Design What's Next · eight weeks, one-on-one

"What's next?"

You know something needs to change.
You just can't decide what it is, or where to start.

Design What's Next™ is eight weeks to make a decision you can trust about what’s next, and start living it.

What it is

Eight weeks. One-on-one.
A clear path from stuck to started.

"Something needs to change" is a symptom, not a decision. So we start with a better question: What's telling you something needs to change? From there, three phases over eight weeks, plus a check-in six weeks later. Each session has two parts: that week's step, then open coaching on whatever's on your mind.

Phase 1Weeks 1 to 3

Your real question

You start with a one-line brief and three short self-assessments: life balance, values, and where you stand right now. Then two weeks of noticing what gives and drains your energy, short interviews with people who know you, and a debrief of your Energy Leadership Index™ results. Then we find the patterns.

You leave withOne clear question to answer that replaces “I need something new,” so you stop working on the wrong problem.
Phase 2Weeks 4 to 7

Your experiments

We generate many ideas for possible next chapters, including the ones you might find crazy. Then you pick one or two and try a small version. Curious about consulting? You might take on one small paid project. Thinking about teaching? You might lead a single workshop. Small enough to try in a few weeks and real enough to tell you something.

You leave withEvidence, and a verdict on each idea: right path, wrong idea, or wrong question.
Phase 3Week 8 + Check-in

Your launch

We turn what you learned into a phased plan you can start right away. Six weeks later, we meet again and look at how it's going.

You leave withA first step with a start date, a signal that says it's working, and a way to roll back.

Here's exactly what you get

  • Eight weekly 90-minute sessions, one-on-one, on video. Each week moves your decision forward, with time for whatever else is on your mind.
  • A shared online board that's yours to keep. Everything you learn, test and decide stays in one place, during the program and after.
  • Interview questions, written for you, so you can ask the people who know you best without wondering what to say.
  • A first draft of your findings and your question after Week 3. You'll react to something concrete instead of starting from a blank page.
  • The Energy Leadership Index™ assessment and an in-depth debrief. A proprietary, research-backed attitudinal assessment that shows how you respond to everyday situations and how that changes under stress.
  • Short check-ins between sessions, so you don't stall when a test gets uncomfortable.
  • A follow-up session after 6 weeks. You're not on your own once the launch starts.

Who this is for, and who it isn't

It's for you if

You're in the second half of your career and you know there's meaningful work ahead, paid or not. You just can't see what it is yet.

You've done enough thinking about it. You're ready to try things.

You'd rather take a small step you can undo than a big leap you can't.

Something else may serve you better if

You need a new job in the next sixty days. A recruiter or career transition service will get you there faster.

You already know what's next and need help getting there. A mentor or specialist in that field is a better fit.

You're looking for an expert to hand you the answer. This program helps you find and test your own.

My own journey

Before becoming a coach, I was a designer for over thirty years.

In 2024, I was laid off. It wasn’t unexpected. There seemed to be a round of layoffs every quarter. Even so, at 56, I felt that my age had something to do with it.

As part of the layoff package, I had access to an outplacement service that provided great webinars, classes, and one-on-one coaching. After only a couple of weeks, I started thinking, “Maybe I should explore what coaching is about…”

I could see that coaching had parallels to design. The same skills (empathy, deep listening, curiosity) are just as essential. And at its heart, design is essentially a problem-solving exercise. Much of it involves research and testing: watch real people using the product, uncover what wasn't working, iterate, test again, and iterate some more until it works beautifully.

Design What's Next is that same process, adapted for a person instead of a product. You decide what moves forward.

Warren Croce

What clients say

“When I started my later-stage career change, I didn’t know where to begin. It felt so overwhelming that I couldn’t move forward with any confidence. The first and most important step was getting into the right frame of mind before taking action, and that made all the difference. From there, we got clear on what matters most to me and what I truly want next. Warren kept me accountable throughout, and I’m now confident I’ll find a role that’s the right fit. If you’re struggling to figure out your next steps, I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Jonathan M., Entrepreneur
“Before working with Warren I had plenty of ideas but no traction, and I was stuck in a low, victim mindset. His coaching gave me the structure and accountability to break them down and finally act. Prototypes built, customers interviewed, real momentum, while helping me move up the energy levels into awareness and self-mastery. Now I trust myself to move things forward, and I'd recommend Warren to anyone who feels the gap between where they are and where they know they could be, and wants a real partner to help them close it.”
Sam M., Entrepreneur
“Warren is a fantastic active listener. He is inquisitive, calming, thoughtful and results oriented. He has been an incredible accountability partner and coach for me, as I consider my next career move! If you want to look more inward to help inform your next life step, consider partnering with Warren!”
Liz M., Executive, Customer Success

What you might be telling yourself

“I'll figure it out myself.”

You might. But you've probably been thinking about this for a while, and more thinking is the part that hasn't worked. This replaces it with small experiments in the real world, and someone in your corner who ran experiments like these for a living.

“Now isn't the right time.”

It rarely is. Nothing here asks you to quit anything. The experiments are small enough to fit around your current job and your current life. Waiting for the right time is how another year slips by.

“Is it worth the investment?”

Weigh it against more time in a situation that's no longer working for you, or a big leap that didn't need to happen. The point is to spend a little to avoid an expensive mistake. You'll still make mistakes. They'll be new ones, not avoidable ones.

“I'm too far along to start over.”

You're not starting over. You're building the next chapter with decades of evidence about what you're good at and what gives you energy. That evidence is the raw material.

The investment
$4,500

or two payments of $2,250

Starting the week of January 11, I'm taking five clients.

Reserve your spot

What I'll stand behind

Try the first two sessions. If it's not right for you, I'll refund everything. And if you attend every session and run at least one experiment, but don't have a direction by Week 8, I'll keep working with you, up to three more sessions, at no extra cost.

  1. You'll know what's next, and why
    Not a guess, but a clear direction you've checked against what energizes you, what you value, and how real people respond.
  2. You'll have already tried it
    A real conversation, project or trial run in the new direction, so you know whether you actually like it before you bet on it.
  3. It'll be underway
    Your first step is on the calendar, you'll know within weeks if it's working, and we'll check the results together at 6 weeks.

Eight weeks from now, you could know what's next.

Or you could still be turning it over. Starting the week of January 11, I'm taking five clients. When those spots are filled, the next openings come about two months later.

Reserve your spot
Questions first? Email me at warren@warrencroce.com.

Coaching accreditations

ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) iPEC Certified Professional Coach Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner iPEC Certified Transitions Dynamics Specialist iPEC Certified Performance Dynamics Specialist