Clear Path Coaching and Consulting

I help small business owners who are great at their craft but feel overwhelmed as their business grows. When you go from doing the work you love to managing a team and navigating the complexities of a growing business, it’s easy to lose control. I guide business owners to build a clear plan that brings everything into focus. With a solid foundation and a team aligned with your vision, you’ll stop feeling like you’re putting out fires and start leading confidently—knowing exactly where your business is headed.

President & Chief Executive Coach

Executive Evolution Podcast

Host of the Executive Evolution podcast. Sharing the lessons learned by successful leaders to educate the next generation of leadership. So many leaders learned lessons the hard way. I created this podcast so you don't have to.

Host

Q & A on Breakthrough Leadership

Co Host

Butler University

Work with students in the MBA Program at Butler University Lacy School of Business. Focus is to supplement and personalize in-class learning, help to sustain positive change, and support new ways of thinking about situations. Additionally, I support student implementation of the MBA 510 LDP, participate in class as requested by the professor, and support Butler's leadership competencies.

MBA Program Executive Coach

Student Connections

Launched a wholly-owned subsidiary of Strada Education Network. Led a growing team of professionals and call center staff on the journey from startup to sale. Increased revenue by 900% in three years and grew the team from 25 to 70 employees. The company was named aTop Workplace in Indianapolis.

President

Strada Education Network (formerly USA Funds)

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Common Sense Student Loans

Providing consulting services to the higher education industry and serving as a guide for families negotiating the college financial aid process. Writing on student loan issues at www.commonsensestudentloans.com

Principal

JPMorgan Chase

Served as Senior Vice President – Sales, Customer Support, and Servicer Management for Chase Student Loans, a provider of  Private consumer loans to college and university students. Lead an organization of 65 in supporting sales, customer support, communications, and vendor management. Report directly to President, Student Loans with charter to analyze operations and make/execute data-driven decisions targeting reduced costs and increased efficiency for organization.

Senior Vice President

Served as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing with responsibilities for Affinity and Branch Sales teams, e-Commerce and International Student Loan Business, in addition to Campus Sales. Managed and built performance-based culture for all units.

Senior Vice President, National Sales and Marketing

ELM Resources

Served as Board Member in a variety of roles including one year as Vice Chairman.

Member, Board of Directors

Consumer Bankers Association Education Funding Committee

Served as member of the CBA Education Funding Committee representing JP Morgan Chase.

Committee Member

I equip accidental leaders with the leadership confidence, team-building expertise, and business acumen they need to build successful companies - No MBA required.

Your business is growing. But leading it doesn’t always feel clear, calm, or in control.

I work with small business owners and nonprofit leaders who are great at what they do, but never planned to become “the boss.” As their teams grow, so do the challenges they face. That’s where I come in.

I coach leaders who feel stuck in the weeds, pulled in every direction, or unsure how to lead at the next level. I help them shift from reacting to leading with intention.

My approach is simple. I provide clear frameworks that simplify planning, communication, and leadership development. These tools help you focus on what matters, delegate what doesn’t, and build a business that works without creating more work for you.

What’s it like to work with me?

I listen closely. I ask tough, honest questions. I bring structure without rigidity, and I create a space where you can be real about what’s working and what’s not. I’ve walked in your shoes and bring over 25 years of business and leadership experience to help you stay focused and follow through.

You don’t need a complicated playbook. You need a simple plan, strong habits, and a leadership mindset that matches the business you’re building.

That’s what I help you create.

If you’re ready to stop leading by instinct and start leading by design, send me a message here on LinkedIn or go to my website www.clearpathcoaches.com.

Craig P. Anderson

A client told me this year, “Craig, if you ever quit coaching, I’d hire you tomorrow.” 

But I’m not quitting. Because here’s what leaders like you accomplished in 2025:

⭐ A great operator who kept missing on interviews landed the leadership role he’d chased for years. We turned a list of stories into a tight narrative and prep plan he could deliver under pressure.

⭐ A newly promoted senior leader did a fast “tune-up” on vision, communication, and building alignment. His team now moves faster with less rework and clearer ownership.

⭐ An Executive Director navigated a long-tenured employee’s decline. We built a fair, respectful path that protected the mission and the culture.

This work matters because leaders shouldn’t need complex playbooks to earn credibility, align people, and finish important work. You need a simple plan, visible momentum, and a team that owns outcomes. 

So, yeah, I’m not ready to go back to work for someone, because this work is too important.

Where do you want to improve first in 2026: decisions, delegation, or communication? Comment with one word.

