The Courageous Coach Chronicle: September 2025

September 2025 FLA Newsletter

📰 The Courageous Coach Chronicle

Your Monthly Guide to Coaching Education

 September 2025 Edition

Delivering lessons, tools, and updates to inspire growth in yourself, those you lead, and those you coach. 

Welcome to the September 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.

Coaching in the Wild: A Season of Growth 

What a busy month it has been. Nearly 200 new coaches have earned certification in just the past 30 days across three dynamic cohorts. Each one now steps into the world “coaching in the wild” — creating space for discovery, changing lives, and multiplying impact. 

The honor of certifying these coaches cannot be overstated. Each certification represents more than a credential. It represents courage. It represents the willingness to hold silence, to ask the better question, and to trust the coaching process enough to let transformation emerge. 

Just this morning, I received a note from one of our recent graduates. They shared a moving testimonial from a client who described their session as life-changing. The remarkable part? The coach admitted they had thought the session was “just OK.” A reminder that what feels ordinary to us can feel extraordinary to others. 

That is the promise of coaching; to look forward, to facilitate discovery, and to help others grow. 

As we look ahead, fall is around the corner. A season of transition. A season of reflection. And one of my favorite seasons of all. 

Here’s to the next chapter of growth, for our coaches and for those they will serve. 

Coach with Courage.

– J.R.

🌟 Coach Successes

From Certification to Transformation – At Flatter Leadership Academy, we believe coaching is more than a skillset—it’s a mindset and a way of leading. Each cohort reminds us of the powerful impact that intentional learning, practice, and community can have on personal and professional growth. 

This month, Deon Nalley-Stoddard shared a story that beautifully captures what it means to step into coaching with courage, gratitude, and purpose. In his own words: 

“This is not just about learning to coach. This was learning how to heal… How to hold space… How to hear without fixing”

📣 ICF Updates:

ICF Credentialing Update: Simplified Renewals & Smart Exam Paths:

👉Renewal just got easier: Starting Nov 3, only some renewal applications will be audited at random, so it’s vital to keep your CCE certificates accessible. Late renewals will now carry a flat $100 fee—no per-month CCE penalties.

👉Need help renewing? Fresh from ICF: the updated ICF Credential Renewal Candidate Guide offers a clear step‑by‑step process, sample applications, and timing guidance.

Need help creating a prep plan?
Our team is here—reach out at FLA@FlatterInc.com.

🎉AÇAI AI Accelerator Event Wrap-Up: Real Impact, Real Innovation!🎉

Flatter is proud to celebrate the success of AÇAI Live – AI Champions for Accelerating Impact, our two-day immersive workshop that moved beyond the hype of AI and into hands-on, real-world application. The event brought together a dynamic mix of entrepreneurs, educators, team leaders, and innovators from the Fredericksburg region, all eager to explore how AI can drive meaningful change.

Over the course of the workshop, participants learned to build custom GPTs tailored to their unique needs—from streamlining business operations to unlocking new creative possibilities. The energy was electric, and the results were immediate: attendees left equipped with practical AI skills they’re already putting to work.

By investing in local talent and fostering a spirit of experimentation, Flatter and AÇAI are proud to support the region’s growth in commerce and innovation. Together, we’re helping Fredericksburg’s leaders stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape—and we’re just getting started.

is excited to announce AÇAI Live – AI Champion for Accelerating Impact, a 2-day immersive AI workshop designed to move beyond the hype and into real-world application. This event will bring together entrepreneurs, educators, team leaders, and innovators to learn, experiment, and leave with practical AI skills they can put to work immediately.

💡 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 value of rehearsals in coaching

Leaders often struggle not only with the difficult conversations they must face, but also with the joyful ones that deserve to be shared.  Feedback to a team member; celebrations of promotions to name just two.

When these topics come into your coaching room, they become opportunities to rehearse.  The coach plays the role of recipient and the leader themselves.

On the practical side, the risk-free environment of a coaching session provides an opportunity for experimentation.  Trying different ways to convey the needed communications.  And receiving feedback on the varied approaches.

On the neuroscience side of the discussion, rehearsals create neural paths in our brains that remain during the future conversations.  Allowing smoother, more confident performances.

Actors, musicians, and athletes all rehearse.  Coaches should also use this universal tool in their practices.

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- Friday, September 12, 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- 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

September often feels like a turning point. The days grow shorter, the pace of work picks up, and for many of us, it’s a season of fresh starts—new school years, renewed routines, and opportunities to refocus.

In leadership, just as in life, change is inevitable. What matters most is how we choose to meet it. When we embrace change with intention—balancing reflection with forward momentum—we cultivate resilience and clarity for ourselves and those we lead.

This September, may we all practice noticing change not as disruption, but as an invitation: a chance to grow, recalibrate, and lead with purpose.

💙 With appreciation,

The Flatter Leadership Academy Team