Frequently asked questions

Russell Owens formalized VIM Coaching as a business in 2012, after years of mentoring and coaching others alongside his business career.

In Denver, Colorado, with an office on Gaylord Street. We coach in person in Denver and Boulder, and by phone or video anywhere.

VIM isn't an acronym. Vim is a noun meaning a lively or energetic spirit: enthusiasm and vitality.

Every VIM coach has business leadership experience, from owning companies to leading teams in fields such as finance, technology, healthcare and law. Each is trained on VIM's 21-step curriculum.

Start with a 30-minute introduction call. We'll send you a short Preliminary Assessment Questionnaire, then meet for a 45 to 60 minute complimentary session to discuss your challenges and options. It's real coaching, not a sales pitch, and there's no obligation.

It's a 45 to 60 minute conversation with a VIM coach about your challenges and options. It's real coaching, not a sales pitch, and it helps you decide whether VIM is the right fit, with no obligation.

Every engagement is built around the person or team we're coaching, so we don't publish set rates. Fees depend on the scope of the engagement, how often we meet, whether it's individual or team coaching, and whether assessments or between-session access are included. We discuss investment privately in your complimentary first session, with no obligation. If your company is paying, we can arrange that directly with them.

VIM coaching is modular, not a one-size-fits-all program. Your coach assigns each module based on your needs. Some clients work with us for a few months on one goal; others have stayed for more than ten years.

No. We can meet in person in Denver and Boulder, and coach clients across the US and internationally by phone or video.

What you discuss with your coach stays between you and your coach. If your company pays for coaching, we agree up front on what, if anything, is shared.

An executive coach helps leaders see their situation clearly, make better decisions and follow through. At VIM, that means working with a coach who has run a business and can pair practical advice with honest reflection.

Our coaches have owned and run businesses, so you get practical, bottom-line advice from someone who has faced the same pressures. We pair that experience with mindfulness and reflection, so the work goes beyond tactics to how you think, decide and lead.

Your first full session takes 60 to 90 minutes. We review your Confidential Assessment Questionnaire together and agree on a course of action. After that, sessions run 30 to 90 minutes: we talk through current challenges and progress, review your weekly VIM assignment from our modular 21-step curriculum, and agree on next steps.

Check-in and Review is included at no extra cost: you can reach your coach by phone or email between sessions, and your coach periodically reviews your progress and goals with you.

Choose individual coaching if the challenge is yours: a decision, a transition, stress or growth as a leader. Choose team coaching if the problem lives between people, such as communication, trust or accountability. Many clients start with one and add the other.

Executive and leadership teams, in Denver and Boulder and nationwide. Teams usually come to us when communication has broken down, values or goals aren't shared, personality conflicts are blocking progress, decisions aren't getting made, or the company is going through change.

We build each engagement from a menu of modules: building team agreements, establishing mindful team rituals, cultivating a mindful team and practicing as a mindful team. Individual coaching for team leaders can run alongside the team work. We tailor the mix to your team.

It starts with an introduction call. We then send a Confidential Assessment Questionnaire and use it in a discovery meeting to understand your challenges, stressors and goals. From there we deliver a customized plan that fits your team's needs, timeline and budget.

Yes. Individual Leader Coaching runs alongside the team work, and each leader's coach chooses the content based on that person's needs.

Yes. Every VIM attorney coach is an attorney. They understand billable hours, partner tracks and firm politics from the inside, and pair that with real business experience.

Attorneys at every stage: new and mid-level associates, junior and senior partners, and in-house or senior counsel. We also work with attorneys who are thinking about leaving the profession or starting their own firm.

People who strongly dislike their job and want a change, people dealing with a job loss, people returning to work after a long break, and people who are doing fine on paper but feel disconnected from their work.

No. VIM is neither a headhunter nor a placement service. We coach you to understand your strengths, get clear on what you want and make your next move with confidence.

Coaching that helps you build a regular mindfulness and meditation practice and use it in daily life. You learn to understand your emotions and stress levels, respond rather than react, and stay focused under pressure.

No. We start with the basics, including how mindfulness and meditation regulate stress and reactions, and build from there.

Yes. We run custom mindfulness and resilience workshops: a 60 to 90 minute introductory session or a multi-session series held weekly, monthly or quarterly. Workshops can be combined with one-on-one or team coaching, and many companies start with a small pilot, such as a course for senior leadership.