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The way we lead as high-achievers is broken.

Too many business owners trade time, energy, and relationships for success—trapped in a cycle where scaling demands more of them, not less.

They tell themselves they value freedom, family, health, and impact—but their calendars and teams say otherwise.

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This disconnect creates two invisible forces that keep even the most successful business leaders stuck:

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The Say/Do Gap™

When your time doesn’t reflect what you say you value.

  • You say freedom matters—but your calendar is overflowing with obligations.

  • You say you want space to think, strategize, and rest—but your schedule keeps you trapped in day-to-day execution.

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The Support Gap™

When your team isn’t operating at the level that frees you.

  • You’ve built a team, but decisions, execution, and accountability still land back on your plate.

  • You know delegation is key, but it feels easier (and faster) to just do it yourself.

These gaps are why so many high-achievers remain overworked, overwhelmed, and unable to step fully into the freedom they built their business for.And we’re here to eradicate both. 

It’s why we created the Impossible Freedom Equation—to help business leaders close the gaps once and for all and elevate how they operate—creating space for more freedom, impact, and life. Not someday, NOW.

This is how making more money becomes simpler, not harder.

This is how success expands freedom, instead of consuming it.

And this is the shift today’s business leaders need NOW—not someday.

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We believe that…

The Middle Zone Isn’t Just Hard
—It’s a Trap.

Most business leaders think working harder will get them out of the Middle Zone—but the truth is, the strategies that got them here will only keep them here.

If your success is demanding more of your time, more of your energy, and more of YOU just to sustain it—you’re not truly free.

Staying stuck in the Middle Zone leads to resentment, exhaustion, and burnout. The only way out? Stop playing by the old rules and start leading in a way that expands your freedom.

Impossible Freedom Isn’t a Dream—It’s a Decision.

Most leaders believe that freedom is something they’ll achieve someday—once they’ve worked hard enough, hit the next revenue goal, or finally “earn” the right to step back.

But Impossible Freedom isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you choose.

It starts the moment you decide to lead differently, structure your team strategically, and align your time with what truly matters.

Your business can scale without sacrificing your freedom. The decision is yours.

Success Without Integrity is the True Cause of Burnout.

Being lit up and fully alive isn’t the reward for success—it’s the strategy that sustains it.

When business growth is misaligned with who you are, what you value, and how you want to live—burnout is inevitable.

But when you lead with radical integrity—protecting your time, empowering your team, and making decisions that serve both your business and your life—success fuels you instead of drains you.

Signature

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Talks

We Teach the Path to Impossible Freedom.

—an amount of flexibility and possibility in your schedule that is so spacious, and so freeing that it almost seems “impossible.” (But, it’s not). 

—a feeling of being wildly accomplished both inside and outside of business—that it almost seems “impossible.” (But, it’s not).

Impossible Freedom isn’t just about working less—it’s about leading in a way that makes success and freedom inseparable.

Impossible Freedom IS real. You just need the right equation to create it.

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Nadine Nicholson | Time ARCHITECT

01. The Time Revolution: Climbing Out of the Middle Zone of Success

Description: Nadine helps powerhouse founders and CEOs reclaim their time by closing the Say/Do Gap™, eliminating Time Leaks, and structuring their schedule with their highest-impact priorities.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to achieve radical integrity between their time and values, unlocking their potential for Impossible Freedom.

Complementary Topics:
 ✔ The Say/Do Gap™: What Your Calendar Really Says About Your Priorities
✔ From Time Chaos to Time Clarity: Mastering Your Success Rhythm
✔ Scaling Without Sacrificing Sanity: Time Mastery for Powerhouse Leaders

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Derek Nicholson | Team Architect

02. Designing a Team That Moves Mountains: 3 Keys to Rock-Solid Support

Description: Derek offers a fresh perspective on team dynamics, leadership alignment, and closing the Support Gap™. 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.

Complementary Topics:
✔ The Support Gap™: Fixing the Hidden Leaks in Your Team
✔ The United Front: Building a High-Performance Team That Frees, Not Drains You
✔ From Support to Synergy: Redefining Leadership Through Connection and Alignment

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Nadine & Derek | The Impossible Freedom Equation in Action

03. The Impossible Freedom Equation: Mastering Time & Team for Radical Growth

Description: Together, Nadine and Derek reveal how mastering the Impossible Freedom Equation unlocks the potential of driving business growth and living your best life—at the same time.

