Coaching + Strategic Guidance
Space to think. Perspective to draw from. A clearer next step.
UPSTATE NEW YORK · HUDSON VALLEY · CAPITAL REGION · NEW YORK CITY · BEYOND
For founders, creative professionals, organizational leaders, and couples who want experienced guidance as they shape something meaningful.
Bring the idea you’re trying to develop, the decision you keep circling, or the questions you haven’t had space to work through. Together, we’ll consider the possibilities, sort through the practical details, and identify a way forward.
TWO WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
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For founders, business owners, creative professionals, and nonprofit or organizational leaders.
When you’re responsible for moving something forward, it can be difficult to find time to consider where it’s going. I bring an outside perspective and experience building businesses, leading organizations, and working across creative and operational roles.
Together, we can explore a new idea, work through a challenge, or bring more direction to the work already in front of you.
Things we might work through:
Business ideas + new offerings
Priorities + decisions
Creative direction + positioning
Leadership + team responsibilities
Workflows + daily operations
Launches + organizational change
Capacity + sustainable growth
Turning long-term goals into practical next stepsLET’S EXPLORE BUSINESS COACHING →
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For couples planning their own celebration who want thoughtful, experienced guidance along the way.
You might be at the beginning with a collection of ideas, midway through planning with questions piling up, or trying to make a particular decision with confidence.
We’ll consider what matters most to you, how you want the celebration to feel, and what it will take to bring your plans together. You continue leading the planning, with a clearer sense of your priorities and the work ahead.
Things we might work through:
Your vision + priorities
Overall investment + trade-offs
Venue considerations
Vendor questions
Design direction + guest experience
Planning milestones + timing
Wedding weekend logistics
Traditions + making the celebration your ownLET’S EXPLORE WEDDING COACHING →
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Let’s work through it together.
You don’t have to have it figured out before we begin.
Maybe you have several ideas and need help deciding where to focus. You’re leading a business or organization and want an outside perspective. Or you’re planning your wedding and need someone experienced to help you make sense of the decisions ahead. Coaching creates dedicated space to step back, ask questions, and think with someone who understands both the creative possibilities and the practical responsibilities.
Our conversations are shaped around what you need. We’ll explore what matters, look honestly at what’s getting in the way, and identify steps you can take.
HOW WE THINK. Begin with what matters to you.
SESSION OPTIONS + INVESTMENT
BUSINESS + CREATIVE LEADERSHIP
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A starting point to explore your goals, current challenges, and the areas where guidance could be most useful.
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One hour focused on the questions, decisions, or priorities you want to work through.
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Six one-hour follow-up sessions for continued guidance as you put ideas into practice, navigate challenges, and refine your direction.
WEDDING PLANNING
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A two-hour consultation to explore your celebration, answer your questions, and establish planning priorities.
Includes a wedding planning checklist and an investment planning template to support your next steps.
Additional planning or design work can be scoped separately if you need help developing specific materials or carrying part of the work forward.
WHAT WORKING TOGETHER LOOKS LIKE
YOUR COACH + THINKING PARTNER
Hi, I'm Katie.
I know what it feels like to have a strong vision and a long list of responsibilities between you and bringing it to life. I’m the founder of Second House and co-owner of The Maples Estate. My work brings together design, hospitality, business ownership, nonprofit leadership, and event production.
Before building my own businesses, I spent six years leading the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, working alongside small business owners, community partners, and creative organizations. Those experiences taught me to look at a question from several directions, listen to the people involved, and connect an ambitious idea with practical decisions.
In our sessions, I bring curiosity, honest feedback, and a willingness to work through the details with you. There’s room to think out loud, reconsider an assumption, or admit that you’re unsure.
We’ll start where you are and work toward a direction that makes sense for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. A specific question can be useful, but you can also arrive with several connected concerns or a general sense that something needs attention. Part of our work is identifying what would be most useful to focus on.
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Coaching centers on conversation, guidance, and decisions, with you responsible for putting the next steps into practice.
Consulting focuses on an agreed project or business challenge and can include research, written plans, systems development, project coordination, and implementation.
If you need hands-on support, we can discuss a separate scope through Second House’s consulting, design, or planning services.
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Yes. You can begin with the initial business consultation or wedding coaching session. There is no requirement to continue into an ongoing engagement.
Follow-up business sessions are available individually or as a six-session package.
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No. Coaching can support an early idea, an established business, or an organization navigating change. You might want help with one decision, a recurring challenge, or a new direction.
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Yes. My experience includes nonprofit executive leadership, board service, community initiatives, and collaboration across businesses and organizations. Sessions can focus on priorities, leadership responsibilities, partnerships, programs, or the practical challenges of carrying a mission forward.
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Yes. We can work from wherever you are in the process, whether you’re exploring venues, considering design ideas, comparing options, or working through logistics.
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The coaching session focuses on guidance for planning you are managing yourselves. Vendor communication, planning documents created for you, and onsite support would need to be agreed through a separate planning scope.
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Think about what prompted you to reach out and what you would most like to understand or decide. Bring your main questions and any relevant information that will help explain the situation. We’ll confirm any specific preparation when scheduling.
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Start with a complimentary inquiry call. We’ll briefly discuss what you’re looking for and whether coaching or a more hands-on engagement would be the right fit.
WHEN YOU NEED MORE HANDS-ON SUPPORT
Sometimes a conversation reveals that the next step needs more time, design work, or project support. Second House can help develop a strategy, create a website, shape a space, or plan and produce an experience. If your needs grow beyond coaching, we can explore a defined scope together.
WHAT WOULD HELP YOU MOVE FORWARD?
A decision made. An idea explored. A challenge understood. A next step you feel ready to take.
Let’s start with a conversation.