Nicole Barbano | Coaching for the Work That Moves You Forward
Coaching designed to help you think clearly, act decisively, and move forward with purpose.
Meet Nicole Barbano
Welcome to Nicole Barbano Executive & Corporate Coaching — a focused practice within Hunter Ambrose International, dedicated to high-performing professionals, founders, and executives.
Rooted in nearly two decades of leadership strategy and executive search, this coaching approach brings clarity, accountability, and forward momentum to individuals and teams navigating growth and transformation.
Whether you're stepping into greater leadership, building a legacy, or realigning your work with your values — this is coaching built to move you forward.
Executive • Corporate • Performance Coaching
Where Strategy Meets Action. Let’s Raise the Bar.
You’re accomplished. Capable. And feeling the pressure to do more—or do it differently.
Work is changing fast. Expectations are higher, demands are constant, and what once felt clear may now feel uncertain. You might be looking for more purpose, a sense of satisfaction, a new trajectory—or clarity on what great looks like where you are.
If that’s where you find yourself, welcome.
I’m Nicole Barbano, Founder of Hunter Ambrose International and Executive Coach to leaders, founders, and professionals who are ready to think more clearly, lead more effectively, and move forward with purpose.
For more than two decades, I’ve built and sold businesses, placed thousands of executives, and coached professionals across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the U.K.—from rural hospitals to Fortune 1000 companies.
My coaching is direct, strategic, and grounded in real-world experience. Together, we’ll clarify what matters most, strengthen your confidence, and build the structure and discipline that drive momentum.
I’m originally from California and have lived in vibrant cities across North America—from San Francisco and Chicago to Seattle, San Diego, and Puerto Vallarta. Today, I live in Kansas City, Missouri, with my husband, and we have three grown children pursuing their own paths.
Coaching isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about refining how you lead, decide, and grow in the work—and life—that matter most.
Let’s raise the bar. Let’s get to work.
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Start Here: The 4F Method
Before we build anything professionally, we start with you. The 4F Method — Putting Yourself First through Fitness, Finances, and Family — is the foundation of my coaching work. It’s designed to help you take inventory of what supports you, what drains you, and what needs to evolve in order to lead well and live well.
This isn’t about work-life balance in theory — it’s about real alignment. When your foundation is strong, your clarity sharpens. When you’re clear, you lead with conviction. We use the 4F Method to ground your goals in the realities of your life, so you can pursue the next chapter of your career, growth, or leadership journey without burning out or losing sight of what matters.
The 4F Method is the foundation of Nicole’s coaching practice. Successful, sustainable professional growth is short-term without a 4F approach.
First, Fitness, Finances, and Family.
It’s how we align what matters personally with where you’re going professionally — so you’re not just growing, you’re thriving.
First - Putting yourself first isn’t selfish. It’s the most responsible thing you can do to show up, engage fully, and perform consistently — for your team, your family, and your future. And often, putting yourself first means doing the things we’d rather avoid: getting enough sleep, setting boundaries, organizing your environment, and taking ownership of your life instead of letting it run you over.
Fitness comes next — not as a number on a scale, but as a foundation of presence, energy, and clarity. How you move your body in the first ten minutes of your day, how you nourish it, and how you tend to your emotional health — these choices don’t just impact your health. They impact how you lead, think, and recover.
Finances come before family because you can’t be present for the people you love if you’re quietly distracted or overwhelmed by money. Most adults don’t know their basic numbers — bank balances, available credit, debt-to-income ratio, and retirement savings. That lack of clarity robs us of time, presence, and power. Financial awareness isn’t about wealth. It’s about stability, ownership, and choice. Imagine taking a trip with your family, knowing everything was saved, planned, and prepared — and knowing you won’t dread the bill when you get back. That’s peace of mind. That’s leadership at home.
And finally, Family. The people we love, raise, support, or choose — they’re the reason we show up. When your health is aligned, your finances are steady, and your focus is clear, the time you spend with your family becomes richer, deeper, and more intentional. This is what it means to lead a life on purpose.
And to achieve the professional goals you dream of, and have the determination to achieve.