Many articles targeted at business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals in high stress careers emphasize the importance of having the right mindset and engaging in on-goingpersonal and professional development. But the frequent move to hire a “life coach”, or “executive coach’’ while well intended, can often go wrong. Why?
Having significant life and/or business experience this doesn’t inherently prepare them to advise on your life. While there are coaching certification programs, the choice to bring in a trusted advisor to help you navigate is a big one. Certifications and life experience do not necessarily add up to a deep understanding of psychology and behavioral science and how these two areas impact your life, the life of your employees, or your customers and everyone around you. In the end, “life and executive coaching” means relying on an individual for personal guidance. Making sure they understand how thought processes and emotions can work for or against us, and being able to recognize when a challenge or a setback needs more than a coaching intervention is crucial. There are many, many “certified” coaches who simply don’t have this type of training. They may be well intentioned and smart, with good judgement and charisma, but those are not sufficient qualities for helping you navigate, change, improve and thrive in your life. There are many untrained or poorly trained individuals in the marketplace providing high-priced services to people in very high profile, high scrutiny, high pressured positions. Watching this happen in everyone from starte-up CEOs to executives in publicly traded organizations to professional athletes and entertainers is what motivated Dr. Josh Klapow to step in.
Dr. Josh Klapow is a clinical psychologist. He has a specialization in health psychology and behavioral medicine. He trained at UCLA and UC San Diego and spent nearly 20 years researching the role of human behavior in health, well-being as an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has served as a behavioral science consultant for individuals and organizations across the country as well as the World Health Organization. He has spent his entire career trying to help people thrive in situations where there are significant challenges to their physical and mental health and overall well being.
“My clinical training was specifically focused on helping people change their lives to improve their d well being and to understand how situations and environmental settings either helped people to thrive or served as a barrier. My training was designed to help people navigate the life changes in front of them and to help people design businesses and systems of care that were much more person centred.” Dr. Josh says.
Dr. Josh’s traditional research and clinical work have been supplemented by writing consumer focused books such as “Stop Telling Me What Tell Me How”, and “Living SMART: Lifestyle Change Made Simple.” and making the transition from behind the walls of academia and clinical practice into the media. Early in his career he made media appearances at the request of the University and quickly realized that his words on TV, radio, or in popular print had a broader impact than writing about it in an academic journal. in an article. His passion to “get the message out” led to over 20 years of regular media appearances with a professional goal of being recognized as a trusted reference for behavioral science, psychology and and practical, evidence based life advice.
Dr. Josh has indeed been able to appear on multiple media channels further disseminating his message. From ABC Nightly News, NBC Weekend News, to The Weather Channel, to the BBC , as well as co-hosting his own show on radio and on TV through Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Roku. He is also a trusted source for print outlets including, the HuffPost, Buzzfeed, Elite Daily, Men’s Health, Today.com, US News and World Report and more.
He also took his years of consulting with business and organizations on the role of behavioral science in successful product and service delivery and focused that into a company of his own. Together with colleagues he helped launch a unique company that blended transaction tracking technology and behavioral science to develop software that could run health and wellness incentive and loyalty programs. The company, ChipRewards is now one of the most successful incentive technology companies in the industry. ChipRewards provides technology to large self insured businesses as well as health insurance companies to assist their efforts in engaging individuals to better manage their own health and wellbeing. A simple concept but one that requires highly sophisticated technology and a deep understanding of psychology and behavioral science.
This blend of expertise in psychological and behavioral science, technology and businesses and a frequent presence in the national media has positioned Dr. Josh as a sought after resource for companies and individuals across the US helping them understand how psychology and behavioral science can help make their employees, their products and services and their individual lives thrive. In addition to his work as a subject matter expert, he also has been able to provide guidance and performance coaching to individuals in high pressure, highly visible, high profile positions. He has become a public and private “go to” for those who need his input in any situation or capacity.
“I realized I had to coalesce the last 10 years into a 3 fold portfolio: Media–being a trusted go-to for topics ranging from disaster and crisis to parenting, relationships and health. Industry–being a sought after consultant for the role of human behavior in the development of products and services, optimal functioning of organizations, and performance coaching–coming to individuals with the eyes of a clinical psychologist, but one who also has years of experience in business as an executive and years of experience in media as on air talent. I understand the pressures of business, public scrutiny, celebrity, relationships, decision making from two sides- as an expert and as someone who lives it. .” Dr. Josh shares.
Helping individuals, consulting with organizations and collaborating with the media created 3 lines of work that Dr. Josh has brought together into a single, comprehensive portfolio.
“It has started after years of work to come together, at this point in my career I am the Chief Behavioral Scientist for a health technology company, I am the co-founder of & K Communications, the business arm of The Kurre and Klapow radio and television shows, I serve as a trusted “psychological correspondent” for media outlets nationally and internationally and I work with businesses and individuals to help them bring behavioral science and psychology to the forefront of their organizations and their personal lives. I am here to consult and coach, to develop and support. I am here when you need an individual who can help you or your company thrive in times of crisis, change, decision making or growth. I deeply understand human behavior and I have lived the real-life experiences. Look, in my opinion it comes down to this, if you need to understand how thoughts, emotions and behaviors impact your life, your company, or the life of others around you, and it is important that you get it right, you have to go with someone who has training and experience. Be careful, because intuition, and experience with life strife is not what you want if you need someone to help you get it right. A high level of specific training and experience is critical, because your life is critical. I’ve worked my whole career to prepare me to help. And I’m here to help.” Dr. Josh says.
For Dr. Josh, mindset is critical because you must be willing to look at road blocks and figure out how to go through them, over them or around them. You have to believe that things are possible.
“My advice for those starting their own business is to look at what everyone else is doing and then ask yourself what they are not doing. Don’t go where there are hundreds of trained people like you, go where there is no one trained like you.” Dr. Josh advises.
It is also important to see fear as hesitation–as questioning whether something is safe or not, good or not, right or not. It has to be okay to proceed with some degree of fear, in order to be able to succeed.
This is precisely why Dr. Josh’s next projects include radio and television syndication, getting involved in the role of “EQ consultation” in financial decision making (assisting individuals in understanding how emotional factors influence their financial transaction decisions), and continuing to do performance coaching for high profile individuals who need a go to person willing to work in unconventional ways.
While he does all of this, he will continue to differentiate himself for his specific experience and credentials in psychology, behavioral science and human performance and for being deeply passionate about sharing information about psychology with the world and quietly helping individuals in a confidential manner.
“If you are someone who is in the public eye who is in a high pressure position, , who needs guidance and consultation for making decisions, living better, or navigating crises, I am there. I am there with the training and expertise to help you. I have done it for athletes, executives, celebrities and corporations, and I can do it for you.” Dr. Josh states.
To learn more about Dr. Josh’s work or how you can reach out, go here.