1-on-1 Coaching and Development
Direct, Honest and Tailored to the Individual
Karen Knab is an executive coach and licensed therapist with over two decades of experience helping leaders and teams in founder-led and family-owned businesses navigate the critical conversations and relational dynamics that determine whether their businesses thrive or fracture.
Individual Services
Executive Coaching
for Difficult Conversations
"The Conversation You've Been Avoiding"
Most leaders don't lack the words. They lack the confidence that the conversation won't make things worse. This coaching is for the leader who knows what needs to be said but keeps finding reasons to wait. Ironically, the longer you wait the harder things get.Through focused 1:1 work, Karen helps you build the clarity, composure, and communication skills to handle high-stakes conversations with honesty and care. The goal isn't one better conversation. It's a fundamentally different relationship with the ones that matter most.
New Leader
Transition Program
"Nobody Taught You This"
You were promoted because you were exceptional at your work. Nobody told you that leading people is an entirely different skill set.This coaching meets new leaders exactly where they are, navigating authority, building trust, giving feedback, and making decisions that affect real people. Karen brings decades of experience working with leaders at this exact inflection point. The transition from individual contributor to trusted leader doesn't have to be as isolating as most people make it.
Ready to Take a Step?
The first conversation is just that. A conversation. No pressure, no pitch. Just an honest discussion about where you are, where you want to be, and whether working together makes sense.
Family Business Support
Family Business Alignment Engagement
"When the Business is Family"
Most family businesses rely on relationships never designed to carry the weight of ownership, leadership, and succession all at once. Karen works with these organizations as a skilled facilitator and coach, creating the structure and safety needed to have difficult conversations—whether around succession planning, governance, next-generation readiness, compensation, or the unspoken expectations that quietly drive internal conflict.Karen helps family members navigate the complexity that only family businesses possess.
Outcomes
You will leave better prepared for the conversation in front of you. More importantly, you will leave permanently better equipped for every difficult conversation that follows.Most people walk away from coaching with better words. Karen's clients walk away with better instincts. You will develop the self-awareness to recognize what is actually happening in a high-stakes moment, the composure to stay present when it gets uncomfortable, and the language to say the hard thing without damaging the relationship.The skills Karen teaches are rooted in how people actually work, not how organizations wish they would. That means they don't stay at the office. Clients consistently find that what changes at work changes everywhere, in their families, their friendships, and the relationships that matter most to them.The conversations don't get easier. You get more comfortable in them. There is a significant difference.
About Me
Experience
I bring over 10,000 hours spent with individuals and groups, where I’ve gained the unique ability to quickly understand when situations are out of alignment, what options are available, and how to navigate to the best outcome for all parties.
My Coaching Style
My approach blends the candor of my East Coast roots with the respect and tact of my Midwest influence. I help leaders identify the real issues they face by providing honest, compassionate feedback to reach effective solutions. Working with me means engaging in direct, one-on-one sessions tailored to your specific situation. This is not a cookie-cutter framework or a theoretical exercise; it is a skilled coach sitting across from you, using a diverse toolkit to help you build the emotional regulation, communication skills, and boundary-setting capabilities needed to handle hard conversations with confidence.
Flexible and Co-Creative: We collaborate to create an experience that works for you. After defining your objectives and key results, we continuously review your progress and adjust our process as needed, with no fixed time commitments.
Comprehensive: Professional growth often yields benefits in your personal life. Clients frequently report reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep, enhanced mood, and a decreased dependence on unhealthy habits or behaviors, alongside increased motivation to adopt healthier ones.
Results-Oriented: We regularly track progress toward your goals. Because coaching is ultimately about transformation—doing less of what holds you back and more of what moves you forward—I adapt my style to help you overcome specific barriers.
Influences
Sharing the importance of emotional intelligence and healthy team dynamics is a passion of mine. I have delivered numerous workshops and lectures on topics such as communication, boundary-setting, and relationship-building. My practice draws on insights from diverse thought leaders in both psychology and business, including Patrick Lencioni, Simon Sinek, Adam Grant, Dr. Sue Johnson, Bert Hellinger, Dr. Gabor Maté, and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.
Techniques
My approach is holistic, integrating best practices from Systems Theory, Emotional Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Mindfulness Techniques, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Attachment Theory, Restorative Justice Talking Circles, Twelve-Step Philosophy, and Family Constellations to address your unique needs.
My Background
I have lived and worked in various cities throughout my career, including Minneapolis, MN; Austin, TX; Los Angeles and Orange County, CA; Buffalo, NY; and Washington, D.C. For more information about my professional background, please view my LinkedIn profile.
Ready to Take a Step?
The first conversation is just that. A conversation. No pressure, no pitch. Just an honest discussion about where you are, where you want to be, and whether working together makes sense.