Success Without Freedom
Isn’t Really Success.
For too many founders and CEOs, business success comes at a personal cost.
In the energy it takes to keep holding everything together. In the trade offs no one else sees. In the ambition you refuse to dial down.
At this level, success can feel heavier than it should. And freedom can begin to feel unattainable.
But it isn’t.
You can experience more time, more energy, and more joy even as you continue to climb.
You feel it.
We’re Nadine & Derek Nicholson, founders of Ascend Leadership Co.
We guide powerhouse founders and CEOs to ascend to Impossible Freedom.™
Feeling fully lit up in business and life — and driving more financial growth at the same time.
→ You're no longer in the zero-sum struggle of feeling you must sacrifice your life for your business or your business for your life.
→ Your time is fully yours, designed with intention so your calendar reflects what truly matters — and you stay lit up, renewed, and prioritized.
→ Your team is united and capable, driving your vision forward so you're leading what's next, not stuck in what's now.
And yet, for so many founders and CEOs, this kind of freedom never quite materializes — not for lack of effort, but because the old way of leading can't create it.
What Impossible Freedom™ Makes Possible
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"If you want FREEDOM, this is it. I’m working less, my revenue has doubled, and I enjoy my business SO much more!"
— Lisa Haggis, Realize Your Brand
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“I went from waking up with worry to waking up in a life and business that I love — confident, clear, and deeply aligned.”
— Kirei Yasunori, Evolved Health
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“I took the most vacation time and had my highest revenue year ever. My business no longer runs my life.”
— Rachelle Lee, Einblau & Associates
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“I work 75% less, my team is thriving, we had the most profitable year in 25 years, and we landed our biggest contract ever.”
— Anne Staines, Sagent
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“I cut 15 full work weeks from my schedule and my revenue more than doubled.”
— Stef Tschida, Tschida Communications
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“I took control of my time, got my passion back, cured my time guilt, and grew my company significantly."
— Katie Phillips, Tricon Solutions Inc.
A Higher Standard of Support
When you work with Ascend, you work directly with us — Nadine, the Time Architect, and Derek, the Team Architect. Not a coaching team, not a cohort, and never a program you have to fit yourself into.
We bring more than three decades of business and leadership expertise and the kind of day-to-day, in-the-trenches support other coaches simply don't offer — real clarity, real accountability, and real results in your business and your life.
We're beside you, guiding you to access your inner wild wisdom, make brave decisions, and have courageous conversations that become your new way of leading.
Ascend is intentionally intimate because this level of growth requires a different kind of support — thoughtful, steady partnership and the kind of accountability that helps you reclaim your time, energy, and joy while driving more financial growth at the same time.
The next step is simple. A focused, 30-minute conversation about where you are and what's possible.
