I believe in the power of transformative experiences to inspire people to grow and thrive.

Deb Friedman

I am the founder and principal at Cairn Coaching, an executive coaching and leadership development practice that supports impact driven leaders so that they can unlock their full potential. I help my clients develop their leadership capacity to inspire, align, and serve teams – and deliver breakthrough results – amid change and uncertainty. 

My work as a coach and facilitator has been informed by my experience as an executive at National Geographic and The Walt Disney Company, where I spent more than 15 years establishing innovative experiential travel programs for diverse audiences. While serving as a Vice President at National Geographic Expeditions, I successfully led and developed high-performing teams through two major corporate acquisitions and helped drive ten-fold business growth. 

I am graduate of Georgetown University’s Leadership Coaching program, and I am a PCC-certified coach with the International Coaching Federation. I completed my undergraduate studies at Colby College with a B.A. in international studies and anthropology.

I am passionate about supporting and challenging my clients as they gain new insights; elevate their unique strengths; and pursue their most important goals.

What Clients are Saying.

  • “Deb is a deep and empathetic listener with a warm, kind, caring, and thoughtful presence. She has a natural gift for getting to the heart of an issue by asking just the right questions at the right moments so a new perspective and understanding is brought to light, which unlocks the opportunity for real growth.”

    —Travel Industry Executive

  • “Deb is a wonderful thought partner and coach. She has such a calming and open-hearted presence. I am grateful for the time I spent working with her and I know the things we worked on together have already positively impacted my personal and professional life.”

    — Small Business Owner

  • “I deeply appreciate Deb's guidance in helping me define and feel more comfortable with my own leadership style.”

    —International Development Program Director

  • “Deb was the perfect blend of patient, inquisitive, and probing. She asked the right questions and provided helpful framing, reflections, and perspective. I especially appreciated her ability to move seamlessly back and forth between work and "life" (parenting especially) and to integrate all of that into a really holistic approach to coaching. I came into coaching not knowing exactly what to expect... but if I had expectations, they would have been far exceeded in all ways.”

    —Law Professor and Associate Dean