Executive Coach & Speaker for C-Suite and Senior Leaders | From Reactive To Focused | Strategic Planning, Delegation, Team Alignment | New Role & Expanded Scope Transitions | Executive Evolution Podcast Host

Executive coaching is not a penalty box for failing leaders.

Most of the executives I meet are not failing.
You are working hard. You care. You are just tired of sorting through everyone else’s agenda.

That is where coaching comes in.
You get one voice whose only job is your success.
No politics. No hidden agenda. No one to impress.

In this short video, I talk about why coaching is not about “fixing” you. It is about helping you:

•	Get clear on what success looks like for you
•	Cut through the noise and make better decisions
•	Build a path that matches your goals and your values

If you are ready for that kind of partnership, let’s talk.

Schedule an Executive Strategy Call and we will map out your next 90 days of focused leadership work together. Link in the first comment.

Coaching should not make you dependent on your coach
A lot of leaders think coaching is about getting answers.

“Tell me what to do. Fix this problem. Solve my team.”

Good coaching does something very different. It trains you to trust your own judgment.

Over time, coaching should help you:

- See your patterns with more honesty
- Make clearer decisions under pressure
- Have the tough conversations you keep avoiding
- Lead your team with confidence, not second-guessing

My job as a coach is not to sit on your shoulder forever like Jiminy Cricket. 

My job is to help you build the skills and self-awareness to lead well when I am not in the room.

As you think about your 2026 goals, ask yourself: "Where do I need to rely on myself more as a leader?"

Tell me your answer in the comments.

#leadershipcoaching #executivecoach #businessowner #selfawareness

Needing a leadership coach does not mean you are failing. It usually means you are finally serious about growing.

The crazy thing about being a leader is that you're constantly surrounded by people, yet you can still feel isolated and alone. Everyone who comes to you has some agenda. 

A leadership coach can be the one person in your career whose only interest is your success. The person who helps you get to clarity, stay focused on your goals, and keep you focused on what's important.

My coach is invaluable to me. They help me with perspective, build my self-awareness, and ask me the right questions.

As you enter 2026, think seriously about connecting with a coach. You'll be amazed by the results.

#ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipCoaching #LeadWithPurpose

How I killed a meeting in front of 20 people. (It was the right move.)

A contractor booked an “important update” meeting on my calendar. I didn’t vet the agenda or the attendee list (my bad). I walked into a room packed with members of my team. 

Five minutes in, it was obvious. This wasn’t an update. It was a pitch to extend the contract.

I stood up. “This isn’t the right meeting, and not with this many people. Team, we're done here. Vendor, see me later.”

I was angry. I was also right.

Bad meetings drain profit, momentum, and morale. That’s why I teach my clients to run their business with a simple 5-meeting framework. And when a real problem needs deep focus, we use a War Room: one issue, the smallest group possible, 30 minutes.

Three tips:

- No agenda, no meeting. Define the decision or deliverable before sending the invite.
- Fewer seats, faster outcomes. If someone isn’t deciding or doing, they don’t attend.
- Use War Rooms for real problems. Thirty to sixty minutes. One owner. Clear next step.

Protect your team’s time. Push back on bloated “updates.” Lead with intention.

Want the 5-meeting framework? Comment “framework” and I’ll send it, or DM me for the PDF.

#leadership #productivity #meetings #operations

Stop trying to “finish 2025 strong.” Start building a stronger 2026.

There are five weeks left in 2025. One or two vanish to holidays. The question isn’t “How do I finish 2025?” It’s “How do I launch into 2026?”

Early in my leadership career, I’d hit this season and feel regret. Goals missed. Issues unresolved. (And then I'd make myself crazy trying to cram it all in. )

Why? Too often I lacked the courage, confidence, or leadership skills to make the moves that mattered.

The truth? I needed more confidence, better focus, and better leadership skills.

So I got serious.

I found mentors. I studied. I practiced.
I added real accountability with peers I trusted.

What changed?

- I had the tough conversations I’d been avoiding.
- I watched the leading indicators and stepped in sooner.
- I still made mistakes, but progress beat perfection. My career moved.

Want 2026 to be your leadership year? Join me live:
Wednesday, December 10, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET.
Comment “Invite” or DM me “Invite” and I’ll send the details.

Stay Focused

#leadership #smallbusiness #management

“I don’t need 1:1s. I talk to my team every day.”

That sounds true. It’s not.

I worked with a leadership team drowning in meetings. Busy all day. Not enough done. The problem wasn’t effort. It was lack of focus.

A real 1:1 isn’t casual chatter. It’s a weekly coaching ritual. Fifteen to twenty minutes. Same agenda. Clear commitments. You give clarity on what matters and real-time feedback on how they’re doing.

