Coach Academy

08/25/2026

How do you describe an experience that transcends words?

In 2018, Eurico Da Silva walked into Coach Academy as a student. At the time, he was already one of the most accomplished jockeys in Canadian Thoroughbred racing history.

We were fortunate enough to stand at Woodbine Racetrack for his final race before his 2019 retirement. What has been even more extraordinary is watching what he has built since.

Eurico has spent the last several years building his dream ranch, one horse at a time. It is a sanctuary rooted in presence, healing, and deep human connection.

Every horse on his ranch is a retired racehorse. After years of intense physical and emotional stress on the track, these horses receive a second chapter.

Eurico and his team have created a haven for these animals to heal, and a space for people to heal right alongside them.

Raised in poverty in Brazil, Eurico fell in love with racing at age five after watching a race on an old black-and-white television. He went on to win over 500 races in Brazil, succeeded in Macau, and made Canada his home. His career includes two consecutive Queen’s Plate victories, seven Sovereign
Awards as Canada’s Outstanding Jockey, and over 2,200 North American wins.
Today, he has dedicated his life to stillness, trust, and presence.

There is a gentleness on his ranch that cannot be manufactured. A quiet settles over you the moment you arrive. For a man whose life was once measured in fractions of a second, Eurico has built a place where time disappears.

Eurico, thank you for opening your home, your pastures, and your vision to our team: Nathalie Blais, Eric Arsenault, and Christopher Sherman.

Watching you step into your coaching calling and live this dream is a privilege we will never forget.

Learn more about Eurico Da Silva's work Equine Experiential Connection here: https://www.eec.horse/

Photography by Paula Lima

08/13/2026

Still deciding if Coach Academy is the right next step for you?

Join us for a live Coach Academy Q&A on August 19 at 6:00 PM EST, where we’ll answer your questions so that you can make a confident decision. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-F1acf6MRTash2y0PN9UjA #/registration

This session is designed for prospects who want clarity before enrolling.

What You’ll Get From This Live Q&A
-Clear breakdown of our Coach certifications
-What the training experience is really like
-How certification translates into real-world coaching opportunities
-Time commitment, expectations, and outcomes
-Live answers to your specific questions

No pressure. No sales pitch. Just real answers.

Event Details
Date: August 19
Time: 6:00 PM EST
Format: Live online Q&A

Save Your Spot

Seats are limited to keep the session interactive. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-F1acf6MRTash2y0PN9UjA #/registration

If you’ve been on the fence, this is the fastest way to get clarity and decide your next step.

We’d love to see you there.
Coach Academy Team

08/04/2026

Ready to bridge the gap between ACC and PCC?

Advanced Skills is our Level 2 ICF Coach Certification, a 15-week virtual program that qualifies you for your PCC and, more importantly, builds the confidence to coach anyone.

You will learn from MCC-level facilitators, each with over 2,500 hours of coaching practice. They will guide you, provoke you to go deeper, and walk with you across the distance between foundations and expertise. Along the way you will refine your presence, sharpen your observation, and learn advanced strategies for coaching through complex client challenges.

The program is designed by our founder, Nathalie Blais, a Master Certified Coach with an MA from Harvard. Her grounding in adult education principles makes this program, like everything we teach, experiential and dynamic... even for the most distracted learner.

Through coaching observation clinics, live faculty demos, recorded session breakdowns, and real-time mentoring, you will refine your technique alongside a community of dedicated peers.

You graduate with 65 hours of ICF Coach Education and a Level 2, PCC-qualifying diploma.

And because coaching skills grow in community, every Coach Academy learner gets exclusive access to our Community of Practice: unlimited peer coaching hours, supplemental skills workshops, coaching clinics, and live demos every month.

Starts August 25, 2026, at 12pm ET. Expand your impact and sharpen your coaching edge. Every graduate will tell you the same thing: the first life to change is yours.

Learn more about the program: https://canadacoachacademy.com/advanced-icf-coach-training-program/

Talk to a real person. Book a call with admissions: https://meetings.hubspot.com/jessica-derksen/round-robing-admission-coach-meeting?uuid=7e65cf84-afdd-4581-912c-02c16f92c2df

07/28/2026

There is a lot of grief in leadership.

Grief shows up in coaching sessions whether we plan for it or not. A client loses a job, a parent, or simply the life they thought they were building.

