The good advice.... that you just didn't take (apply)

If you’ve ever invested in a career coach, you probably walked away with better clarity.

You understood your values, refined your narrative, maybe even rediscovered confidence that work had eroded.

That’s real progress — but it’s not the same as progress in the market.

Clarity doesn’t create conversations. Reflection doesn’t send introductions.

That’s where the paths of coaching and advocacy split.

Coaching, by definition, stops at insight

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”¹

It’s an extraordinary framework — built on listening, empathy, and goal-setting.

The ICF’s core competencies read like the blueprint for human growth: presence, active listening, evoking awareness, facilitating action.²

But notice the distinction: facilitating action is not the same as executing it.

A coach helps you define your next move.

An advocate helps you make it.

What coaches do best

Coaching works.

That’s not up for debate.

Studies from BetterUp and peer-reviewed analyses published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology confirm that consistent coaching improves well-being, confidence, and resilience.³ ⁴

In fact, the ICF Global Coaching Study reports record growth in the profession, with North American coaches earning an average of $67,800 annually (and many up to $150K+), serving a fast-expanding market.⁵

And for good reason — coaching changes how people think.

It builds self-awareness and performance capacity.

It helps professionals reflect on “what’s next” without judgment.

But without execution, it rarely creates tangible market outcomes like interviews, introductions, or offers.

Why the confusion exists

Modern professionals are overwhelmed by options.

“Career coaching” has become an umbrella term covering everything from mindset support to résumé polishing. Many platforms blur the lines between guidance, branding, and placement.

The Muse, for example, markets coaching packages that include clarity work, résumé editing, and interview prep — valuable, yes, but still framed as support for your search, not representation within it.⁶

Even SHRM notes that coaching differs from mentoring or sponsorship: it’s designed for development, not advocacy.⁷

The result? Clients assume coaching leads to opportunities — then feel disillusioned when it doesn’t.

The coach didn’t fail. The execution did.

The missing bridge: from clarity to traction

Imagine using a map app that tells you the destination but doesn’t drive you there.

That’s coaching.

Now imagine hiring a professional driver who knows the terrain, adjusts in real time, and gets you there efficiently.

That’s advocacy.

Career Advocates pick up where coaching ends — transforming insight into execution.

We don’t just clarify your goals; we operationalize them.

That means translating your narrative into outreach, visibility, and measurable momentum.

While coaches help you build readiness, advocates handle representation — ensuring your story doesn’t stay in your notebook, rather it engages meaningfully with your target audience.

The DIY vs. Done-For-You divide

Most coaches operate in the DIY ecosystem.

They provide frameworks, accountability, and perspective — but execution (aka homework) remains yours.

The Institute of Coaching (Harvard/McLean affiliate) reports that professional coaches charge anywhere from $365–$600+ per hour, with pricing scaling by experience and specialization.⁸

Indeed’s 2025 report found that most career coaching sessions in the U.S. cost between $100–$150 each.⁹

Regardless of the investment tier, that support yields clarity, but not outcomes — because no one’s representing you when you close the laptop.

By contrast, a Career Advocate functions as your agent in the market.

We handle the heavy lift: building positioning, crafting messaging, and executing direct outreach — while you stay focused on evaluating fit solely for engaged opportunities.

Where they align best

Both roles matter.

In fact, we share a common goal: helping you move forward with intention.

The difference is who owns the action.

Coaches prepare you.
Advocates represent you.

Coaches illuminate your “why.”

Advocates also start with "why", and then we operationalize your “how.”

One helps you find direction.

The other helps you find traction.

The Harvard Business Review puts it simply: great coaching “develops capability and confidence.”¹⁰

Career Advocacy turns that confidence into visible opportunity — measurable movement through conversations, introductions, and offers.

Why they don’t usually overlap

In theory, a coach and an advocate could work in sequence — reflection followed by execution.

In practice, that’s rare.

People who hire coaches generally want guidance and motivation, but prefer to stay hands-on.

People who hire advocates want results, accountability, and speed — they’re outsourcing the legwork so they can focus on decisions, not logistics.

That’s the key distinction:

Coaching empowers DIY momentum.

Advocacy delivers DFY (Done-For-You) momentum.

Different clients. Different outcomes. Different value proposition.

HIP Insight: The Clarity-to-Impact Continuum

At Higher Impact People (HIP), we respect the work coaches do.

They help people rediscover who they are and what matters most.

But our clients come to us when they’re ready to act on that clarity.

