Curt Sassak

Curt Sassak's Coaching

So, you’ve got a life and career that looks great on paper, but no longer feels like a win.

If you’ve hit a point where the pressure’s high and the payoff is low, you’re not alone.
 You’ve outgrown the life you built.

That’s exactly who I work with.

If you're thinking you can just grind your way through it—good luck.
 I tried that.
 So did most of my clients.
 We all ended up at the same place: stuck, frustrated, spinning our wheels. 

Enter: The Recipe
 A high-performance framework built for high-achievers who want clarity, and momentum, fast.

It’s inspired by my 27-year chef career—because chefs don’t wing it.
 We follow structure.
 We refine.
 We execute with precision.

That’s what this is.

This isn’t a journal prompt and a pep talk.

 It’s a system—tested by fire—designed to help you:

 → Get clear on what’s next
 → Identify and eliminate the internal drag holding you back
 → Build momentum through customized strategy

This isn’t personal development.
 It’s personal execution.

We extract your core drivers, map them to your next chapter, and build a plan that makes sense for your ambition, standards, and lifestyle.

And I don’t take on everyone.

This is for people who have a track record of making sh*t happen,
 And are ready to channel that same energy into building the next version of themselves.

It requires honesty. Focus. Execution.

 You bring that—I’ll bring the clarity, speed, and accountability.

DM me “RECIPE” when you’re ready to move.

 And just know—I don’t work with spectators. Only builders.

Life and Career Strategist

Winetasters Choice: An Adult Beverage Promotional Agency

Key accomplishments:

👉Spearheaded the strategic growth of a B2B beverage promotion agency, elevating annual revenue from $300,000 to $1.4 million. 

👉Drove the company's revenue-generation engine as the principal revenue officer, by additional $221,000 in revenue within a five-month span in 2023 

👉Expanded operational footprint from 12 employees across four cities in Texas to a team of 250 employees spanning three states

👉Authored and enforced comprehensive standards, processes, and protocols, laying the foundation for scalable growth and operational excellence. 

👉Pioneered a remote work model, adeptly managing a dispersed team, fostering a culture of accountability and high performance. 

👉Spearheaded the development and execution of comprehensive social media campaigns, from conceptualization to content creation and audience engagement. 

👉Achieved a 4.6/5 star rating on Glassdoor, reflecting exceptional leadership and a positive organizational culture. Garnered a 90% approval rating from employees, underscoring effective management and employee satisfaction. 

👉Demonstrated deep understanding of market trends, and consumer behavior, enabling the development of targeted promotional campaigns. 

👉Regulatory Compliance: Ensured all promotional activities complied with industry regulations and standards, maintaining the agency's reputation and operational integrity. 

👉Achieved significant growth with a small team by  implementing new systems, automation and enhancing software utilization.

👉Problem-Solver: Excel at navigating ambiguous situations and making informed decisions with limited information. 

👉Founded and grew a successful YouTube channel, overseeing all aspects of content creation, video production, and editing. Utilized the platform to effectively drive new business opportunities

Company closed by the owner on 3/2/2024.

Testimonials:
https://winetasterschoice.com/testimonials-2/

President and Chief Revenue Officer

Executive Chef

Focused experience working in internationally renowned 5-star establishments.

USA, India, Dubai, Egypt, Australia and the Maldives

Previously employed at: Four Seasons Domestic, Four Seasons International, Hyatt Domestic, Hyatt International, One & Only, Marriott, independent restaurants


Key accomplishments:

👉 Distinguished by two guest chef appearances at the world-renowned James Beard House, a testament to culinary artistry and innovation.

👉 Engaged audiences with charismatic presence through 10 live TV appearances, enhancing brand visibility and personal brand as a culinary expert.

👉 Garnered 24 Best Restaurant/Hotel awards, affirming excellence in culinary delivery and guest satisfaction.

👉 Secured the prestigious Best New Restaurant Award from the iconic Washingtonian Magazine 

👉 Celebrated for exceptional culinary creations and service, reflected in numerous positive critiques and write-ups across esteemed culinary publications.

👉 Spearheaded the pre-opening phases of hotels and restaurants, demonstrating strategic foresight and operational excellence in establishing culinary ventures.

👉 Commanded teams of up to 200, fostering a culture of excellence, creativity, and teamwork in high-pressure environments.

👉 Managed multi-million dollar food and beverage operations, showcasing adept financial acumen and operational management to drive profitability and culinary excellence.

👉 Lowered food cost by $70,000 and increased the guest satisfaction rating for food quality by 1.4 points from 2 to 3.4 on a scale of 1-5 in my first year as Executive Chef

Teaching Mid-Career Leaders how to navigate life & career transitions using my Proven Recipe / Improve the quality of your life / Create your next chapter by design, not default / Former Chef

𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧.