They explore:
> How The Say/Do Gap™ + The Support Gap™ keep even the most successful leaders stuck in the Middle Zone.
> The 3 essential leadership amplifiers that transform Time & Team into freedom multipliers (Wild Wisdom, Brave Decisions, and Courageous Conversations).
> How to break free from the Middle Zone and scale your business while living your best life.

Complementary Topics:
✔ Breaking Through the Middle Zone: How to Reclaim Your Time & Align Your Team
✔ Business with Breathing Room: Scaling Without Overwhelm or Burnout
✔ Alignment Amplifiers: The Leadership Shifts That Make Freedom Inevitable

: : Tangible Leadership Shifts, Not Just Inspiration

Attendees walk away with clear, actionable frameworks—not just big ideas.

: : Deep Expertise, Proven Results

60+ years of combined experience in leading multi-million-dollar organizations and coaching powerhouse founders and CEOs.

: : The Future of Leadership Is Here

They’re not teaching outdated productivity hacks—they’re reshaping how success is built in today’s high-growth, high-pressure world.

01. The Time Revolution: Climbing Out of the Middle Zone of Success

02. Designing a Team That Moves Mountains: 3 Keys to Rock-Solid Support

03. The Impossible Freedom Equation: Mastering Time & Team for Radical Growth

Let’s Bring the Impossible Freedom Equation to Your Audience

Your audience deserves more than just another leadership talk. They need a paradigm shift—one that makes Impossible Freedom real.

Ascend Leadership Co. Speaker Kit

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Do we sound like a potential fit for your audience? Let’s start with a 30-minute call and we’ll go from there.

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Nadine Nicholson

Time Architect | Master Certified Coach | Time Mastery Expert | Chief Possibility Officer

Nadine Nicholson is the visionary behind the Impossible Freedom Equation, a Master Certified Coach, and the world’s leading expert in Time Mastery. With 30+ years of experience—from leading corporate teams to building her executive leadership coaching business—she helps high-achieving entrepreneurs reclaim their time, make bold decisions, and create a business that fuels their freedom.

A Harvard Business School alum and Women Presidents Organization member, Nadine speaks on breaking free from the Middle Zone, closing the Say/Do Gap™, and leading with radical integrity.

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Derek Nicholson

Team Architect | Leadership Coach | Sales & Operations Expert | Chief Simplicity Officer

Derek Nicholson is an Executive Leadership Coach, Change Management Specialist, and the operational force behind the Impossible Freedom Equation. With 30+ years of experience in healthcare, energy, and service-based businesses, he helps entrepreneurs build high-performing teams, simplify operations, and scale without overworking.

Known for his calm wisdom and practical leadership strategies, Derek helps founders remove themselves as the bottleneck and create empowered, self-led teams.

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    “Not only was this the largest turnout we've had for an event, the attendees got practical steps they could implement right away.”

    -Lisa Genovese, BottomLine Marketing

  • Scenic view of turquoise lake surrounded by mountains with snow patches and dense pine forests, under a partly cloudy sky. Rocky foreground with a small building on the right shoreline.

    “Nadine is both inspirational and informative. She speaks directly to the heart of the struggles that so many women entrepreneurs feel while we’re striving to enjoy the freedom we crave as leaders.”

    Dawn O’Connor, Chapter Chair, Calgary I, II & III
    Women Presidents Organization

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    “A major takeaway is seeing what bleeds into my free time and revenue producing time. I see now how I can be more productive and generate higher revenues.”

    -Ann Elliott, Chapter Chair, South Carolina Women Presidents Organization

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    “Nadine and Derek have a contagious air of self-leadership and integrity that makes it impossible NOT to rise up and begin changing immediately in their presence.”

    -Lisa Haggis, Realize Your Brand

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    “My biggest takeaway was the thought that if I’m not fully present, I’d be stealing from myself. I’d never quite heard it put that way and that new thought really got my attention. Thank you!”

    -Anne Messenger, Chapter Chair, Syracuse Women Presidents Organization

  • Snow-covered mountains with rocky peaks under a cloudy sky, featuring patches of snow on lower slopes and a distant valley view.

    “Nadine is an engaging and thought provoking speaker. She connects with the audience and delivers her vast knowledge in an impactful way. I learned skills that quickly provided positive results as a leader and entrepreneur.”

    -Poppy Nissen, Chinook Glass and Screen Ltd.

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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.