Our model connects the dots between reflection and representation — what we call the Clarity-to-Impact Continuum:

Action vs. Reflection: Coaches help you think; Advocates help you move.
Outcome Alignment: Coaching focuses on growth; Advocacy focuses on measurable visibility and traction.
Continuity: The best outcomes happen when clarity doesn’t fade — it gets deployed.

A coach helps you see the map. An advocate helps you move across it.

Sources

International Coaching Federation – What Is Coaching?https://coachingfederation.org/get-coaching/coaching-for-me/what-is-coaching/
ICF – Core Competencies https://coachingfederation.org/credentialing/coaching-competencies/icf-core-competencies/
BetterUp – Coaching Improves Mental Health https://www.betterup.com/blog/coaching-improves-mental-health-research
Peer-Reviewed Study – Virtual Coaching and Well-Being https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8406100/
ICF – Global Coaching Study (2023 Executive Summary) https://coachingfederation.org/resources/research/global-coaching-study/
The Muse – Career Coaching Services https://www.themuse.com/coaching
SHRM – Do You Need a Mentor, Coach, or both? https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/organizational-employee-development/need-mentor-coach-or
Institute of Coaching – How to Price Coaching https://instituteofcoaching.org/blogs/how-price-coaching
Indeed – How Much Does Career Coaching Cost? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-much-does-career-coaching-cost
Harvard Business Review – The Leader as Coach https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-leader-as-coach

Original Post on LinkedIn. November 19th, 2025

~ Nicholas Brandenburg (Founder, Higher Impact People)

Career Advocates vs Career Coaches — Where They Align Best

The good advice.... that you just didn't take (apply)

If you’ve ever invested in a career coach, you probably walked away with better clarity.

You understood your values, refined your narrative, maybe even rediscovered confidence that work had eroded.

That’s real progress — but it’s not the same as progress in the market.

Clarity doesn’t create conversations. Reflection doesn’t send introductions.

That’s where the paths of coaching and advocacy split.

Coaching, by definition, stops at insight

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”¹

It’s an extraordinary framework — built on listening, empathy, and goal-setting.

The ICF’s core competencies read like the blueprint for human growth: presence, active listening, evoking awareness, facilitating action.²

But notice the distinction: facilitating action is not the same as executing it.

A coach helps you define your next move.

An advocate helps you make it.

What coaches do best

Coaching works.

That’s not up for debate.

Studies from BetterUp and peer-reviewed analyses published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology confirm that consistent coaching improves well-being, confidence, and resilience.³ ⁴

In fact, the ICF Global Coaching Study reports record growth in the profession, with North American coaches earning an average of $67,800 annually (and many up to $150K+), serving a fast-expanding market.⁵

And for good reason — coaching changes how people think.

It builds self-awareness and performance capacity.

It helps professionals reflect on “what’s next” without judgment.

But without execution, it rarely creates tangible market outcomes like interviews, introductions, or offers.

Why the confusion exists

Modern professionals are overwhelmed by options.

“Career coaching” has become an umbrella term covering everything from mindset support to résumé polishing. Many platforms blur the lines between guidance, branding, and placement.

The Muse, for example, markets coaching packages that include clarity work, résumé editing, and interview prep — valuable, yes, but still framed as support for your search, not representation within it.⁶

Even SHRM notes that coaching differs from mentoring or sponsorship: it’s designed for development, not advocacy.⁷

The result? Clients assume coaching leads to opportunities — then feel disillusioned when it doesn’t.

The coach didn’t fail. The execution did.

The missing bridge: from clarity to traction

Imagine using a map app that tells you the destination but doesn’t drive you there.

That’s coaching.

Now imagine hiring a professional driver who knows the terrain, adjusts in real time, and gets you there efficiently.

That’s advocacy.

Career Advocates pick up where coaching ends — transforming insight into execution.

We don’t just clarify your goals; we operationalize them.

That means translating your narrative into outreach, visibility, and measurable momentum.

While coaches help you build readiness, advocates handle representation — ensuring your story doesn’t stay in your notebook, rather it engages meaningfully with your target audience.

The DIY vs. Done-For-You divide

Most coaches operate in the DIY ecosystem.

They provide frameworks, accountability, and perspective — but execution (aka homework) remains yours.

The Institute of Coaching (Harvard/McLean affiliate) reports that professional coaches charge anywhere from $365–$600+ per hour, with pricing scaling by experience and specialization.⁸

Indeed’s 2025 report found that most career coaching sessions in the U.S. cost between $100–$150 each.⁹

Regardless of the investment tier, that support yields clarity, but not outcomes — because no one’s representing you when you close the laptop.

