Need Help with Your Career or Business? 🧭

Let me tell you something I’ve learned from working with successful folks across industries: None of them got where they are by themselves.

We all need someone in their corner. Sometimes a coach, sometimes a mentor, sometimes a consultant. Often, all three.

Bill Gates famously said, “Everyone needs a coach.” Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, called hiring a coach the best decision he ever made. And yes, even Oprah has worked with coaches, mentors, and consultants throughout her entire career.

Oprah Winfrey with one of her coaches Martha Beck

So have I.

Having someone in your corner means having a mirror, a sounding board, and a co-strategist. Someone who isn’t tangled in your self-doubt or your day-to-day. Someone who helps you think more clearly and move more intentionally.

But how do you know what kind of support you actually need?

There are three steps:

1. Understand the difference between a coach, a consultant, and a mentor.

2. Get clear on what you’re looking for. And yes, someone can help you define this if you need support.

3. Ask the right questions to figure out if they’re the right fit.

Let’s start with number one.

Coach

A coach in the context of your personal and professional life is a partner, not an advisor. Trained and certified coaches help you access your own wisdom, experience, and perspective so you can help yourself.

At its best, coaching is thought-provoking, creative, and inspirational. It supports you in maximizing your full potential.

That means:

• I don’t tell you what to do.

• I do help you get clear on what you want to do and why.

• I ask the questions you haven’t thought to ask yourself.

• I help you notice patterns, assumptions, and blocks.

• I share tools and resources to support your moonshot.

• I hold space (and accountability) while you move forward.

Coaching is about self-awareness, alignment, and intentional action. It’s not advice driven. Honestly, as a coachee, it’s one of the most awe filled and uplifting experiences I’ve ever had.

Mentor

A mentor is someone who’s been where you want to go. They offer insight, perspective, and stories from their own journey to help light the path for yours.

If coaching is drawing out, mentoring is pouring in.

I’m a great mentor for people in the entertainment industry, career changers (up, on, or off the ladder), and entrepreneurs.

As a mentor:

• I give advice and share what worked for me.

• I offer perspective on industry-specific dynamics.

• I help you navigate common pitfalls with greater confidence.

• I connect dots that may not be obvious from where you’re sitting.

Need someone who’s walked the path before you and can share what they’ve learned? That’s a mentor.

Consultant

Consultants bring expertise to solve a specific challenge. They analyze the situation, make recommendations, and often create a roadmap for moving forward.

For example: A new leader might bring in a consultant to create a 90-day plan. A founder might hire one to build a go-to-market strategy. You’re hiring them for answers, not exploration.

As a consultant:

• I assess the current state of your business or project.

• I identify gaps and opportunities.

• I make strategic recommendations based on data, trends, and experience.

• I sometimes help implement the solutions.

Need someone to tell you what to do—and how to do it? That’s a consultant.

What You Need

Once you understand the distinctions, you can begin to identify what fits your situation.

• You’re feeling adrift in your career and want clarity on what’s next.
  👉 A coach can help you unpack what’s meaningful and guide you through values-based decisions.

• You’ve been stuck in the same job and can’t seem to break through.
  👉 A mentor can share hard-earned wisdom from someone who’s been there.

• You know what you want, but don’t know how to get there.
  👉 A consultant can map out a strategy, assess gaps, and help you get moving.

Ask the Right Questions

Before hiring anyone—coach, consultant, or mentor—ask:

• What’s your background and credentials? (I’m a big believer that coaches should be accredited by the International Coaching Federation. You can find a coach here.)

• Who do you typically work with?

• What’s your process or approach?

• Can you share an example of how you’ve helped someone like me?

• How do you support accountability and momentum?

Don’t just ask what they do—ask how they’ll help you do what you need. Sometimes I even ask: What questions would you ask if you were in my position?

Why This Matters

I haven’t just worn the hats of coach, mentor, and consultant—I’ve needed all three.

I’ve hired coaches after I was fired, when I was making a career transition and when I was building my coaching business.

I especially leaned on mentors when I was in entertainment and transitioned out of animation and into live action, and again when I moved from being a creative executive in children’s programming to working in network primetime.

I’ve brought in consultants when my coaching business began to expand and I knew nothing about customer relationship management tools, SEO and how to navigate Substack.

So when I say I believe in the value of support, it’s not theoretical. I’ve lived it. I’ve built a career—and a life—on the shoulders of those who helped me see what I couldn’t see for myself.

So What’s a Career Strategist?

Think of a career strategist as part mirror, part guide, part architect.

I help you understand where you are, where you want to go, and what’s standing in the way, and then we co-create a path forward.

Some days, that means I’m your coach: asking the questions that unlock insight and helping you reconnect to your values and vision.

Other days, I step in as a mentor: sharing perspectives from my own experience in entertainment, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

And sometimes, what you really need is a consultant: someone to cut through the noise and offer strategy, frameworks, or a specific plan of action.

We figure out what’s needed in any given session—and go from there.

Bottom Line

Need someone to help you figure out what you truly want—and how to build the confidence, clarity, and resilience to go after it? That’s a coach.

Need someone who’s walked the path and can offer guidance? That’s a mentor.

Need someone to solve a specific problem with expert advice and a roadmap? That’s a consultant.

Before you go and before journal prompts …

If you’re carrying a career loss that still lingers—one you haven’t had space to grieve—I’d love for you to join me and breathwork facilitator and grief recovery specialist

Katya Lidsky

for a one-day in person workshop in Los Angeles. Together, we’ll slow down, tell the truth, and create a ritual for release and renewal.

Saturday, June 21 → Learn more + register here.

Journal Prompts

Here are six journal prompts for paid Moonshot Mentor subscribers to help reflect on which kind of support is needed and why: