Meet our Experienced Staff
Sam Gozo, ACC, MCPC
Facilitator, Curriculum & Development Strategist
(He/Him)
Sam is a Certified Executive Coach with an ACC Credential from the International Coaching Federation. As the owner of Integrative Clarity Coaching (ICC), he leverages his proprietary Project S.C.A.L.E.® framework to help leaders build sustainable systems, high-performing cultures, and strategies that help them navigate volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments. This framework also earned him an Excellence Award from Western Governors University, where he earned his Master of Science in Management and Leadership. The mission of his coaching practice is to set a standard in professional development by delivering demystified, transformative, and results-driven coaching solutions worldwide.
As a facilitator at CLCI, Sam loves having the direct avenue to give back to coaches and the coaching industry. In addition to the joy he receives from teaching CLCI’s award-winning curriculum, he loves being able to watch students grow professionally and personally. Aside from their ability to coach, Sam’s hope and heart for every graduating coach is that they believe that they and their contributions matter to more people than they realize. When he is not teaching or coaching, Sam can be found in the office working on the curriculum, ensuring that CLCI continues to deliver the best content and teaching possible. He also enjoys speaking with students to ensure they feel confident about their decision to enroll in CLCI.
Sam began his coaching career in 2016 after relocating from New Jersey to Texas. Since then, he has completed over 850 combined hours of coaching education, successfully coached over 50 clients, and received multiple awards for service excellence, innovation, and contributions through his business. He resides in Central Texas with his wife, where he can be found playing cards, exercising, quoting Lord of the Rings, and occasionally watching clips and reruns of The Rookie.
Mike JAmes, ACC, MCLC
Facilitator
(He/Him)
Mike James, an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the ICF who earned his education through CLCI, is the Founder and Owner of P&Z Life Coaching, where he partners with you to unlock your power spiritually, mentally, socially, physically, and financially so you can become the best version of yourself.
He is also a motivational speaker and event emcee. With a background in health and fitness, Mike takes a total body approach to coaching. His vision is to help all individuals with a desire to become capable, competent, confident, conscious, and courageous to achieve greatness. Some of Mike's passions are health and wellness, physical recovery, and the youth.
Misha Safran, PCC, MCLC
Facilitator & Mentor Coach
(She/They)
Misha holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the ICF and is the founder of CEEQ, The Center for Empathy and Emotional Intelligence, LLC. She is an award winning speaker and recently earned the CEO NIH Award for recognition of her "DEIA work around the issues of race, gender, sexual identity, power and privilege in a way that brought the topic to life".
Misha's infectious positivity, intuitiveness, and empathy create a brave space for clients to land softly while learning to navigate being uncomfortable as they develop new skills. Working with Misha, professional communities thrive as team members discover, value, and celebrate one another’s successes, and find new enthusiasm for their work together.
She enjoys helping individuals, couples, organizations, and teams reset their mindset and empower their voices, resulting in renewed energy, enhanced problem-solving, creativity, and thoughtful communication.
Misha has dedicated her career to supporting students, school communities, business owners, and organizations in creating and sustaining successful learning opportunities and positive, inclusive relationships.
As a result of living with chronic pain, Misha also models the tools necessary to fully embrace the co-existence of life's challenges and joys. She's a mother of three adult children and identifies as queer, a lifelong learner, singer, and songwriter, and is a co-host of a monthly webinar addressing systemic racism.
Troy Taylor, PCC, MCLC
Facilitator
(He/Him)
Troy Taylor is a Certified Executive Coach, facilitator, trainer, and solution provider for individuals and businesses. An experienced leader in Workforce development he has trained and coached over 500+ emerging technology professionals – currently adding value and innovation to their companies. He developed a 3- step A.C.E. process specializing in helping small to midsize Technology Companies develop their Technical Leaders to Improve Performance, Retention, and Develop New Leaders. Additionally, He is an experienced and sought-after practitioner with over a decade of coaching, teaching, facilitating, and speaker in Substance Awareness Prevention (alcohol and drugs), serving over 2500 clients to date.
Troy holds the following coaching and training certifications:
• Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and Energy Leader Master Practitioner
(ELI-MP) - Institute for Professional Excellence Coaching (iPEC)
• Certified Executive Coach (Center for Executive Coaching)
• PCC (International Coaching Federation)
• Master Life Coach (Certified Life Coach Institute)
• Certified Practitioner of Genos Emotional Intelligence
• Certified Practitioner of Profiles Select (PXT)
• Certified Professional Scrum Master
• Contract Master Training & Contract Researcher for Prime Research Institute
Troy holds a BA degree from the University of Georgia in Psychology, and an MBA degree from Everest University in Human Resources. He is a native of Brooklyn, NY, currently living in Atlanta with his wife and two children.
