Erica Quam

Erica Quam - Leadership Coach

I’m a leadership coach, consultant and facilitator. I work with athletic coaches, athletes and teams. I also work with teams, organizations and individuals - who want to to elevate your team’s performance, work through challenges more effectively and create space for people to contribute their unique strengths to function optimally, together.

Leadership is more than the title. Everyone is a leader. Becoming a more effective leader is about becoming yourself. It’s a process…of ongoing growth and personal development. It’s hard for most people to gain clarity and perspective alone.

Working with a Leadership Coach may help speed the process up - to help you learn faster and easier than trying to do it all by yourself.

Schedule

Background

I grew up as a competitive swimmer in Roanoke, Virginia. My parents worked the concession booth at hockey games to help pay for me to swim on my club team - the Virginia Gators. My mom and dad were also instrumental in getting a swim team started at my high school. Since we didn’t have a pool in our high school, the team had to take a school bus across town to go to practice. My dad got his bus driver’s license so he could take turns with other parents driving our team. Ironically, since I also swam on a club team, I practiced with them and only competed for my high school team. So, my dad basically drove my high school teammates. That’s dedication! My younger brother, Brett also went on to compete for Cave Spring High School.

I earned a college scholarship to swim for the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana. I was not the most talented athlete on the team. Competing in the Big Ten Conference was both an honor and a challenge. I loved my experience as a student-athlete at IU and I loved my teammates. I worked hard. I also learned how passionate I was about leadership and team dynamics. I was a two-time team captain during my junior and senior years and received the Mental Toughness Award my junior year.

After receiving a B.S. in Biology and getting my teaching certificate...I decided that coaching would allow me to be an even more effective teacher...through sports. I coached Division 1 swimming for 15 years. I started out as a volunteer assistant coach for the Women’s Swim Team at Southern Methodist University. I also coached the Dallas Aquatics Masters Team. I was hired as the full time assistant coach for the next 4 years.

At 26 years old, I was hired as the Head Women’s Swim Coach at Washington State University. I spent 9 years at WSU and then shifted my focus to working directly with athletic coaches. That’s when Kerry and I moved to Bellingham. I started my own business - Find Your Peak Sports - in January 2012.

FAQ’s

Here’s a list of common questions people have about working with a leadership coach:

  • Instead of using a cookie-cutter approach, I prefer to work with you and come up with the best fit - for you as an individual or for your team:

    • I can work individually to help you develop as a leader.

    • I can work with your team to help individuals understand what - specifically - they can do to contribute to the goals of your team.

    • We can do one session together to focus on one aspect of leadership.

    • Or I can work with you or your team on a longer term, ongoing basis and prioritize where to begin.

  • I focus on eight different elements to help you become a better leader: These are Vision, Mission, Mindset, Team Culture, Systems, Self Mastery, Leadership, and Connections. Each element can be separate and stand alone. The elements can also be woven together, ie. a struggle in one element can point to a challenge in another.

    I use tools like the DISC, the Enneagram and the Kolbe A Index to help you build self awareness and understand how people can share similarities and differences.

    I can teach curriculum - in either individual or group sessions - to give you context for each element.

    Working with a coach helps you create time and space for more guided reflection so you can more clearly see what's working, what's not and figure out the next step you need to take. each element applies to you.

  • Absolutely. Let’s find time to connect!

    Schedule a FREE Clarity Session on my calendar.

    I’d love to talk with you to hear more about your goals, find out your biggest challenges and help you get clear on your next steps.

    Click here to get on my calendar, or connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.