I will try to provide you a brief history of the coaching profession, the coaching process we follow at The Coach Connection, and the coaching industry, and where they are today. I am not a historian nor am I trying to be. I have relied on the doctorial Dissertation by Vikki Brock dated May 2008 entitled: "Grounded Theory of the Roots and Emergence of Coaching," to provide much of the historical data for this section, as well as my many conversations with Thom Politico, my personal coach and cofounder of The Coach Connection, and my own direct knowledge, and experience. Thom Politico was one of Thomas Leonard's early clients. Thom also worked with Thomas teaching many of the Coach U classes for three years.

Vikki's dissertation is a very recent and complete description of the roots and development of coaching. She referenced considerable literature and many personal contacts, which I also referenced. Her dissertation and my personal experiences and knowledge converge to show that I believe that Thomas Leonard was the principal architect and driving force behind defining, documenting, training, and popularizing the coaching process and coaching industry as we know it today. Thomas, as he preferred to be called, began crystallizing the personal coaching processes sometime between 1990 and 1992. I offer this short history description as a basis for your understanding that this coaching process has a real life and real people behind it.