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Arete Coach

Turning Challenges into Character

Episode #1013: Spin challenges into character-building experiences with insights from Jay Curry, an executive coach, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), former Vistage chair, master chair, founder of Texas Business Live, co-founder of Texas Business Radio, and former partner at Deloitte and PWC. Other topics discussed during this episode include building strength in adversity, helping others succeed, the need for training, and the differences between consulting and coaching.


helping hand

About Jay Curry


Jay Curry is an executive coach, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), former Vistage chair, master chair, founder of Texas Business Live, co-founder of Texas Business Radio, and former partner at Deloitte and PWC. Jay has over 14 years of experience in coaching and has a passion for being a servant to others.


Jay came into the executive coaching world after retiring from a successful career as a consultant. Jay has since pursued the executive coaching field with success out of Texas and published several bestselling books and novels. His passion for making the lives of others better is exemplified in his coaching practice as his clients are better equipped to achieve their goals and attain a better quality of life.


Throughout his career as an executive coach, Jay has completed numerous courses and training to become the best coach he can be and continually uses his experiences in the corporate world to aid his clients throughout their consultations with him. With his tenacity to turn challenges into character-building experiences and his passion for helping others, Jay has become an influential difference-maker in the executive coaching practice today.

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Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript:



Key highlights


Building character through challenges

Timestamp 01:49


Jay shares an impactful story on his experience with challenges. Early in his career, Jay was in the running for a promotion. However, due to writing difficulties, he was not selected. Jay did not take this as a permanent defeat, but instead decided to take several writing courses with Tulsa Junior College. By engaging in these courses, Jay was able to take what once was a challenging setback and turn it into a flourishing career.


Since his participation in these courses, Jay has excelled in his writing abilities. He has published several novels and books, some of which have received awards and significant recognitions. Jay shares how this need for excellent writing was once a “career killer” in his personal journey, but instead of accepting defeat Jay pursued excellence. This story of perseverance is a prime example of how Jay has turned the challenges he has faced in his career journey into character-building strengths.


From consulting to coaching

Timestamp 07:37


Jay’s career as an executive coach sprouted from his desire to be a servant and provide a valuable service to people. This desire led him directly into the consulting industry where he experienced the inner workings of many large businesses. Jay states that he didn’t particularly enjoy retirement, so when he was contacted by Vistage, he decided to enter the coaching field.


It was in his training that he learned how to move from consulting to coaching. By continuing his career in the executive coaching field, Jay has continued to embrace his passion of helping others succeed in their businesses and personal lives.

To further aid his coaching practice, Jay underwent training offered by the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) and pursued certifications from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Jay’s encounter with Sam Walton

Timestamp 17:13


Jay had the opportunity to work with Sam Walton, founder of Sam’s Club and Walmart. In working with Sam, Jay noted that a small portion of sales were allocated to the advancement of technology, to which he praised Sam for. Sam’s response gave humble recognition to the staff he employed. In this moment Jay shares how he learned a lesson in the importance of humility as a leader.


Using questions to create answers

Timestamp 21:04


Jay seeks to lead his clients to their own answers instead of providing the answers for them, as he would in a consulting relationship. Jay states that he learned this tactic through his training and overtime realized how important it was for client to come up with their own conclusions.


Jay states that many times his clients’ solutions were better for their specific situation than the solution he would have originally offered. When coaching his clients, Jay remembers that in order for clients to reach their goals it is important for them to believe in their goals and the creation of them.


Investing in high performers

Timestamp 25:46


In his current coaching practice, Jay facilitates CEO and role-focused pure advisory groups. These groups are not training sessions, but offer successful individuals the opportunity to receive advice and bounce ideas off one another in open and honest communication. In this practice, Jay seeks to call entrepreneurs and business leaders to invest in their top performing sales people. He believes that high performing employees can be even greater with additional support. Severin comments on this program with a note that when employers invest in high performing employees, their bottom line is directly affected.


Being better leaders, living better lives

Timestamp 28:44


Jay’s “why” is that “we can all be better leaders, living better lives.” Jay uses this mindset to propel himself and his clients towards success. Jay believes that everyone can be a better leader which further supports his desire to help CEOs and executive leaders in his coaching practice.


Jay’s best days as an executive coach are when people state how valuable his coaching session has been for them. It is during these moments that Jay’s desire to help people live better lives is affirmed and completed. In response to his impact on his clients, Jay states that if he “can help somebody become a better leader and a better person, then” he’s “lived a good life.”


Powerful questions and quotes

Timestamp 30:19


When faced with clients in group settings that do not share their current goals or struggles, Jay takes a direct approach to encourage engagement. By asking direct questions, Jay is able to spur the group towards success and support all of his clients needs by making a collectively supportive group.

Jay also enjoys using quotes in his coaching sessions. In every meeting he tries to use three impactful quotes. By using quotes, Jay seeks to encourage thought and consideration towards a specified topic.


Entering the Vistage community

Timestamp 35:43


When asked about his experience as a Vistage chair, Jay shares how he needed to develop a large database of contacts to develop his coaching practice while being relatively new to the Houston, Texas area. His pursuits led him to develop the “Win, Win, Win” method.

He began talking to all the corporate contacts he had, explaining his passion for helping others and the programs he was creating. In doing so, he was able to develop a contact database with over two-hundred individuals, all whilst avoiding the traditional cold-calling method. This story is another great example of Jay’s perseverance in the face of adversity and how he has taken challenges and turned them into career changing moments.


Texas Business Live

Timestamp 41:08


After developing Texas Business Radio, Jay decided to develop the Texas Business Live Podcast. In this podcast, he has interviewed over six-hundred business leaders in a little over four years. The motto of this podcast is: “When CEOs know, companies grow.” This mindset drives Jay’s podcast forward and further supports his mission of helping CEOs lead better and live better lives. Along with business leader interviews, the Texas Business Live podcast provides important current events that are prevalent to CEOs in Texas. The information provided in this podcast has proven to be indispensable for many CEOs and business leaders in the state of Texas.


Being a servant

Timestamp 43:19


When asked how he would measure his life, Jay responds with two measures. First, Jay measures his life by the flourishing relationships he has with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Second, Jay measures his life by the ability to serve others. Jay states that “the major amount of my life would be those people that say, ‘You served me well.’”




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