Inner Work.
Outer Transformation.

Coaching that helps drive change

Three decades in Marketing and Product. Ten years in the C-Suite. Seven thousand hours of silence.
I help executives find the clarity that competence alone can’t buy
and lead with the kind of presence that can’t be faked.

About Me

I work with people operating in high-stakes environments—where how you show up matters as much as what you deliver.

Yes, we focus on the moments that count:
navigating conflict, managing anxiety, leading hard conversations, building trust and making clear, confident decisions under pressure.

But we don’t stop there.

Because the truth is—how you lead externally is shaped by what’s happening internally.

Together, we build the clarity, self-awareness, and presence that allow you to lead with grace and depth—so your impact isn’t just effective, but connective.

This work is practical and emotional. Rigorous. And deeply transformative.

Because you’re not just here to succeed.

You’re here to live and lead in a way that actually matters.

Cari Jacobs-Crovetto spent three decades in corporate roles, from Fortune 100s to startups. In 2019, she was named one of the Top 50 Chief Marketing Officers by Forbes. Despite professional success, she felt unfulfilled and began pursuing personal growth. At 30, she started studying meditation and mindfulness and by 40, she had completed 5000 hours of silent sitting and three months of silence in India.

In 2020, Cari left the corporate world to found Brave Directions, a company focused on transforming lives, careers, and organizations. She empowers high-achieving individuals and teams to turn pain into power, patterns into purpose, and uncertainty into breakthroughs.

Cari also coaches MBA students in Stanford's Interpersonal Dynamics course, known as “Touchy Feely.” Guided by her personal mantra, Fierce Heart, she embodies the belief that compassion is key to personal transformation.

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Book Time With Cari

Managing Difficult Relationships

We get to the root of difficult dynamics with a boss, peer or partner, not just the surface conflict, and build skills to navigate it with precision, authority and grace. You will practice the “intent and impact” model, proven to reduce friction and build connection.

Delivering &
Receiving Feedback

We work on delivering and receiving feedback with clarity and care, and how to build psychological safety where honest dialogue happens naturally and regularly. Not just at reviews time. We help you and your time become high functioning and productive.

Building Self-Awareness, Presence & Authority

We build a path to power and influence through presence, trust and confidence that doesn’t depend on your title. It comes from knowing your inner landscape, tapping into untapped potential and finding authentic self worth in times where we risk destabilization, like high stakes meetings.

Anxiety, Burnout
& Overwhelm

Anxiety can be crippling, at work and at home. Together, we work with proven exercises and frameworks to help bring immediate ease and longer term training to help you set boundaries, manage more with less output, and let go.

Interpersonal &
Team Dynamics

Team, stakeholder and board level dynamics depend largely how well you know yourself. Learn how to listen, understand and navigate how you show up, how others experience you, and how you skillfully manage one:one and group level dynamics.

Career Confusion, Clarity & Shifts

Whether you are thinking of making a change to a new organization, an all out career
shift or a second chapter, we
will unpack what you value
and need most, and what
brings you more meaning, joy, reward and purpose.

From the Room, Not the Resume

“Cari has been integral in helping me find a management style and cadence that works for our stage and company. Her approach blends traditional coaching, strategic business methods, and spiritual practices (e.g. mindfulness, love, and kindness) which has elevated me as a founder and human. If you are seeking a coach who will help you evolve exponentially—Cari is for you.”
"Cari is a fantastic coach and I would recommend her to anyone looking for support and guidance during a particularly challenging time at work. Cari gave me clarity and practical advice as to how to tackle a tough situation in a way that left me feeling empowered and confident. Her honest and straight forward approach as well as her "let's focus on the things we can change" advice really makes her stand out."
“Cari is extremely insightful on both a personal and professional level. She's able to get to the source, making it easy to identify problems and overcome them. I'm incredibly grateful to Cari for her wisdom and the tools she's provided our small team so that we're able to grow.”
“Cari has had a transformative effect on my management style. She asks the perfect questions and gives tailored advice to really dig deep into the heart of the issue. Highly recommended!”
“Working with Cari was instrumental to further developing a critical and important EQ skill of mine. She quickly assessed my issue and gave me actionable advice that worked and continues to do so, all in the space of an hour.”
“She’s lovely and truly the nicest person. Her advice is so well-directed and communicated, she’s really helped me make immense progress on developing my leadership skills with my team.”
“We have engaging dialogue that pushes me out of my comfort zone and shows me new perspective and areas for growth. I’m very impressed with Cari’s ability to listen and provide valuable insights. She is very attuned with her clients.”
“As one of the founding members of a startup, I've been in a constant state of ambiguity and discomfort for the better part of the past 4 years. Cari has guided me through all of it, empowering me with the tools, strategies, and support to not only survive, but come out of it a more confident and effective leader. More importantly, Cari has helped me to become a stronger person, challenging me to always dig a layer (or two) deeper when faced with challenging situations. Cari has made me a more thoughtful, accepting, and resilient human - I hope to be able to pay it forward in my lifetime.”
"Cari is a rare combination of executive and mindful; our work together has ranged all the way from designing my marketing team's org chart for growth to going deep on meditation and practices to stay dropped in on even the busiest of days. She creates a safe and productive space for me to shine a light on challenges that I would never be able to talk about with coworkers so I can get peace and clarity on things I would otherwise have brushed under the rug to fester."
"Cari is a fantastic coach and I would recommend her to anyone looking for support and guidance during a particularly challenging time at work. Cari gave me clarity and practical advice as to how to tackle a tough situation in a way that left me feeling empowered and confident. Her honest and straight forward approach as well as her ‘let's focus on the things we can change’ advice really makes her stand out.”
"I had the privilege of having Cari facilitate an in-person, full-day workshop with my team of twenty-five marketers where we designed our team manifesto and mapped out our entire customer journey, which created tremendous clarity on the most impactful priorities for our team in the future. My team is stronger, more connected, and more fulfilled because of it."
“Cari is fabulous. Great listener -- by end of our first session she quickly absorbed exactly where I am in my life/career. She is personable and seems authentic. I'm excited to have her as a coach.”
“Cari has incredibly high EQ and really takes the time to understand who she is coaching. I also really appreciate how she took into account my natural leadership style when offering coaching advice.”
“I always look forward to my conversations with Cari. She provides a unique balance of careful listening and sharing her wealth of experience and ideas. Her style and method are very effective, helping me to refocus my energies and set some major goals in my busy life.”
“In addition to being a wonderful person, Cari is a fantastic coach. She’s personally invested in your success and gets under the hood to understand what is driving behaviors and decisions, which has helped me become a more self-aware and effective leader.”

The Latest From Me

A Sacred Pause

You Are Invited on Retreat

This retreat is an invitation to pause. Not to step away from life — but to return to the center of it. To remember who you are beneath the roles, the striving and the noise.

Learn More & Register

Finding Treasures in the Trash

Podcast Series

A podcast for high-achieving, soul-seeking humans ready to transform life’s toughest moments into their greatest breakthroughs. Here, we don’t just navigate pain—we alchemize it into power.

Listen To Podcast

Monday Night Meditation

Weekly Class

Meditation curious? Live in the SF Bay Area? Join me every Monday evening at 7:30 for a candlelight meditation class where you will learn to connect with your nervous system, identify your inner landscape and make better personal and interpersonal choices on your way to finding your true purpose.

Inner Work.
Outer Transformation.