August 2025 FLA Newsletter
📰 The Courageous Coach Chronicle
Your Monthly Guide to Coaching Education
August 2025 Edition
Delivering lessons, tools, and updates to inspire growth in yourself, those you lead, and those you coach.
Welcome to the August 2025 edition of the Courageous Coach Chronicle! This month brings you the latest updates from the ICF, a celebration of the vibrant coaching community, and updates on the inspiring new initiative recently launched by Flatter. Whether you’re here to stay informed, feel connected, or be inspired, this edition is packed with meaningful insights and opportunities to grow together.
🎓 J.R.’s Corner
Steady progress, cohort milestones, and what’s next.
As we turn the calendar to August, I’ve been reflecting on what we’ve seen over the past month and lays ahead.
In July, we wrapped up three coaching cohorts. These groups came from different organizations and roles, but a few things were consistent: commitment to growth, openness to feedback, and a noticeable shift in how participants approached their personal and professional lives.
We often say coaching isn’t about a big moment. It’s about showing up, doing the reps, and staying curious. That held true again this past month.
Here are a few simple takeaways I’ve been sitting with:
- Small adjustments compound. Most of the progress we see isn’t flashy—it’s a leader asking better questions, listening more, or pausing before reacting.
- Cohort-based learning matters. The structure builds consistency. The community builds trust. That combination leads to real behavior change.
- August is a good time to reset. Whether you’re preparing for a busy fall or closing out a strong summer, this is a good moment to look at what’s working—and what needs to change.
To the recent graduates, thank you for your focus and effort. To those starting new cohorts this month, welcome. Stay steady and trust the process.
And to all our partners, thank you for continuing to invest in your people.
Coach with Courage.
– J.R.
🌟 Coach Spotlight: CCFC 25B
Please join us in celebrating the graduates of Coaching Culture Facilitators Course (CCFC) 25B. Each of the graduates is now a certified Department of Defense Coach, ready to focus their new skills on increasing lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness across DOD.
🧠 ICF Updates: Exam Policy Refresh
The ICF has released a refreshed FAQ and preparation guide for both ACC and PCC/MCC exam-takers. If you’re planning to test in the next few months, note:
- Exam logistics remain unchanged, with both in-person and remote options via Pearson VUE.
- Ethics and Power Dynamics continue to be the most challenging areas—don’t neglect those review sessions.
- AI simulations, like the ones used in FLA’s training program, are proving invaluable for scenario prep.
📘 New Resource: The ICF now recommends dedicating 12–15 hours of structured exam prep, including group study and simulation practice. View the official guide »
Need help creating a prep plan? Our team is here—reach out at FLA@FlatterInc.com.
🚀 Flatter’s AÇAI AI Accelerator Gains Momentum
Dr. J.R. Flatter continues to join the AÇAI—as it gains momentum. This forward-focused initiative brings together federal contractors, technologists, and human development leaders to explore and implement practical, human-centered AI solutions. With the support of our Velocity Program Management Office (VPMO), innovative ideas are rapidly transforming into real-world projects—delivering new AI capabilities that enhance coaching, streamline workflows, and empower you to focus on what matters most as a human.
This work is practical… From coaching simulations to AI-enhanced learning paths, the future of leadership development is already taking shape.
Stay tuned for more updates in future editions as this exciting work evolves!
💡 Spotlight: PersonaOPPs – Training That Thinks Ahead
This month, we’re excited to highlight the PersonaOPPs platform – Flatter’s scenario-based training solution designed to build real-world readiness through AI-powered, unscripted conversations. Each OPP (Operational Persona Package) combines one user, one persona, and one smart report to deliver measurable skill development in mission-critical contexts.
Our platform is already making waves across federal teams, offering:
- Human-centered, scenario-driven training tailored to real operational challenges
- Cohort-based feedback and analysis to track progress and impact
- Custom personas and scoring logic to align with your agency’s unique needs
💼 Value Proposition: A 12-month license for 25 users –including 3 custom scenarios– is available at a competitive price point of $50,000. This includes full access to the platform, onboarding support, and the ability to scale with additional personas or users as needed.
Want to see it in action? Reach out to schedule a demo or explore how PersonaOPPs can elevate your team’s training outcomes!
🛠️ This Month’s L.T.C. (Lesson, Tool, Case Study)
The Powerful Pause Isn’t Empty. It’s Coaching.
There comes a point in every coaching leader’s journey where a subtle but profound shift occurs:
You stop fearing the silence.
You begin to understand that your pause is not a mistake to fix. It’s not awkwardness to fill. It’s not a void to rush past with another question or insight.
Your pause is part of your method. It’s intentional. It’s integral. It’s the craft of coaching.
As your coaching style matures and you grow into your own rhythm, you realize that real presence isn’t noisy. It doesn’t perform. It doesn’t rush to demonstrate expertise. It waits. It holds.
And when a leader finishes speaking, we pause. Not to unsettle them. But because we know they’re likely still thinking.
The most meaningful insights often emerge not while speaking, but just after. In that liminal moment between voice and reflection, something essential happens—if we allow space for it.
And if we’re really listening as coaches? We can’t respond right away. Our brains are still working; Parsing what we just heard; Testing it against our mental models; Clarifying our intuition; Sensing what’s underneath
Then, and only then, do we ask a question. Then, and only then, do we share an observation.
That moment, the pause between the leader’s reflection and our response, is not empty.
It’s alive. It’s productive. It’s coaching.
Note: July Coaching Culture Advantage Seminar
Voices of the Journey: FLA July Cohort Reflections
The 30-hour July Coaching Culture Advantage Seminar went very well, with strong engagement and meaningful breakthroughs across the cohort. Participants explored the mechanics of coaching and the deeper emotional and relational dimensions that make coaching transformative.
Here is a powerful testimonial from one of the cohort members:
“This was not just about learning to coach. This was learning how to heal. How to hold space. How to hear without fixing.”
– Deon Nalley-Stoddard
🗓️ Upcoming FLA Events
- Mark your calendar! Join the Brown Bag lunch on Thursday, August 7, 2025, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST. This meeting is open to all who are building coaching into their personal and professional leadership style.
- ICF FXBG Chapter Coaches & Coffee- Just a reminder that we are in our Summer schedule which means we will be meeting at Metro Diner – Route 3 Plank Road; Friday, 1 August 2025 at 0900! It is a fun and casual – easy and breezy feeling – Friday mornings. Join us if you can make it!
- ICF FXBG Chapter Coaches & Coffee- August 29, 2025 (9:00 am – 11:00 am) Meeting at Metro Diner – Route 3 Plank Road; additional details provided shortly.
- ICF FXBG Chapter Coaches & Coffee- September 26, 2025 (9:00 – 11:00 am) We will resume our monthly learning and educational Coaches & Coffee; details to be provided soon.
💬 Final Thought: Exploration Over Perfection
Whether you’re preparing for your credential, mentoring a peer, or figuring out where you belong in this profession—remember:
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be in motion.
Learning. Asking. Reflecting. Adjusting.
We’re honored to be with you on the path.
💙 With appreciation,
The Flatter Leadership Academy Team
