QUEST alumni continue to amaze us with their accomplishments and endeavors. This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Coraggio, a member of Cohort 16, who has been very busy since graduating from Maryland in 2011 with his bachelor’s in Information Systems and Marketing. Most recently, he is the founder and principal coach of Potencia, an organizational coaching practice.
Chris Coraggio
After graduating from Maryland, Coraggio joined Teach for America then continued his education by getting a Masters in Education and going to Spain to receive a bilingual (Spanish) MBA. He thought he wanted to enter the HR world so he found a job with Citi in HR but wasn’t fully satisfied with it. He decided to take some time off traveling in Asia and discovered he wanted to incorporate education into his future career, wanted a career that felt fulfilling, and had an entrepreneurial itch that led him to obtain a certification in Executive Coaching and Leadership and start Potencia. He’s proud of pushing past any hesitancy and bringing his ideas to life. “I’ve historically just been really hesitant to put myself and my ideas out there for fear of what others think of me. And over and over again, I’ve pushed past fear to get this company to fruition,” he shared.
Coraggio is a full-time consultant now with SOL Digital but started Potencia as a side gig. He finds that the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing adults have their “aha” moments when they see themselves from a new perspective. “As a former teacher, I remember all the wonderful “aha” moments my students had in my math class,” said Coraggio. “Those “ahas” were really easy to come by, because students were learning new mathematical concepts, and it was pretty natural for them to learn to insights. With adults, it’s harder work to have somebody see themselves or a situation from a new perspective. So the “aha” moments are really special.”
He described a recent win where his coaching allowed a friend to discover a positive insight about why they were leaving their current city. The insight that leaving was moving forward led the friend to change his perspective on what’s up next. He thanks QUEST for instilling in him the importance of networking and community and his attitude towards quality and continuous improvement. He finds himself to be a lifelong learner and always striving to be a better coach. He also remembers “QUEST legends” like Dr. Suarez and Dr. Bailey teaching him to design for the future he wants and trust his instincts.
For anyone interested in coaching check out Potencia’s website here where Coraggio blogs about a variety of topics. He is also offering free coaching office hours to QUEST alumni and students on Wednesdays 4-6pm and Fridays 3-5pm now through January.