More than a business coach.

We create great leaders through executive coaching and business strategy development.

Extend works with high-performing executives, CEOs, and business owners to help you define the future you want and create the strategy to get you there. Extend’s coaches and consultants work with you to understand your specific needs, and create a plan designed personally for you.

All of our coaches and consultants are certified by a governing coaching body, and all have held leadership and/or executive positions in prior roles. We bring this combination of experience and expertise to you every day.

Becca Pearce, MBA

Certified Executive Coach

I’ve been a strong-willed, no-nonsense kind of leader within the insurance market the majority of my career. I spent several years at CareFirst, BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente before being chosen to run Maryland’s Health Benefit Exchange during the O’Malley administration in 2011. After that, I went on to work at University of Maryland Medical System Health Plans (UMMSHP) as a vice president. I understand insurance, I love defining and implementing strategy, and I excel at working with other leaders.

Then why the change, you ask? Two reasons.

Quang Le, MSOD, ICF-ACC

Change Strategist & Leadership Coach

The first thing you should know about me is that “change is in my DNA.” My first memories of significant change and upheaval occurred when I came to the United States as a Vietnamese-Korean refugee. Coming to America as a refugee has taught me that change and adversity will happen; how we respond to change and adversity allows us to overcome obstacles to chart our path forward.

As a modern breed of change consultant and coach — I leverage practical, real-world expertise in organizational strategy & effectiveness, enterprise change initiatives, executive and team coaching, digital transformation and technology, with an advanced degree in applied human behavior/psychology.

Bob Fleshner, ESQ

Certified Executive Leadership Coach

I often refer to myself as a “recovering lawyer”. After a short stint in private practice, I ran off and joined the circus as Vice President of Legal Affairs for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. During that time, I learned as much about business and management as I did about law. Ringling Bros. is a multi-faceted company with a broad array of issues that required nimble balancing and precise execution.

After leaving Ringling Bros., I switched to management consulting before eventually becoming CEO of United Healthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, a $300+ million division of United Health Group. Thereafter, I became East Region President for United’s Medicare Advantage business, a $1.4 billion division.

Gigi Blair

Executive Coach

My passion is teaching clients how to – once and for all – conquer the chaos in their life so that they can focus themselves and others on work that matters.

Two professional experiences solidified my call to coaching. First, working in healthcare management at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School allowed me to see the human spirit triumph over adversity day after day. Second, as a management consultant helping companies prepare for large-scale implementations of technology and redesigned business processes, I saw the challenges people faced while creating and sustaining the required changes.

Maryellen May

Executive Coach and Team Coach

For most of my life, I had worked in marketing and sales for large multi-national companies and was recognized as a top performer. Although things looked good from the outside, my life felt like this long, arduous uphill climb toward something that I could never seem to find. It wasn’t until my second divorce, and hours of coach and leadership training that I realized that my business and personal relationships had this consistent conversational pattern.

Marijo Wright

Certified Leadership Coach

My background is different from most leadership coaches. I was an independent producer and writer of television documentaries and co-owner of a production company. I was passionate about the work and thrilled to receive a National Emmy Award in 2004 for a two-hour PBS special about the Senate Watergate Hearings. Earning an Emmy was a dream I had had since high school.

In the normal course of interviewing scores of people for various projects, I came to understand the power of personal narratives and how compelling those stories were. When I changed career direction and peeled back the layers of the work I had once found fulfilling it was learning about people and understanding them through their personal stories.

Nancy Barnes, CPCC

Certified Coach

I come to the world of coaching from that of character study. Having grown up a perfectionist in preppy Baltimore with a degree from Princeton in English and Theater, I know what it is to be driven, and to wonder simultaneously if there is something more—something on a soul level. I searched actively for that as I worked as an actor for twelve years, discerning the why for each and every character.

My first major why turning point came after I got married and started having children. Mindful of security, I became a news reporter and anchor in Connecticut.

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Becca

Then why the change, you ask? Two reasons.

First, the Exchange failed – quite publicly. Second, in 2015, I was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor.

Two major life events over the span of 2.5 years taught me humility, the value of vulnerability, the importance of optimism, how much impact you have on others when you don’t even know it, and how important it is to see beyond work stresses because they can so easily creep from work into home life.

More importantly, I realized I don’t want to be in charge anymore. But I really want to help others be in charge! I offer a wealth of expertise in maneuvering through politically-charged situations, first-hand knowledge of the stress of being in charge and a clear understanding of where emotion and passion fit into the workplace.

I bring all of this experience and expertise to the table for you through Extend – whether consulting on your strategic plan or operational implementation, or working as a coach to increase leadership credibility, increase self-confidence and drive overall commitment.

Quang

The first thing you should know about me is that "change is in my DNA."

My first memories of significant change and upheaval occurred when I came to the United States as a Vietnamese-Korean refugee. Coming to America as a refugee has taught me that change and adversity will happen; how we respond to change and adversity allows us to overcome obstacles to chart our path forward.