You work your ass off, climb the ladder, got everything you want on paper, but feel empty. 

You ask yourself, "Is this it? What's next?"

You tell yourself it’s just a phase. That the feeling will pass.

It won’t.

At first, it’s a nagging thought. Then it’s an ache. 

You're wondering how you went from feeling like a confident badass knocking out your goals to just tolerating your life and career. 

Now, you dread waking up and you're just going through the motions daydreaming about the way things used to be. 

You know you want a change. You have something more to offer the world. 

But fear is holding you back. 

I know this feeling. It cost me 4 years of my life. I was depressed, and it cost me my confidence, my drive, and over $250,000.

Until I decided to take back control.

𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 & 𝐇𝐎𝐖

I work with career-driven, successful professionals 40 and up who feel stuck and want more out of life.

You’re not lost. You’re not broken. You’re just at a crossroads.

Your problem isn’t knowing you need a change. 

Your problem is knowing HOW to do it—without wasting years stuck in limbo like I did.

Your clarity is just like a five-star dish—if you’re missing key ingredients or following the wrong process, it won’t turn out right.

That’s where I come in.

I help high-performers get the exact recipe they need to figure out what’s next.

Here’s the recipe:

𝙄𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨:

🔥 Sharpen Your Mindset: REGAIN your CONFIDENCE and break free from self-doubt and second-guessing.
🔥 Regain Balance: Stop just surviving—start actually living.
🔥 Get Crystal Clear Clarity: Know exactly where you're headed and how to get there.
🔥 Remove Mental Roadblocks: Identify and eliminate what’s keeping you stuck.
🔥 Design Your Next Chapter: Not by accident. Not by default. But with intention.
 
𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚:

Follow a proven and tested real-world process built on precise ingredients that puts you back in control.

𝘾𝙇𝙄𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙐𝙇𝙏𝙎

The real success stories? My clients.

"Curt didn’t just help my career—he helped me take back my life. His approach forced me to get real about what I wanted. The clarity I gained was priceless."
— Matt Lunny

𝙉𝙀𝙓𝙏 𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋𝙎

If you're done settling and want to wake up excited about your life again, let’s talk.

Message me: "I want the Recipe" to learn more. 

That’s it. No fluff. No B.S. Just results.

— Curt

Founder

So, you’re career driven, have had success, and now you feel like there are no more mountains to climb.

You got to the top of the “mountain,” and achieving your goals only to find you don’t feel fulfilled or happy. It’s like, WTF?

Your life/career no longer serves you. All you know is that you feel stuck and see no way out. You need to make a change. But doing what?

Then fear creeps in. You have questions.  “What do I do now?”  “I don’t know what else to do” 

“If I change careers how will I make enough to pay my bills?” and so on

These are the same questions (and more) I asked myself when I did a career change after 27 years as a chef and started over at 41 from zero.

Did you know a New York Times study found that 75% of Americans don’t have a clear sense of purpose?

And, there are serious health risks associated with a lack of purpose

A lack of purpose affects your self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Which, in turn, can lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other health issues.
I experienced all of those.

The good news is this: You’re only 5 steps away from finding the purpose, fulfillment, and new career you so desperately want.

They are the same 5 steps I used to go from feeling lost/stuck and finding a purpose and fulfillment

All it requires from you is self-honesty and a commitment to change

I coach people through one-to-one sessions

You think asking for help is equivalent to failure? Yep, I used to think the same, but that’s your ego talking

Consider: If you’ve been stuck, and the steps you’ve taken have not yielded results, what makes you think anything will change by repeating what you’ve done?

What got you here will not get you THERE.

Just like a car needs realignment from time to time, our personal and professional vision needs realignment from time to time

So, you can remain stuck and lost, or you can send me a DM

Mark Carolan Coaching

https://markcarolancoaching.com/
https://calendly.com/markcarolancoaching/30min

Life & Executive Coach and Motivational Speaker

WellPlace

Speaker and Trainer for WellPlace.
Providing in-person and online talks and sessions on a number of different key wellbeing areas for employees in their workplace. Including, how to be happy now, time-management, habits, coping mechanisms for stress, managing change in the workplace, De-stressing techniques, the power of vulnerability.

