About Justin Carlton
I was raised in a home where love was abundant, even when resources were scarce. From an early age, I learned to find strength in struggle and faith in uncertainty. I became the first person in my family to graduate from college, driven by a vision to rewrite the script I was handed.
When I launched my insurance agency, I had never led a team, never worked in the industry, had no network to lean on, and no capital to invest. My only funding came from a second mortgage my mother graciously took out on her home. By every conventional measure, my chances of success were slim. But through grit, grace, and relentless pursuit, we built a thriving business that has continued to grow.
Today, I draw from that fire to help leaders rise through their own adversity. As a Leadership Scientist and ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), I bring a research-driven yet deeply personal approach to leadership development. I'm certified in the EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Assessment, Energy Leadership Index (ELI), and Gallup StrengthsFinder—three powerful tools that together offer a comprehensive view of how leaders think, feel, and perform under pressure. This unique combination allows me to help clients elevate self-awareness, unlock inner capacity, and lead with purpose. Currently pursuing a PhD in Organizational and Community Leadership, my research explores how executive coaching accelerates the growth of novice leaders. I'm also designing original models that examine leadership identity and the role of intensity in breakthrough performance.
I believe leadership isn’t taught—it’s forged. It’s discovered in the fire of discomfort, the uncertainty of new roles, and the courage it takes to keep going when everything says stop. My work is about helping leaders find their edge, sharpen their awareness, and lead in a way that transforms not just teams—but entire legacies.
Intensity Is the Accelerator
In high-stakes goal pursuits, intensity isn’t a side effect ... it’s a strategy. That’s why Fight Theory™ is the foundation of my coaching approach. Developed to decode the psychology of perseverance and resistance, Fight Theory equips leaders to channel their intensity with precision, especially when the path is hard, meaningful, or identity-shaping.
As the creator of the Fight Readiness Profile (FRP), I help leaders identify where resistance hides, how intensity fluctuates, and what it really takes to sustain effort when pressure, purpose, and performance collide. This isn’t about “pushing harder.” It’s about training smarter — aligning effort with identity to create lasting breakthroughs.
To deepen the transformation, I integrate tools like Gallup StrengthsFinder to activate natural capacities and the Energy Leadership Index (ELI) to uncover how leaders show up when pressure hits. These tools don’t just reveal who you are, they show you what you’re truly capable of.
Because real transformation doesn’t begin with comfort. It begins with intensity that’s intentional, strategic, and purpose-driven.
Certifications
EQ-i 2.0® Certified
As a certified practitioner of the EQ-i 2.0® assessment, I help leaders unlock the power of emotional intelligence to lead with greater self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. This science-backed tool measures emotional and social functioning across five key areas, offering personalized insights that drive real behavioral growth. Whether you're looking to strengthen decision-making, manage stress, or lead with emotional clarity, EQ development is a proven differentiator in high-performing leaders.
Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Certified
Through the Energy Leadership Index (ELI), I help leaders measure and understand the energy they bring to every situation — especially under stress. This assessment reveals the underlying attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions that drive behavior and performance. As a certified ELI Master Practitioner, I guide clients through practical strategies to raise awareness, shift mindset, and lead with intentional energy that inspires others.
CliftonStrengths
Certified
Certified in Gallup’s CliftonStrengths framework, I help leaders identify their natural talents and leverage them into consistent, high-level performance. This strengths-based approach shifts the focus from fixing weaknesses to maximizing what already makes you unique. Together, we’ll turn raw talent into refined leadership — building confidence, clarity, and momentum in the process.
Transitional Intelligence™ (TQ) Certified
Transitions are one of the most defining—and disorienting—moments in a leader’s journey. As a certified TQ Coach through Coaching.com’s Navigating Transitions program, I specialize in helping novice and transitioning leaders find clarity, confidence, and purpose in the midst of change. Whether you're stepping into leadership for the first time or navigating a new role, this framework equips us to make sense of uncertainty and transform disruption into direction. Together, we turn growing pains into grounded leadership.
International Coaching Federation
As a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), I bring a globally recognized standard of excellence to every coaching engagement. ICF certification reflects rigorous training, assessment, and ethical alignment, ensuring a professional, client-centered approach grounded in evidence-based best practices. Whether you're stepping into a new leadership role or aiming to elevate your impact, ICF-aligned coaching empowers you to create intentional growth, unlock clarity, and lead with confidence and purpose.
