Individual and Team Coaching
"I engaged Paul from Evenings & Weekends Consulting to help me work through a professional challenge. I found his insights valuable and his coaching very helpful."
Megan Leslie
President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund Canada
What is Coaching?
Coaching is defined in many ways, and there are many different methodologies, but the essence of coaching is helping someone navigate professional or personal change.
Coaching clients identify the destination, and their coach helps them to define a path to get there. We like to describe the journey as a partnership between coach and client, and thus, the programme is a co-creation. Throughout the journey, the client is building self-awareness—empowering them to see challenges differently, make more effective choices, and commit to lasting change.
The coach doesn’t need to be an expert in the client’s area of work to help them unlock their potential. One of the key skills of coaching is asking the right questions to help the individual work through a question/problem or to seize an opportunity.
Coaching isn’t counselling, therapy, teaching, or training. While all those things have value, coaching is very different. Coaching is not about delving into the past roots of our ways of behaving, but rather, about using the here and now to build practices that will bring us to the future we want to see. Our coaches come from different backgrounds and schools of practice, so depending on your needs, we will find the best fit for you.
Our Approach to Coaching
At Evenings and Weekends Consulting, we work with leaders and emerging leaders to help them seize opportunities for personal and professional growth. We do this by helping our clients understand themselves as well as the issues, challenges or opportunities before working collaboratively to develop customized and specific plans of action.
We centre equity in our approach to coaching. Our coaches are trained in anti-oppression/anti-racism and are dedicated to building a more just and equitable world both personally and professionally. During our solution-finding process, we identify and acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonialism, white supremacy, racism, colourism, ableism, patriarchy, ageism, transphobia and homophobia in organizations and in society. As a result of our approach, we find that our coaching clients experience outcomes that are more equity-informed than they might otherwise have.
As part of our organizational commitment to reconciliation and mending relations, 5% of the revenue from all projects are donated to The Circle on Philanthropy, an organization focused on advancing a future that increases Indigenous led solutions for systems change and increased equity, justice and self determination. Additionally, each year we allocate 5% of our billable hours in that year to providing pro bono support and coaching to emerging leaders and under-resourced groups the following year.
While we recognize that no organization or individual can single handedly fix all that plagues society, we know that courage, collaboration, and a commitment to equity can make our communities stronger and the world a better place. Every situation, campaign, initiative and project is different and, at Evenings and Weekends Consulting, we approach each with the uniqueness, curiosity, and care that it deserves.
Rickesh Lakhani
(he/him)
Rickesh Lakhani believes that we are all responsible for each other’s success, and that social impact organizations will do their best work when they are nurturing from within and grounded in truth and trust. He has over 15 years of experience in the social impact sector, including serving as the Executive Director at Future Possibilities for Kids, a community-based organization serving children, and as the Director, Campaign at United Way York Region, leading an $8M annual fundraising campaign. Rickesh is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), sits on the Global Council for the Community-Centric Fundraising movement, and has volunteered with numerous causes and boards. He enjoys spending time with his family including his 3 children, camping, bike riding, cooking, and playing drums.
Coach
Lead Coach
Paul Taylor is a recognized non-profit leader, educator, media commentator and activist. He is currently the Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, Canada’s largest food justice organization. He also teaches at Simon Fraser University (fundraising and leadership) and has written numerous op-eds and columns on leadership, the nonprofit sector and various social issues. In 2020, Paul was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40, one of Toronto Life’s 50 Most Influential Torontonians and voted as Best Activist by Now Magazine readers. Paul’s experience includes Executive Director roles at four different charities and on various boards. When not at work, Paul is almost always found in the kitchen, on his bike, in a good book or at a local protest.
Paul Taylor
(he/him)
Coach
Mojdeh Cox is an impact and results oriented community builder and leader. For nearly 15 years, Mojdeh has coached organizational leaders and consulted with institutions across all sectors seeking to heighten their equity lens and carry the principles of justice, equity, inclusion and belonging into all elements of their business operations. She is an award-winning facilitator and learning and development designer, inspired by the popular education model to mobilize knowledge through an anti-oppression lens. Mojdeh believes that a supportive, inspiring organizational culture where there are shared values and goals is how cross-functional teams in complex systems thrive. Mojdeh has expertise in labour relations, change management, government relations, and issue-based campaigns and advocacy. Most recently, her thought leadership on radical accountability has been nationally recognized in her tenure as President and CEO of Pillar Nonprofit Network.
Mojdeh Cox
(she/her)
Coach
Diana Bronson
(she/her)
Diana Bronson
(she/her)
Diana Bronson has over three decades of experience in the non-profit sector working on human rights, climate change and biodiversity, and food system change. She has also worked on Parliament Hill, in public broadcasting and feminist organizing. She works in both English and French. After leaving her position as Executive Director of Food Secure Canada in 2019, Diana became certified as an Integral Associate Coach and now works to enhance the effectiveness and well-being of her clients who are mostly involved in the non-profit sector. Diana has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of social change work and sees practices of mindfulness and self-awareness as essential components of the new world we are seeking to build. When not at work, Diana enjoys gardening, cycling, swimming and generally delighting in nature in the Laurentian mountains where she lives.
Coach
Jeremy Long
(he/him)
Coach
Jeremy's combined experience in non-profit, executive coaching and public health provide him a wide range of skills to support executives, and emerging leaders. Jeremy brings a values driven and explorative approach as a coach, applying his experience in leadership development, emotional intelligence, and relationship systems coaching to his work. Jeremy brings a fresh perspective with over 12 years in social diversity, LGBTQ2+ leadership, health, and stress management helping contribute to high performance, team cohesion and wellness at work. He provides the playful push we all need to reach the next level in fulfillment, performance, and leadership development. Jeremy holds is a certified professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC, CTI). Jeremy is recognized as an Accredited Certified Coach (ACC), under the International Coaches Federation (ICF). Jeremy also is a Relationship Systems Coach trained practitioner (ORSC) and applies Relationship Systems Intelligence to all relationship coaching.