Cate Gregory
DELIVERY ASSOCIATE AND COACH
GREATER WASHINGTON, DC | USA
I design and lead our workshops and coach clients on their specific trust challenges and opportunities. Clients tell me I blend curiosity and humor with experience and insight to help them see what’s getting in the way of and create a path towards their success. I learn more about trust in every session I lead. My goal is to leave participants with the tools, mindsets, and confidence to achieve their goals and outcomes—and to have some fun along the way.
I’ve spent over 30 years helping clients take on their most complex and daunting challenges. I’m a small business owner, strategy consultant, and executive coach who has worked with leaders and teams across all levels of government (local, state, and Federal), non-profit organizations, and commercial industry. I’ve been designing and leading trust workshops for over 15 years, bringing real-world business experience to bear on practical trust-building challenges.
I hold a B.A. from The University of Virginia and attended Georgetown University for my Leadership Coaching Certification. I’m also certified in team effectiveness, emotional intelligence, organizational culture, and leadership development tools.
MY TRUST STORY
Years ago, I led the National Security Business Unit for a boutique strategy consulting firm. I had a team of four, highly experienced consultants working on a long-term project with an important client who valued seeing the same faces year after year. In the course of three months, the entire team turned over. I had to deliver the bad news as each team member departed. As I prepared for those conversations I tried to have an answer ready for how to solve the problem. I could sense my client’s frustration building with each encounter.
After several turnovers, my client really vented his frustration to me. This time, instead of trying to solve the problem, I listened. Then listened some more, as he expressed his concerns and aggravation. I acknowledged how disappointed he must feel and how frustrated he must be. At the end of the conversation he concluded with, “I know you are doing all you can. I just had to get that out.” He was still unhappy, and we were able to move forward together.
Once things were more stable with the team, I brought up the possibility of phasing out our support and letting him phase in a contractor who he felt would be more reliable. He didn’t want anyone else—he wanted our team.
My key takeaways: Listening is even more important than you think—it is a critical business skill and a way to recover trust in the face of challenging circumstances. Really listening, and listening longer before offering a solution, helped me fully understand what was at stake for him, and helped him see that I did “get it” and was a partner that he could trust. The solutions we came up with as a result were far greater than any I might have offered without that insight.
MY SERVICES
As an associate, I lead our signature programs and coach participants as they apply what they have learned to real-world situations. I am also a public speaker and deliver keynotes on trust-related topics, including trust-based leadership, trust-based sales, the dynamics of influence, and dealing with conflict.
MY TRUST TEMPERAMENT™
The Connector
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT ME
I have fully embraced middle-age! I play pickleball, am learning mahjong, and enjoy a good hike with my labrador George (with the Merlin Bird ID app on of course—Thank you Cornell!). I am also fascinated by true crime podcasts, documentaries, and British crime show procedurals.

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