How my journey began

Mary Nahorniak has been described as a "pure, natural coach," and coaching has felt that way to her since she discovered it in 2019. In a brief session on her first day of Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance at American University, she had a critical breakthrough after just five minutes with a talented coach. Since that moment, Mary has been committed to helping others find their own momentum.

Mary's background is as a journalist, and the important skills of curiosity, listening, observation, questioning and direct feedback carry over naturally to coaching. As director of audience at USA TODAY, Mary brought coaching into her own leadership portfolio, creating an internal coaching program at parent company Gannett. She has also coached leaders at ESPN, Harvard Business Review and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as artists, entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives. Mary is an ACC-level coach, certified by the International Coaching Federation, with more than 200 hours of coaching.

Clients say Mary's "calm, easygoing style" creates a safe, nonjudgmental space for exploration. She "has the unique ability to guide you through the problem you're trying to solve with the right question at the right moment." Mary has "exceptional skills in communication, strategic planning and sensitivity to working with underserved populations."

Mary is currently the U.S. teaching fellow for Google News Lab and has trained 4,500+ journalists. She also serves as a trainer for the Poynter Institute, focused on coaching newsrooms in digital strategy. Mary previously worked at USA TODAY, NewsTrust, The Baltimore Sun, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, and for a mobile Internet company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She's a graduate of the University of South Carolina honors program and has taught at the University of Maryland and in Russia. Mary is a recent transplant to the San Francisco Bay Area, and you can find her surfing, making pottery and exploring coffee shops and trails.