In this episode of Hey Charles, Charles Ernst interviews Eric Merz of Vertua Coaching, a coach with 19 years of experience working with businesses of all sizes. Eric shares his journey from growing up on a farm to managing a farm service business and eventually transitioning into coaching. He highlights the need for adaptive strategic planning due to rapid changes in business environments and stresses the significance of leaders sharing their vision with their teams to ensure alignment and engagement. He also underscores the role of coaching in helping clients navigate challenges by asking open-ended questions and fostering self-discovery. Eric's coaching business, Vertua Coaching, focuses on helping clients find their "truth" and achieve their goals. With practical examples like strategic business planning, adaptive coaching, and changing perspectives, the episode offers actionable strategies for business owners and organizations to ask the right questions and transform their business.

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Eric Merz

• Vertua Coaching - https://vertuacoaching.com/

Key Moments:

Coaching Philosophy Introduced (00:00:00 - 00:00:28): Charles and Eric highlight that coaching is about asking powerful questions and uncovering the client's potential, rather than providing all the answers.

Introduction to Eric Merz and His Journey (00:01:01 - 00:02:17): Eric shares how his career began in farming and evolved into a coaching practice driven by his passion for helping others.

Building a Leadership Program (00:02:38 - 00:04:33): Eric recounts creating a youth leadership program in Wasco, which sparked his interest in facilitation and mentoring.

Coaching vs. Consulting (00:04:56 - 00:07:08): The distinction between coaching, which empowers clients to discover solutions, and consulting, which prescribes solutions, is explored.

Adapting to Change in Business (00:12:06 - 00:15:15): Eric discusses the need for businesses to adapt to macroeconomic and technological changes to remain competitive.

Strategic Planning as a Fluid Process (00:19:54 - 00:21:59): The importance of constantly reassessing strategic plans in response to changing conditions is emphasized.

Empowering Teams Through Shared Vision (00:30:14 - 00:33:41): Eric emphasizes the value of involving team members in the vision-setting process to ensure alignment and motivation.