By contrast, a Career Advocate functions as your agent in the market.

We handle the heavy lift: building positioning, crafting messaging, and executing direct outreach — while you stay focused on evaluating fit solely for engaged opportunities.

Where they align best

Both roles matter.

In fact, we share a common goal: helping you move forward with intention.

The difference is who owns the action.

Coaches prepare you.
Advocates represent you.

Coaches illuminate your “why.”

Advocates also start with "why", and then we operationalize your “how.”

One helps you find direction.

The other helps you find traction.

The Harvard Business Review puts it simply: great coaching “develops capability and confidence.”¹⁰

Career Advocacy turns that confidence into visible opportunity — measurable movement through conversations, introductions, and offers.

Why they don’t usually overlap

In theory, a coach and an advocate could work in sequence — reflection followed by execution.

In practice, that’s rare.

People who hire coaches generally want guidance and motivation, but prefer to stay hands-on.

People who hire advocates want results, accountability, and speed — they’re outsourcing the legwork so they can focus on decisions, not logistics.

That’s the key distinction:

Coaching empowers DIY momentum.

Advocacy delivers DFY (Done-For-You) momentum.

Different clients. Different outcomes. Different value proposition.

HIP Insight: The Clarity-to-Impact Continuum

At Higher Impact People (HIP), we respect the work coaches do.

They help people rediscover who they are and what matters most.

But our clients come to us when they’re ready to act on that clarity.

Our model connects the dots between reflection and representation — what we call the Clarity-to-Impact Continuum:

Action vs. Reflection: Coaches help you think; Advocates help you move.
Outcome Alignment: Coaching focuses on growth; Advocacy focuses on measurable visibility and traction.
Continuity: The best outcomes happen when clarity doesn’t fade — it gets deployed.

A coach helps you see the map. An advocate helps you move across it.

Sources

International Coaching Federation – What Is Coaching?https://coachingfederation.org/get-coaching/coaching-for-me/what-is-coaching/
ICF – Core Competencies https://coachingfederation.org/credentialing/coaching-competencies/icf-core-competencies/
BetterUp – Coaching Improves Mental Health https://www.betterup.com/blog/coaching-improves-mental-health-research
Peer-Reviewed Study – Virtual Coaching and Well-Being https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8406100/
ICF – Global Coaching Study (2023 Executive Summary) https://coachingfederation.org/resources/research/global-coaching-study/
The Muse – Career Coaching Services https://www.themuse.com/coaching
SHRM – Do You Need a Mentor, Coach, or both? https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/organizational-employee-development/need-mentor-coach-or
Institute of Coaching – How to Price Coaching https://instituteofcoaching.org/blogs/how-price-coaching
Indeed – How Much Does Career Coaching Cost? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-much-does-career-coaching-cost
Harvard Business Review – The Leader as Coach https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-leader-as-coach

Original Post on LinkedIn. November 19th, 2025

~ Nicholas Brandenburg (Founder, Higher Impact People)

Career Advocates vs Career Coaches — Where They Align Best

The good advice.... that you just didn't take (apply)

If you’ve ever invested in a career coach, you probably walked away with better clarity.

You understood your values, refined your narrative, maybe even rediscovered confidence that work had eroded.

That’s real progress — but it’s not the same as progress in the market.

Clarity doesn’t create conversations. Reflection doesn’t send introductions.

That’s where the paths of coaching and advocacy split.

Coaching, by definition, stops at insight

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”¹

It’s an extraordinary framework — built on listening, empathy, and goal-setting.

The ICF’s core competencies read like the blueprint for human growth: presence, active listening, evoking awareness, facilitating action.²

But notice the distinction: facilitating action is not the same as executing it.

A coach helps you define your next move.

An advocate helps you make it.

What coaches do best

Coaching works.

That’s not up for debate.

Studies from BetterUp and peer-reviewed analyses published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology confirm that consistent coaching improves well-being, confidence, and resilience.³ ⁴

In fact, the ICF Global Coaching Study reports record growth in the profession, with North American coaches earning an average of $67,800 annually (and many up to $150K+), serving a fast-expanding market.⁵

And for good reason — coaching changes how people think.

It builds self-awareness and performance capacity.

It helps professionals reflect on “what’s next” without judgment.

But without execution, it rarely creates tangible market outcomes like interviews, introductions, or offers.

Why the confusion exists

Modern professionals are overwhelmed by options.

“Career coaching” has become an umbrella term covering everything from mindset support to résumé polishing. Many platforms blur the lines between guidance, branding, and placement.

