Who you are is not what you do.
That realization changed everything for me.
It's where every coaching engagement begins.
The long way to the starting line.
For most of my career, I tied my identity to my performance - as a salesman, as a leader, as a dad. When the numbers were up, I was up. When they weren't, I wasn't. I was on an island, and I didn't even know it.
A few years ago, I started pursuing my faith with real intention. Not blind belief - I wanted to understand the Bible well enough to explain it. I started reading it every day. I still do. There's always something new.
Through that journey, I came across the late Bob Warren and his ministry, Life on the Hill, out of Kentucky. Bob's ministry showed me who I already am in Christ - not who I'm trying to become. A new creation. Reconciled. His workmanship. Holy and blameless. Never condemned. Complete.
“This is who I am - not who I will be. Who I am.”
- Lance
That shift - from performance-based identity to rooted identity - is the foundation of everything I coach. You can't move in the right direction until you know who you are. And who you are has already been decided by the One who made you.
I don’t ask my clients to do anything I haven’t done myself.
Every SWM engagement starts with the Core Values Discovery - a deep-dive into the values that define how you lead and live. Here are mine.
Faith
I lean into fear, doubt, and uncertainty knowing that relationships are the only things eternal. I know my Creator and trust in Him.
Humility
Putting aside pride. I fail at this, repent, and let God work on my habits - ever so consistently and painstakingly.
Curiosity
I’m only growing when I’m curious. I’m only truly able to be kind when I’m curious about other people.
Integrity
Consistency in my actions, my words, and my deeds.
Kindness
Seeking to understand before being understood. Doing the hard things with a spirt of kindness. Being nice and being kind are not the same.
Two decades in the arena.
I've spent my career bouncing between individual contributor roles and leadership — and I've learned that both require the same thing: knowing who you are so you can show up for the people around you.
I've led a sales team at Procter & Gamble. I managed a team of nearly 20 in pricing and operations at Target Corporation. I've led teams in enterprise software at Zilliant and Interos. And I've spent years as an individual contributor in enterprise sales — influencing without authority, which comes with its own set of unique challenges and hard-won lessons.
Today, I'm a senior enterprise sales leader at Pricefx. Coaching isn't my escape from the day job — it makes me better at it. The listening, the focus on people, the discipline of not jumping in with answers — it all flows both directions.
Trained through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute (PCCI). Aligned with International Coaching Federation (ICF) standards. Ongoing professional development through PCCI's coursework and hands-on coaching training. Christ-centered and faith-based.
What you should know before we start
You'll get the authentic me. I'm not going to tell you what to do.
I truly care about each of my clients. I know that you have a unique set of gifts, and if I can help you recognize those gifts and the purpose that drives you, the actions and the "what to do" will automatically fall into place.
I don't coach from a textbook. I create the space and the focused time to pay attention to you — to create the atmosphere for you to think, to listen, and to determine what's yours to do. The only people who have the full context are you and the Holy Spirit. I just help you hear it.
I also want you to know where your identity is found. It's not in your work. That's not who you are.
Iowa farm kid. California detour. Minnesota roots.
I'm an Iowa farm kid — oldest of three brothers, raised around extended family and hard work. My career took me to San Francisco, where I met my wife Antoinette. We got married, moved to Minnesota, and 18 years and four kids later, our roots run deep. We're active in our Non-Denominational Christian Church, our school, and our community.
Antoinette is my adventure motor — she pushes me out of comfort zones I'd happily stay in forever. Our family keeps me honest, grounded, and reminded daily that who I am at home matters more than any title on a business card.
Growth doesn't happen standing still.
Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery conversation.
No obligation.
Just an honest conversation about where you are and whether SWM is the right fit.