Professional Speaker

State Street

Responsible for four independent manager lead teams, servicing key clients in a dynamic, highly demanding fast paced environment, requiring fast and effective operational decision making and problem solving.
Senior escalation point for clients. 
Ownership, management, and development of strong client relationships utilising service calls, client visits, due diligence reviews and client visits to strengthen and solidify relationships.
Fostering an environment where excellent client service delivery is the standard, and where policies and processes are adhered to.
Ensuring that the department is properly resourced both in terms of people and technology. 
Leading cross departmental engagement to ensure client experience is a seamless single offering.
Developing department objectives and future vision as an AVP within the department in line with overarching company objectives.

AVP/Director

HSBC Global Banking and Markets

Key manager in the investor dealing team with responsibility for all European alternative clients within the Transfer Agency department requiring regular senior level client engagement.
Oversight and review of MIS and KPI reporting to department heads in order to facilitate efficient use of resources against required deliverables, identifying trends in the process. 
Reviewing procedures, identifying process improvements, ensuring controls are in place and adhered to, and continually reassessing the operational risks associated with the role.
Migration of tasks to offshore service centers including high level management of the offshore back office deliverables from trade processing, static data through to payments function and client reporting, which also required offshore site visits to complete due diligence.

Transfer Agency Manager

Responsible for clients custodial relationship with HSBC.

Custody Account management

Responsible for the reconciliation and cash functions in HSBC securities services Ireland.

Transfer agency cash and reconciliation specialist

Zurich Capital Markets

Reconciliation of hedge fund accounts and confirmation of daily trading volumes.

Account Reconciliations Manager

Citi

Account Reconciliations

Empowering you to tell a better story 💥 Transformational Coach for busy professionals who want more out of life 💥Life, executive & corporate wellbeing coach💥Public Speaking coach💥Keynote Speaker💥TEDx Speaker

Website -  https://markcarolancoaching.com/

You know you need a solution but who is the right person to work with?

You want someone with experience - check.
You want someone with qualifications - check.
You want someone with proof - check
You want someone who has lived the changes you want to make - check
You want someone who wants you to be your best self - check
You want someone who will challenge you to be who you really can be - check
You want someone who can respond to who you are where you stand...

Working with me - Your mindset, your actions and your life will change for the better.
If you are ready - we WILL make the changes
Things DO NOT have to stay the way they are.

For proof -
Go to my website - see the testimonials - see the change in people.
https://markcarolancoaching.com/

I understand - because this was me

Overcommited to your job.
Focused on the wrong things
Always worked this hard - you tell yourself you’ve always done these long hours.

Of course, there's important reasons why you do these hours every night:

• This is how you’ve always worked
• You NEED to do it to get things done.
• No-one else is going to do it for you
• It's expected of you (is it really?)
• It will make tomorrow manageable
• They are a crucial client

Continuing to do what we’ve always done hasn’t worked, and it won’t.

How long have you been saying this?
As a result, what are you missing?

• Your kids growing up
• Your relationship with your partner is in trouble.
• Your health is long gone.
• The hobbies and activities that used to keep you sane don’t exist anymore
• Remember meeting friends!

The question for you is what's at the end of this road you are currently traveling…

What's the result of not getting on top of your workload, in charge of your time management.

I know only too well.
I was heading for a crash more than once down this road.
I pulled back a few times, took charge of different aspects of my life,
But fell too quickly back into old ways.
I had no system to manage things.
I Let the frustrations build right back up again.

Now I do,
And I can help you.
Can you imagine how good it would be to be back in control?

Which of the below is most relevant to you…

Is it worth sacrificing everything for your career?
Is this the life you want to be living?
Are you fulfilling your potential?
Are you being your authentic self?
If you don't change now - are you willing to accept not being happy?

This is what we will solve.
If you wish get on a free zoom consultation call and we can talk about how.

https://calendly.com/markcarolancoaching/30min

Mark Carolan

This is my favourite day of the year… every year.
 
The earth has once more revolved around the sun for 365 ¼ days.. so that means its my bday!
 
And it’s a day I always live for myself.
No work, that’s a prerequisite. 
 
 
Whats in my plans?
🔵 I’ve been to the gym this morning – because that’s who I want to be today and tomorrow.
🔵 Theres a lovely contemplative walk around a headland overlooking the sea that I love to do.
🔵 I’ll get to a book shop – under no time pressure – so much time to find the book I didn’t know I wanted (plus 5 others probably!)
🔵 Off for a pot of tea and brunch and a quick dip into each book before digging into one officially.
🔵 I’ll sneak in a wonderful slow pint of Guinness somewhere.
🔵 Call my mother. Well, it wouldn’t be much of a birthday without her.
🔵 Steak dinner later with the women of my life,
🔵 A chocolate biscuit cake with candles and a cup of tea. (Chocolate biscuit cake has to be the best invention of the past 50 years - the internet running it close)
🔵 And cap the day off with a tremendous glass of good whiskey in front of the fire - 
I'm looking forward to watching the 'train dreams' film just out on Netflix (and Sundance winner) - the book left such an imprint on me when I read it years back - so that might be the indulgence.
 
