Coaching
“Nick connected with our son faster than anyone else. He did not need another lecture. He needed someone outside the house who could get him moving again.”
Georgine N.Parent of a StudentCoach • Author • Speaker • Coach Trainer • Talk Show Host
Helping young people move forward.
Bringing good people together.
I coach, write, speak, train coaches and host Happy Days from La Jolla. Different formats. Same mission: help young people move forward and bring good people together.
Coaching is the work. NOT BEHIND is the system. Happy Days is the community.
Professional? Absolutely. Boring? That would defeat the whole point.
Learning As I Go.Helping others do the same.
20+ YEARSCoaching young people
50,000+Youth + young adults reached
NOT BEHINDBooks + real-life framework
SAN DIEGOLocal • active • personal
WHY NICK PETRO COMPANY
Connection first. Then the work.
I’ve coached since 2005, built businesses, lost businesses, started over, written books, spoken to thousands of young people and kept learning.
Over time one thing became obvious: young people don’t need more noise. They need the right human in their corner. Parents need someone they trust. Schools and organizations need a message that feels real. Coaches need a system. Communities need more reasons to celebrate people doing good work.
That became Nick Petro Company: Coaching, NOT BEHIND, Coach Training, Speaking and Happy Days…all connected by Learning As I Go.
ConnectEncourageChallengeLaughMove
It starts one-on-one, where trust gets built.
COACHING IN REAL LIFE
The live work behind NOT BEHIND.
Young people rarely need another lecture. They need someone who listens, asks the question behind the question and helps them own the next move.
You’re the parent. I’m the coach. That little bit of distance matters. It gives high school students and young adults room to be honest without feeling managed, fixed or graded.
Walk. Hike. Tennis. Hoops. Beach volleyball. Golf. Coffee. Tacos.
Whatever gets the conversation moving. Virtual works too.
Those conversations became a repeatable 90-day framework.
THE NOT BEHIND 90-DAY CHALLENGE
90 days. 3 acts.
9 sessions.
Simple enough to remember. Real enough to use.
01 — STAY TRUE.Know who you are. Trust your own vote.
02 — EMBRACE THE SUCK.Face the hard stuff. Adjust. Keep moving.
03 — LEAVE IT BETTER.Build what’s next. Make it matter.
The framework gives us a language for identity, pressure, setbacks, relationships, confidence and what comes next, without turning life into a classroom.
ClarityConfidenceOwnershipDirectionIndependence
The framework worked. So I wrote it down.
THE BOOKS + WORKBOOK
I wrote the books because the conversations deserved a language.
STAY TRUE. EMBRACE THE SUCK. LEAVE IT BETTER. They aren’t side projects. They are the backbone of the 90-Day Challenge.
Short chapters, real stories and no textbook voice. The books start the conversation. The workbook turns it into action.
Read it. Get the idea.Talk about it. Make it personal.Put it to work. Use it for 90 days.Teach it. Pass it on.
Once the system worked, the next question was obvious: could other coaches deliver it?
COACH TRAINING + LICENSING
The system is meant to travel.
I train coaches to use the same NOT BEHIND framework with confidence, while still sounding like themselves.
90 days • 3 acts • 9 training sessions
Listen.Build trust. Ask better questions.
Coach.Challenge. Create accountability.
Lead.Build your voice, offer and practice.
Included: Trilogy + Workbook + Instructor Guide + curriculum. Licensing is available after training for coaches, schools, programs and organizations.
The bigger idea is simple: more good coaches, more young people with someone solid in their corner. And yes, I fully expect some of those coaches to end up on Happy Days telling their stories.
The same message also works when the room gets a lot bigger.
SPEAKING
The stage version of the same work.
NOT BEHIND comes alive through real stories, humor, audience participation and examples from coaching, business, starting over and Happy Days.
For schools, teams, parent communities, nonprofits, conferences and organizations that want something useful, memorable and human…not another motivational speech everyone forgets by lunch.
20+ yearsSpeaking + coaching
50,000+Youth + young adults reached
30–45 minKeynote-ready
No canned speech. No 74-slide hostage situation.
And when I’m not on a stage, I wanted a place to keep the conversation going right here at home.
HAPPY DAYS TALK SHOW
The community piece that brings it all together.
A local talk show built around entrepreneurship, giveback, young people doing cool things, local brands and finding more reasons to smile.
I host Happy Days. I created it because there are a lot of people doing really cool things around us, and most of their stories never get told. This gives me a place to have those conversations, have a little fun and introduce people worth knowing.
EntrepreneursHigh school studentsYoung adultsLocal brandsGivebackSimple gamesGood energy
Coaches, clients, community leaders, partners, local businesses and young people all have stories worth sharing. The show gives those stories a stage with laughter, partnerships, giveaways and a little La Jolla energy mixed in.
Happy Days is part of Nick Petro Company and Learning As I Go...a simple way to connect people, share something positive and give the community one more reason to smile.
Nick PetroHost, Happy DaysNick Petro Company • Learning As I Go
Real people. Real conversations. Real momentum.
WHAT PEOPLE REMEMBER
Different work. Same common thread.
Young Adult
“I stopped feeling stuck. Nick helped me get honest, make a plan and actually follow through instead of just talking about it.”
Thomas K.Young Adult Coaching ClientCoach Training
“The framework is simple, practical and real. It gave me a way to coach with confidence instead of guessing my way through every session.”
David F.Coach Training ParticipantSpeaking
“Nick had our students engaged immediately. It was funny, honest and full of substance. The message stayed with them after the assembly.”
Kim M.High School PrincipalSpeaking
“He brought energy, heart and credibility. Parents, staff and students all walked away feeling like they got something real.”
Laura P.School LeaderParent
“What we appreciated most was the accountability. Nick got our daughter to open up, take ownership and keep moving forward.”
Cammy P.Parent of a Young AdultCoaching
“Nick connected with our son faster than anyone else. He did not need another lecture. He needed someone outside the house who could get him moving again.”
Georgine N.Parent of a StudentYoung Adult
“I stopped feeling stuck. Nick helped me get honest, make a plan and actually follow through instead of just talking about it.”
Thomas K.Young Adult Coaching ClientCoach Training
“The framework is simple, practical and real. It gave me a way to coach with confidence instead of guessing my way through every session.”
David F.Coach Training ParticipantSpeaking
“Nick had our students engaged immediately. It was funny, honest and full of substance. The message stayed with them after the assembly.”
Kim M.High School PrincipalSpeaking
“He brought energy, heart and credibility. Parents, staff and students all walked away feeling like they got something real.”
Laura P.School LeaderParent
“What we appreciated most was the accountability. Nick got our daughter to open up, take ownership and keep moving forward.”
Cammy P.Parent of a Young AdultSTART A CONVERSATION
Not sure exactly what you need yet? That’s okay.
Coaching, Speaking, Books, Coach Training, Happy Days or something else...tell me a little about what you’re looking for and we’ll figure out the next move.
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