Crucible Coaching

Strengthening Leadership Through Life’s Most Challenging Moments

Free Consultation

Welcome to The Crucible Coach™

I’m Tony Thayer, an executive coach dedicated to guiding business leaders through the emotional turmoil of personal crises. Whether you’re facing the loss of a loved one, a sudden health diagnosis, or a painful divorce, I’m here to help you regain your footing and lead effectively during these challenging times.

In the high-stakes world of business, personal crises can shake you to your core. They disrupt your focus and sense of purpose, often leaving you feeling isolated, with no one to talk to who truly understands the pressures of your role and the upheaval in your personal life. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

I specialize in helping leaders like you face these challenges. With empathy, decades of executive experience, and science-backed tools and strategies, I’ll guide you to emerge stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

My approach creates a quiet, supportive place where you can discuss everything happening in this difficult phase of your life. Together, we’ll learn to self-regulate the overwhelming thoughts and emotions that are natural responses to life-altering events. In a short period, you’ll discover new sources of energy, a renewed ability to focus your mind, and a better ability to understand and work with your emotions. You will emerge infused with confidence, wisdom, and purpose

Restore Your Confidence, Focus, and Business Momentum

I’ve Been There. I Can Help.

My journey began when a cancer diagnosis abruptly ended my 35-year corporate career. Within a few months, I faced significant losses—my job, my marriage, and my health. My oncologist warned me I would be lucky to survive three years. That moment, while devastating, became a transformative trial by fire.

I survived those three years—and more. Two years later, my doctor delivered some unexpected good news: all traces of cancer had vanished. Those five years of fear and challenge reshaped how I see myself and my leadership role, instilling a profound sense of purpose, compassion, and resilience in me. I emerged with newfound strengths and clarity, ready to embrace life and confront any obstacle.

What is Crucible Coaching?

If you're a leader facing personal crises while fulfilling demanding responsibilities, I can guide you through two key phases:

  1. Stabilization: We’ll first tackle your immediate emotional challenges, helping you regain focus and meet your obligations at work.

  2. Transformation: Over six months, we’ll explore your deeper emotional responses, uncover untapped strengths, and develop greater emotional intelligence, enabling you to become a more agile and resilient leader.

Our coaching relationship will provide a safe environment to discuss your experiences both at work and at home. Together, we’ll implement techniques to manage stress, enhance resilience, and regain mental clarity.

Crucible Coaching is not just about surviving tough times; it’s about emerging from them stronger and more self-aware. Together, we’ll turn your setbacks into opportunities for growth and renewal.

Why Choose Me as Your Crucible Coach™?

This time can be a powerful opportunity for transformation. My role is to help you navigate your challenges so you can emerge stronger and more confident in your leadership.

Corporate Expertise

I spent 35 years in various roles, from sales to executive leadership, including Vice President of Sales and Marketing. I understand the dynamics of your work environment.

Turnaround Artist

I’ve always been a turn-around artist. Xerox named me sales rep of the year after I won back several long-lost key accounts. Pitney Bowes brought me in to turn around a failing team; we quintupled revenues and were named “Team of the Year” in nine months. Later, I established a successful new division and turned around a struggling firm.

Survivor Insight

As a cancer survivor, I’ve faced the fears and life lessons that accompany the crucible journey. I’m equipped to help you process the intense emotions that may arise on yours.

If you or someone you know is navigating a crucible event, I’m here to offer support and guidance. Let’s begin with a confidential conversation; this won’t be a sales pitch; it’s a safe space where you can catch your breath and gain a fresh perspective on turning setbacks into opportunities.

Client Successes

  • S.K. Director, Google | Santa Clara

    “Tony’s coaching helped me see my current challenge as a process, not a problem needing to be quickly solved. He gave me confidence and a compass to navigate my choices, benefiting both my professional and personal life.”

  • Peter M. | Los Angeles

    “Tony has an appealing magnetism – I experience him as welcoming and free of judgment, he provides a wonderful sense of acceptance and openness that lets me get below the surface and see things with a new clarity. I find I can step back, go deep, and look at my world from different perspectives. Not many coaches provide the quality of listening that he does. He’s really good at being right there with you. He looks deep and helps me go there with him.

    I also find him inspiring – when I hear his story and how he handled his journey, I want to raise my own commitment to myself – he sets a great example.”

  • Irina Kurtsevaya | Ukraine

    “Tony has an amazing way of listening. He sort of plugs into you and creates a space where you can reflect, reconsider and investigate further. He’s just very intuitive. He helped me consider where my thoughts and feelings come from. He showed me how to turn down the white noise - the negative self-talk and anxieties that were often playing in mind. He guided me to hear the voices I wanted to hear, instead of the ones that always seemed to bring me down when I was alone with myself.”

  • Brigette Iarusso | Barcelona, Spain

    “Tony is a deeply curious person – but in a unique way. He doesn’t even say he’s curious. With Tony, it’s not what he says, it’s how he shows it. – it’s in his face and body language and his demeanour. But the effect is that you know he cares. When he reflects on who I am, or who I am being, it’s believable to me. And encouraging.

    Tony helped me step back and see my world from new perspectives. Because of the profound sense of safety he creates , I could dive deep and explore things I used to avoid. There’s a word in Spanish that doesn’t translate well into English —it’s like ‘spark”. The Spanish word conveys someone who gets your mind sparking so you think about things you hadn’t before… that’s Tony.”

  • Karim Mohsen | Berkeley, CA

    “Tony has the ability to generate a sense of safety and invited curiosity into my sessions. He has a presence that lets me go very deep into my past experience. I could finally explore these freely. I was surprised at how these deep dives freed me up and allowed me to make sense of things that I had avoided or felt confused by. I found this revelatory, and it provided me with powerful new insights that inspired me to act and make decisions with clarity.”

  • Susan Bruggerman | St Louis, MO

    “I always feel safe being myself with Tony - he has a quiet strength and an open heart. He’s gone through a lot and yet he still leads with an open heart. That’s an incredible thing for a man. It says that he’s really open.

    He’s very authentic and has an amazing story to share. Despite the hard knocks he’s taken, Tony offers an uplifting sense of positive expectations.”

  • Dana C. | Portland, OR

    “Tony is totally approachable; he gives me more room to be present, and he brings a lightness to even the darkest conversation. He’s really good at being there with you.”

  • Liviu Petri | Lyon, France

    “Working with Tony as our mastermind group facilitator has been an enlightening experience. He possesses a unique talent for allowing conversations to organically evolve, while gently guiding us back to our core objectives when needed. Tony's skill in managing the delicate dance between liberty and focus has been crucial in our group's growth and efficiency. I wholeheartedly recommend him as a facilitator for any group looking to thrive.”

Are We a Fit?
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Contact Tony

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Have questions, or want to learn more?

Email: tony@tonythayercoaching.com

Phone: (925) 323-8590