Andrea Smith, CPC
Copywriter, Editor, and Creative Assistant
(She/Her)
Andrea is a copywriter, editor, and process improvement fanatic—currently working on getting her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a BA in English Language & Literature.
She is passionate about the Oxford Comma, linguistic variance, and slang. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and drinking coffee. Her goal is to visit all 50 states before she’s 30—she’s currently at 28.
Jen Long, PCC, MCLC
Administrative Lead
(She/Her)
Jen is the Administrative Lead at Certified Life Coach Institute and joined the team in 2022 as someone who felt called to become a coach after experiencing a major personal transformation from working with a coach. After struggling in her youth, overcoming dibiltating health issues in her 20s, and going through a cycle of unfulfilling jobs in her 30s, Jen realized that it all prepared her well for coaching.
Jen began taking clients immediately after becoming certified through CLCI's Coaching 101 class while following the ICF's Level 1 credentialing pathway. In 2023 she earned her ACC and founded her coaching business: Jenuinely Concerned Coaching. She continued her coaching development by following the Level 2 pathway and now holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential in addition to becoming a Tramua Informed Certified Coach.
As much as Jen loves coaching, shes also loves making sure things run smoothly in the CLCI office. Jen loves talking to potential students and having genuine conversations with people about getting certified. Jen believes that coaching infuses curiosity and empowerment into the world and she is rooting for everyone who feels inspired to learn how to have coaching conversations.
Jen is from Tampa Florida and currently resides in the Atlanta area with her husband and corgi.
Joe McParland, MCLC
Office Administrator & Class Technician
(He/Him)
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Joe is an Office Administrator at Certified Life Coach Institute, Joe prides himself in helping our students achieve their goals as life coaches and helps to ensure that the front office runs smoothly at CLCI. He also can be found every so often working as a class technical director where he has the privilege of supporting our students with their in-class technical needs. Joe prides himself in always being a friendly email and call away.
Joe McParland is native of Whittier, Ca. and is married with 2 kids, 1 dog, 2 cats, and 24 varieties of tomatoes in his garden. Joe is a film enthusiast and can match wits with the best of them in movie trivia. Not only does Joe watch movies he also makes them as a partner at the production company Seven Faces Films.
Kyle Rodriguez, MCPC
Class Technician
(He/Him)
Kyle Rodriguez is a Master Certified Professional Life Coach and a class technician with Certified Life Coach Institute. Since 2020 he has been supporting classes and coaches who attend the 101 and 102 courses.
Kyle is also a Senior Research Analyst for E Source, a utility-focused consulting, research, and data science company. He specializes in researching utility advertisements, campaigns, and clean transportation programs.
He advises utility clients on enhancing customer engagement using data and feedback. When not working he is an outdoor individual, living on a farm, working cattle, fixing fences, and driving tractors. Rodriguez enjoys golfing, rock climbing, working out, cooking, and wine tasting.
Jerome LeDuff Jr. MCLC
Social Media Manager & Lead Content Creator
(He/Him)
Jerome is the social media manager for Cunning.Marketing, heads up Certified Life Coach Institute's social media, and is also a Master Certified Life Coach. He lends CLCI the power of his degree in public relations & marketing, his content creating talents, and his artistic eye. Jerome ensures CLCI's social media stays current, enriching, entertaining, and informative. Jerome also has the pleasure of being CLCI's Lead Admin and has the privilege of supporting our students with all of their technical and class related needs as well as supporting our faculty and staff. Without him we would be lost.
A Certified Life Coach Institute, Coaching 102 graduate, and California native, by way of Louisiana, Jerome is passionate about his work and about helping others to thrive. Both talented and hard working he does, everything from creating posts, to editing promotional videos, photographing & filming classes, to developing ad campaigns and increasing the CLCI's social media following. Jerome also ensures CLCI stays on the pulse of the up and coming younger generation of life coaches. CLCI is honored to have him as part of the team.
Anthony Lopez, MCPC
Project Director & Copywriter
(He/Him)
Anthony is a dedicated Project Director with a passion for incorporating cutting-edge technological innovations into his work. As an experienced content writer and copy editor for the Certified Life Coach Institute, he skillfully blends his technical expertise and analytical mindset with a personable approach to project management. Anthony firmly believes in the power of non-traditional education and encourages all people to experiment in self-directed learning.