Run this 1:1:

- Review the team’s top priorities.
- Confirm their personal priorities that drive those goals.
- Discuss one growth move: skill, system, or relationship.

It’s not about “checking in.” It’s about moving forward. The right work gets done. Alignment holds. People grow.

Would you like my 1:1 agenda and notes template? Let me know in the comments.

Stay Focused

#leadership #management #peopledevelopment

One of the things that held me back the most as a leader was that I wanted to be liked. And because I wanted to be liked, I didn't want to give anything other than positive feedback. If you did something wrong, I had a great strategy - I ignored it and hoped they'd figure it out.

<Narrator: They never figured it out.>

What I needed was a way to give feedback without it feeling like I was breaking a relationship. And after a lot of reading and coaching, I developed a feedback strategy. 

Check out this week's Executive Evolution newsletter to learn more.

#Leadership #PeopleManagement #ExecutiveEvolution #Feedback

Leaders don’t avoid feedback because they don’t care. They avoid it because it feels like conflict. But what if feedback wasn’t a confrontation at all

Open article: Treat Feedback As A Service, Not A Showdown by Craig P. Anderson • 2 min read

Treat Feedback As A Service, Not A Showdown

Before you talk to the team, get clear in your own head. 

When you have a clear and concise vision and three financial priorities defined, your team will run more smoothly. 

Those priorities will drive your meetings, feed your delegation, and save your calendar. 

Want to know more? Join me on December 10, registration details in the comments.

Leaders do not miss Q1 because of talent. They miss it to drift. If you are second-guessing under pressure or losing time to rework, this week’s Executive Evolution shows how to set execution-ready priorities your team can follow.

In the article:

 • What “execution-ready” priorities look like
 • A simple filter to choose what matters for Q1
 • How to make the plan visible and run a light cadence that gets work done

Live session next week: Stop the Drift: Set Three Priorities and Build Accountability for Q1 2026 Wednesday, December 10, at noon Eastern. In 45 minut

Open article: Decide with confidence under pressure: stop the drift before January. by Craig P. Anderson • 2 min read

Decide with confidence under pressure: stop the drift before January.

Most leaders say they will get serious about growth "next year."
Then January hits, the calendar fills, and nothing really changes.

If you want to lead differently in 2026, the next 6 weeks matter.

You do not need a big reinvention. You need a short, focused season of practice on the right skills:

✅ Self-awareness
✅ Difficult conversations
✅ Planning and focus
✅ Decisive action
✅ Feedback habits

If you build these skills now, your 2026 self will walk into the year calmer, clearer, and more confident.

Start building the leader you want to be today. Successful leaders do not wait for the calendar to save them.

Which of these five skills will your future self thank you for practicing first?

#leadership #executiveleadership #smallbusinessowner #leadershipdevelopment

Your 2026 Leadership Success Starts Now!

It’s not too late to align your business for 2026. But you have to start now.
In organizations under 100 people, the biggest drag on results is misalignment. 

✅ Too many priorities. 
✅ No clear owners. 
✅ Confusing meetings.

The result? Decisions stall, the wrong work gets done, and goals get missed.
If that sounds familiar, here’s how to fix it in December:

Pick a short list of Q1 priorities. Make each measurable with a number and a date.

🎯 Assign one owner per priority. No co-ownership.
🎯 Use a simple meeting rhythm to stay aligned and accountable.
🎯 Hold positive, forward-looking conversations about delegation and accountability.

Do this, and you’ll hit goals faster, finish projects on time, and help your team feel what success looks like.

Want help applying this now?

I’m teaching a live webinar on Wednesday, December 10: simple tools to align your team and set up a strong 2026. You’ll leave with actions you can take in December.

Details and registration link in the first comment.

Many leaders are just starting to think about 2026.

If you had to pick one area to grow in over the next few months, which would move the needle most for you as a leader?

Vote, then drop a comment with one specific situation where this shows up for you. Your future self will be glad you named it.

#leadership #executiveleadership #smallbusinessleaders #leadershipdevelopment

Which leadership skill will matter most for your 2026 goals?

Elizabeth Brandes

Vice President, Marketing

CAEL

This role expands my team's responsibilities to include CAEL events as well as oversight of our professional development offerings. Our group also plans and executes CAEL's annual conference each fall, where we typically have 1,000+ attendees, both in person and virtually.