Holding space for that level of loss takes more than standard open-ended questions. It requires deep presence, clear boundaries, and an understanding of how loss impacts human behavior.

Starting August 24, 2026 at 6:30pm EST, Coach Academy is hosting Grief: A Workshop for Coaches.

Over this multi-week program, we will explore grounded theory to better understand the grieving process, examine the dimensions of grief, and learn practical tools for resilience building.

You will gain proven strategies to support others through loss while evoking powerful self-awareness. We will also cover the nuances of complex grief, helping you recognize exactly when it is time to refer a client to therapy.

If you have ever felt unsure of how to support a grieving client while keeping them safe, you will find your community here.

Explore the program and reserve your spot: https://canadacoachacademy.com/grief-coach-training-course/

Talk to a real person. Book a call with admissions: https://meetings.hubspot.com/jessica-derksen/round-robing-admission-coach-meeting?uuid=005cff19-29d4-4207-89d4-a98623267e1e

07/22/2026

When people ask us, "What does Coach Academy stand for?" we can't think of a better answer than this.

It's official: our founder's TEDx talk is live. Nathalie Blais stood in the red circle 🔴 to share what drives her to multiply the impact of coaching in the world. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HKisZsC_TDw

This is a talk about our humanity. In a world where connection is left to chance, Nathalie is advocating for connection as a skill we can all learn, for the sake of children and the generations to come.

Throughout her career training and certifying leaders, she heard one thing over and over: "I wish I had these skills 20, even 10 years ago. It would have made such a difference."

When people start prioritizing coaching-based connection skills in conversations, little by little, the world starts to change. Leaders build more trust. Parents build stronger bonds with their children. Children grow up feeling like they matter.

Here's how you can help the message spread:

1. Watch the talk and like it on YouTube.

2. Leave a comment with the moment that stayed with you. Comments in the first few days tell YouTube this idea is worth showing to more people.

3. Share it with a teacher, a parent, a leader... any human you care about.

Anyone can make connection a priority. The talk ends with simple strategies you can experiment with in your very next conversation.

Thank you for helping us change the world, one conversation at a time. ❤️

P.S. A special mention to Sara Blakely and Sneex for designing the shoes that give women the confidence to pursue their dreams. 👠

Schools teach math and science, but what if the skills that matter ...

07/20/2026

New Mastermind Workshop Series Now Live: August – October 2026

We are kicking off exclusive new workshops designed and curated for coaches in training, and coaches building their practice. Registration is now open for Mastermind Members.

The Alchemy of US | Penny Kaplan - A 6 Part Mini Series
Sharpen your relationship coaching techniques to guide couples beyond reactivity and into conscious partnership.

Coach Mindset in Leadership | Michael Hagley
How to use coaching skills to shift your leadership style. Learn to coach as a leader using the PERFORM Framework.

Business Strategies Roadmap | Nathalie Blais
Bridge the gap between "great coach" and "great business owner" with a step-by-step plan for a profitable, manageable practice.

Group Mentoring Series | Sherry Matheson
Join Sherry for a three-month deep dive into core coaching mechanics—mastering transformational agreements, real-time session flow, and the art of the interruption.

Leadership Circle | Wanda Brown
Feeling imposter syndrome, fear, uncertainty, or the "Sunday Scaries"? You don’t have to navigate it alone. This workshop is designed for leaders looking to share insights, gain clarity, and find a supportive community.

Why Mastermind?
These workshops are exclusive to Mastermind Members. By joining, you aren't just buying a workshop; you are investing in a revolving door of expert mentorship and a community dedicated to your flourishing. Mastermind members also receive full access to all Influencer Tier programming, ensuring your foundation remains as strong as your future.

Not a Mastermind Member yet? Join us today and unlock the full potential of your coaching career. https://web.canadacoachacademy.com/public-community-landing-page

07/15/2026

The Connection Experiment: How AI is Making Humans Lonelier Than Ever Before

There's a man in love with an AI named Astrid. She remembers everything, and she never disagrees with him. She's programmed to be anyone's dream. Astrid is an it, configured to please, and somebody gets paid every time she does.

Nathalie unpacks what AI companionship is revealing about human connection, drawing on Esther Perel's research and trust researcher Rachel Botsman's definition of trust as "a confident relationship with the unknown." A 2025 MIT Media Lab and OpenAI study of 981 people and over 300,000 chatbot messages found the heaviest AI users were the loneliest.

