About Jacob
I've Been Where You Are.
There have been seasons in my life when I felt stuck, went through the motions, and knew deep down I was capable of more.
Where It Started
For a long time, I thought my job was to fix things. Fix problems. Fix situations. Fix people.
Over time, I learned something that changed the way I lead and the way I coach:
People don't need to be fixed. They need to be helped.
They need someone willing to listen, challenge their thinking, ask the right questions, hold them accountable, and help them see what they may not be able to see in themselves yet.
That realization became a big part of why I created Above Ground Coaching.
More Than 25 Years of Leading People
My background didn't start in a coaching office.
It started in automotive shops.
For more than 25 years, I've worked in an industry where performance matters, pressure is real, and leadership shows up every single day.
I've worked as a technician, mentor, and shop leader. I've trained and developed technicians, mentored apprentices, led teams, dispatched work, solved problems, and learned what it takes to bring people together around a common goal.
Today, I lead a team of technicians while continuing to develop leadership training and coaching built around real-world principles like ownership, communication, discipline, accountability, preparation, teamwork, and growth.
Along the way, I became a Certified Life Coach through Ziglar, earned certification in communication through the Human Interaction Technology Institute, and continued developing my ability to help people grow both professionally and personally.
Why Above Ground Coaching Exists
"Your current situation does not have to become your permanent identity.
You may feel stuck. You may have lost direction. You may know you're capable of more but have no idea what the next step looks like.
That doesn't mean you need someone to hand you all the answers.
Sometimes you need someone in your corner who will help you get honest about where you are, get clear about where you want to go, and hold you accountable to the decisions required to move forward.
That is the kind of coaching I believe in.
How I Coach
Mindset. Discipline. Purpose. Accountability. Ownership. Growth.
I'm not interested in telling you who you should become.
My role is to help you uncover what matters to you, challenge the beliefs and patterns that are keeping you stuck, and help you take ownership of what happens next.
Our work is built around six principles:
We don't chase perfection.
We work on the next decision.
Because one better decision becomes another. And over time, those decisions can change your direction, your confidence, your relationships, your leadership, and the way you show up in your own life.
What Matters Most to Me
They are capable of more.
What drives me is seeing people recognize something in themselves they may have forgotten:
More growth. More purpose. More confidence. More intentionality. More leadership. More ownership of the life they're creating.
That's why I coach.
Not to fix people.
To help people rise above where they are and become more of who they're capable of becoming.
Who I Am Outside of Coaching
I believe growth matters most when it shows up in real life. For me, that means relationships, time outdoors, family, adventure, quiet moments, and learning to appreciate the life I'm building while I'm still building it.
Above Ground Coaching isn't about becoming someone fake or polished. It's about becoming more intentional about who you already are and how you choose to show up.
Rise Above. Become More.
Rise Above. Become More.
If you know something in your life needs to change, you don't have to figure everything out before taking the first step. Sometimes it starts with one honest conversation.