Andrea Mayendia, Sr. Director, Dow Jones]()
Andrea Mayendia, Sr. Director, Dow Jones
“In one particular coaching session, Kostja helped to break through certain obstacles that were holding me back from achieving my goals. I knew that I was making excuses and procrastinating, but couldn’t quite figure out how to move forward. Through Kostja’s gentle and insightful coaching, he went straight to the heart of the issue where we explored my fear of rejection and not being good enough. By the end of our session, Kostja had helped me to clearly see what was standing in my way and guided me in devising my own plan. Several weeks later, I’m back on track with my goals and have even surprised myself at how much progress I’ve made. Kostja’s ability to ask questions and help me break down my own obstacles has been invaluable.“ -
![Elena Ikonomovska, CEO, Stealth Biotech Co]()
Elena Ikonomovska, CEO, Stealth Biotech Co
“A coaching experience with Kostja is unlike any other. I found his approach of guided meditation designed to help you understand what’s within you at the beginning of the session helpful in bringing light on what’s most important to be discussed. He has a special knack for asking the right questions to help you identify solutions on your own that leave you with clarity and peace. It’s a truly enjoyable experience, I would highly recommend him.” -
![Lindsay Browning, Director, Monday.com]()
Lindsay Browning, Director, Monday.com
“Kostja's approach to coaching is refreshing. He is extremely intent with hearing your goals, deeply connected to your obstacles and a compassionate partner to find a path forward. He is curious, constructive and motivating as you bring to the surface your vulnerability, as well as your capability. Starting your session with a short meditation to get grounded sets the right tone. This was a personal highlight for me.” -
![Rens Van Der Broek, Partner, McKinsey and Company]()
Rens van den Broek, Partner, McKinsey and Company
“I highly recommend Kostja as your executive coach. He is able to straddle the worlds of business, sports, family life, and spirituality seamlessly. Kostja is extremely insightful but, more importantly will help you find the insights within yourself. He brings a warm and calming energy but is not afraid to challenge you and hold you accountable to goals you set for yourself. As an immigrant, Kostja could also relate to and understand the challenges facing navigating, living and integrating in different places. Kostja has personally helped me reach several breakthroughs in both the professional and personal realm, and I believe he would make an amazing coach to leaders, especially across the domains of business, nonprofit and sports.” -
![Max Karreth, CEO / Founder of Win]()
Max Karreth, CEO / Founder, Win
”Kostja is an exceptional coach. There is a wealth of wisdom and experience he brings to the table, but he really has been instrumental in unlocking my untapped potential and establishing a healthy balance in my professional life. His coaching stands out for its unique blend of focusing on energy flow, coupled with a precision in problem-solving-oriented coaching that is unparalleled. The environment he creates is not just encouraging and empowering but also pushes the boundaries to realize your own performance potential. I always walk out of a session with a sense of transformation and a distinct lack of ambiguity. If you're seeking a coach who can unlock new levels of performance while bringing in clarity and balance, I can only recommend Kostja.” -
![Martijn Lancee, Director, LinkedIn]()
Martijn Lancee, Director, LinkedIn
”I highly recommend Kostja as a performance coach. His approach is refreshingly unique, drawing not only from his extensive business leadership background but also from the adrenaline-fueled world of adventure sports. Kostja's coaching goes beyond the expected, breaking new ground for significant and lasting performance changes. His coaching style is a perfect blend of business savvy and adventurous spirit, creating an atmosphere where possibilities are explored, and growth is inevitable. Kostja facilitated vulnerable conversations, unlocking my unconscious potential for genuine growth and positive DNA transformation.What sets Kostja apart is his commitment to a peak-performance and flow-centered lifestyle. This, coupled with his vast experience, enables him to co-create tailored, data-driven practices that bring you closer to your optimal self across all domains—cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual. In Kostja's coaching sessions, you'll discover what's been holding you back, paving the way for a new way of being that you'll never want to leave, in the most positive sense. His contagious compassion, grit, and courage, inspired by a life of continuous growth professionally & personally, will elevate your journey towards sustained success and fulfillment.”
offerings
Executive
Coaching
Tailored one-on-one coaching designed for leaders seeking to broaden their impact, deepen their relationships, uplevel performance, and lead through VUCA conditions with grace, presence and flow.
72o
feedback
As part of our coaching relationship, I offer 720 feedback from stakeholders in your life. These are the most important people in your life, your tribe. They play part in professional, familial, and other domains of your life. We collect and address baseline assessment, followed by another assessment in 5-6 months time.
executive
advisory
I focus on fundraising and corporate strategy across multiple areas, emphasizing assessing, designing, and implementing go-to-market teams, processes, and systems to drive increased profitability and revenue growth.
work with me in order to…
EXPAND WHAT’S POSSIBLE
One of the main reasons to have a coaching conversation is to explore what is possible beyond what is predictable. Our conversations will uncover different, fresh perspectives, expand what is possible, and inform what action to take, creating your new reality.UPLEVEL PERFORMANCE
Very few at the top have confidantes telling them what they most need to hear. Our work would surface unvarnished truths, illuminating blind spots holding you back and unleashing untapped potential and performance. Naturally, goal-setting and leading-edge peak performance practices are available to support your path.INCREASE COURAGE
We are our worst bosses. Working with me could allow you to give yourself permission, clarity, and gratitude to see your value and put the impostor aside. You start to lead with conviction, leaving less and less room for doubt — whether you are raising funds or building a team of people at the top of their game who are more successful.DEVELOP EMPATHY
Coaching can help develop a deeper understanding of others' emotions and needs, fostering compassionate and inclusive leadership. Such heightened empathy enhances relationships, leadership effectiveness, and organizational culture, transitioning your organization from leadership to followship.ACHIEVE FLOW
Executives who have access to flow states experience 500% increase in productivity, 490% increase in skill acquisition and 430% increase in creative problem-solving.BUILD RESILIENCE
Together, we appreciate the stochastic nature of life. We reframe obstacles and traumas into catalysts for growth and learning as you maintain clarity and conviction, even in the face of adversity.