With a clear focus on prioritizing the needs of students, stakeholders, and clients, Anthony consistently delivers high-quality results while keeping the larger vision in mind. Hailing from Southern California, Anthony's love for learning extends beyond his professional life. In his free time, he indulges in his passion for philosophy, writes captivating horror stories, and immerses himself in a diverse range of literature.
Anthony's unwavering commitment to education and personal growth is evident not only in his own pursuits but also in his desire to help others. Through project management and coaching, he aims to provide the people he partners with a clear and engaging understanding of their ultimate intent, further solidifying his reputation as an energized and effective Project Director.
Ryan Doig, MCPC
Lead Class Technician
(He/Him)
Ryan Doig, CLCI's Lead Class-support Technician, is a passionate and dedicated professional who thrives on making a difference in people's lives. With a strong affinity for technology and a deep-rooted desire to help others, Ryan has found the perfect synergy in their role at CLCI.
Having trained with Certified Life Coach Institute to attain the title of MCLC, Ryan brings a unique blend of technical support and a profound understanding of human needs to their work. They're not just about fixing problems; they're about ensuring that every individual's voice is heard and valued. Whether it's troubleshooting technical issues or providing empathetic support, Ryan is committed to making technology accessible and user-friendly. Their career path has beautifully merged their passion for technology with their love for helping people, and they are thrilled to be a part of the CLCI team.
When Ryan isn't immersed in his work, you'll often find them engrossed in the world of video games, crafting captivating stories, or tackling intricate puzzles. His favorite games range from League of Legends for its tactical aspect, to Minecraft as a creative outlet, and all games in between.
Brooke Adair Walters, ACC, MCPC
Chief Strategy Officer
(She/Her)
Brooke Adair Walters is the Chief Strategy Officer for the Certified Life Coach Institute (CLCI). Brooke has over 20 years of experience in the design, marketing, and entertainment industry as well as an extensive educational background including a Bachelor's degree in Film and Television, New Media, with a focus in Production Design, and a minor in Honor’s Studies from Chapman University. She is currently studying at Harvard Business School where she has earned a certification in Disruptive Business Strategy and continues to expand her knowledge.
Brooke has managed as many as 1200 employees at one time while running one of the largest Halloween Events in the world, Knott’s Scary Farm, and has served as Head of Creative for 15 amusement parks while at Cedar Fair Entertainment LLC. Brooke created her first business at the age of 14, tutoring younger students, and has been a successful consultant and strategist for over 10 years.
“"I do not have jobs, I have passions that pay. I love helping others realize that their dreams are possible and am honored to have a vital role in turning a vision into reality and making the seemingly impossible, possible”
While at Certified Life Coach Institute, she headed up it’s rebrand and was the driving force behind their switch to a virtual classroom space. At CLCI, Brooke is always seeking new ways to add value to their product, generate new revenue, and remain ahead of the curve.
Brooke may be an innovative business mind but she doesn’t stop there, she is also an award-winning film producer, production designer, and has helped to create hundreds of attractions nationwide and her work has been enjoyed by hundreds of millions.
Lisa Finck, MCC, MCPC
Owner, Chief Executive Officer, Lead Facilitator, & Mentor Coach
(She/Her)
Lisa is the Owner of Certified Life Coach Institute and brings a vast wealth of experience as a practicing Certified Relationship Coach
Her extensive training in the field of relationship coaching includes learning under Barbara De Angeles, John Grey, John Gottman, and some of the most famous specialists in relationships.
She has been happily married for 35 years with two beautiful children and two granddaughters. To Lisa, family, friends, and humor are what energize her and while she has a kind and gentle soul, Lisa is not about to let anyone push her over. Self-reliance and resilience have always been her foundational principles, even at a young age.
When asked what she enjoys the most about being in the coaching industry:
"I have a love to connect with people. I enjoy listening to them, discovering who they are, and finding what their hopes and dreams are, or even more simply put, making sure they are heard. Helping them find their BE moments and life placing"
As the owner and instructor of CLCI, it brings Lisa joy when she witnesses students realize they have the answer. The greatest moment is when a student blossoms into a coach and getting to witness their teachable moments.
Lisa's number one goal for the Institute? Create a home for all students, alumni, and staff where their excellence can grow and to encourage one's passion for continual learning.