What Jody Michael Associates does

Jody Michael Associates (JMA) is a privately held, founder-owned boutique executive and career coaching firm established in 1997 by Jody Michael and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm delivers one-on-one executive coaching, team and organizational leadership coaching, professional career coaching, career coaching for students, interview coaching, and professional resume writing to a client base spanning Fortune 100 enterprises to small businesses and individual professionals. Engagements are predominantly structured as six-month recurring contracts that combine 360-degree assessments, weekly individual sessions, and the firm's proprietary workshops (Accountability Mirror, Leading Lightly, and the bundled Two-Day Strategic Leadership Intensive). The boutique coach team is distributed across metro areas including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Palm Springs, and Gettysburg, with offices in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco.

JMA's core technology and IP stack consists of the Mental Fitness methodology, the MindMastery framework (Assess-Breathe-Choose and Spot-Explore-Elect constructs), and two mobile applications. MindMastery (iOS and Android, launched 2012) was an early coaching app in the marketplace and is offered in a free public version and a private full version for workshop and coaching clients, supporting mood and thought tracking. An Accountability app (launched 2021 and re-released in 2024 as the Accountability Mirror mobile app) implements the SMART goal framework with daily check-ins. The firm's recognized thought-leadership content includes the Wall Street Journal bestseller and Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal-winning book "Leading Lightly," a blog of 433 posts, eBooks, podcast appearances, and Forbes Coaches Council articles.

The revenue model is services-led and quote-based. Recurring revenue comes from six-month executive coaching engagements (individual and enterprise), with project-based revenue from career coaching, interview coaching, resume writing, and LinkedIn profile services. Event-driven revenue is generated through live multi-day Leadership workshops delivered via Zoom (with special pricing for groups and non-profits), and ancillary revenue from book sales across Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Books-A-Million, and bulk channels. GTM is hybrid: enterprise field sales to C-suite and leadership teams, direct-to-consumer via website inquiry for individuals, and event-driven workshop promotion. The company discloses no outside institutional capital, subsidiaries, or M&A activity, and there is no evidence of operations outside the United States.

Name

Jody Michael Associates

Legal name

Jody Michael Associates

Website

https://jodymichael.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jody Michael Associates is a privately held Chicago-based boutique executive and career coaching firm founded in 1997, serving Fortune 100 leaders, leadership teams, professionals, and students via proprietary Mental Fitness methodology, trademarked workshops, and two coaching mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Coaching Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Performance & Accountability Coaching (EDABANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career, Purpose & Executive Wellbeing Coaching (EDABANAI), Strategy, Decision-Making & Business Acumen Coaching (EDABANAH), Coaching, Feedback & Mentoring Skills (EDABAMAM)

Keywords

• Executive coaching services
• Career coaching services
• Leadership development workshops
• Mental fitness training
• Resume writing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Executive Coaching Services: Individual and team executive coaching engagements, typically contracted in six-month intervals, including 360-degree assessments, weekly one-on-one sessions, and strategic leadership intensives.
2. Career Coaching Services: Career path discovery, professional career coaching, interview coaching, and resume writing services for professionals and students.
3. Leadership Workshops: Two-day immersive workshops (Accountability Mirror and Leading Lightly) offered live via Zoom to individuals and organizations, with proprietary apps and follow-up coaching videos included.
4. Resume Writing Services: Professional resume writing and LinkedIn profile optimization services with certified professional resume writers.
5. Book Sales: Wall Street Journal bestseller 'Leading Lightly' sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Books-A-Million, and bulk orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jody Michael Associates is a boutique coaching firm providing one-on-one executive coaching, career coaching for professionals and students, interview coaching, and professional resume writing. The firm also delivers proprietary workshops (Accountability Mirror and Leading Lightly) and supports engagements with two proprietary mobile applications (MindMastery and Accountability) built around a neuroscience-based Mental Fitness methodology.

Product overview

Jody Michael Associates is a premier coaching company offering a comprehensive portfolio of coaching services and proprietary tools. The core offerings include Executive Coaching (individual and organizational/team), Career Coaching (professionals and students), Interview Coaching, and Resume Writing services. These services are delivered alongside proprietary workshops: Accountability Mirror (accountability training) and Leading Lightly (mental fitness and stress management). The company has developed two proprietary mobile applications—MindMastery (iOS/Android) for mental fitness development through mood/thought tracking, and Accountability (iOS/Android) for goal achievement using SMART frameworks. All offerings are grounded in the company's Mental Fitness methodology and MindMastery Method, which incorporate neuroscience and psychology principles to drive systemic behavioral change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MindMastery: Proprietary mental fitness mobile app for building self-awareness, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and resilience
• Accountability Mirror
• Leading Lightly
• Two-Day Strategic Leadership Intensive