working together
STEP 1
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I gift all prospective clients a 90-minute complimentary full coaching session. In this session, you will discover my approach to coaching, and what it is like to work together. You might be complete and not even need any more coaching after this call. If you would like to know more, and we are a fit then we decide whether to move forward with a formal coaching relationship.
STEP 2
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After committing to working together, our next session is a two-hour workshop. We will walk out of this session with a clear point of departure and vision across the domains of your life. The outcome of this session will serve as our North Star and an arc for the ongoing coaching relationship as we navigate together.
STEP 3
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After we set the course, the Odyssey begins. We will connect bi-weekly for an hour. You are the framework and the agenda. Your agenda may align with our established vision and goals or reflect what’s present at the moment and on top of your mind and heart. Most of my coaching engagements are six months, affording you ample time to make meaningful strides toward your dreams and witness the transformative effects of coaching in your daily experiences.
Hi, I’m Kostja
I am a seasoned executive advisor and coach with over two decades of international leadership experience.
To serve you, I draw on my coaching training and extensive business experience. I’m a Newfield Network, and New Ventures West trained coach and a certified Flow Guide with Flow Genome Project. I bring strategic insights and leadership acumen from roles in renowned organizations like Bain & Co., LinkedIn, Credit Suisse, and Accenture. I hold an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Outside of coaching, I am an athlete passionate about adventure sports. As a freediver, ultra-endurance athlete, kitesurfer, and ski mountaineer, I navigated team dynamics and managed risks in high-consequence environments. I took part in the second-highest ultra in the world (Huaraz, 2022), placed first in the Spartan Ultra, and summited Aconcagua, Cotopaxi, and Mt Blanc, to name a few experiences. I contribute these skills and experiences as a volunteer Search and Rescue team member in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
To perform and lead in the backcountry and the boardroom, I am an avid practitioner and evangelist of peak performance and optimal health through movement, nutrition, mindfulness, sleep, hot/cold exposure, and flow states. This knowledge and experience help me co-create bespoke data-driven practices for my clients.
I combine the best of coaching training, leadership experience, and peak performance to empower individuals and teams to step into their potential and lead through volatile, complex, uncertain situations with grace, presence, and flow.
I was born and raised in Croatia. As a teenager, I decided to build my life in the USA and moved there when I was 17. I am based in Northern California.
Organizations Kostja Worked at:
Kostja trained at these institutions:
The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon. The person with a wider vision sees a wider horizon - MAORI QUOTE
The story behind waitapu
"Waitapu," meaning “holy water” in Maori, is a story written by Joza Horvat that I read as a little boy growing up on the Croatian coast. It has fueled my vision, of which your visit to this website is a part.
"Waitapu" is about a Pacific Islander boy named Iteo who lives in a fishing village community on a Southern Pacific island.
"Waitapu" is a border, a taboo line on the horizon of the vast Pacific. It's a line not to be approached by common people - the line not to be crossed. "Waitapu" is bounded by two large cliffs, “Wa” and “Tapu.”
No villager has been permitted to go through there, and the community fears the cautionary tale of Iteo’s father, who sailed and did not return. The village shaman, Tefoto, keeps the villagers in check with the cautionary tales and promotes limits as a way of life. The village shaman Tefoto has forbidden people from even looking in the direction of the line.
Dear Iteo, where would WE be if WE HAVEN’t BEEN CROSSING lines
- Parana
Undeterred by the fear instilled by his father's cautionary tale, Iteo dreams of approaching the Waitapu. An eclectic elder named Parana supports Iteo’s curiosity and determination to cross the line. Parana guides Iteo on “who to be” when he encounters adversity on the water and “what to do” as Iteo embarks on the journey.
With unwavering determination, Iteo sets sail across the taboo line, defying the boundaries of his community and the vast Pacific horizon. Embarking on his daring journey, Iteo confronts a myriad of challenges. He navigates treacherous terrain, battles sea monsters, and faces resistance and fear from his fellow villagers. The risk of being ostracized from his community looms large. Yet, he persists. When he finally crosses the line, he is met with a love that… well, I cannot disclose everything and spoil the story.
Waitapu is a testament to pushing boundaries and overcoming limitations, venturing where others have not— in all aspects of life, business, arts, relationships, and sports. This hero’s journey story was a catalyst and an inspiration for many transitions in my life, such as moving to the USA when I was 17 to create my life there.
What is your Waitapu? What is possible on the other side?
Who IS parana IN YOUR LIFE?
Who will you be as you depart your community and Navigate the vast sea beyond?
Curious what Waitapu coaching is like?
Rather than intellectualizing coaching, I offer all prospective clients a complimentary full 90-minute coaching session. In this session, you will experience my approach to coaching; we will assess our fit and decide whether to work together. No strings attached, no commitments.
