Working with Kathy was an excellent decision and has been a genuine pleasure.
Over the last six months as CEO of Sonoma Market, I’ve worked with her both as a CliftonStrengths coach and as a consultant for organizational transformation. Kathy brings a rare combination of empathy and and immediate ability to build trust, paired with sharp strategic insight and a direct, no-nonsense approach. Every conversation with her was grounded, thoughtful and actionable.

Kathy’s superpower is her ability to cut through complexity and get straight to what matters. Her guidance isn’t abstract—it’s practical.

She helped me see my leadership style through the lens of my strengths, showing me how to lean into some while rebalancing others. This was invaluable for approaching difficult decisions with more clarity and confidence—an important step on the journey towards becoming a more self-aware, thoughtful, and effective leader.

I’d recommend Kathy to any executive, founder, or senior operator navigating a moment of organizational change who’s looking for a sharp, insightful coach, intellectual sparring partner, and trusted guide.

I had the privilege of working with Kathy to better understand and articulate my leadership strengths.

Having participated in multiple CliftonStrengths workshops at previous companies, I assumed I already had a strong handle on my profile. But in just one hour, Kathy provided more depth, clarity, and practical application than all of those prior sessions combined.

Kathy has a rare ability to quickly zero in on what makes someone unique. Through her thoughtful questions and sharp observations, she helped me see not only how I naturally operate and add value, but also where I might unintentionally hold myself back.

What sets Kathy apart is how she translates keen insights into simple, actionable steps.

Kathy is an exceptional coach and facilitator, and I recommend her without hesitation to any individual or organization looking to unlock potential and elevate individual and/or team performance.

I enthusiastically recommend Kathy Conley as a strategic operations executive and organizational transformation consultant. Kathy's mastery of CliftonStrengths assessment and application stands among the most sophisticated I have encountered in my executive career. Her analysis of my leadership profile was not merely diagnostic, it was revelatory. She expertly identified how my core strengths could be leveraged more strategically while illuminating blind spots that had been limiting my effectiveness. Kathy's executive coaching approach combines strategic thinking with profound empathy, a rare combination that creates breakthrough moments for leaders. Her feedback has been consistently high-impact, challenging my assumptions while providing practical frameworks for enhanced decision-making and leadership presence. She has an extraordinary ability to listen intently and surface critical insights that others miss, often identifying organizational patterns and opportunities that were invisible to others. Any organization fortunate enough to engage Kathy's services will experience measurable improvements in leadership effectiveness, operational alignment, and organizational capacity. She is simply exceptional at what she does.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you would like to discuss Kathy's contributions in greater detail.

As I entered my second year as the Director of Transportation and Fleet Services, I realized I had reached my limit in TEAM building skills. I sought out a professional coach to assist, advise, and guide me through the next stage of TEAM development. Kathy came highly recommended by a colleague and quickly made it clear that building a strong TEAM requires first developing the individuals within it. Her coaching has proven to be one of the best recommendations I have ever received.

Kathy’s partnership created a progressive balance of coaching, mentoring, guidance, and challenge that has helped me—and my team—build stronger, more effective relationships. This has allowed us to move key strategic initiatives forward in a more comprehensive and impactful way. Kathy also supported our own growth as a team, improving how we work and communicate together, while helping me personally expand my leadership capability, credibility, and results.

Working with Kathy was about more than just strategy—it was about identifying strengths, reducing blind spots, and becoming a more self-aware leader. What impressed me most was her remarkable ability to ask the right questions, prompting deep self-reflection that ultimately brought about positive change within our organization.

Through our work together, I’ve become a more effective executive leader, able to create a more proactive and flexible organization. I can confidently say that my team today is one of, if not the best, I have ever worked with. I, and my team, could not be more pleased with our relationship with Kathy.