Mission

Lightly’s boutique coaching approach ignites more compassion in people and workplaces.

Approach

Remember Truth

What truths resonate with you?
What can you learn about them and yourself? 

Return to You

What is true for me, may not be true for you. Come back to your truth.

Go Lightly

Invite your inner knowing forward,
allow it to be heard, and act.

  • Cresset
  • Salesforce
  • Thermo Fisher
  • Madison Reed
  • Columbia University
  • Tempus
  • UIC
  • UPTAKE 
Offerings

We have life experiences that spill over into work, and we have work experiences that spill over into life. Whether you're an executive, parent, or simply a human seeking growth, coaching can be a powerful catalyst for transformation.

  • Coaching

    Bring awareness to patterns that inhibit inspiration and authentic connection. Uncover the stickiest parts of your recurring personal patterns, breathe in acceptance, and shift behaviors to get the outcomes you want.

    Book Intro Call

  • Workshops

    Build bonds with team members and gain a shared language to help remove interpersonal sludge. Create a foundational rhythm for speaking cleanly and openly that benefits self, others, and the organization.

    LEARN MORE

  • Forums

    Pause task orientation and focus on the intangible undercurrents that color most of our work experiences. Forum is a safe place practice core principles consistently, share openly, and build connection and creativity in a group setting.

    Get Started

  • Retreats

    Slow down, disconnect, and just BE.
    Come back to your voice to better support yourself and others.
    Feeling called to know more? Click below to see where the journey will take you.

    DIVE IN

MEET

DR.GENTZY

  • I have always considered myself a student of life. My doctoral studies taught me to ask a lot of questions about the human condition, understand behavioral patterns, and gather data. I’ve arrived at a few general conclusions across the population, but there is still so much more to unveil around individual preferences/differences. Science creates a wonderful foundation but still leaves us with so much mystery—and I appreciate both, the certainty and the unexplained.

  • I’ve been on this planet for a second (40-some years, to be exact)—and in that time, I’ve observed many things and listened intently to the stories of others. I believe humans are innate storytellers, from ancient scripture and cave drawings to Instagram posts; we do this to make sense of the world, build connections, and feel less alone. I’m no different than any other storyteller in trying to achieve those things.

  • An idea is only as good as its application - there are LOTS of ideas, but only the very best ones are actually brought to life. My work is designed to inspire people to do good. It doesn’t matter who you are, the challenge for any person is to balance needs and objectives with real human experiences. Neither of those can come at the expense of the other, and I can support people in striking that balance.

  • I meet clients exactly where they are—whether they identify as “spiritual” or “mindful” - or not. There are certain unobservable and undeniable aspects of their experience that define who they are and dictate the decisions they make. To me, this is spirituality. I believe in universal truths (a truth that regardless of your background, religion, country of origin, belief system, nationality, skin color, or gender, is just a part of being a human on this earth) and do not consider them rules, but rather, principles that reliably and consistently lead to predictable outcomes.

    My universal truths?

    I believe that no matter who you are and what you're doing: Compassion always rules. You have access to a truth inside of you. You have wants. You have attractions and aversions. You have a mind that is hardwired to keep you alive and often misperceives threats. You can be better than you are currently. Your feelings will not kill you, but your avoidance of them might. What I believe about you (and what you believe about you) today may change tomorrow.

Core Principles

Taking Responsibility

VS.

Blaming & Criticizing

Choosing
curiosity

VS.

staying
right

Maintaining integrity

VS.

creating disconnection

We are human beings, being human, and we don't turn that off at work. Here are what some humans shared about their experiences with Lightly…

  • Madison Reed

    “...Gentzy worked with me and our C-level team through extraordinary growth and transformation. He helped us gain emotional literacy and be more revealed, no matter where we were in our personal development journeys. The container he created and held allowed us to build deeper and more meaningful relationships with each other and mindfully guided us in how to honor exiting team members as we welcomed new members to our culture and team. Working with him has been profoundly impactful.”

    Brad | CMO @ Madison Reed

  • “For any company or individual striving to grow and evolve in ways that can be deeply meaningful to you and the bottom line there isn’t anyone I’d recommend more than Lightly/Gentzy Franz. He has a unique ability to help leaders digest what’s going on and be thoughtful and strategic in how they respond with the ultimate goal of creating a fruitful and dynamic environment for themselves and their teams.”

    Jessica | Executive Vice President @ Cresset Partners

  • Drew Daum Testimonial

    Working with Gentzy is transformational. He is incredibly supportive— while also willing to be brutally honest. The “novel experiences” he crafts and leads have helped me wrestle through my toughest challenges and come out with clarity. He is as instrumental in my professional development as my spiritual growth. To anyone who gets the opportunity, I HIGHLY recommend working with him— you won’t be the same.

    Drew Daum | Strategy Leader @ Cisco

  • “Working with Gentzy Franz as a coach was life-enhancing, personally and professionally. He helped me be in a healthy relationship with all of my feelings (including the ones that I was afraid of) and encouraged me to be kind and curious with myself. He pushed me to question my motivations until I was in authentic alignment with myself and my values…Ultimately, he taught me to see and be aware of the stories that I tell myself by sharing those that he tells himself. He models the practices he teaches—and I truly admire him for this brave way of being in the world. I couldn’t recommend working with him more!”

    Lisa | Founder & Entreprenuer

  • “Someone once said that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting the same results was insanity. Sometimes we find ourselves in this position at work. If you want help in your workplace seeing through different optics, developing more understanding and patience, and to lead boldly and mindfully—call Gentzy.”

    John | VP Communications @ Pure Storage

  • “Gentzy understands that a business performs as its people perform. Environments where they can thrive as people first, provide them with the confidence required to produce as employees. Building these cultures is a delicate process—it requires consistency, patience, and commitment from the organization. Gentzy is an expert at guiding organizations through this journey.”

    Zack | SVP, Software Products @ Quantix

  • "There is no one I trust more than Gentzy for executive and leadership coaching. His command over business and organizational strategy, combined with his approachable nature and ability to respectfully challenge assumptions translate into helping people understand themselves and their interactions with others in a new way.”

    Alex | Group President, Supply Chain Solutions @ Quantix

  • “I worked closely with Gentzy over four years at Uptake, a fast growing tech startup in Chicago. The tools and methods Gentzy uses will help management create higher performing teams and foster a culture of respect, inclusion, and tolerance—all with a real-world focus on the bottom line.”

    Andy | General Counsel @ Tempus Labs

Curious?

let’s connect.