Geoff Mendal | Coach

Geoff Mendal’s coaching journey, driven by the mantra “do less, be more,” traces its roots to an unexpected encounter at the Kansas Leadership Center in 2019. During a break in a leadership intensive he was facilitating, Thomas Stanley cornered him, planting the seed that would grow into a prolific coaching career.

Initially skeptical, Geoff questioned why he should become a coach. However, Thomas saw potential in him that Geoff had overlooked. Fate intervened a month later when Geoff’s November calendar unexpectedly cleared, prompting him to reach out to Thomas and accept the coaching opportunity. Geoff ventured to Wichita, where he immersed himself in the world of coaching, spending 2020 working towards his first accreditation (ICF ACC), mostly over Zoom due to the COVID lockdowns.

Geoff’s coaching philosophy centers on being fully present, intensely curious, and a masterful listener. Through powerful open-ended questions, he empowers clients to unlock their own solutions, viewing coaching as a collaborative journey rather than a prescriptive process.

Before transitioning to coaching, Geoff’s career in the tech industry spanned more than 35 years, with notable roles at Microsoft, Google, and Pandora. He earned a reputation for building and nurturing high-performing teams, attributing his success to the application of KLC principles in what he terms “leadership moments.”

Geoff’s coaching success, marked by more than 500 clients primarily in the tech and education sectors, defies convention. His deliberate choice to navigate the coaching landscape without a website or marketing materials underscores his belief in the power of genuine connections and word-of-mouth referrals.

Beyond coaching, Geoff’s interests are as diverse as his professional journey. He actively participates in the San Francisco Bay Area Coaches chapter of the ICF, offering pro-bono coaching to local schools and conferences. At home, he embraces the challenges of puppy parenthood with Opie, the Yorkie.

Geoff’s 15 minutes of fame in the software engineering realm came in 1996 when noted computer scientist and author Donald Knuth acknowledged him for catching an error in his book, The Art of Computer Programming, Sorting and Searching (1973).

Today, Geoff’s narrative is one of transformation, embodying the Kansas Leadership Center’s mission to foster leadership for healthier, more prosperous communities.

Credentials: PCC

Email: [email protected]

City: Campbell, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)