Executive Coaching | 720 stakeholder feedback | executive advisory
Are you ready to step into the next evolution of your life, business, or career?
If so, I’m glad you’re here! My name’s Kostja Mirkovic, and through my unique coaching methodology called Waitapu, I help courageous, high-performing leaders embrace the waves of change and learn how to navigate complex situations with grace, presence, and flow.
Navigate uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions with grace, presence, and flow
If so, I’m so glad you’re here! My name’s Kostja Mirkovic, and through my unique coaching methodology called Waitapu, I help courageous, high-performing leaders embrace the waves of change and learn how to navigate complex situations with grace, presence, and flow.
Waitapu Coaching is ideal for:
Entrepreneurs who are seeking to optimize their energy and performance to support growth and expansion in their lives or careers.
Leaders who work (or have worked) in client-facing roles in high-performance / high-stakes environments in entrepreneurship, management consulting, financial services, and technology companies.
Professionals who are switched on and engaged in all areas of their lives– whether they are raising children, pursuing intellectual and physical passions outside work (e.g., competing in sports, teaching yoga, learning languages, etc), or volunteering their resources to give back to their communities.
Individuals who are navigating big changes in their lives or careers, and are facing uncertain, complex, or ambiguous conditions as a result.
What Clients Are Saying
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![Dan Haut, Partner Osborne Partners]()
Dan Haut, Partner Osborne Partners
”Over the past 15 years, I have worked with three life coaches. From each of them, I have taken many nuggets of valuable wisdom as it relates to career development, work-life balance, anxiety regulation, and relationship management. That said, my work with Kostja has been the most impactful.
First, at the beginning of every meeting, an intention is set. More specifically, Kostja asks what part of my life I would like to focus on. This simple, yet powerful question, highlights the purpose of the call or "north star" and provides the metaphorical rudder before we set sail. After the purpose of the call is set, Kostja guides me through several minutes of meditation, which invariably centers me on the moment. It is after this meditation that Kostja allows me to navigate where I want to go based on the purpose set.Regardless of where our call goes, he is an expert at weaving in relevant and timely guidance that is based on our past conversations. This proves how good of a listener he is and how he is able to integrate all facets of my life together (career, relationships, marriage, etc.).
One of the things I appreciate about Kostja is that he makes sure to keep me on track, without veering off path too much. He seeks clarity when unsure of my answer. He holds me accountable for the goals I set. To this last point, at the end of every call, he will email me a detailed 1-2 page synopsis which is broken down by recap, summary, and next steps. I have NEVER had a coach provide this level of care and expect this level of accountability. This shows how invested he is my success.
I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to challenge themselves to be the best version of themselves they can be.”
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![Elena Ikonomovska, CEO, Stealth Biotech Co]()
Elena Ikonomovska, CEO, Stealth Biotech Co
“A coaching experience with Kostja is unlike any other. I found his approach of guided meditation designed to help you understand what’s within you at the beginning of the session helpful in bringing light on what’s most important to be discussed. He has a special knack for asking the right questions to help you identify solutions on your own that leave you with clarity and peace. It’s a truly enjoyable experience, I would highly recommend him.” -
![Rens Van Der Broek, Partner, McKinsey and Company]()
Rens Van Der Broek, Partner, McKinsey and Company
“I highly recommend Kostja as your executive coach. He is able to straddle the worlds of business, sports, family life, and spirituality seamlessly. Kostja is extremely insightful but, more importantly will help you find the insights within yourself. He brings a warm and calming energy but is not afraid to challenge you and hold you accountable to goals you set for yourself. As an immigrant, Kostja could also relate to and understand the challenges facing navigating, living and integrating in different places. Kostja has personally helped me reach several breakthroughs in both the professional and personal realm, and I believe he would make an amazing coach to leaders, especially across the domains of business, nonprofit and sports.” -
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Max Karreth, CEO / Founder, Win
”Kostja is an exceptional coach. There is a wealth of wisdom and experience he brings to the table, but he really has been instrumental in unlocking my untapped potential and establishing a healthy balance in my professional life. His coaching stands out for its unique blend of focusing on energy flow, coupled with a precision in problem-solving-oriented coaching that is unparalleled. The environment he creates is not just encouraging and empowering but also pushes the boundaries to realize your own performance potential. I always walk out of a session with a sense of transformation and a distinct lack of ambiguity. If you're seeking a coach who can unlock new levels of performance while bringing in clarity and balance, I can only recommend Kostja.” -
![Martijn Lance, Director, LinkedIn]()
Martijn Lance, Director, LinkedIn
”I highly recommend Kostja as a performance coach. His approach is refreshingly unique, drawing not only from his extensive business leadership background but also from the adrenaline-fueled world of adventure sports. Kostja's coaching goes beyond the expected, breaking new ground for significant and lasting performance changes. His coaching style is a perfect blend of business savvy and adventurous spirit, creating an atmosphere where possibilities are explored, and growth is inevitable. Kostja facilitated vulnerable conversations, unlocking my unconscious potential for genuine growth and positive DNA transformation.What sets Kostja apart is his commitment to a peak-performance and flow-centered lifestyle. This, coupled with his vast experience, enables him to co-create tailored, data-driven practices that bring you closer to your optimal self across all domains—cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual. In Kostja's coaching sessions, you'll discover what's been holding you back, paving the way for a new way of being that you'll never want to leave, in the most positive sense. His contagious compassion, grit, and courage, inspired by a life of continuous growth professionally & personally, will elevate your journey towards sustained success and fulfillment.”
offerings
Executive
Coaching
Tailored one-on-one coaching designed for high performers seeking to sharpen their skills, lead through volatile and uncertain conditions, and design a life to be proud of.
