Meet Brad Cooper, PhD | CEO – US Corporate Wellness & Co-founder, Catalyst Coaching Institute

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brad Cooper, PhD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad, what is the most important factor behind your success?
As is always the case, there is never a “most important” factor behind the success of the Catalyst Coaching Institute but rather many things coming together at just the right time. For example, Suzanna and I were fortunate to bring very different – yet extremely complimentary – skillsets to the table that allowed us to cover essentially all aspects of business development and operations in the early years. The individuals who joined us as health & wellness coaches in the early years (many of whom have now been with us 15+ years) were amazing! They leaned in on the growth process with us while helping change the lives of thousands of people in the process and mentoring other coaches along the way. We were also fortunate to be debt free with some savings at the time, which made it possible to launch without taking on outside investors who may have had a different vision for the organization.

Technology developments (we launched in 2007, the same year as the iPhone) also opened doors that would not have otherwise been available. And of course, our early clients, who trusted us to be their partner in providing such a critical and personal service for their employee team members without us having a track record, provided the traction to get out of the gate.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
After ~20 yrs in health care as a physical therapist, athletic trainer and healthcare executive, we launched US Corporate Wellness (providing personalized coaching for employer organizations) and then the Catalyst Coaching Institute (providing NBHWC-approved coaching certification nationally) in 2007. This was a time when “employee wellness” and particularly coaching was just getting traction. We were very clear in our vision that we wanted to help create lasting, meaningful change for individuals and not simply check boxes. We were also clear about our growth intentions – we had no desire to become the “biggest” but rather the organization most effectively combining evidence-based practices with personal connections to make a difference.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We moved to Fort Collins, Colorado about 9 months ago and love every aspect of this city. From the running/cycling paths to restaurants & shops in Old Town, paddle boarding at Horsetooth Reservoir, attending Colorado State University basketball and football games and easy access to Poudre Canyon, Estes Park and even occasional events in Denver or Cheyenne, WY, I can’t imagine a better place to live. It’s as if they took all the things we love doing and built a city!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This one is easy – Suzanna Cooper. She is the co-founder of our organization and the brain trust behind the development of the nationally recognized health & wellness coaching certification and the coaching model we provide to employers nationwide.

We also happen to have been married for 30 years! She is not only the love of my life but a wise business partner and mom to our 3 adult (and all married) “kids.” She’s not “the wind beneath my wings” but rather she IS the wings!

Website: https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/

Instagram: @DrBradCooper

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalhumanperformance

Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive

Youtube: YouTube.com/CoachingChannel

Other: Catalyst Health, Wellness & Performance Coaching Podcast is available via any podcast app (Apple, Spotify, Goodpods, etc) and recently released our 225th evergreen episode!