Interview conducted with a co-founder of an edtech startup

What drew you to IOCI/Marialane and what work were you engaged in?

I had met her through one of her other clients that she was coaching. We met in a private suite at a conference and I asked her what she did. That’s how we got connected. She’s my executive coach and is coaching me to move to the next level.

We didn’t take any VC money or funding, so we didn’t have that mentorship from VCs. We grew staff and income and didn’t have mentors in place, so I looked for an executive coach.

Describe what it is like working with Marialane.

She’s fun. She’s supposed to be that person that every two weeks it’s like you’ve been called to the principal’s office – but I never felt that way. She doesn’t make it feel that way, even though that’s what’s happening.

How would you describe the value that resulted from your work with her and how it benefited you and your organization?

She’s got great experience and she really came in at the right time. We needed to start streamlining things and corporate-izing our company. She knows how to do that – compliance-wise and with the ideas in her brain.

Describe for me what IOCI/Marialane embody in their work?

You get outside perspective, experience. We’re in higher ed space and it operates like government agencies and she has a lot of government experience.

How would you describe Marialane/IOCI in one word?

Amazing

What does Spirited Business® mean to you?

I like Marialane’s explanation of it, but she did have to explain it to me.

This is a unique IOCI client Q+A series offered to help you see first-hand how our experience and expertise helps fuel Spirited Business®.