In 2004, Alan and his wife Lindy visited Thich Nhat Hanh’s Deer Park Monastery for a week-long meditation retreat. They received the Five Mindfulness Trainings. The monks, perhaps recognizing in Alan an ambition paired with a desire for balance, conferred upon him the dharma name Peaceful Direction of the Heart.

Fifteen years later, when Alan began his coaching practice, he recognized a beautiful tension common to all successful leaders: a restlessness and drive for impact on the world, balanced against a need for the calm and self-reflection that enables inner growth. In other words… a peaceful direction.