Hi, I’m Guillermo. I’m an executive communication coach and principal of Cambio Coaching. My specialty is coaching executives who want to bring about positive change in themselves and their organizations by communicating more effectively and intentionally. In fact, “Cambio” comes from the Spanish noun that means “effect of changing.”
Ever since graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mechanical engineering degree, my career has been a journey of diverse experiences. That journey — from engineer and general contractor to entrepreneur, banker and even cruise ship musician — helps me guide clients on their path and to understand it’s not always a linear one. I know about detours, having revisited music several times during my life. Early in my career, I left engineering to study jazz guitar at the University of North Texas. I worked as a music teacher and musician on the side.
Journey to executive communication coach
Every step of my journey has had its purpose and contributes to my mission to help my executive clients be role models and effective communicators within their companies. My practical engineering skills allow me to identify and solve problems. My lifelong love and study of music help me to understand the components of compelling communication – from the pacing of a speech to properly landing a message.
As a communication coach, my primary job is to listen, and it’s a skill that comes naturally. While growing up in Puerto Rico, I taught myself to play the guitar … by ear. When I’m with my clients, I’m an active listener. By listening, I can ask clients the right questions and shine an imaginary flashlight in the right spots along their path. I’m not so much about trying to “fix” them as being their companion, consultant, coach and champion on their journey to changing how they communicate.
Being a coach is the best and most fulfilling job I’ve ever had. There’s nothing more satisfying than a day spent listening to my clients and sharing information, insights skills that help them reach their goals, tackle challenges and advance their careers.
I’ve been a lifelong student and teacher. Whenever I want to know how to do something — like be a jazz guitarist or skilled communicator – I research, study and practice. When I have skills to share — from how to write a cover letter and nail a job interview to how to play the guitar — I am a joyful and natural teacher. During grad school, while helping other MBA students practice interviewing and fine-tune their resumes, I realized I’m really good at helping people articulate their value and become the leaders they were meant to be.
Credentials and giving back
Once I decided to become an executive communication coach, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to learn from the best and become a masterful coach. I graduated from the certification program offered by Success Unlimited Network® and earned the PCC credential offered by the International Coach Federation (ICF). My clients can feel comfortable knowing that I’ve been trained and tested and that I abide by the ICF’s Code of Ethics.
Today, in addition to being a communication guide for Cambio clients, I am an executive coach and communication lecturer for the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, where I also earned my MBA.
I regularly contribute my talents — as a musician and communicator — to causes and organizations I’m passionate about, including Mental Health America. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar (of course) and hanging out with my wife Danielle and our cat and two dogs.
About Coaching
The best coaching engagement is one in which expectations are clear, and in which coach and client set themselves up for success, from the beginning, by agreeing on what the plan is.
Is a partnership between client and coach to help the client achieve the results he/she desires
Is about the client accessing his/her inner wisdom; the client—not the coach—is the expert on what they truly want, and even on how to get it. The coach assists the client in accessing that expertise.
Is NOT consulting, or about giving/getting advice
Is NOT counseling or treatment for mental health issues
Want more clarification?
Contact us with any questions you have, or to set up a free 1-hour Exploratory Meeting.
Cambio Coaching FAQs
Why does Cambio's Coaching Program take 6 months?
Six months isn’t that long when you’re talking about increasing awareness and creating new habits for yourself. A good part of the benefit from coaching takes place during the time between our meetings. It’s not that you’ll have a long list of tasks to complete between meetings, but you’ll be noticing things you hadn’t noticed before, or looking things in a new way. And you just have to allow time and space to yourself absorb it all in the course of your day-to-day life.
Although shifts in perspective can often happen in an instant—think “aha moment”—it takes time to internalize and incorporate your insights and learning to effect the long lasting change that will allow you to consistently produce the results you want in the future.
Is the coaching done virtually or in-person?
Yes and yes! It can be done in-person, if you’re in Charlotte, NC we can meet at my office in the Elizabeth neighborhood. However, a good bit of coaching is done virtually, nowadays—either on the phone, or via video conferencing (Skype, Zoom, Google Hangout, etc.)
We can find the coaching format that works best for you, including a combination of phone, video, and in-person.
What happens during a coaching meeting?
It varies depending on whether the meeting is part of a Program or if it’s a standalone meeting. In a standalone meeting, we typically dive right into whatever you want to get out of the meeting, which means we go straight into having what’s known as a coaching conversation. If it’s within the context of a coaching Program, we may spend time:
- Introducing new tools
- Checking in on well-being metrics
- Recapping important experiences or realizations you had in-between meetings
- Discussing how you’re tracking toward your Program goals
- Having a coaching conversation about a particular issue or situation
Click here to find out more about what happens in a coaching meeting and in a coaching conversation.
How do I know you’re the right coach for me?
It’s a great question because working with a coach is an extremely personal thing. You want to make sure you mesh with your coach, and before you sign up for coaching, I want to make sure I can help you.
Contact me to set up a free 1-hour Exploratory Meeting for me to tell you more about our products and to go through a sample goal-setting session. You’ll get a better sense for what I do, and for my coaching style. If you like what you hear and what you experience during that meeting, and you want to sign up for the program, we can make it official and get started.
How do I get started?
Click here to visit our Getting Started page.
What does the Cambio logo represent?
The white curve represents the letter “C” in Cambio, but it’s also meant to evoke a road, which in turn represents your unique Personal Purpose—a road worth staying on to live and work in a way that makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled. (Click here to learn more about being On Purpose.) The triangle represents an arrow or a 3-dimensional ramp pointing up and to the right. It’s meant to evoke the progress clients aspire to make with coaching. It also represents the Greek letter delta (Δ), which often stands for change.
The triangle’s tilt—slightly to the right—is meant to evoke the concepts of shifting and movement, both central to the Cambio Coaching approach.
