Frequently Asked Questions
The questions you are asking yourself at 2am.
What working with a career transition coach actually looks like. No jargon. No fluff. Just the real answers.
Let me be really clear about what this is.
What I am.
- A career transition coach for people who are done pretending everything is fine
- Someone who has been laid off, rebuilt from scratch, and knows what the fear actually feels like
- Your thinking partner — the person who helps you get clear on what you want and build a real plan to get there
- The friend who does the ugly crying with you on Tuesday and helps you build the spreadsheet on Wednesday
- A culture strategist who works with leaders building workplaces people actually want to stay in
- An author who wrote the book because the framework she needed did not exist
- Honest — even when it is hard. Especially when it is hard
What I am not.
- A therapist — if you are in crisis, I will help you find the right support, but this is not therapy
- A resume writer or interview coach — there are great people who do that, and I can point you to them
- A recruiter or job placement service — I do not find you a job, I help you figure out what job to find
- A motivational speaker who tells you to manifest your dreams — we do the math, not the vision board
- Someone who will tell you what to do — I will sit with you while you figure it out yourself
- Passive — I will celebrate you and I will call you out with love when you are hiding
- Going anywhere — once we start, I am in your corner until you are good
"I help you figure out who you are, what you want, and where you are going. Once that is clear, the resume writes itself."
— ANN THAI
Step by Step
What it actually looks like to work together.
01
You Find This Page
You have been thinking about making a change for weeks, maybe months. You have googled "career coach" more than once. You have read this far. That is not an accident.
02
You Book a Clarity Call
60 minutes. $129. You pick a time that works for you and fill out a short intake form as part of the booking — so I know where you are before we talk. On the call, I listen. Then I name the thing you have not been able to name for yourself. You leave with clarity, language for what you are feeling, and an honest picture of what comes next.
This is not a sales call. You get real value in 60 minutes.
03
We Decide Together
If the Clarity Call feels right, we talk about which package fits — 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 12 weeks. Your $129 applies to whatever you choose. If it does not feel right, you spent an hour getting clear on what you want and that is worth $129 all on its own. No pressure. Ever.
04
The Onboarding
You get a welcome email, access to our shared Google Drive folder, and voice memo access so you are never alone with the doubt between sessions. If you choose to do a Human Design reading with Jenna, this is when we set that up — so I have her insights before our first real session.
05
We Do the Work
Weekly sessions. The Kitchen Table Framework. We move through the four moves — Name the Fear, Listen to the Body, Sketch the Dream, Take the First Step. This is not surface-level. This is the real excavation work. Between sessions, you have voice memo access for the breakthroughs at 11pm and the doubts at 6am.
06
The Plan Takes Shape
By the midpoint, you are not confused anymore. You know what you want. You know what it costs. You know what the first three moves are. The second half of our work is about building the plan, running the numbers, and making sure you are ready to move — not just emotionally, but practically.
07
You Leave the Table Ready
You walk away with a concrete plan, a number you trust, and the confidence that you can actually do this. For 12-week clients, we do a pre-graduation review and a 30-day follow-up call — because I do not disappear on you the moment the program ends.
I've got you. We've got this.
The real questions.
The ones you are actually wondering about. Click to expand.
About Coaching
"What if I am not ready to make a big change yet?"
That is exactly what the Clarity Call is for. You do not need to be ready. You just need to be honest. Some people book the call and realize they are closer to ready than they thought. Some people realize they need six more months. Both are valuable outcomes. Clarity is the product, not a decision.
"I just got laid off and I am not sure I can afford this."
I hear you. I have been there. Every package has a payment plan because financial panic should not be the reason you stay stuck. The Clarity Call is $129. If that hour helps you get even one week closer to your next move, it pays for itself.
"Is this therapy?"
No. I am not a therapist and this is not a substitute for therapy. If you are in crisis, I will help you find the right support. What I do is help you get clear on what you want and build a real plan to get there. If you are also in therapy, this work complements it beautifully. But it is not the same thing.
"Do you help with resumes and interviews?"
No. There are great people who do that and I can point you to them. My work is the layer underneath. I help you figure out who you are, what you want, and where you are going. Once that is clear, the resume writes itself.
"What happens between sessions?"
You are not alone between calls. Every package includes voice memo access — when the doubt creeps in or you need a gut check, you send me a voice note and I respond within 4 to 6 hours on weekdays and 12 hours on weekends. You also get a shared Google Drive folder for notes, reflections, and anything that comes up. Think of it as having me in your pocket.
"Can I upgrade to a longer package after I start?"
Yes. If you start with Pull Up a Chair and realize you need more time, we will talk about it and find the right next step. Nothing is wasted. Everything builds.
"How is this different from other career coaches?"
Most career coaches help you optimize what you already have — better resume, better interview skills, better LinkedIn profile. I help you figure out whether what you have is what you actually want. The Kitchen Table Framework™ starts with the fear, not the resume. We go underneath the surface. And I am not coaching from theory — I am coaching from lived experience of building, losing, and rebuilding.
"Do you work with men too?"
Yes. My coaching is for anyone in career transition. The Kitchen Table Journal is specifically written for women, but the coaching work, the book, and the workshops are for everyone navigating the human cost of this moment in the workplace.
About Workshops
"How do I know which workshop format is right for my team?"
That is what the discovery call is for. We talk about your team, your moment, and the outcome you need. The 60-minute keynote is great for conferences and all-hands. The 90-minute briefing works well for leadership offsites. The half-day experience is for intact teams ready to go deep. And if none of those fit, we design something custom.
"Can you do this virtually?"
Yes. Every format is available in-person or virtual with full interactivity. I am based in Hawai'i and available nationally and internationally.
"What makes your workshop different from other culture workshops?"
Three things. First, every claim is backed by 2026 SHRM and Gallup data — this is a business case, not a pep talk. Second, attendees do not just listen — they write a commitment statement and leave with a tangible artifact. Third, I facilitate every session personally. No associates. No subcontractors. The person who wrote the book is the person in the room with your team.
About the Book & Journal
"Who is the book for?"
Anyone who has felt the human cost of efficiency. Anyone laid off in a restructuring that "is not about you." Anyone who has realized that corporate America was not built for humans. It is also for leaders who want to understand what their people are actually going through. It is written for a broad professional audience with a warm, hopeful tone — not fear-mongering, not technical.
"Do I need to read the book before coaching?"
No. But it helps. The book gives you the language and the framework. The coaching gives you the personalized application. Many clients read the book and then book a Clarity Call because they want to go deeper. The 12-week package includes a signed copy.
"When does the journal come out?"
The Kitchen Table Journal is currently available for pre-order. It is a guided journal for women done settling for soul-sucking work, built around the four moves of the Kitchen Table Framework™. 120 pages of prompts, real stories, and space for the work you do on your own time.
General
"Where are you based?"
O'ahu, Hawai'i. All coaching is virtual via Zoom. Workshops are available in-person or virtual, nationally and internationally.
"What is a Chief Heart Officer?"
It is my signature concept — a call for every company to put a human advocate at the leadership table, with budget, authority, and one question before every decision: what is the human cost of this? The CHO is not a new HR role. It is a new way of thinking about leadership accountability. I talk about it in the book, in my workshops, and in my keynote.
"I have a question that is not listed here."
Send me an email at ann@hiannthai.com. I read every single one. Or book a Clarity Call and ask me directly — that is what the call is for.
Still have questions? Let's just talk.
30 minutes on the Clarity Call will answer more than this page ever could. And if we are not the right fit, I will tell you that too.