Nominated.
Reviewed. Selected.

Nomination & Identification

Candidates enter review two ways: open nominations from clients, peers, or coaches themselves, and coaches our editors identify through their own research. Neither path carries an advantage — both land in the same review queue.

Credential Review

Editors review each candidate's stated certifications and training — ICF credentials such as ACC, PCC, and MCC, and specialty designations like CPCC — checking them against issuing organizations where verification is available.

Standing & Public Record

We look at the candidate's professional history and public record: their body of work, their standing among peers and clients, and anything — misrepresented credentials, ethical violations, patterns of complaints — that would disqualify them.

Editorial Selection

The editorial team makes the final decision. No commercial consideration enters the room: paid products are offered only after selection, and buying or declining them cannot add, keep, or remove a name from the list.

Notification & Publication

Selected coaches are notified and may accept at no cost. Acceptance publishes a recognition listing with the coach's name, city, and state on the honoree list. Optional recognition packages, including a full profile, a badge license, and an award, are available to those who want them: clearly priced, entirely optional, and irrelevant to the selection already made.