Meet Nicole Torgersen.

From Tech Executive to Leadership Coach

Over my 25+ years in tech, I began to recognize a repeating pattern among my peers and top performers: external success does not always equal internal sustainability.

I watched brilliant UX, product, and engineering leaders hit the VP or Director level only to find themselves running on fumes. Rather than accepting this tension as the unavoidable "cost of ambition," I chose to examine it strategically.

I dove deeply into performance psychology, nervous system regulation, midlife physiology, and the mechanics of executive presence. I wanted to answer a more advanced question: How do high-capacity leaders sustain clarity, authority, and impact over decades, not just quarters?

Refining my own leadership approach transformed how I worked. It strengthened my focus, sharpened my decision-making, and reinforced the importance of alignment over endurance. Today, I bring both my executive trenches experience and systems-level coaching insight to my clients. I work with leaders who are ready to elevate how they operate—not by pushing harder, but by leading more deliberately.

My Executive Leadership Experience

When we work together, you don't have to spend half our session explaining matrixed org charts, agile environments, or stakeholder dynamics. I have lived them.

• 25+ Years in Senior Tech Leadership: Former executive design and UX leader at top-tier companies including Smartsheet, Dropbox, Dialpad, Gap Inc., and Monster.com.

• Scaling Teams & Culture: Built, structured, and managed teams ranging from 8 to 300 people, successfully guiding organizations through rapid growth, hyper-scaling, and complex reorgs.

• Organizational Design: Extensive experience building career ladders, competency frameworks, and performance evaluation metrics for product and design organizations.

Beyond the Boardroom: My Lived Experience

My coaching philosophy is not just academic; it is deeply rooted in personal lived experience. Beyond corporate leadership, I understand the realities of navigating personal mental and physical health challenges while holding a demanding job. As a parent raising neurodivergent children and supporting family members through significant health and identity journeys, I know what it takes to balance fierce ambition with deep empathy and real-life boundaries.