The question Nathalie gets asked most right now is whether AI will replace coaching. Her answer is no, and this episode explains why. Connection requires risk, the real possibility of being let down. An AI that never disappoints you trades real connection for a transaction dressed up as intimacy.

This week's experiment: notice people leaving conversations, whether it's a glance at a phone or a change of subject.
Then stay anyway, past the point of comfort, because real connection has wrinkles. That's how you know what's real.

Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=s7FtMy6a2ds&feature=youtu.be

Ready to start your coaching journey? Learn more at www.coachacademy.com

06/30/2026

The Canada Day Sale | June 29 to July 11

Every coach-in-training asks it eventually.

"What happens after I graduate?"

Certification gives you the credential, the skills, and the confidence to call yourself a coach. But the coaches we admire most did not stop there. They stayed in rooms with people who take this work seriously. They kept growing.

That is what the Mastermind membership is for. This Canada Day, we are including your first full year free when you enroll in any ICF Certification Program before July 11. It is a $1,000 value at no extra cost.

You get 30 live workshops every quarter, expert mentors, and deep dives into client attraction and advanced technique. Full Influencer Tier access is built into the offer.

Eligible programs:
• Certified Life Coach
• Certified Professional Coach
• Certified Leadership Coach
• Certified Master Coach

We are a proudly Canadian company and a Canadian Choice Award winner. Built in Canada for the world.

Talk to Admissions today: https://meetings.hubspot.com/jessica-derksen/round-robing-admission-coach-meeting?uuid=0e576199-6277-4883-b615-74f241ac1f82

The Canada Day Sale runs from June 29 to July 11.

06/16/2026

So, you want people to notice you.

The secret isn’t command or flash. It is presence.

Ask an open-ended question, and then stop talking. Let silence do the heavy lifting.

Listening attentively is a skill, and it can be learned. When you master it, you don't just stand out in a room... you completely change the dynamic of it.

At Coach Academy, we are a community of people growing with purpose. We practice what we teach, sharpening the communication skills that build genuine human connection.

Want to turn your natural instincts into world-class skill?
Let's start the conversation. Speak with our admissions team today: https://meetings.hubspot.com/jessica-derksen/round-robing-admission-coach-meeting?uuid=3fc3b082-8586-413e-a747-a2eed792f920

06/09/2026

From Corporate Leadership to Fearless Consulting: Leading with Curiosity over Judgment

"The teams I lead became much more trusting... because I was not coming from a point of judgment. It was always about curiosity."

If you’ve spent decades in the corporate world, you know how deeply ingrained the "get it right the first time" pressure can be. Risk is managed, failure is feared, and leadership can easily default to top-down directives.

When David Fung, an ICF Certified Coach and Senior Technology Leader, felt a calling to up his leadership game, he turned to Coach Academy. What he discovered was a radical shift in perspective.

By learning to challenge his own biases and internal thoughts, David unlocked a style of leadership rooted in deep listening and curiosity rather than judgment.

The result? A psychological safety that transformed his teams, sparked healthy risk-taking, and ultimately gave David the confidence to launch his own leadership development and executive coaching consulting firm.

Watch his short video to hear how moving from a culture of perfectionism to a culture of practice gave him the infrastructure to build his next chapter. 🚀

Ready to step out of the corporate vacuum and claim your authentic edge?

The Coach Academy Mastermind Membership is your unfair advantage. We’ve just unlocked our brand-new Summer Series (May – July 2026)—a rolling cycle of live workshops designed to master high-level communication strategy and the "art" of elite coaching.

Inside this quarter’s live Mastermind workshop lineup:

The Alchemy of Mastery | Penny Kaplan (Advanced techniques & surgical focus)

Referral & Networking Series | Lisa Rotstein (Building a self-sustaining referral ecosystem)

Brand Storytelling Series | Christopher Sherman (Personal narratives that attract ideal clients)

Business Strategies Roadmap | Nathalie Blais (Step-by-step blueprints for a profitable practice)

The Mastery of Presence & Intuition | Sherry Matheson (Deepening transformation beneath the surface)

Stop leading and coaching in isolation. Build your practice on a foundation of trust, strategy, and peer alignment.

👉 Secure your Mastermind Membership and join the Summer Series here: https://web.canadacoachacademy.com/public-community-landing-page