Clarity For Leaders When The Stakes Are High

Built for leaders who've outgrown
conventional advice

I'm John Hawkins - Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor & Performance Specialist
I help successful leaders see their blind spots and do something about them.
My clients are accomplished C-Suite and senior executives who’ve hit performance ceilings. They’re brilliant strategists who understand their industries inside and out, but they also recognize that functional excellence alone doesn’t create the influence and leadership presence they need for what’s next.
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Sometimes what feels like a strategy problem is really a leadership problem.
That's where the Executive Performance Optimization System™ comes in.
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Why the Usual Options
Fall Short

Industry-specific coaches

Give you deep sector knowledge - but can keep you stuck in how things have always been done.
Generic executive coaches

Work on general leadership concepts - but often lack the context and frameworks for high-trust, high-stakes business environments.
Management consultants

Analyze your business - but don’t develop you as the leader who has to execute the strategy.
I sit in a different seat.

After 25+ years in senior executive roles and advisory work across medical devices, financial services, fintech, insurance, and technology, I help you spot blind spots and patterns that are hard to see from the inside.
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I provide you outside clarity that sharpens decisions and elevates your impact.

Background

Professional Authority:

My background spans multiple senior executive roles in medical devices, financial services, and technology. I’ve served as SVP of Client Success at CardWorks, Chief Strategy Officer at Dataline (acquired by CardWorks), Interim CIO (multiple), alongside 25+ years working with leaders who’ve outgrown standard advice.
That mix of executive experience and advisory work lets me see the roadblocks slowing you down - and the trampolines that could propel you forward.

Core Leadership Philosophy

Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers.

It’s about seeing what others can’t see - starting with yourself.
Most leaders get plenty of advice about what to do.What they don’t get is someone who can identify what’s actually holding them back - especially when stakeholder complexity and competitive pressure create blind spots.

Organic

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Sustainable

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Aware. Intentional. Accountable.

We focus on seeing clearly, acting deliberately, and following through until results change.
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AI ENABLED SUPPORT - TRIWISE FORCE MULTIPLIER™

Human Judgment First. AI as a Force Multiplier.

Behind the scenes, I use private AI tools and custom GPTs built on my Executive Performance Optimization System™ and your context. That means you get:
  • Thought partnership between sessions
  • Faster prep for critical conversations and decisions
  • Real-time access to key frameworks and questions—without digging through old notes
I’m not handing you off to a generic bot. You have 24/7 access to your personalized, highly trained, private-to-you copilot that reinforces the work we do together and is a powerful force multiplier.

Two Types of Leaders Call Me

THE SEEKERS (70%)
You’re a top performer who knows you don’t know it all.

You ask hard questions.

You want to grow your team and your impact.

You might have quiet doubts about your full potential, but you’re excited about what’s possible.

and you don’t want to leave that potential on the table.
THE REFERRED (30%)
Someone who cares about you suggested we talk.

You’ve been successful, but the game around you is changing.

Your edge doesn’t feel as sharp as it used to.

You’re noticing more friction with key stakeholders and your team isn’t as engaged as they once were.

You can sense there’s something you’re not seeing—and you’d rather address it now than wait for it to become a problem.
Either way, you're ready to see what you can't see about yourself.
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WHO I'VE HELPED

What Clients Say

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"John played a pivotal role in transforming both me and my company. His strategic advisory and guidance were absolutely critical to the outcome we achieved. We successfully completed our exit with 100% employee retention and significantly increased valuation."

Darren York

Former CEO, Dataline Systems
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"John wears special X-ray goggles that see EXACTLY what entrepreneurs must do to succeed - and keeps you accountable until you're more successful than you thought possible. You cannot meet John and not experience transformation."

Caleb Breakey

Founder & CEO, Renown Publishing
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"Out-of-the-box thinker with off-the-charts IQ and EQ. His ability to translate data into action that moves people and teams forward is unique."

Paul DeSmet

President, Technical Micronics Control

EXPERIENCE & SYSTEM CREDENTIALS

Experience Credentials:

  • 25+ years working with C-Suite and senior executives who’ve outgrown standard leadership advice
  • Multiple Executive Coaching Successes in medical devices, financial services, and technology
  • Multiple Senior Executive Roles including: Former SVP of Client Success at CardWorks, Chief Strategy Officer at Dataline, Interim CIO, VP of Sales
  • Specialization in helping good leaders become great - and great leaders become exceptional

System Credentials:

  • Executive Performance Optimization System™ with 12 specialized frameworks
  • Evidence-based approach with measurable outcome tracking
  • Pattern recognition developed in complex, high-stakes environments.
  • Private AI-Enabled Tools and Custom GPT's Force Multiplier ™ built on these frameworks to reinforce the work between sessions
  • Systematic accountability protocols  designed for ever increasing C-Suite complexity

What Happens Next?

Whether you need executive coaching, strategic advisory, or a combination of both, it starts with a straightforward conversation about your situation.No sales pitch. No pressure. Just an honest discussion about whether this makes sense for where you are right now.

This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s clarity for leaders who are ready to see their situation differently.
No fluff. No generic theory. Just perspective you can’t get anywhere else.
Schedule a Conversation