Fight Readiness Profile (FRP) by Fight Theory™
The Fight Readiness Profile (FRP) is a proprietary diagnostic tool developed through Fight Theory™ to assess an individual’s psychological readiness to pursue meaningful, high-resistance goals. Unlike generic assessments, the FRP translates internal resistance, motivational dynamics, and goal structure into a personalized roadmap for calibrated intensity, identity alignment, and strategic action.
Built from the integration of over six foundational psychological frameworks, the FRP focuses on motivation, resistance, self-regulation, and identity development. It helps individuals and coaches identify friction points, calibrate intensity, and sequence goals in a way that sustains progress without burnout. Designed exclusively for identity-shaping pursuits, the FRP offers a powerful mirror and map for navigating your most meaningful battles.
"Leadership isn’t taught—it’s forged."
Coaching Program Overview
Legacy Ascension
A 4-month, 12-session leadership coaching experience for the leader ready to rise.
This coaching journey blends the power of emotional intelligence, personal strengths, and energy awareness to elevate your leadership impact. Through guided coaching conversations, integrated assessments, and intentional growth strategies, you’ll build the internal foundation to lead from your most authentic and empowered self.
Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Debrief
EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Debrief
Gallup StrengthsFinder Insights
Personalized Coaching Sessions (12 total)
What You’ll Experience:
Purpose Discovery, Strategic Planning, & Legacy Work
Each session is designed to challenge your thinking, ignite clarity, and equip you with tools to lead with resilience, emotional agility, and strategic purpose.
Leadership in Motion
A 4-month, 12-session leadership coaching experience for leaders navigating transitions—whether into a new organization, a new department, or a new level of responsibility.
This coaching journey is crafted for leaders stepping into unfamiliar terrain. Whether you’re entering a new company, taking charge of a new department, or adjusting to expanded scope and visibility, Leadership in Motion equips you to lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic presence.
By integrating identity development, energy awareness, and performance insights, this program helps you build the internal stability and external influence to lead well—while still finding your footing.
Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Debrief
EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Debrief
Gallup StrengthsFinder Insights
Personalized Coaching Sessions (12 total)
Includes:
Role Clarity, Identity Refinement, and Forward Momentum
Each session focuses on helping you decode expectations, clarify your leadership voice, and build key relationships in the early months of your transition. Whether navigating culture, systems, or self-doubt, this experience is designed to move you from uncertainty to alignment—and from transition to traction.
Comprehensive Facilitation Program
Ignite: Mastering Your Leadership Energy™
Unlock the Energy That Drives Leadership Excellence
As a certified Energy Leadership™ practitioner, I’m excited to offer Ignite: Mastering Your Leadership Energy™ — an engaging, in-person experience designed to help leaders understand, master, and strategically apply their personal energy to lead more effectively in all areas of life.
Program Overview:
Delivered as an interactive, full-day workshop, this program introduces participants to the principles of Energy Leadership™, the pioneering framework developed by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC).
Building on these foundations, Ignite: Mastering Your Leadership Energy™ equips leaders with practical tools to identify, shift, and elevate their energetic patterns in real-world leadership situations.Through reflection, discussion, and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to move from reactive to conscious leadership — transforming not only their teams but their lives.
Participants will explore core concepts and apply techniques to:
Increase Energetic Awareness – Learn to spot shifts in energy within themselves and others in real time.
Master Energy Shifts – Develop the skill to consciously raise energy to meet leadership challenges more effectively.
Recognize Energy Patterns – Understand the seven levels of energy and identify their default leadership tendencies.
Lead with Greater Intentionality – Create a leadership presence that fosters engagement, innovation, and resilience.
Understand the Energy Leadership™ model and the seven levels of energy.
Gain awareness of personal leadership energy under stress and opportunity.
Enhance resilience, emotional intelligence, and authentic leadership presence.
Build stronger teams through energetic influence and conscious communication.
Key Learning Outcomes:
Format: In-person
Duration: One full-day session
Class Size: Limited to 6 participants to ensure deep engagement, personalized feedback, and meaningful practice
Program Details:
Who Should Attend:
Ideal for team leads, new managers, emerging leaders, or professionals seeking to elevate their leadership effectiveness by mastering the invisible force that drives performance: energy.
This program is perfect for anyone ready to lead with greater purpose, resilience, and impact.
