Meet Dr. Lois Frankel: Executive Coach, Author, Keynote Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Lois Frankel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Lois, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Creating a distinctive brand based on my values has been the secret of my success. I know that there are many others who provide the same coaching and consultative services that I do. And I know that many of them charge less than I do. So it is critically important that I am known for being different from the others in terms of quality, client care, reliability, honesty, and consistency, Research shows that customers and clients will spend more on a brand that they know will add perceived value. I have always focused on ensuring the services I provide exceed client expectations. This happens to be consistent with my values of ensuring clients are well-served, are treated like human beings not just a “pay check”, striving for excellence, and exhibiting the courage to speak the unspoken. Good is the enemy of great in consulting. There are plenty of good consultants. I don’t want to be one of them. I act in ways that clients come back because they know I have their best interests at heart and value our relationship. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What I am most proud of is building from scratch a consulting firm in a field that didn’t exist at the time. In 1986 the concept of executive coaching was just emerging. There were no models, best practices, or literature from which I could draw. So I created my own! As a pioneer in the field of executive coaching I wasn’t limited by pre-conceived ideas of what it should be. I built the first team-based coaching practice in the country that brought together consultants with expertise in complementary disciplines so that the client would receive the best coaching possible and from more than just one coach. Together we developed systems to assess client needs, assign SMEs to address those needs, and provide competent and courageous coaching that would facilitate significant and enduring change in the lives of our clients. Along the way I learned the critical importance of three things: building and maintaining 360 degree relationships; creating a distinctive brand; and focusing on excellence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start at the Gamble House in Pasadena. It is the best preserved example of the Arts and Crafts style of architecture created by Charles and Henry Greene in 1908. From there, we would go to the Huntington Library, also in Pasadena, for lunch and to wander through the gardens, art museum and library of original books, including the Guttenberg Bible. On the way home I would pick up dinner (since I didn’t have time to cook!) from Mediterranean Grill on Hill Street. Great gyro plates! No visit to L.A. is complete without a visit to Hollywood. I would arrange for us to take a bus tour of the highlights of Los Angeles including the Hollywood Walk of Stars, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Farmer’s Market and Rodeo Drive. One day I would arrange for a walking tour of downtown Los Angeles. I worked downtown for years and never saw much of what was pointed out on my walking tour with out of town guests. Included in this tour is the Bradbury Building and The Last Bookstore. We would take a walk around the Rose Bowl, three miles is a good time to get exercise and catch up. Maybe even grab a bratwurst at Robin’s BBQ now at Brookside Golf Course. Another goal would be to take a bike ride from Venice down to Redondo Beach, stopping at Killer Shrimp in Marina del Rey for lunch or dinner. We would spend some time at the Griffith Park Observatory and the L.A. Zoo, them head into studio city to Prosecco Trattoria for a bite to eat — the best Italian in the city. And if time permits, take a ride up to Santa Barbara and visit the Sunday Craft fair along the beach. Lunch on the patio of the Four Seasons Santa Barbara is always a treat. Alternatively, take a ride down to Palm Springs and wander through the shops on Palm Canyon Drive, stopping at the outlets on the way home. I’m told I always try to pack too much in with guests, so I think I’d stop there unless they had a specific request.  

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s not so much one person who deserves recognition, but rather the collective group of women who have served as role models. Some I know personally and some I have never, and will never, meet. For example, my mother was the most perseverant person I’ve ever known. Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, inspired me with her personal approach to business and building a brand where God could come first, family second and work third in the lives of her employees. Eleanor Roosevelt who taught me that doing well and doing good were not mutually exclusive. My success is due to the risks these and other women took to pave the way for women to achieve their full potential. There is a spark of each of them inside me.

Website: https://www.drloisfrankel.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drloisfrankel/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCflwuPwupZL5cra3-QRvV5A
Other: https://corporatecoachingintl.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Lois-Frankel/e/B00J1MV77I https://thankdogforyou.com/