Spotlight: Edy Nash

1 - Where are you from, and how did you choose to live in Middle Tennessee?

I grew up in Birmingham, AL, and Roswell, New Mexico (my dad was in the Air Force). As the wife of a career Army officer, I lived in lots of places across the US, from Maryland to Louisiana to New Mexico. I came to Nashville to join the Training and Development Department at Service Merchandise Company.  After building our current home in Brentwood, we made our 17th (and last) move!

2 - What is your professional background, and why did you become a coach?

I taught communication skills at the university level before becoming a corporate trainer. I began my corporate career writing training manuals for retail store department managers. After a few years, I became a manager and eventually progressed to become VP for Training & Development. I left the corporate arena in 2000 and founded a management and leadership development firm.  As I worked with corporate clients, I began to see a mutually supportive relationship between training and coaching and decided to enroll in a coach training program.  Almost immediately, I was hooked! I loved coaching, and I loved the cohort of coaches I was learning with them. Since 2008, I have delivered leadership coaching and training to client organizations in a wide variety of industries.

3 - How did you choose your specialty area?

After spending 14 years working in corporate training and development with managers and leaders, continuing to work with corporate clients seemed the obvious choice. It’s where I feel most at home and where I believe I can have the most significant impact. Working with corporate clients has required my continuous development as a coach.  I’ve completed more than 500 hours of coach training, the most recent program being WBECS’s Foundations of Great Coaching.

4 - What are the greatest challenges and greatest rewards of your career?

For the last few years, I’ve trained and coached more leadership teams. Helping a team of individual high performers become a cohesive and high-performing team is gratifying. Helping leaders (especially women leaders) navigate the ups and downs of corporate life—especially corporate politics—can be a challenge.

5 - What is something that most ICFTN members would be surprised to learn about you?

Long ago and far away in another life, I was a jazz singer.

6 - How do you enjoy spending your free time?

Anyone who has a grandchild will know the answer to this question. Cooking with Daniel, reading with Daniel, playing with Daniel, playing with Daniel, watching Daniel grow!