About Allyson Carter
Leadership Coaching for HR, Talent, and L&D Leaders
A steady partner who’s sat in your seat.
I didn’t start my career as a coach. I spent 20+ years leading talent, learning, and change work inside organizations—where the stakes are real, the pace is fast, and you’re expected to be the steady one for everyone else.
Why I work with high-performing leaders
I know what it feels like to carry the weight of organizational change. I know the pressure of high-stakes leadership. And I know the moment when you realize you’ve been so busy growing your team that you’ve stalled your own growth.
In 2025, I fully stepped into this practice—but it wasn’t a snap decision. It was a move I had been intentionally designing for years.
Since the early 2020s, I’ve been training with CTI and working with clients alongside my corporate role. But to make the final leap, I did exactly what I ask my clients to do: I hired my own coach. I navigated the fear, the planning, and the identity shift to build the next chapter of my career on my own terms.
I founded Coach for Growth because I know this process works. I am the partner I wish I’d had earlier: steady, experienced, and focused entirely on helping you design what’s next—with clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Co-Active Coaching & Positive Intelligence®
My coaching isn't about giving you advice from a textbook.
It’s about helping you clear the mental clutter so you can make decisions that stick.
My approach combines two powerful frameworks:
- The Co-Active Model: We work with the whole person. You’re not just a leader—you’re a human balancing work, life, identity, and purpose. We address all of it, with practical forward motion.
- Positive Intelligence® (PQ): Most stress and stuckness comes from predictable patterns—your internal “Saboteurs.” PQ® tools help you build mental fitness so you can respond with more clarity and less reactivity, especially under pressure.
Beyond the Resume
Growth is in my DNA. I come from a family of teachers, and I learned early how much the right support can change someone’s trajectory.
I’m based in the Chicago suburbs with my husband, Jim, our two daughters, and a full house of pets. Off the clock, you’ll find me outside whenever I can—Lake Michigan bike rides, sunsets, and cheering on Penn State football (and my daughter’s water polo).