Starbuck&Associates Reviews 

A great team with good insights. The lectures inspired a lot of discussion with input from a lot of different perspectives.

Recommend. Personable approachable people, full of ideas on how to turn thoughts into actions.

I recently completed the NED Program with Starbuck Associates and it was an extremely valuable and thought provoking experience.

The program goes well beyond the theory of board membership. It provides a practical understanding of what it truly means to operate effectively as a Non-Executive Director from governance, fiduciary responsibilities and board dynamics to strategic oversight, constructive challenge, risk, decision making and the relationship between the Board and executive leadership.

The program has strengthened my understanding of effective governance and given me greater clarity and confidence as I continue developing my journey toward NED and Board Advisory roles.

A highly worthwhile program for senior executives and leaders who are serious about preparing themselves for meaningful board responsibilities.

I have recently completed the 6 week NED programme and it has been invaluable. The programme content and practical insights along with the connections on the programme have been amazing. The added service of CV writing was so helpful when applying for my first NED role. Thanks to Paul, Selina, Paige, Zoe and Ronnie.

Over the past few months I have attended both the introductory NED programme and Starbuck’s Executive Coaching programme. I have found both highly professional, interesting and valuable. Paul and team ensure engagement and by educating in a group they facilitate useful networking and a collaborative approach to learning. Paul is hugely experienced and has a natural relaxed style that worked really well for me.

Highly recommend starbuck, having spoken to Paige when I was at a crossroad in my career she provided me with an actionable plan to help me pivot my way through my next move and guide me into not making a cut throat decision.
My coaching sessions with Paige have enabled me to make a clear path for my next move and having a clearer understanding on NED positions.

Working with Paul as my executive coach during the first half of 2026 has been genuinely transformational. Paul possesses a rare gift for asking precisely the right questions at the right moments; questions that challenge assumptions, unlock new perspectives, and drive meaningful self-discovery.

His coaching approach is both engaging and deeply thought-provoking. Rather than providing answers, Paul empowered me to find my own, accelerating my maturity as a leader and significantly enhancing my executive readiness. Each session left me with actionable insights and renewed confidence to tackle the complexities of senior leadership.

What sets Paul apart is his unique blend of professionalism, personability, and genuine investment in his clients' success. He creates a safe, supportive environment where vulnerability becomes a strength and growth feels both natural and achievable.

Paul has fundamentally prepared me for the next stage of my career, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. If you're seeking a coach who will challenge you, support you, and ultimately transform your leadership capabilities, Paul is exceptional.

Recently completed the 6 week NED Career Transition Programme. 6 90 minute sessions from Paul once a week were highly informative with good input and content and a great opportunity to network with other attendees at different places in their own NED journey. The course materials were good, I also had the NED CV writing add on and Ronnie has done a fantastic job with NED specific documentation and LinkedIn content. Don't expect Paul to sugar coat what it takes to be a good NED and even get your first role, challenging and thought provoking and really worthwhile.

It's a great course. 90 mins each week is about the right time. Good documentation and well thought out sections.
Practical plan at the end and a real insight in to the NED role.

Working with Starbuck & Associates has been a genuinely positive experience. Their collaborative approach, insight and ability to understand our organisation helped us develop a marketing playbook that is both practical and aligned to our goals. Zoe took the time to listen, challenge our thinking where needed, and create a final product that will support our work for years to come. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to other organisations looking for strategic marketing support.

Having never completed external coaching before, Paul successfully built good rapport early to ensure good connections were built before we started with specific coaching for myself.

From that base, Paul used a successful mix of business models, but crucially supplemented that thinking with his own personal experience to also guide. Having been in a connected industry in the past, this really helped me consider approaches from a different mindset. Paul also very successfully struck the balance between me leading the thinking vs his advice directly.

A big thank you again Paul. I've noticed a considerable difference in my skillset of leading with impact, clarity of personal brand and ability to cut through bigger strategic problem statements into workable streams.

I chose Starbuck for my coach mentoring to help me improve my practice as a leadership coach, and support my upgrade portfolio for PCC.

I very much enjoyed and benefitted from working with Paul. He freely shared his wealth of experience as a coach and business owner, tuned into what I wanted from each session, and ensured I was clear about ICF PCC and MCC markers. Given the ICF markers were just changing at the time, I really appreciated him being up to date and ensuring I was able to clearly understand the new markers and meanings of those.

I particularly liked his informal style, insightful questions and personable approach, grounded in credible expertise and professionalism. I highly recommend him for coach training or mentoring.

Thanks to Starbuck & Associates for exceptional coaching, I now have the grounding and focus to kick start my new business. Having already completed their superb NED course, I cannot recommend them highly enough. A special thanks to Paige for her continued advice, generosity and exceptional energy, and invaluable network. It’s made a significant, tangiable impact on my career development and future options.

The course is well-paced and expertly delivered by Paul and his team. It shows you how to maximise your chances of getting a NED role by setting up a plan that covers a number of key areas. I would personally have liked more instruction on core skills needed when in the role, such as legal aspects and governance. However, I recommend the course for it's clear message, plus you get to meet a group of like-minded people and share tips and stories.

Paul was a fantastic coach. Great challenge, support and questioning. I've come a long way working with him and would strongly recommend.

I've just competed the excellent NED course with Paul and Paige. It is very targeted and aims to provide practical and immediate tips for anyone willing to transition to a NED role in the short-term.
Paige has also been really helpful after the course has finished to help bring the key outputs of the course alive.

Took the 6 week NED course. Paige was and has been a great source of encouragement and explanation. Despite the course ending she has remained in touch and continues to offer valuable advice. The course run by Paul was enlightening and helped explain key elements of being an NED and the interaction with Boards in that capacity.

Took the 6 Week NED course led by Paul Starbuck, some great insights and an excellent workbook to help me better prepare for future NED roles.

Brought to life the challenges and made what could have been a very dry topic into something that was much more enjoyable.

I worked with Paul as my coach over a two-year period, and it completely changed how I turn up at work. We worked through challenging situations such as navigating workplace politics and handling difficult colleagues. The coaching was practical, supportive, and had a lasting impact on my confidence and effectiveness.

I recently completed the ICF ACC programme, and the reason I chose The Coaching Craft was because I am neurodivergent and traditional essay-based learning has never been a strong fit for me.
I found the programme to be insightful and highly practical, particularly in how it supports working with people in real coaching situations, rather than focusing purely on theory.
Paul and Liz bring very different perspectives to coaching, they’re chalk and cheese in the best possible way, but together those differences complement each other and create a really effective learning experience. Their combined approach made the programme engaging, balanced, and genuinely impactful.