Meet Derek Nicholson
Team Architect | Leadership Coach | Sales & Operations Expert | Chief Simplicity OfficerThe Power of Simplifying Success
Derek Nicholson has spent his career transforming organizations from the inside out. With 30+ years of experience in leadership development, business scaling, and sales strategy, he knows firsthand that a business’s success isn’t about how hard its leader works—it’s about how effectively they lead.
Early in his career, he managed multi-disciplinary teams across industries, seeing how many high-achievers ended up overburdened, unable to trust themselves or their team, and stuck in the weeds of daily operations—especially when it came to sales and revenue growth. He saw brilliant entrepreneurs and executives trapped—not by a lack of strategy, but by a failure to structure their time and team for success.
Now, as Co-Founder of Ascend Leadership Co., Derek helps powerhouse $1MM+ figure founders and CEOs master The Impossible Freedom Equation, reclaiming their time, empowering their team, and elevating their leadership to fuel both financial growth and personal freedom. His work is about closing the Support Gap—helping leaders build high-performing teams who drive revenue independently, freeing up time for what truly matters. Known for his calm, analytical approach, Derek brings a unique ability to simplify complex challenges and create real solutions that work.
"A business that depends on you for everything isn’t a business—it’s a high-maintenance job. The key to real freedom is building a team that can drive growth without relying on you to hold it all together."
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Team Leadership & Business Growth → Structuring high-performing, fully-engaged teams where everyone is operating in their zone of genius..
Sales & Negotiations → Helping founders and CEOs take a “relationships first always” approach to amplify revenue growth.
Change Management & Operations Strategy → Simplifying processes for more buy-in and efficiency, and less overwhelm.
Clarity & Confident Decision-Making → Helping leaders make tough calls with ease.
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Internationally Trained Leadership Coach
Certified in Change Management & Facilitation
Expert in United Team Building, Sales & Negotiation and Operations Optimization
Bachelor of Commerce, Haskayne School of Business, Marketing & Sales
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A strategist at heart who loves simplifying the complex—from business challenges to backcountry hiking routes.
A dedicated coach with 12+ years of experience mentoring youth in baseball, hockey, and basketball—still playing competitive men’s baseball at 56.
Known for his calm, steady presence—a grounding force in business and life.
A mountain enthusiast who recharges in nature, where big-picture thinking comes naturally.
Believes leading is not something you do—it is a way of BEING in fierce integrity that impacts everything and everyone you touch.
If you’re ready to lead a business that thrives without consuming your life, let’s talk.
Signature Talk
Designing a Team That Moves Mountains: Three Keys to Rock-Solid Support
Description: Derek offers a fresh perspective on team dynamics, leadership alignment, and closing the Support Gap™ (When your team isn’t operating at the level that frees you.) He reveals how to:
Align roles and eliminate dependency bottlenecks.
Empower your team to execute at the highest level—without micromanagement.
Free up leadership bandwidth so you can focus on high-impact work instead of daily firefighting.
We’re Nadine & Derek Nicholson, founders of Ascend Leadership Co. We guide powerhouse $1MM+ founders and CEOs out of the Middle Zone of time stress, guilt, and overworking—while climbing to never-before-seen levels of success.
Our clients refuse to settle for business success at the cost of their personal freedom—and are ready to embrace a new way of leading themselves, their time, and their team. NOW, not someday.
Our signature Impossible Freedom Equation is a proven path to live your best life and drive next-level business growth. No trade-offs required.
The sooner you identify your biggest leadership gaps, the faster you step into a business that fuels your freedom—not one that drains it. In less than 5 minutes, the Impossible Freedom Quiz will reveal your best next step.