As a modern breed of change consultant and coach -- I leverage practical, real-world expertise in organizational strategy & effectiveness, enterprise change initiatives, executive and team coaching, digital transformation and technology, with an advanced degree in applied human behavior/psychology. I bring all of my real-world experience and an advanced degree to bear for my clients' benefit. As a result, I am a welcomed partner with clients across a wide range of industries from commercial, technology, military, governmental, not-for-profit, academia, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services.

My consultation and coaching process involves:

Assisting clients in acknowledging and leveraging their strengths.
Engaging their teams and staff.
Defining a compelling vision of change.
Identifying desired outcomes.
Removing barriers to execution.
Measuring performance targets.
Fine-tuning organizational culture goals.
Refining the strategic plan to address the changing market and business environments continually.

My work with clients helps them develop a strategy and execute a roadmap to implement successful long-term approaches to thrive during periods of adversity, upheaval, and disruptive change.

Bob

In 2007, I started my own fitness-related business, through which I owned and directed a number of events including the American Odyssey Relay and the Rock the Creek Relay. As a one–man shop in the beginning, I learned and then implemented every piece of the business from operations to marketing to finance.

Today, I am a certified executive leadership coach. I assimilate decades of multi-disciplinary experience, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, combining skills in communications, marketing, strategic planning, finance, business planning, etc. I apply a deep understanding of business as well as human nature to help my clients undertake a journey of self-discovery, which, in turn, helps them to unlock their potential. Whether I’m working with a lawyer, executive, or an individual trying to overcome the feeling of being “stuck,” I bring my vast set of experiences to bear in helping to remove the roadblocks to success.

Gigi

My passion is teaching clients how to - once and for all - conquer the chaos in their life so that they can focus themselves and others on work that matters.

With experience working the spectrum of business environments – corporate, small business and start-up, I bring to each client the benefits of proven coaching methodologies and a pragmatic understanding of interpersonal dynamics.

My work is informed by my small-town upbringing, global travel, and multiple academic pursuits. A love of neuroscience, an exercise of daily learning, a desire for order and beauty, and observing the innate human longing for growth have molded my coaching perspective. I bring a logical, customized, and holistic approach to working with clients, with a desired outcome for every engagement an increase in your skills to think clearly and communicating confidently through any situation.

Maryellen

I “stepped over” conflict, keeping the peace at all costs. Behaviors that I thought were “noble” were toxic. Through coaching I discovered sustainable success in having those courageous conversations that I had been hiding from. Understanding how to design a safe approach had me diving into a new way to connect with others resulting in less work, more focus and stronger partnerships. My sales skyrocketed, my relationships got stronger and I finally ended that uphill climb. With the newfound energy, I dove head-first into training and consider myself a life-long learner sharing my work with businesses worldwide.

I am certified in CoActive Coaching, ADHD Coaching, Narrative Coaching and Team Coaching. I also do extensive work with sales professionals in helping them design how they connect to customers in today’s virtual environment.

I have a special place in my heart for team coaching which has become very popular as leaders are struggling to create employee engagement in a virtual work environment. Leadership teams have conversational patterns that drive how they make decisions, deal with conflict and create an environment of accountability. I use assessments that uncover the negative patterns and help redesign those patterns with a combination of coaching and training. By addressing the productivity and team dynamics in an engagement, my clients see and feel an average increase of 15% in overall performance.

My team coaching program is based on proven research that helps shift the team’s mindset from a “me” place to a “we” place. This training helps leaders set up the psychological safety that promotes creativity, accountability and innovation. Leaders enter back into their world feeling empowered, refreshed and engaged.

Marijo

I funneled my experience as a trusted interviewer and listener along with my business experience into working with leaders in pursuit of their strategic goals and performance objectives.

I am a certified leadership coach, member of ICF and certified to administer the Strong Interest Inventory.

Nancy

I come to the world of coaching from that of character study. Having grown up a perfectionist in preppy Baltimore with a degree from Princeton in English and Theater, I know what it is to be driven, and to wonder simultaneously if there is something more--something on a soul level. I searched actively for that as I worked as an actor for twelve years, discerning the why for each and every character.

My first major why turning point came after I got married and started having children. Mindful of security, I became a news reporter and anchor in Connecticut. While I loved it, the constant buzz of police and fire scanners proclaiming death and disaster got to me. My husband’s job was solid, and my spirit needed a change. I dove into raising my children, only to discover that laundry was not nearly as fulfilling as I had hoped. I suffered as a result of my unconscious choice, and from my lack of awareness that I could make another one. Eventually, I wanted to figure out what was next for me—consciously this time. In the process of working with a coach, I discovered my destiny and became certified with the Coaches Training Institute.

I bring a lifetime of experience to coaching…triumphs and failures, adventures and losses. The journey of my life has been to separate my expectations and circumstances from my feelings…to learn that happiness is a choice. Empowering others to break free of fixed ideas and to see things from a variety of angles, to discover possibility and act on it, is what I love to do.