Career & Executive Coaching · Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths® coach
Maybe you're searching for a job and getting silence. Maybe you're in a role that looks great on paper but drains you by Wednesday. Or maybe you're leading well enough — but you know "well enough" isn't where you want to stay.Most career advice treats these as separate problems with separate playbooks. They're not. They're all versions of the same question: Am I doing work that actually fits who I am and how I'm built to contribute?I'm Damian Zikakis — a career and executive coach who has spent two decades in finance and nearly two decades in talent work. I've sat on every side of the hiring table: as a CFO, an executive recruiter, a business school career director, and now as an independent coach. I work with smart, capable professionals who are done guessing and ready to get specific about what's next.The approach is simple but uncommon: we start with who you are -— your strengths, your values, what energizes you — not just what you've done. That distinction changes everything.

Most professionals navigate their careers the way they applied for college — lead with credentials, follow the conventional path, and hope it adds up to something fulfilling. Sometimes it does. Often it doesn't.The people I work with are smart, accomplished, and capable. But they've been operating on autopilot — making decisions based on what they've done rather than who they are and how they do their best work. That mismatch shows up differently depending on where you are: ghosting and rejections in a job search, restlessness in a role that should feel like a win, or a leadership ceiling you can sense but can't name.There's a better way. And it starts with getting honest about what actually fits.

A Little About Me
I'm Damian Zikakis — an ICF-certified Career and Executive Coach, Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach, and recovering executive recruiter.That last part matters. I spent years on the other side of the hiring process, which means I know how companies actually make decisions — not the version HR puts on their website. I bring that perspective to every coaching engagement.
I've worked with more than 1,000 job seekers over the course of my career — from people navigating their first professional role to senior leaders rethinking everything. I've also delivered CliftonStrengths training to teams at universities, corporations, and nonprofits. The common thread is helping people see what they can't see about themselves, and then putting that understanding to work.I'm based in Michigan and work with clients virtually across the country.I'm direct, warm, and I don't make promises I can't keep. My goal isn't to be your coach forever — it's to help you get to a place where you don't need one. (My wife would add that I also tell stories that occasionally run too long. She's not wrong.)
“A coach is someone that sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness.”
~ Michael Jordan ~
Every coaching engagement is different. We will co-create your experience. This is how it typically works.
Chemistry Call
We start with a conversation -- about your goals, your situation, and how I work. The point is to figure out if this is a good fit, for both of us. If it's not, we'll say so. No pressure, no pitch.
Define Success
Before we do anything, we get specific about where you're trying to go. Whether it's completing a job search, figuring out what's next in your career, or growing as a leader — we build a plan. Vague goals produce vague results.
The Coaching Work
This is where the real work happens.For job seekers, we move through the five stages of an effective search — from getting clear on what you want to negotiating the offer. Along the way, I'll challenge the assumptions that have been keeping you stuck, help you build materials that actually reflect your value, and prepare you for interviews in a way that goes far deeper than scripted answers. I'll also tell you things other people won't — because I've been on the other side of the table and I know what hiring managers are actually looking for.For career development clients, we dig into what's driving the restlessness or the stalling. We use tools like CliftonStrengths to build a clearer picture of who you are at your best, and then we map that understanding onto real decisions — whether that's a pivot, a conversation with your boss, or a complete rethinking of what success means for you.For executives, the work follows your lead. Some sessions are about a specific challenge — a difficult team member, a high-stakes decision, a transition into a bigger role. Others are about the patterns underneath: how you communicate, how you build trust, where your strengths are serving you and where they might be getting in the way. I'm direct, I ask hard questions, and I don't let you off the hook when it matters.Across all of it: collaborative, practical, and honest. I bring real experience, not theory. And I'll push you — respectfully — because that's where the growth is.
A Strong Finish
I don't believe in open-ended engagements. When the coaching wraps, you'll have more than momentum — you'll have clarity about who you are, a strategy that fits, and the tools to keep moving on your own. My goal is to make myself unnecessary.

Damian G. Zikakis
Career & Executive Coach | CliftonStrengths Trainer |
I Help You Get Focused, Get Noticed, Get Hired, and Succeed Using Your Talents & Strengths