Jeff Nikkel
Trailhead Coaching’s founder has a passion for helping executives and business owners thrive. He loves working with successful leaders who are hungry for more – more success, more freedom, more impact, more joy. He is an authentic person, a skilled listener, a passionate encourager, an honest truth-teller, a trusted guide, and a humble fellow-traveler, uniquely gifted to help men and women come alive, identify root issues, and walk courageously toward greater success in business and in life.
He has been married to Lianne for 25 years and has three wonderful children – Garrett (who recently married the lovely and talented Ellen), Alison and Ashley.
When Jeff isn’t coaching, he loves to read, fly-fish, golf, hunt, hike, watch movies, and enjoy time with his family.
Jeff’s Work History
Jeff’s career began as a Bank Examiner with the FDIC. In that role, he conducted over 100 financial institution examinations, assessing the strength of the bank’s management team, capital adequacy, asset quality, earnings, liquidity, and overall risk profile. He specialized in commercial lending and also taught financial analysis in Washington D.C.
After eight years, he moved into the private sector, where he oversaw the credit and loan review function for a group of five mid-size banks.
Sensing a call to work more closely with students, and driven by a curiosity for how people grow, he then pursued a Master’s Degree at Denver Seminary.
Since that time, Jeff has been involved in writing, speaking, helping students, serving various churches, and most recently, founding Trailhead Coaching in 2012. All along the way, he’s been passionate about helping others grow, living wholehearted, courageous lives. His 25 years as an executive, a pastor, and a coach make him uniquely suited for this position.
Curtis Strauss
Curtis brings more than 30 years of management and leadership experience to Trailhead Coaching. For the last two decades he has served Fortune 500 companies in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries, holding various management and executive roles. His career has taken him around the world, holding down leadership positions both nationally and also in Canada, Russia, and the Netherlands. Together, these experiences give Curtis a wealth of executive leadership and strategic organizational experience.
As an executive coach, Curtis brings a strong executive presence. Clients experience him as sincere, warm, and authentic, someone who genuinely cares and listens well. At the same time, Curtis is a truth-teller, not afraid to challenge people or engage in difficult conversations necessary for a client’s growth.
Curtis has a passion for helping people grow, throughout his career finding himself coaching, mentoring, and developing leaders, both formally and informally. Sixteen years ago, he created a leadership development program, which he has now taught numerous times in three different countries on two different continents.
He graduated in 2012 from George Fox University, in Portland, OR, with a Masters degree in leadership. Most recently, Curtis completed a six-month long “Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance” program at Rutgers University. This course is certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is part of Rutgers’ Executive Education Program.
Curtis currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Regents at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and also serves on the Board of Trustees at George Fox University. He also is an Adjunct Professor at Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS, teaching Business Ethics in Tabor’s Masters program.
Curtis has 4 wonderful kids and three awesome grandchildren. When he is not working you can find him on the golf course, at the gym, skiing or fueling his passion for construction by building just about anything!
Blake Buhrman
Blake’s passion is centered on helping professionals live and lead well. He loves engaging highly successful professionals, who are hungry to experience life to the fullest, both personally and professionally. Blake is genuine, authentic, and wise – a gifted listener who helps men and women identify their core strengths, honestly evaluate their gaps, and establish clear growth strategies for the journey of becoming more fully alive and impactful.
Blake has held various roles in the fields of education and non-profit leadership. Most recently he has worked as a marriage and family therapist and as a consultant in both private and public sectors, helping businesses and government agencies.
Blake has been married to his wife, Carlin, for over a decade and together they have two amazing children – Reece and Landry. During his free time, Blake enjoys spending quality time with his family, golfing, watching college basketball, and pursuing his love of coffee.
