The Journey Here

Portrait of Scott Robson in a circular frame with botanical illustrations in the background.

My introduction to meditation came at eight years old when my best friend’s mother (a beacon of calm at a chaotic time in my life) taught us how to slow our hyperactive minds after keeping her up all night during a rowdy, Nintendo-fueled sleepover.

She was someone whose kitchen table was always stacked with new books, like Sark’s handwritten tomes and the classic, "Women Who Run with the Wolves."

And, if we wanted extra money to buy ice cream on a humid summer day, well, we first had to look in the mirror and say something kind to ourselves beforehand as payment.

These moments sowed important seeds, offering a rare sense of something truly right and good amidst those difficult years of navigating my mother's struggle with substance abuse.

Scott Robson as a child sitting on woven lawn chair wearing a blue and red shirt, smiling outdoors.

Simple gold circle frame on light background.

Our personalities haven’t changed much since 1986...

Three kids in the 1980s posing for the camera outside in a backyard.

Born as the middle child of three, I held several roles: peacemaker and artist among them. All the while, self-development slowly became more of a lifeline as I became older: I devoured The Celestine Prophecy, The Alchemist, and various Buddhist philosophies throughout my early years in middle and high school.

When it came to college, Pratt Institute in Brooklyn became my new and intellectually engaging “home away from home.” My family had a rich history of art and design and so this wonderful university allowed me my chance to see what I could make of that tradition.

This dichotomy between design and inner-work, the analytical versus the empathetic, was a theme early on. It would take me many more years to see how they could coalesce.

Post-college, I landed in magazine publishing, where late nights were spent meeting unending printer deadlines. I stumbled through early relationships, discovered self-development workshops, and also completed my first coaching trainings, which opened me up to novel new tools to work with my mind. I remember thinking, “How had I missed learning these critical skills? Why hadn’t I been taught them?”

Those early trainings left a lasting mark.

Line drawing of an open flip phone with a keypad and screen.

And then in 2007 my life was suddenly upended.

First, a gut-wrenching phone call in the kitchen of my Brooklyn apartment from my sister, delivering the sudden and unexpected news of our stepfather's passing. Then, just one month later, another call, informing me of my mother's battle lost to cancer at the young age of 52.

The upheaval left me gasping for stability in a moment that felt hollow and frozen. I was absolutely furious at the unfairness of it.

What followed were years of paradox: days filled with heaps of responsibility, managing a team and designing countless magazine pages, contrasted with nights lost staying out until the early hours and the subsequent morning's hangover, fraught with embarrassment.

At the time, it felt like an earned escape from the stress: karaoke, hole-in-the-wall bars in Tribeca, laughing with coworkers and friends past 2am. In the office I leaned into people pleasing and overworking to keep myself feeling safe in a print industry facing relentless and merciless layoffs.

One day, head in my hands at my desk, I confronted the elephant in the room:
I was stagnant and in crisis.

Change was long overdue, but I hadn’t the faintest clue where to start.

Historic brownstone buildings with ornate architectural details, a lit vintage street lamp in the foreground, and greenery on the sidewalk.

A cardboard box on a wooden table with books in the background.

Sensing this, a close friend gifted me a session with a world-famous medium (yes, really). Upon getting onto the call, skepticism quickly mixed with hope as she revealed specific, jaw-dropping details that I couldn’t explain. I was sure I was being duped, but no: these were personal moments only known to my siblings and I. And then unexpectedly toward the end, she foretold of a career shift.

A new job? Sure, count me in. But, I had absolutely no intention of changing careers entirely — I had paid too dearly for it.

However, within six months, I had given my notice.

In a moment of clarity, I had looked back at the fulfilling moments in my life where I felt most myself, and they were absolutely not when a luxury magazine was being printed.

What kept coming to mind was the work I had done fifteen years earlier when I had first trained as a coach. Continuing on that path felt like forward movement, so I knew it was time to return to my roots.

I started freelancing while gradually building my coaching practice.

I focused on obtaining certifications, crafting one-on-one programs, and eventually transitioned to full-time coach. A second coaching certification followed, as well as a podcast, group programs, and facilitating in a coaching certification program.

Personally, I married my partner and in seeking a change, we moved to the mountains of Topanga Canyon in California.

Botanical illustration of a leafy plant with small clusters of flowers on a green background.

Over ten years later, and this work has provided me with deep healing.

Scott Robson with short hair and stubble wearing a blue shirt, sitting indoors near a window with trees outside.

It has split me open and gifted me profound compassion for myself and for others.

Focusing on entrepreneurs felt natural; their commitment to impact resonated thoroughly. I believe the world needs as many individuals dedicated to manifesting their vision on a grand scale as is possible.

And, this appreciation directly shaped my coaching approach. I don’t believe, as entrepreneurs, that we can improve our businesses without acknowledging who we are in all areas of our life. Nor can we consistently deny and reframe our thoughts to become someone else.

Instead, my approach delves into the root causes hindering your growth that are preventing you from standing tall, taking up space, and making forward movement. I encourage you to explore actions that gently expand what feels possible for you.

Embracing this method allows my clients to experiment and discover a new understanding of themselves and their capabilities. Soon enough, they’re taking on new, meaningful actions and not looking back.

Life becomes something different; it becomes more fully their own.