72o
feedback
As part of our coaching relationship, I offer 720 feedback from stakeholders in your life. These are the most important people in your life, your tribe. They play part in professional, familial, and other domains of your life. We collect and address baseline assessment, followed by another assessment in 5-6 months time.
executive
advisory
I focus on fundraising and corporate strategy across multiple areas, emphasizing assessing, designing, and implementing go-to-market teams, processes, and systems to drive increased profitability and revenue growth.
work with me in order to…
BUILD CONFIDENCE
We are often our own harshest critics. Coaching can help you see the value within yourself and allow you to appreciate what’s already working. This usually results in more effective leadership - from fundraising to hiring, motivating, and leading people at the top of the game in their fields.DEVELOP CLARITY & INSIGHT
In the thick of the storm, we usually can only see the fog right before us. A coach can help you see the insights hiding beneath the surface, getting clarity on your North Star.IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
A coach can help you set goals and keep you accountable, leading to better performance for your business and you as a leader.SEE NEW PERSPECTIVES
When you feel stuck, a coach can help you identify alternative, fresh perspectives, giving you a broader understanding of your options.FIND BALANCE
Do you feel pulled in too many directions? Coaching helps you prioritize where to spend your time creating a sustainable lifestyle.STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS
You can cultivate healthier, happier relationships with coworkers, family, and friends with increased self-awareness and presence.
working together
STEP 1
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I offer prospective clients a complimentary 90-minute session. In this session, you will experience my approach to coaching, and we will assess our chemistry and fit. The first 75 minutes of this call will be a full coaching session; the latter 15 minutes will be a Q&A.
STEP 2
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After determining that we will work together, our next session is a 120-150-minute Discovery Call. In this call, We will partner together to assess your vision and goals, and co-create a forward-looking arc for our ongoing coaching relationship.
STEP 3
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Each month, we will have bi-weekly phone calls or videoconference calls, each lasting for one hour. For each session in Ongoing Coaching, it is up to you to come prepared with a topic that you’d like coaching on. These topics will often relate to the goals we have set out during our Discovery Session. At other times, they may relate to something that is at the top of mind for you based on what’s been happening in your world. Most of my Ongoing Coaching relationships last at least six months (12 sessions), allowing my clients the time to make significant progress on their goals and to see the impact of coaching throughout their daily lives – deepening their learning every step of the way.
Hi, I’m Kostja
I am a seasoned executive advisor and coach with over two decades of international leadership experience.
To serve you, I draw on my coaching training and extensive business experience. I’m a Newfield Network and New Ventures West trained coach, as well as a certified Flow Guide with Flow Genome Project. I bring strategic insights and leadership acumen from roles in renowned organizations like Bain & Co., LinkedIn, Credit Suisse, and Accenture. I hold an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Outside of coaching, I am an athlete passionate about extreme sports. As a freediver, ultra-endurance athlete, kitesurfer, and ski mountaineer, I navigated team dynamics and managed risks in high-consequence environments. I completed the second highest ultra in the world (Huaraz, 2022), placed first in the Spartan Ultra, and summited Aconcagua, Cotopaxi, and Mt Blanc, to name a few experiences. I contribute these skills and experiences as a volunteer Search and Rescue team member in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
To perform and lead in the backcountry and the boardroom, I am an avid practitioner and evangelist of peak performance and optimal health through movement, nutrition, mindfulness, sleep, hot/cold exposure, and flow states. This knowledge and experience helps me co-create bespoke data-driven practices for my clients.
I combine the best of coaching training, leadership experience, and peak performance to empower individuals and teams to step into their potential and lead through volatile, complex, uncertain situations with grace, presence, and flow.
Organizations Kostja Worked at:
Kostja trained at these institutions:
Purpose & Vision
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Curious about Working together?
The story behind waitapu
Waitapu, meaning “holy water” in Maori, is a story that I read as a little boy growing up on the Croatian coast. It is a story that has fueled my vision of which your visit to this website is a part of.
Waitapu is a story about a Pacific Islander boy named Iteo who lives in a fishing village community on a Southern Pacific island. Iteo decides to sail across a taboo line called Waitapu on the horizon on the vast pacific.
The line is bounded by two large cliffs “Wa” and “Tapu.” No villager has been permitted to go through there, and the community lives in fear of the cautionary tale of Iteo’s father who sailed and did not return. The village shaman keeps the villagers in check with the cautionary tales and promoting limits as way of life.
Waitapu signifies borders, limitations, and limiting beliefs.
To sail across Waitapu, Iteo navigates and overcomes challenging terrain, rocks, sea monsters, resistance and fear from the villagers and the risk of being ostracized from his community. Once Iteo sails across the line, on the other side of the "limit,” he is met with love. A daughter of one of the gods, who takes human form.
Waitapu is a testament to overcoming limitations and daring to go where others have not. In all aspects of life - business, arts, relationships, and sports.
What is your Waitapu? What is possible on the other side? What does the journey to cross it look like and feel like?
Who will you be as you depart your community and Navigate the vast sea beyond?
Curious what Waitapu coaching is like?
I offer all prospective clients a complimentary 90-minute video chat. In this session, you will experience my approach to coaching, and we will assess our chemistry and fit. The first 75 minutes of this call will be a full coaching session; the latter 15 minutes will be a Q&A.