Former Consulting Partner Transitions to Leadership Coaching, Highlights Importance of Practical Planning
Nicole Shaver's career shift from corporate finance to leadership coaching demonstrates how professionals can successfully navigate major career transitions while emphasizing the critical importance of practical planning for healthcare and financial stability.
Chicago-based leadership coach Nicole Shaver made a significant career transition after spending over two decades at a large consulting firm, where she progressed from senior accountant to partner. During her tenure, she witnessed the firm's substantial growth from approximately 100 people to more than 2,000 employees. While her background as a CPA and accountant provided strong technical foundations, Shaver discovered her true passion lay in developing people and building teams rather than financial analysis.
The transition became possible when organizational changes at her former company created an opportunity for Shaver to reconsider her career path. She realized that the aspects of her work she most enjoyed involved mentoring and developing team members, which she had been doing informally throughout her career without recognizing it as formal coaching. To validate her decision, Shaver worked with a coach herself to navigate the reflective process of career change, confronting questions about identity and purpose that often accompany major professional shifts.
Shaver's preparation for entrepreneurship included growing up with parents who owned their own business, providing realistic expectations about business ownership. Her corporate experience involved driving financial and strategic planning while working closely with C-level leaders, giving her insight into business development and building trusted advisor relationships. She combines strong analytical skills with people-focused abilities, bringing a unique perspective to her coaching practice through her International Coaching Federation certification.
As the primary earner for her family with nine-year-old twins, Shaver emphasized the importance of practical planning for healthcare coverage during the transition from corporate benefits to self-employment. She initially utilized COBRA coverage but faced the challenge of transitioning to marketplace insurance. Her former employer's partnership with the post-employment platform When proved instrumental in navigating this critical aspect of her career change.
The support from When included consistent follow-up and multiple phone conversations to help understand insurance logistics and details. This assistance enabled Shaver to transition from paying approximately $1,800 monthly for COBRA to about $2,200 for an Aetna plan while maintaining continuity with her therapist, her children's pediatrician, and specialists at Northwestern. Having human support for such a critical family need allowed Shaver to focus on building her coaching practice without worrying about healthcare logistics.
Shaver now finds fulfillment in creating space for clients to reflect and grow, helping leaders navigate transitions and teams transform their dynamics. Her experience demonstrates that successful career transitions require both emotional readiness and practical preparation, particularly regarding healthcare coverage and financial stability. She advises others considering similar changes to work with supportive professionals who can help identify unseen possibilities while ensuring practical foundations are securely in place before making the leap.