B.A., Journalism, WVU
Former Adjunct Professor/Publishing M.A. program, NYU
Multiple coaching certifications from CTA, ACE, EMCC and Positive Intelligence
An ICF member coach who serves on the outreach committee and the programming committee of ICF South Florida
Host of the ICF South Florida Coach’s Corner podcast
This is my story
Hello, I’m Eric Goeres. My career started as a production assistant at a PBS documentary studio in Morgantown, WV. Twenty-five years later, I retired as the president of the automotive division of the Motorsport Network, a media company with 30 newsrooms around the world, covering the world of auto racing in 35 languages, and 20 subsidiaries working in video games, e-sports, electric vehicles, stock photography, and sports ticketing. That was my last corporate job, before I walked away on a whim and purchased an ice factory in Miami. And that ice factory was my last foray in business growth and ownership before becoming a coach.
These days, I coach business leaders, innovators, passion-fueled inventors, technology disruptors, product marketers, on projects that they are passionate about. I live in Miami Beach with the love of my life, we spend our off hours swimming in the warm waters, traveling through Europe (by train), relaxing with family in Key West, and staying active and healthy.
Things weren’t always this sunny for me, however. My career has had some pretty dramatic ups and downs. The recessions of 2001 and 2008 both put my businesses into tailspins, and COVID really put me in a precarious situation financially and emotionally at that ice factory. I was in Manhattan on 9/11, and that day was supposed to be the signing ceremony formalizing the selling of my first startup to a big marketing agency. I bought my first house the week that Lehman Brothers collapsed and set off the 2008 housing crisis and the great recession. But the most emotional career swerve was when I was job-eliminated from my dream job of running Esquire and Road & Track magazines in 2013 — nothing personal, just a management shake-up that I am certain I could have survived if I had been working with a coach. In retrospect, I just didn’t play my cards right, manage my blind spots, handle my emotions, realign my priorities, or adjust my course. No coach would have ever let me make the mistakes I made at that point in my career, and I probably could have spent ten more years at a company I love, with people I loved working with, if I had the right support.
But, we persevere. I survived those mishaps and flourished in other ways. I started my own publishing company. I went to work for the publishers of Time Magazine and wound up running the innovation department of Entertainment Weekly. I was part of the leadership team that built an 80-person advertising agency from scratch. And, life moved me from crowded Manhattan to beautiful Miami. See? It all worked out great.
There are two parts to this: avoiding mistakes, and resilience in recovering from mistakes. When you become adept at both of those tasks, you’ve mastered the art of life. And that’s what so much of my coaching practice consists of — helping those I work with master the art of maximizing their potential, looking into their blind spots, taking full stock of their opportunities, beating their obstacles … and bouncing back from mistakes and setbacks (which we call learning opportunities).
You have decades ahead of you. What will become of them? A little secret: Your future is influenceable and predictable. Your feelings, beliefs, and actions today will predict your future. That’s great because you can modify your feelings, beliefs, and actions, and therefore your future is influenceable. That’s the heart of what happens in coaching.
Coaching empowers your influenceable, predictable future. Let’s get to work — why leave everything all to chance?
My Coaching Approach
I’m going to be the second head on your shoulders, your thought partner, accountability structure. I’m going to use everything I’ve learned over the years as a means for you to discover, develop, and grow. You’re the expert in what you do; I’m the expert in making you the best you can be. Together, we can’t fail.
What my clients say
“I had the pleasure of taking career Counseling sessions with Eric at Ama La Vida and I wanna say these sessions were worth the decision. Prior to joining and my first meeting with Eric I was clear about my wants and plans and mentioned the need of having someone who could help guide and direct me with some of the plans I have for the future and make my objectives clear and visible, which throughout the last 3 months I had good progress on them. I will recommend whoever that is interested in joining Ama La Vida to get with Eric or whomever that is suitable for their career or plans to be clear about your want and make sure to reach out to them when in doubt. I thank Ama La Vida team and Eric for their services and wish them the very best.” – Mahmood M.
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“Working with Ama La Vida helped me define my career goal and persevere with the process of certification and job applications.” – Joshua P.
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“Working with Ama La Vida has been hugely helpful for me as someone exploring a career change. The resources and support made a tremendous difference. Thank you, Ama La Vida!” – Talia G.