That for me is a great day.
Will it all happen – potentially
Could not if it happen – it doesn't matter.
I'm open, if something else seems a better option or something comes up well then thats what matter..
 
-------
 
Do you enjoy your birthday.
Many don’t, don’t want to put themselves out there
Feel pressure in it to perform.
Even don’t feel they are worth it.
I know - i've felt it in the past.
But if there is any day you are worth it is your birthday.

If you cannot celebrate yourself and do whatever the hell you want to do on your birthday then when can you?
And that’s what it is 
– celebrating yourself is not running thinking we are great 
– its doing what we want because we want to do it.
 
 
Right I’m off to do exactly that.
Excuse the lack of replies and comments on your posts – I’ll check in at some point!
 
 
#birthday #coaching #bday #celebrateyourself #celebrateyourbirthday #celebration

Time to stop being a passenger in your own life💥 Transformational Coach for busy professionals 💥Life, leadership & executive coach💥Public Speaking coach💥Keynote Speaker💥TEDx 💥Always set my alarm for 6.02 am

This seems like an easy question.. but i'll bet you'll find it hard to answer.... 

Who are you?


Who are you in your job
Who are you in the roles you play
Who are you in your business
Who are you in the mirror each day

Who are you in your quiet moments
Who are you when you perform
Who are you when things are calm
Who are you when there's a storm

Who are you when you wake
Who are you when you can be alone
Who are you in the depths of your soul
Who are you when you finally come home

---

Maybe thats hard to answer,
Because we play so many roles,

Often we lost ourselves in playing the roles..

---

To answer 'who are you' how about we find our way to a better question...
(because there is always a better question)

Does 'who you are' align with 'who you want to be?'

Does who you are capture the essence of the life you want to live

Does who you are allow you to be free...

---

So the truth is that 'who are you' is not as important as:
 'Who are you becoming?'

Thats the question to answer.

And if that person you are becoming is not who you want to be.... 

Then isn't it time to change that?

What about making 2026 about becoming who you really want to be....

Luckily, I specialise in that... 



#whoareyou #conversation #relationship #identity #who

I'm finding it very hard to wear a mustache ironically these days as many men have chosen to wear them unironically outside of Movember... 

So heres a few pictures of myself lookin ridiculous in the past

Whether a mustache is ironic or unironic it shouldn't dilute the intention of Movember and the need for awareness and conversation around mens health.

Lets be straight, everyone of us has issues and challenges and problems in life that sometimes get on top of us
That can become too much

Some of us have healthy coping mechanisms,
Some of us have outlets,
Some of us have people we talk to.

However some of us don't
Some of us bottle everything up.
Ignore physical pains until its a real problem, 
Pretend mental pain doesn't exist.

And I know it is hard putting our hand up,
The fear of judgement,
The fear of shame
The fear of not being strong.

But the truth about 'Manning up' is not it is to ignore the problems and keep going...
Real 'manning up' is dealing with our problems

---

This message is simply to say, its ok not to be ok
But its not ok not to do something about it,

As it leads into a bad place

If you know someone you think might be struggling - check in
Don't just ask them 'how are you'?
Ask them 'how are you really'? and make is safe to allow them answer.

And if you are reading this and know its you - please reach out to someone, anyone, a friend, a family member, a partner, a professional - hey drop me a DM, happy to just chat, and listen.

We are all brothers in this together
We are all better together.

#movember #mustache #menshealth #mensmentalhealth #mentalhealth

When I looked in the mirror I wasn’t happy with who was looking back..



And that wasn’t the worst of it


I saw a someone who was overweight
Someone who was tired
Someone who had no time, for family, for friends and especially for himself
Someone who wasn't where they wanted to be in their career.
Someone who didn’t know what work/life balance was supposed to be
Someone who had too many negative habits
Someone who had lost some confidence in themselves.
Someone who didn’t live their values.
Someone who knew they needed to change things.
Someone who didn’t know how to change things

Someone I didn't know.

And the worst of it?
I had been seeing that person staring back at me , year after year,
Wondering when we were going to begin to make some changes.

That was then.
Changes,
Coaching,
Mindset,
Values,
Action.

Now when I look in the mirror.
I see someone who needs a haircut.

Though I usually wait until my wife and kids frog march me to the barber – mullets are cool on men in their 40s aren’t they!

When you look in the mirror – what does that person looking back at you need you to do?

Do you run from that person...

