Christopher's "kill the junior in your head" mindset was the powerful galvanizing force I needed when I felt stuck and ambiguous about my direction as a designer on an extended job hunt.

Chris possesses an infectious energy that permeates into your being, to eventually manifest as an inner professional confidence. He'll motivate you toward ambitious positioning while maintaining the groundedness to have a casual conversation about Star Wars: Jedi Survivor boss fighting techniques in the same breath. That combination of high energy and approachability created a momentum that is invaluable.

A particular highlight was when I brought him evidence that I might be operating at a higher level than either of us initially thought. Rather than dismissing my analysis or doubling down on an original assessment, he engaged with my documentation and eventually came around, then becoming an advocate for this new positioning. In addition, throughout our time together our approach to interview prep swayed wildly as we explored different strategies together, and he supported approaches that worked for me even when they contradicted his typical methods. That willingness to let the coaching relationship run two ways solidifies his reputation as a bona fide capital-C Coach.

But perhaps the most valuable thing Christopher taught me wasn't really anything as trivial as the minutiae of how to format a resume, nor anything as straightforward as "what questions to ask the interviewer", but rather how to advocate for myself with confidence and push back when something didn't feel right. Learning to hold my ground in our sessions was exactly the practice I needed to do the same when in front of a hiring manager, and the naturalness that comes with it that was ultimately what landed me my current role at ITRG.