Headshot of Will Oldfather smiling, wearing a dark blazer and open-collar shirt

Hi, I’m Will.

I’m a leadership and career coach for thoughtful, high-performing people who sense that the version of success they’re living no longer quite matches who they are.

I help you clarify your “True North” and author a grounded way forward that doesn’t require self-abandonment.

My Coaching Philosophy

Most of the people I work with aren't struggling with performance. They're performing well, and paying for it in ways nobody else sees. The gap between what looks right on paper and what feels true in their actual lives has been growing, and they've been managing it alone.

Coaching helps you name that gap and author a new way forward. We slow down enough to clarify what actually matters, then build practices and experiments that let you stop trading yourself for your career.

Will Oldfather in conversation, leaning forward with open hands

My Path into Coaching

For most of my career, I’ve worked on complex projects and in global teams, alongside people navigating change, uncertainty, and high-stakes decisions. I kept noticing the same pattern: the moments that stayed with me weren’t the deliverables. They were the conversations where we slowed down, told the truth about what mattered, and explored our own definition of “success”.

Being coached during graduate school made that pattern impossible to ignore, and impossible to dismiss. I realized that the questions I cared most about (purpose, values, how we grow and evolve) weren’t side interests. They were the heart of the work I wanted to do. I trained as an Integral Coach and earned my ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, so I could bring a business lens and a human lens to those conversations.

The Compass & The Flame

The Compass is orientation and discernment. It reflects trust in your values, and the direction that makes sense for you, not just what looks right on paper.

The Flame is energy and aliveness. It’s the felt sense that your effort matters, and that your work gives something back in return.

Compass & Flame grew out of my own search for direction. I had chased big destinations, like living and working in China, and later felt my priorities begin to shift. What stayed constant was the search for a direction that felt true, and the desire to keep curiosity and meaning alive.

Watercolor of a navy compass star with an orange flame at its center, on a wash of purple and teal
Watercolor of a navy compass star with an orange flame at its center, on a wash of purple and teal

How I Work

Coaching is a partnership that takes in the full context of your life, not just your job title. This isn't about advice or quick fixes. It's a way of building clarity you can keep.

We move in a clear, steady rhythm:

Laptop, coffee mug, notebook, and Compass & Flame business cards on a white desk
Laptop, coffee mug, notebook, and Compass & Flame business cards on a white desk

Why Work with Me

  • Fluent in your world.‍

    15 years in global consulting means I get the context fast: the politics, the pressure, the unspoken rules. You won't need to spend extra time explaining.

  • Calm in complexity.‍ ‍

    I help you separate what's actually going on from the noise around it. Clients say the clarity often comes quicker than they expected.

  • Distinctions that shift how you see.

    The real work often isn't solving a problem; it's naming a pattern you couldn't see clearly before. I offer frameworks and questions that bring your patterns to light.

  • A partnership, not a performance.

    You’ll feel seen and challenged, never judged. This is a space to tell the truth sooner: about what you want, what’s not working, and what you’re ready to change.

Training & Credentials:

  • ICF ACC, International Coaching Federation

  • Integral Coaching®, New Ventures West

  • MBA, UC Berkeley Haas

  • Master of Information & Data Science, UC Berkeley School of Information

  • BA (Hons) Economics & Chinese, Davidson College

Credentials & Experience

These experiences shape how I listen, how I challenge, and how I stay grounded in the real context of your life and work.

Experience & Commitments:

  • ~15 years in consulting across complex projects and global teams, including working in Shanghai and Adelaide

  • Equity & belonging leadership work at KPMG and Berkeley Haas

  • Business-proficient Mandarin

  • Bound by the ICF Code of Ethics, with a strong commitment to client confidentiality and trust

A Little More About Me

Will Oldfather with his wife and son, posing on a large campus letter sign on a sunny day

I’m based in Greensboro, North Carolina, with my family. I care about community, good questions, and the kind of work that leaves people feeling alive and fully themselves. Outside of coaching, you’ll find me daydreaming about our next trip, getting lost in electronic mixes, or hunting down great coffee. That curiosity is the same thing I bring into coaching: a genuine interest in what makes your life feel like yours. I work with clients remotely anywhere, and I also meet in person in the NC Triad.

If any of this resonates, I’d love to connect for a free 30-minute Discovery Call to see if working together feels like a good fit.