What if you didn't and you took the time to get to know them.
They have a lot of wisdom to guide our lives the right way...

---

To dig into this topic more - join Puya Delavar and myself today at 12.00 Irish/UK time where we will delve into relationships and most importantly the one with that person in the mirror....

I'm taking over Puya's linkedin live videos and putting him in the hotseat
This promises to be a great learning experience for all..

Join us at 12.00 here - link is below.
Or click attend to get the replay..

#relationship #mirror #mirrors #selfcare #selfawareness

Do you realise that your relationships are the main reason why you might be struggling - and one relationship in particular...

These things appear for so many clients I work with...

How is your relationship to work?
Your relationship to stress?
Your relationship to problems?

Many of us are married to these things - and as a result our other relationships suffer...

Our relationship with our partner and our kids- the stress we bring, the time we don't have
Our relationship with our boss, our colleagues, the team we manage - the blame, the anger, the frustration..

But that most important relationship - the one that guides all others...

That relationship with ourselves.
By marrying to these other things we are often letting ourselves down
Living life to a false identity,
Can we learn to be in relationship to ourselves, and our work, and our family..
Absolutely..

How...

Join Puya Delavar, renowned relationship coach, and myself as I take over his LinkedIn live platform to quiz Puya on what relationships really mean, and his brilliant story of how he learned the importance of the relationship with himself.
Something I can attest to...

Join us Next Wednesday at 12 noon Irish/UK time for what promises to be a lively and informative discussions with key take aways to shift your most important relationship.
Link is below

#relationships

#relationship

What is your favourite phone call to receive?
I got one of mine yesterday.

It was a request, but also proof of a testimonial

The call was from someone looking to organise a speaker for their event in January.

They needed someone to speak to around 600 people, mainly male, at their start of year event.

As a construction company they wanted someone to deliver a session on Mental health and Wellbeing with a male focus.

So why me?

They haven't seen me here on LinkedIn,
They hadn't watched my TEDx talk,

However by chance one of their colleagues was an invited guest by another construction company for whom i was doing a session last month, and wss in atendanfe for that session on 'mental health to mental strength'.
And told the organiser 'you need to bring this guy in'

-----

There are two things I love about this and one is much more important than the other.

I love that he has recomended me in such a fashion.,
That he sees the impact in what i do,
Understands the impact I can have,
And the value I provide,
And is willing to stand over that with the company he works for.

But what I love the most is to see a company providing value in the wellbeing space for their employees,
For demonstrating that they care by taking action.
This matters.
More and more and more.

---

So what are you doing for your people?
What are your company doing for your staff?

Why not make that call I love to get!

----

And a nice segway into today, where at 1.50 PM Chris Hunt and myself will be doing our weekly 10 minute live session to talk about all things employee wellbeing and especially our two online offerings:

Our 6 weeks to success comprehensive wellbeing programme,
&
Our 1% challenge - just 15 mins a day for 5 days - short sharp and high energy making positive change in just 1% of the work day

Two excellent options.

Join us  - link is below
Or drop a DM for more info

#speaker
#emloyeewellbeing
#staffwellbeing 
#wellbeing

What pain do you want in your life?
 
 
Let me rephrase that,
What are you willing to struggle for?
 
Many want an amazing high powered really well paid job – but do we all want to suffer the 60 hour weeks, the high pressure, the corporate politics?
Can we cope with that?
 
We all want amazing relationships – but are we willing to do the hard work, the tough conversations, the hurt feelings to get there?
 
Does happiness requires struggle?
 
You want an insta worthy physique – but are you willing to create the discipline to lift those weights each and every day, or count those calories with every meal – planning your life plate by plate
 
Do you want to start your own business – are you willing to take the risk, deal with the uncertainty, the failures, the doubt, the hours and hours you need to put into it
 
Oftentimes I thought I wanted something – but it turns out I didn’t..
I wanted the reward and not the struggle
I wanted the result and not the process.
I wanted the change but wasn’t willing to work for it.
 
People who enjoy the struggles of a gym are the ones who get in good shape.
People who can cope with long work weeks and the politics of the corporate ladder are the ones who move up it.
People who stop being afraid of change are the ones who do the work to create it..

This is the most simple and basic component of life: 
Our struggles determine our successes. 

Nothing worth having comes easy.

Hard now for an easy later…


What are you willing to struggle for?

Or a better frame..  what are you willing to go through to get what you want?

And how do you make your peace with that...



#struggle #pain #suffer #desires #work #success

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The Battle

Curt Sassak

Mark Carolan

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The Battle

Curt Sassak

Mark Carolan

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Mark Carolan's LinkedIn Performance

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