ICF Raleigh Member Welcome & Orientation
April 1, 2026 11:30 am - 12:15 pm ET
Hosted By: Kimberly Eastman Zirkle, ICF Coach and Membership Committee Member
Our quarterly Member Orientation is designed to help you connect with the ICF Raleigh coaching community and learn how to make the most of your membership.
Whether you’ve recently joined or want a quick introduction to the resources available through the chapter, this relaxed virtual session is a chance to meet fellow coaches, explore upcoming events and programs, and discover ways to engage with the community.
This session reflects our mission to advance the coaching profession and empower our community through coaching, learning, and collaboration.
Who Should Attend
• New members of ICF Raleigh • Members who would like a refresher on chapter resources • Coaches interested in becoming more involved in the local coaching community
What We’ll Cover
• Welcome and introductions • Overview of ICF Raleigh and member benefits • How to access key resources on the chapter website • Upcoming events, programs, and learning opportunities • Ways to get involved through committees and volunteer opportunities • A short interactive activity to help you connect with fellow coaches • Q&A
By the end of this 45-minute session, you will know how to access chapter resources, engage with upcoming events, and begin building meaningful relationships within the ICF Raleigh coaching community.
Register now to start connecting with the ICF Raleigh community.
We hope you can join us!
Doug Heilig, ICF Coach Membership Committee Chair International Coaching Federation Raleigh Area Chapter membership@icfraleigh.org
UNC Health Leadership Coaching & ICF-RAC Co-Present:
The Extraordinary Space Between Ordinary Words
April 8, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm ET
CCEUs - CC 1.0, RD 0.0
As a co-host, we are thrilled to be in collaboration with UNC Health Leadership Coaching to bring you this event.
Here's what we know: coaching conversations don't turn on the big moments. They turn in the microseconds between what your client says and what you say next. That tiny space—the breath before you speak—is where the real work happens.
This session is for experienced coaches who want to pay closer attention to what's happening in that space. We'll look at how ordinary words from Coaching A to Z—words like already, instead, and suppose—do quiet but powerful work. Each one orients the conversation toward different possibilities, inviting your client into a particular relationship with time, agency, and what matters.
We'll use microanalysis from communication science to slow down actual coaching moments and examine what these words are doing dialogically. It is an invitation to notice: What am I shaping when I choose this word instead of that one? Where is this conversation going? And is that where we want to be?
You will develop finer-grained awareness of the conversational moves you're already making including the following outcomes:
Learning Outcomes
Bio:
Dr. Haesun Moon is a communication scientist, author, and educator who teaches at the University of Toronto and serves as a faculty member at the Institute of Coaching, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. She is the creator of the Dialogic Orientation Quadrant (DOQ), a framework used globally to understand and improve conversations in coaching, leadership, and education. As the founder of Pracademia, she bridges research and real-world practice with wit, warmth, and scholarly insight. Her work makes the science of human connection accessible, equipping leaders and learners with practical tools for more meaningful dialogue.
**Link provided after registration.**
This Is Not a Conference… and That’s Exactly the Point
CCEs: TBD
Forget long virtual days, passive listening, and screen fatigue. This year, the Raleigh International Coaching Federation is breaking the mold and inviting you to something entirely different: The Not A Conference (NAC)—an in-person, high-energy, curiosity-sparking experience designed to reconnect, re-inspire, and re-ignite our coaching community.
Join us on April 9th for a day that blends learning with laughter, insight with interaction, and structure with spontaneity. The NAC is intentionally designed to be engaging, human, and fun—because coaches learn best when we are connected, present, and energized.
Why You’ll Want to Be There
We Kick Off with Lunch & Connection We start the day by doing what we’ve missed most gathering in person. Enjoy lunch while reconnecting with fellow coaches, meeting new members, and easing into the day with meaningful conversation and community.
Be Inspired All Day
The Not A Conference is designed to keep you energized from start to finish—with engaging speakers, fast-paced Ignite presentations, intentional networking breaks, and interactive SIG conversations. Every element of the day is crafted to spark new thinking, meaningful connections, and fresh momentum you can carry back into your coaching and your life.
Engaging Voices to Open and Close the Day Our opening and closing speakers will challenge perspectives, provoke insight, and invite reflection—setting the tone for the day and bringing it full circle. These sessions are designed to stretch thinking, deepen awareness, and leave you with ideas that linger well beyond the event.
Networking Breaks (30 minutes each): Dedicated time to connect with fellow coaches, exchange insights, and deepen relationships in a relaxed, energizing environment.
Experience Ignite Presentations Fast-paced, creative, and thought-provoking, Ignite presentations follow the motto: “Enlighten us… but make it quick.”
Each presenter delivers:
20 slides
5 minutes total
Slides auto-advance every 15 seconds
This dynamic format allows you to experience a wide range of ideas in a short amount of time—keeping energy high and insights flowing.
Engage in SIGs (Special Interest Groups) Participate in smaller, interactive Special Interest Groups focused on relevant and timely topics. These sessions are designed for dialogue, shared learning, and practical insights you can immediately apply to your coaching practice.
End the Day at the Member Mixer We’ll wrap up with a Member Mixer—your opportunity to connect, reflect, and share highlights from the day. Leave feeling reconnected to the community and inspired by the collective wisdom and energy of fellow coaches.
This is more than an event—it’s a reunion, a creative exchange, and a celebration of our coaching community.
Location: Frontier RTP, 800 Park Offices Dr., Durham, NC (Classroom)
Agenda:
Lunch 12:00-12:45
Welcome ICF RAC Chapter President Ronda Bowman
Opening Speaker 1:00 - 1:30
Networking Break 1:30 - 2:00
Ignite Presentations (5 minutes each) 2:00 - 3:00
Networking Break 3:00 - 3:30
SIG Breakouts 3:30 - 4:30 Breakouts (30 minutes each)
Closing speaker 4:30 - 5:00
**Optional Member Mixer 5:00 - 6:30** (separate registration)
Come curious. Come connected. Come ready for something different.
This is the Not A Conference… and it’s one you won’t want to miss.
Click here if you’re interested in presenting (speaker or Ignite) or hosting a SIG.
Co-Lab: Noticing Non-verbals
April 21, 2026
12:00 - 1:15 pm ET
CCEUs - 1 (TypeTBD)
This event is co-hosted with ICF NYC, the Competency Co-Lab, a monthly series for coaches to elevate their mastery of the ICF Core Competencies. Experience structured practice drills, interactive learning, and a supportive community. The Competency Co-Lab bridges theory and practical application, so you can seamlessly integrate your learnings into your coaching practice.
Each session unveils a drill specially designed around a Core Competency. Drill by drill, gain mastery over the full range of Competencies.
The April Co-Lab will be focused on Noticing Non-verbals.
We will practice enhancing coaching presence and “listening” skills by attuning to non-verbal cues (e.g., tone of voice, physicality, energy) and recognizing what is not being said to enrich the depth and effectiveness of the coaching conversation.
6. Listens Actively
Bring your adventurous spirit, your sense of play and fun, and of course, a coaching topic!
Please register for the event here: April 2026 Co-lab: Noticing Non-verbals - ICF-NYC International Coach Federation
Vanessa Hagerbaumer
Solopreneur to Sensational Brand: How to Grow Your Business in a Saturated Market
April 24, 2026
11:30am - 1:00pm ET
CCEUs - CC 0.5, RD 1.0
We love what we do. We start with the best intentions, incredible skills, and a genuine desire to help. Then reality hits: finding clients is exhausting, keeping them is harder than expected, and that "if you build it, they will come" thing? Total myth. What if there was a better way? What if instead of constantly hustling for your next client, they came looking for YOU? What if your expertise became so recognized that referrals flowed naturally and premium pricing felt...normal? The secret isn't working harder. It's becoming a sensational brand known for a particular result.
Key Takeaways:
✅ The exact mindset shift that transforms you from order-taker to industry authority
✅ A clear action plan for positioning yourself as THE go-to expert in your field
✅ Practical strategies for attracting premium clients who value and pay for your expertise
✅ The leverage framework that lets you help more people while working less
✅ Systems and processes you can implement immediately to start seeing results
Laura is an award-winning coach known internationally as a pioneer in the personal coaching field. Laura is also a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, TV personality (Oprah and All National Morning Shows), corporate spokesperson, interfaith minister, and performer. Her TedX talk currently boasts over 2 million views.
Laura’s five books have been published in 13 languages. She has addressed audiences around the world on topics such as The Power of Coaching as a Leadership Style, Career Satisfaction, and Small Business, as well as bringing coaching to diverse clients ranging from homemakers to celebrities and Fortune 100 companies.
Co-Lab: Communicating Concisely
May 12, 2026
The May Co-Lab will be focused on Communicating Concisely.
We will practice strengthening the ability to use clear, concise language that enhances client understanding and self-discovery while minimizing distractions.
7. Evokes Awareness
Please register for the event here: May 2026 Co-lab: Communicating Concisely - ICF-NYC International Coach Federation
Selling Without Hype or Manipulation . . . Using the Core Competencies!
May 22, 2026
CCEUs - CC .75, RD .75
Wish you were better at closing sales? Wish you could get more comfortable selling yourself?
Frustrated because you haven’t found a way to do that without sounding too slick and salesy?
Denise is a sales and marketing expert who teaches you how to sell by being your most authentic self—through a mindset of service. By integrating the core competencies into your sales process, you naturally lead with integrity, genuine care, and a true desire to help others, making you instantly more appealing to potential clients.
In this workshop, you will learn to:
Come ready to shift your mindset around selling and see how this impacts your results!
Denise Hedges is a business development and presentation skills coach with over three decades of experience in public speaking, sales, and marketing. She’s an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Mentor Coach, and she served as a 10-year Faculty member of Coach University. Denise has sustained a six-figure coaching practice for over 20 years.
Denise has helped thousands of coaches, consultants, and business owners nationally and internationally move past any uncertainty or fear they have about sales and marketing, so they can attract more clients, make more money, and make a real difference in the lives of more people!
Co-Lab: Acknowledging Artfully
June 23, 2026
The June Co-Lab will be focused on Acknowledging Artfully.
We will practice developing the skill of offering meaningful acknowledgment that supports and celebrates the client on their terms, without relying on cheerleading or excessive praise to enhance trust, safety, and client expression.
4. Cultivates Trust and Safety
Please register for the event here: June 2026 Co-lab: Acknowledging Artfully - ICF-NYC International Coach Federation
© ICF-Raleigh Area Chapter Established 2012
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