Vice President, Marketing, Communications, and Events

I lead a dynamic team that manages branding, go-to-market strategies, lead nurturing, B2B, membership, and events marketing, content, PR, social media, communications, and positioning efforts to increase membership and drive enhanced value for CAEL's clients and its stakeholder community that passionately supports adult learners as they pursue education and career goals. Our partners include postsecondary learning providers, workforce and economic developers, employers/industry groups, mission-aligned funders, and governmental organizations.

Vice President, Marketing & Communications

At this former Strada Education Network affiliate, led a strategic B2B marcom team responsible for brand awareness, lead generation, content marketing, digital/email/social media marketing, marketing analytics, insights and reporting. Managed branding, website, advertising, tradeshows, RFP responses, Hubspot platform with Salesforce, competitive intelligence and market research. Created new Student Connections brand in 2016 and formulated strategy and approach consistent with corporate objectives.

Strada Education Network

(Formerly USA Funds) Led a strategic team and directed market research efforts, oversaw proposal responses, investigated new business and product opportunities. Provided product development, strategic sales and corporate outcomes measurement support. Served previously as Director, Marketing Communications and oversaw a staff of 8. Areas of focus: debt management, default prevention, strategic marketing development and execution, financial literacy, performance evaluation and project management.

Director, Marketing/Strategic Solutions

Sallie Mae

Led business development for Sallie Mae's new international division and helped establish Sallie Mae UK by designing and implementing a new private education loan program (with origination and servicing operations based in London) for UK higher education students studying in the UK and in the U.S. Led market analysis, identified new opportunities and recommended new business strategies. Also co-developed new global health loan program (GHELP). Responsible for creating UK marketing materials, coordinating public relations activities and developing partnerships. Successfully oversaw offshore IT agency team building the UK loan origination/servicing platforms and managed costs under budget.

Director, International Business Development

Chase

Developed, implemented and managed new nationwide marketing and communications strategies for federal & private higher education loan products and services. Managed a team of 6: product marketers, content developers, graphic designers, print production specialists, a tradeshow coordinator and warehouse manager. Oversaw 600 B2B projects annually in support of a national sales team and $6B in annual volume. Stayed under budget annually. Managed rebranding with the Chase/Bank One for the education finance division and chaired ELM Resources' national marketing committee. Led product development teams (school-as-lender, 0-fee loan and consolidation loans).

First Vice President, Marketing, Education Finance

Southwest Student Services Corporation

Directed national marketing strategies; managed a marketing and communications team of 4 in support of federal and private education loan products and services. Managed the corporate rebranding initiative, launched new marketing campaigns and oversaw development of a new bilingual website. Managed print and online content development as well as outsourced graphic design, coordinated B2C direct mail marketing efforts in support of a $2B goal.

Director, Marketing

As director of marketing services at Sallie Mae's affiliate, Bank One-Education One Group, was responsible for developing, implementing and directing nationwide B2B strategies for federal and private education loan products and services offered under the Bank One brand. Led team of content developers, graphic designers, print production specialists, an industry conference coordinator and warehouse manager. Successfully managed 500 university print projects to support sales team of 40 and $3B in annual loan volume.

Director, Marketing Services

Bank One Corporation

Managed Bank One's K-12 private loan program with the KY Higher Education Student Loan Corporation. Managed marketing communications, sales and call center activities. Developed IN and LA tuition loan programs with the Catholic Archdioceses, supervised sales, marketing and customer support team during merger with First Commerce Corporation and First Chicago/NBD.

Manager, Tuition Loan Program

Deutscher Bundestag

Awarded a full scholarship and funding through DAAD (Deutscher akademischer Austauschdienst) and the Universitӓt Bonn, Germany for a 1-year internship with the Deutscher Bundestag (Lower House of Parliament). Worked in the Bonn office of parliament member, MdB Rainer Eppelmann, former Minister of Defense in the last cabinet of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Served as liaison with Berlin area constituents, worked on re-election campaign and translated articles into English for publication.

German Bundestag (Parliament) Internship

Collaborative ENTP marketing and communications professional with 25+ years of progressive responsibility and experience in team development, strategic planning and execution, branding, content and digital marketing, advertising, research, vendor and event management, product development, proposals, project management and cross-functional teams. I thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments where strong innovation, strategy, communication, and problem-solving skills are required to support business needs and deliver success.

I lead a dynamic team of 4 that manages branding, go-to-market strategies, lead nurturing, B2B, membership, and events marketing, content, PR, social media, communications, and positioning efforts to increase membership and drive enhanced value for CAEL's clients and its stakeholder community that passionately supports adult learners as they pursue education and career goals. Our partners include postsecondary learning providers, workforce and economic developers, employers/industry groups, mission-aligned funder, and governmental organizations.

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Elizabeth Brandes

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