Take the Next Step:
Master your energy—transform your leadership.Contact me to learn more or reserve your spot in an upcoming session.
Leadership Coaching Program
Legacy Forged™
A 12-week, 12-session leadership coaching experience for high-purpose leaders pursuing bold goals while confronting internal resistance.
Program Overview:
This coaching journey is designed for leaders who aren’t just trying to perform — they’re trying to become. Whether you’re building a legacy, launching an audacious vision, or stepping into a leadership role that demands more from your identity, Legacy Forged™ helps you turn internal resistance into strategic clarity.
Grounded in Fight Theory™, this experience equips you to apply calibrated intensity, manage emotional and cognitive resistance, and align your goals with who you're becoming — not just what you’re doing.
Energy Leadership Index™ (ELI) Debrief
Weekly Fight Reflection Series
Fight Readiness Profile™ (FRP) Debrief
Strengths-Based Insights (optional)
Personalized Coaching Sessions (12 total)
Includes:
Redline Goal Excavation, Identity Integration, Strategic Intensity Coaching
Take the Next Step:
Each session is crafted to help you locate and engage your internal battlefronts — whether cognitive, emotional, behavioral, or motivational. Through identity-driven goals, weekly recalibrations, and targeted reflection, Legacy Forged™ helps you lead with conviction, resilience, and alignment — so that your purpose doesn’t just survive resistance, it’s forged through it.
Why Choose Our Holistic Coaching?
We uniquely combine leadership coaching and wellness support to offer a holistic, personalized approach specifically designed for young entrepreneurs. Forget generic corporate training—each session is tailored directly to your goals, challenges, and personal growth, providing both inspiring encouragement and structured accountability.
Two-in-One Expertise: We uniquely combine leadership coaching and wellness coaching under one roof. You won’t need separate mentors for business and life – here, you get a holistic mentor who understands that leading a company and taking care of yourself go hand in hand.
Tailored for Young Entrepreneurs: This isn’t generic corporate training or a one-size wellness lecture. It’s personalized coaching designed for the realities of starting and growing a business in your 20s or 30s. Every session is about you – your goals, your challenges, your growth.
Inspiring and Professional: Expect a supportive partnership where you’ll be challenged to grow. We provide a motivating, inspiring atmosphere while delivering structured, results-oriented guidance. Think of it as having a trusted advisor who both cheers you on and keeps you accountable.
Legacy in Action: The SWERVE Foundation
My commitment to leadership extends beyond the boardroom. In 2017, I founded The SWERVE Foundation, a nonprofit that gives bicycles to children in need based on heartfelt essays they write about what a bike would mean to them. For many of these kids, a bicycle isn’t just a toy—it’s a symbol of freedom, confidence, and possibility.
This work reminds me daily of what leadership truly means: lifting others, sparking hope, and creating momentum where there was none. These are the same principles that guide my coaching—because real leadership isn’t about titles or status. It’s about impact.
Let’s Get Started
If you’re ready to elevate your leadership, challenge your comfort zone, and rise into your legacy—we should talk.
Testimonials
“Working with Justin through the Legacy Ascension program gave me the structure and clarity I didn’t know I needed. I came in with a sense of the leader I wanted to become, but felt stuck on how to get there. Through real-time support and tailored coaching, I not only strengthened my confidence and stress management but also learned how to turn vague goals into clear, actionable leadership habits. The growth I’ve experienced is both real and lasting—professionally and personally.”
“Justin was an excellent listener and guide in each of my sessions. He partnered with me throughout the process, actively listening and asking key questions to help me find the answers I was seeking. With his help, I was able to make a key organizational change decision and implement it, promoting increased engagement and growth. He is a miracle worker!”
"I feel way more grounded in who I am and what I bring to the table as a leader. I have a clearer vision, stronger boundaries, and a whole new level of self-trust. What I really appreciated about the coaching was how supportive and down-to-earth it was. There was no pressure to perform or be a certain way, but it felt like a safe space to just show up as I was and figure things out at my own pace. It helped me notice a few patterns that had been quietly getting in the way, and from there, I could actually start shifting them. It felt both powerful and practical, exactly what I needed."
FAQs
It's specifically tailored for emerging leaders new to managing teams or stepping into their first leadership roles.
Yes, all sessions can be conveniently held via video conferencing.
Each session typically lasts between 45-60 minutes.
The discovery call helps us determine your needs, goals, and whether coaching is a good fit for you.