CFC COACHING AND CONSULTING

About cassidy

Cassidy Carlson is a coach and consultant specializing in transformational leadership.

She partners with leaders and mission-driven teams to navigate change, strengthen alignment, and make confident, values-based decisions. Known for her calm presence and strategic mindset, Cassidy blends care for people with a deep understanding of organizational systems—helping clients grow with clarity, purpose, and impact.

Cassidy brings over a decade of executive leadership experience in nonprofit and educational organizations, including her most recent role as Senior Vice President and Dean of the New World Symphony. Her background spans organizational strategy, curriculum and program development, financial planning, and leadership training, giving her a holistic perspective on both individual growth and organizational effectiveness.

She also serves as a coach for Win at Work’s Get Hired Fast program, guiding professionals at every stage of their career journey to land roles aligned with their goals and values.

Cassidy holds a BA in History and Music from Amherst College and an MBA from the University of Florida. She's based in Durham, NC where she maintains her most cherished role, "Mom" to two children and three rescue pets.

Services

Coaching

Supporting personal and professional growth, job, and career transitions.

Fundraising & Financial Planning

Optimizing resource allocation to support sustainable growth

Strategic & Operational Planning

Defining clear goals, actionable roadmaps, and success metrics

Crisis Planning & Management

Preparing for and navigating complex challenges and transitions

Curriculum & Program Development

Designing, implementing, and evaluating impactful learning experiences

Facilitation

Guiding collaborative dialogue and decision-making to foster alignment and innovation

Leadership Training

Building skills for confident, compassionate, and effective management

Mission, Vision, & Values Development

Clarifying and aligning core purpose and direction

Testimonials


Working with Cassidy has been transformative after being laid off in an incredibly difficult job market, when my confidence was at its lowest point. She didn't just help me polish my resume. She helped me rediscover my professional identity and recognize strengths I had overlooked. Her approach was both compassionate and practical, providing concrete tools while meeting me where I was emotionally. What sets her apart is her ability to boost confidence from the inside out, helping me shift from self-doubt to genuine excitement about my career path. I can't recommend her highly enough for anyone facing career transitions or needing to rebuild their professional confidence.
Christine K.

A long-time mentor to me, Cassidy welcomed me with open arms into her coaching practice when I unexpectedly found myself back on the job market. As I navigate the uncertainty of this transition, I find so much clarity and encouragement during our sessions. Her deep expertise in career development and personal growth shines through, whether she’s offering insights into the full-time job search, conducting mock interviews with me, or speaking candidly about the struggle to find purpose after loss. What really sets Cassidy apart is the way she approaches every conversation with humanity and grace. Her support during this time has been truly invaluable, and she is an incredible asset to anyone facing similar challenges.
Vanessa K.

Cassidy is a coach who is vibrant, smart, and highly productive. Little did I know her strength, empathy, communication skills, and ability to analyze the whole picture and visualize the next steps. What a gift! Cassidy has given me so much during this process. When I hit “the wall” this time, for a moment I really thought this was the end of IT for me. Thanks to Cassidy I quickly snapped out of it and not only snapped out of it started viewing my approach in a new light.
Lillian R.
Lillian R.

Last night, and this morning I noticed some old fears arising around this audition that come from not feeling that I am enough. This is an unfortunately all too familiar feeling I’ve experienced for the past couple years especially around my performance. The difference came from a new voice that answered this intense fear and anxiety. It felt sure of my ability and trusted my progress in addition to offering compassion/understanding to the old headspace. This is huge for me, and I’m so thankful for your support. You make me feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable in our sessions and truly not feel judged, but not in a coddled way, in a respected way. I really value that and it makes me feel empowered.
Corbin C.

Her guidance has been key in helping me understand my situation and the different paths I can take. Cassidy has a great way of helping me focus on the key areas I need to improve in order to advance my career. Our discussions have given me the chance to reflect on my strengths, skills, professional relationships, growth, values, work/life balance, and financial aspirations. She has generously shared her knowledge and even gone out of her way to connect with people in her network who can help us both gain a clearer understanding of the broader picture.
Daniela P.

Cassidy has been an incredible asset to the administrative team at Teeny Violini. Her guidance in strategic planning has been instrumental in helping us fine-tune both our short- and long-term SMART goals. She brings clarity and structure to every conversation, holding me accountable in a way that feels both supportive and empowering. Her thoughtful input has also been key in shaping our approach to onboarding new board members, helping us think critically and practically about our next steps. Working with her has been not only productive, but genuinely transformative for our organizational growth.
Luiza M.

I have been very fortunate to have been coached by Cassidy. 2025 has been a year of tremendous loss and change, and by the time August rolled around I was grasping straws and searching for answers. I was in a place of scarcity -- an uncomfortable, and all-too-familiar place. I didn't know how at the time, but this time was going to be different for me! What holds most of us back from overcoming life's challenges stems from judgment -- self-judgment that projects onto the efforts we expend to help "right" ourselves by judging others.

She will ask "How can you come to X from a place of curiosity rather than judgment?" In my case I didn't have the answer the first time out, because I don't process information instantly. When you change your mindset and approach changes in your life from a place of curiosity you go from judgment to a world of possibility -- nearly infinite possibility. And then the sky's the limit. And Cassidy can help get you there with her pleasing voice and non-judgmental nature.
John T.

Get in touch

Have questions or ready to take the next step? Let's talk!

Click here to Email Cassidy

Contact Cassidy at:

[email protected]