Interview with leadership coach Beth Benatti Kennedy

Beth Benatti Kennedy has more than 25 years of experience as a leadership coach, resiliency-training expert, and speaker.

As a leadership coach, Beth guides leaders to develop resilience habits to support peak performance, maximize their professional and personal impact, positively influence the people they work with, and build their brand. Her training programs focus on giving employees the tools to stay resilient, make sense of organization changes, and manage transition while continuing to be productive and engaged. 

Beth is also the author of Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout and ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to Recharge your Career and Life

What’s your career background?

After 10 years as an outreach career counselor in the Boston public school system and fifteen years providing career consulting to The Gillette Company, I decided it was time to tap into my entrepreneurial spirit and background and go out on my own.

My business, Benatti Leadership Development, was a natural evolution from my experience at Gillette and my advanced coaching training. I use my maiden name, Benatti, as a way to honor my dad – he was definitely the inspiration to start my own business.

Where did the idea for your business come from?

My dad was an entrepreneur, so that’s the world I grew up in and by the time I was in high school, I knew I would follow in his footsteps. I also worried about him as he was a workaholic and an incredible leader but also battled serious depression. Now that I connect the dots, this concern became my passion and was the reason that I majored in psychology and minored in business at Bethany College. 

I also had a college internship at a stress management company for stressed-out executives. I loved this experience and it led to the realization that I needed to get my master’s degree. Northeastern University in Boston had a master’s degree program in Career/Human Resource Counseling, which would equip me to work with corporations and their employees. I’d found the perfect way to integrate my leadership skills and my love for making a positive difference in people’s lives!

How did you move from idea to actual business?

In a way, I was pushed into it! My career consulting services were discontinued when The Gillette Company was acquired, but the company agreed that I could stay on for three months to provide a transition for the employees I was already coaching to help them deal with the stress of the acquisition.

During that time, I noticed how effectively the individuals with career resilience were able to navigate through the process. I realized that I needed to practice my own resilience strategies and become proactive in my own business transition. Within one month of leaving the organization where I had spent fifteen years, I received a major new training client and fifteen new leadership-coaching clients.

What’s your USP?

My unique selling proposition is guiding leaders to develop resilience habits to support peak performance and maximize their professional and personal impact, positively influence the people they work with, and build their brand.

My focus on resilience carries over into my training programs – I focus on giving employees the tools to stay resilient, make sense of organization changes, and manage transition while continuing to be productive and engaged. 

Who’s your target audience? 

My target audience is high-potential individuals who are passionate about their jobs, but often on the verge of burning out. I show them how to rediscover their purpose, manage the urgency and perfectionism that can get in their way, and boost their influence and impact by implementing the five resilience strategies of my Benatti Resiliency Model®. 

How do you spread the word about what you do?

Gratefully, my business of over 25 years has thrived because past coaching and training clients share the impact I made for them, or their team, and they refer me to other colleagues and companies. I am also a regular contributor to LinkedIn and am often invited to be on podcasts, which gives me another opportunity to spread the word about what I do.  

What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is learning to say no as my nature is to help as many people as I can and make a positive difference in this world. I have learned that I need to be realistic if a potential client or project is not a good fit and say no, as I think agreeing to every opportunity is a factor in many coaches going down the burnout escalator. 

And your proudest moments so far?

One of my proudest moments so far is working with a leadership coaching client who was so burned out, she was ready to leave the company, despite her success at creating and leading a mission-critical department in her company.

Focusing on building her resilience, she recharged her career and continued her outstanding contributions to the organization. When she did eventually leave the company, she moved on to her dream position, where she continues to be an amazing leader with impact and influence.

Another of my proudest moments was publishing my first book, Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Your Career and Beat Burnout. This was my way of spreading the word about the power of resilience. My very recent proudest moment is my latest book, written with two scientists, one of whom is a former mentee. ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to ReCharge Your Career and Life is for the reader who can’t dedicate the time and commitment required to read an in-depth book on resilience.

Who inspires you?

I have a colleague who has cancer with whom I meet regularly. She is such an inspiration because she continues to focus on the positive in a realistic manner and is still always there for me even when she is facing so much uncertainty about the future. Being close friends with her reminds me how precious life is, how we need to make every day count, and the importance of giving to others.

What are your three top pieces of advice for someone wanting to do something similar?

  1. Hire individuals in areas that are not your strengths. Getting help with social media, marketing, and training-materials gives me more energy and time not only for the core of my business, but for my family and personal activities.
  2. Take time to recharge. You’ll notice the effect on your health and well-being and consequently, on your energy and productivity.
  3. Schedule time every week for deep work time, whether it’s writing, business reading, or listening to podcasts. For example, when I was writing my book, I scheduled no client meetings on Monday and devoted that day to writing and research. I also have a morning mindfulness practice in which I listen to a Calm meditation that is less than 10 minutes. Afterwards, I write in my gratitude journal. I believe this keeps me centered so I can be focused and present to my clients.

Find out more about Beth Benatti Kennedy.