Products and services

• Executive Coaching for You Personalized one-on-one executive coaching engagement focused on emotional intelligence, executive presence, and leadership performance improvement for individual executives and senior managers.
• Executive Coaching for Your Team or Organization Corporate executive coaching engagements for C-level executives, senior managers, and high potentials, addressing leadership skills, team performance, and organizational transformation, typically contracted in six-month intervals.
• Professional Career Coaching Career coaching for professionals to identify career fit, navigate career transitions, and advance within their current careers through individualized career path discovery programs.
• Career Coaching for Students Career coaching for high school and college students to identify best career fit, choose majors, and make informed college and career path decisions.
• Interview Coaching Services One-on-one mock interview coaching sessions that include verbal and non-verbal performance analysis, response guidance, and individualized job interview preparation support.
• Professional Resume Writing Services Expert resume writing with ATS optimization and LinkedIn profile writing delivered by certified professional resume writers for executives, mid-career professionals, and recent graduates.
• Accountability Mirror Workshop Proprietary one-day immersive workshop helping leaders and team members embrace accountability in their day-to-day lives and corporate workplace, producing measurable improvements in communication, performance, and speed.
• Leading Lightly Workshop Proprietary neuroscience-based leadership workshop that teaches mental fitness, stress management, and mindset techniques for improved performance, better decision-making, and greater self-awareness.
• MindMastery App Proprietary mental fitness mobile application available on iOS and Android that builds self-awareness, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and resilience through mood and thought tracking.
• Accountability App Proprietary mobile application available on iOS and Android that uses the SMART goal framework with mood and thought tracking to help users stay aligned with their goals, moods, and behaviors.
• Leading Lightly Book Wall Street Journal bestselling book and Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medalist publication on leadership, mental fitness, and stress reduction, sold through major book retailers and bulk orders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Double-digit growth in business for clients implementing executive coaching programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered affiliation and core.

• International Coach Federation (ICF)affiliationOthersProfessional coaching membership organization setting standards for coaching. JMA coaches committed to highest standards of coaching through ICF membership.
• Forbes Coaches CouncilaffiliationOthersExclusive invitation-only organization for leading business and executive coaches. Jody Michael is a member, contributing thought leadership articles to Forbes.
• Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School AffiliatecoreOthersJody Michael is a Founding Fellow at this Harvard-affiliated institute dedicated to advancing the coaching profession through research and education.
• International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations (ICCO)affiliationOthersOrganization focused on coaching in corporate and organizational settings. JMA coaches committed to standards through membership.
• TrustpilotaffiliationOthersCustomer review platform where JMA maintains top ratings for service quality and client satisfaction.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with executive coaching and board advisory services. Comparable to JMA in serving senior executive coaching needs, with significantly greater international reach and enterprise capability.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a coaching and consulting practice serving senior executives. Comparable to JMA in targeting C-suite coaching engagements, with broader talent and succession capabilities.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership development firm providing executive coaching, assessment, and leadership pipeline programs. Comparable to JMA in executive and leadership coaching services, but at significantly larger scale with global delivery infrastructure.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive coaching, leadership development, and talent management as part of a broad portfolio. Competes with JMA in enterprise executive coaching engagements and offers scale, geographic reach, and integrated assessment capabilities JMA cannot match.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Established research-backed leadership development provider offering executive coaching, assessments, and programs. Comparable to JMA in leadership coaching methodology and Fortune 500 client reach, but with institutional scale and proprietary research infrastructure.
• FranklinCovey: Global performance and leadership development company offering coaching, training, and content-based programs. Comparable to JMA in leadership development methodology but at much broader scale, with a content-and-licensing model that complements live coaching.

Emerging players

• CoachHub: Digital coaching platform serving global enterprises with on-demand access to certified coaches via mobile and web. Overlaps with JMA's executive and leadership coaching segment but at broader scale and lower per-engagement price.
• Torch Leadership Labs: Tech-enabled coaching platform focused on leadership development for managers and teams within mid-market and enterprise. Comparable to JMA's team and leadership coaching offerings but delivered through a digital platform rather than a boutique coach model.
• BetterUp: Tech-enabled coaching platform combining AI-driven matching, mobile delivery, and enterprise analytics dashboards. Comparable to JMA in the executive and leadership coaching category but competes on scale, technology, and price point rather than boutique personalization.

Direct peers

• Marshall Goldsmith Partners: Boutique executive coaching firm led by thought leader Marshall Goldsmith, serving Fortune 500 CEOs and senior leaders. Highly comparable to JMA as a high-end, founder-led executive coaching practice built on a branded methodology and premium pricing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/jmacoaching?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/jodymichaelassociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jody-michael-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/jodymichaelassociates/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jody Michael Associates