The Muse, for example, markets coaching packages that include clarity work, résumé editing, and interview prep — valuable, yes, but still framed as support for your search, not representation within it.⁶

Even SHRM notes that coaching differs from mentoring or sponsorship: it’s designed for development, not advocacy.⁷

The result? Clients assume coaching leads to opportunities — then feel disillusioned when it doesn’t.

The coach didn’t fail. The execution did.

The missing bridge: from clarity to traction

Imagine using a map app that tells you the destination but doesn’t drive you there.

That’s coaching.

Now imagine hiring a professional driver who knows the terrain, adjusts in real time, and gets you there efficiently.

That’s advocacy.

Career Advocates pick up where coaching ends — transforming insight into execution.

We don’t just clarify your goals; we operationalize them.

That means translating your narrative into outreach, visibility, and measurable momentum.

While coaches help you build readiness, advocates handle representation — ensuring your story doesn’t stay in your notebook, rather it engages meaningfully with your target audience.

The DIY vs. Done-For-You divide

Most coaches operate in the DIY ecosystem.

They provide frameworks, accountability, and perspective — but execution (aka homework) remains yours.

The Institute of Coaching (Harvard/McLean affiliate) reports that professional coaches charge anywhere from $365–$600+ per hour, with pricing scaling by experience and specialization.⁸

Indeed’s 2025 report found that most career coaching sessions in the U.S. cost between $100–$150 each.⁹

Regardless of the investment tier, that support yields clarity, but not outcomes — because no one’s representing you when you close the laptop.

By contrast, a Career Advocate functions as your agent in the market.

We handle the heavy lift: building positioning, crafting messaging, and executing direct outreach — while you stay focused on evaluating fit solely for engaged opportunities.

Where they align best

Both roles matter.

In fact, we share a common goal: helping you move forward with intention.

The difference is who owns the action.

Coaches prepare you.
Advocates represent you.

Coaches illuminate your “why.”

Advocates also start with "why", and then we operationalize your “how.”

One helps you find direction.

The other helps you find traction.

The Harvard Business Review puts it simply: great coaching “develops capability and confidence.”¹⁰

Career Advocacy turns that confidence into visible opportunity — measurable movement through conversations, introductions, and offers.

Why they don’t usually overlap

In theory, a coach and an advocate could work in sequence — reflection followed by execution.

In practice, that’s rare.

People who hire coaches generally want guidance and motivation, but prefer to stay hands-on.

People who hire advocates want results, accountability, and speed — they’re outsourcing the legwork so they can focus on decisions, not logistics.

That’s the key distinction:

Coaching empowers DIY momentum.

Advocacy delivers DFY (Done-For-You) momentum.

Different clients. Different outcomes. Different value proposition.

HIP Insight: The Clarity-to-Impact Continuum

At Higher Impact People (HIP), we respect the work coaches do.

They help people rediscover who they are and what matters most.

But our clients come to us when they’re ready to act on that clarity.

Our model connects the dots between reflection and representation — what we call the Clarity-to-Impact Continuum:

Action vs. Reflection: Coaches help you think; Advocates help you move.
Outcome Alignment: Coaching focuses on growth; Advocacy focuses on measurable visibility and traction.
Continuity: The best outcomes happen when clarity doesn’t fade — it gets deployed.

A coach helps you see the map. An advocate helps you move across it.

Sources

International Coaching Federation – What Is Coaching?https://coachingfederation.org/get-coaching/coaching-for-me/what-is-coaching/
ICF – Core Competencies https://coachingfederation.org/credentialing/coaching-competencies/icf-core-competencies/
BetterUp – Coaching Improves Mental Health https://www.betterup.com/blog/coaching-improves-mental-health-research
Peer-Reviewed Study – Virtual Coaching and Well-Being https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8406100/
ICF – Global Coaching Study (2023 Executive Summary) https://coachingfederation.org/resources/research/global-coaching-study/
The Muse – Career Coaching Services https://www.themuse.com/coaching
SHRM – Do You Need a Mentor, Coach, or both? https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/organizational-employee-development/need-mentor-coach-or
Institute of Coaching – How to Price Coaching https://instituteofcoaching.org/blogs/how-price-coaching
Indeed – How Much Does Career Coaching Cost? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-much-does-career-coaching-cost
Harvard Business Review – The Leader as Coach https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-leader-as-coach

Original Post on LinkedIn. November 19th, 2025

~ Nicholas Brandenburg (Founder, Higher Impact People)

Career Advocates vs Career Coaches — Where They Align Best