Coaching Success Stories

Have you ever blamed yourself for a challenge that wasn’t entirely your fault? 

According to Jac Cantos, Onboarding Manager and Service Leader at GR8 Global, professional struggles are rarely caused by a lack of talent alone. Often, the real barriers are fear, uncertainty, communication gaps, or a lack of confidence. Through coaching, those obstacles can become opportunities for growth. 

Jac serves as a bridge between accounting professionals and the U.S. CPA firms they support, ensuring employees have what they need to succeed while maintaining strong client relationships. Much of his work centers on people development. 

“When an employee is struggling, I step in to coach, support, and help them find their footing. I don’t just manage placements. I genuinely invest in the people behind them.” 

To illustrate the impact of coaching, Jac shared three success stories involving employees who faced very different challenges but achieved similar outcomes: renewed confidence, stronger performance, and improved client trust. 

 

The Challenges 

 

Employee A: Confidence Undermined by Fear 

Employee A was a tenured professional with three years of experience and a strong performance history. Yet her supervisor began noticing recurring errors, frequent escalations, and declining confidence. 

When Jac investigated, he discovered the issue wasn’t capability. It was fear. She had become so worried about making mistakes that she constantly second-guessed herself, creating the very errors she was trying to avoid. A management transition and increased workload had only added to the pressure. 

 

Employee B: Struggling in Silence 

Employee B, a newer Accounting Specialist, raised concerns when he spent approximately 57 hours on an engagement budgeted for seven hours. 

The problem wasn’t effort. He was working hard but did not know when to ask for help. Rather than seeking guidance, he spent hours trying to solve problems independently, often remaining stuck instead of raising questions early. 

 

Employee C: The Visibility Gap 

Employee C’s challenge was entirely different. Her client noticed that her logged hours consistently fell below expectations. 

Further discussion revealed she was often completing tasks efficiently but wasn’t communicating availability or requesting additional work. It wasn’t a performance issue. It was a visibility issue. The client simply couldn’t see what she was accomplishing. 

Although the situations differed, they shared one common theme: the root causes were hidden beneath the surface. 

 

The Coaching Strategy 

 

Jac believes effective coaching starts with understanding before advising. 

“The first thing I always do is listen before I act. If you skip the listening, you’ll solve the wrong problem.” 

 

Helping Employee A Rebuild Trust 

For Employee A, coaching focused on confidence and communication. 

Through conversations with both the employee and supervisor, Jac identified cultural influences that contributed to her hesitation. Rather than proposing solutions, she often deferred to authority figures because she feared being wrong. 

The coaching plan included: 

• Drafting proposed solutions before escalating issues 

• Using checklists to reduce uncertainty 

• Maintaining a personal learning log 

• Strengthening trust between employee and supervisor 

Just as importantly, Jac coached both sides of the relationship to improve communication and mutual understanding. 

 

Helping Employee B Ask for Help Earlier 

Employee B’s coaching plan was more structured and operational. 

Working alongside the client’s manager, Jac helped implement: 

• Engagement planning procedures 

• Budget checkpoints 

• Reviews of prior-year workpapers 

• Daily progress updates 

• A clear expectation to seek help after 20 to 25 minutes of being stuck 

Once Employee B understood the business impact of working through confusion alone, his behavior began to change. 

 

Helping Employee C Improve Professional Presence 

Employee C’s coaching focused on visibility in a remote environment. 

Jac worked with her to: 

• Communicate availability proactively 

• Provide regular updates 

• Distribute tasks more effectively throughout the day 

• Maintain stronger communication with managers 

Weekly check-ins created accountability and ensured issues could be addressed early. 

 

The Results 

 

Employee A: Fear Becomes Confidence 

The most significant change came after an honest conversation between Employee A and her supervisor. 

For the first time, she no longer felt afraid to reach out for support. 

Her mindset shifted from: 

“Can you help me with this?” 

to 

“This is what I’m seeing, this is what I’ve reviewed, and this is my recommendation.” 

Her supervisor described the transformation as a major improvement. Errors decreased, communication strengthened, and confidence returned. 

 

Employee B: Accountability Leads to Growth 

During a 60-day extension period, Employee B improved across every performance category, including communication, initiative, job knowledge, quality of work, and problem-solving. 

What impressed Jac most was the employee’s own self-reflection. He openly acknowledged his early mistakes, accepted accountability, and demonstrated growth. 

By the end of the review period, he successfully earned regular employment status. 

 

Employee C: Rebuilding Trust 

Just a few months after concerns were raised, Employee C’s client reported significant improvement. 

She consistently met deadlines, communicated proactively, and maintained stronger engagement with the client team. 

Most importantly, a client relationship that had once been at risk was fully restored. 

 

The Client Impact 

These coaching wins were about more than employee development. 

Each success story produced meaningful outcomes for clients and the business. 

Employee A remained a valued member of her client team, helping preserve years of institutional knowledge. 

Employee B transformed from a struggling new hire into a long-term investment for the client. 

Employee C rebuilt trust with a client who had previously raised serious concerns, strengthening an important business relationship. 

In every case, coaching helped retain talent, improve service delivery, and create better outcomes for both employees and clients. 

 

The Leadership Philosophy Behind the Success 

 

When asked what makes a great coach and leader, Jac highlighted three qualities. 

 

1. Curiosity 

Before solving a problem, coaches must understand why it exists. 

“Employee A’s challenge was fear. Employee B’s was reluctance to ask for help. Employee C’s was a lack of understanding around visibility in a remote environment. Same symptoms, different causes.” 

 

2. Cultural Intelligence 

Because Jac works closely with Filipino professionals and U.S.-based managers, understanding cultural differences is essential. 

What may appear to be a lack of initiative from one perspective may actually be respect for authority from another. Effective coaching builds understanding between both sides. 

 

3. Honesty Paired with Care 

Constructive feedback must be truthful, but it should always come from a place of support. 

“If people don’t trust that you’re in their corner, nothing you say will land.” 

 

The Most Rewarding Part of Coaching 

 

For Jac, the most rewarding moments are not when he solves a problem. They are when employees discover their own ability to overcome it. 

With Employee A, it was the moment fear gave way to confidence. 

With Employee B, it was seeing him take full ownership of his early struggles. 

With Employee C, it was hearing a once-concerned client say they were “extremely happy” with her performance. 

“What ties all three together is that I didn’t fix anything. The employees chose to show up differently. My job was to provide the structure, support, and belief that it was possible.” 

 

Advice for Career Growth 

 

If Jac could offer one piece of career advice, it would be simple: 

Ask for help sooner than feels comfortable. 

All three employees struggled because they tried to solve challenges alone for too long. 

The turning point came when they became honest about where they were, communicated openly, and sought support. 

“That’s not a weakness. That’s professionalism.” 

The professionals who grow fastest are not the ones who know everything. They are the ones who ask questions, share their thinking, and seek guidance before small issues become large ones. 

 

The coaching success stories shared by Jac Cantos demonstrate that effective coaching is about more than improving performance. It is about helping people build confidence, strengthen communication, develop self-awareness, and reach their full potential. 

Employee A learned to trust herself. Employee B learned the value of asking for help early. Employee C learned how visibility and communication build trust in remote work. 

Their journeys were different, but each transformation began the same way: with support, openness, and a willingness to grow. 

At GR8 Global, coaching is more than improving performance. It’s about empowering people to reach their potential while fostering stronger partnerships with clients. As Jac reminds us, the most meaningful transformations happen when employees stop seeing challenges as signs of failure and start viewing them as opportunities to grow.