The Story Behind Coach by the Pull

The String That Changed Everything

Write your awesome label here.

It was early one morning—quiet, still, the kind of morning where deep thoughts rise to the surface. I had been reflecting on a simple but powerful question I kept hearing from parents, educators, nonprofit leaders, and thinking: “How do we truly inspire and teach young adults—not just to succeed, but to give, grow, and lead themselves and others with purpose?”

As I sat in my favorite chair, the remembrance of the “string story” popped into my head. I found a piece of string and picked it up.

Try pushing a string.  It crumples, tangles, and goes nowhere.

Now try pulling it.  It follows—with flow, direction, and ease.

That moment hit me like a brick: people are just like that string!  When we try to push others—through pressure, force, or expectation—they resist.
But when we pull—with purpose, with care, and with curiosity—they move forward, not because they’re told to, but because they’re inspired to.


This simple insight became the spark behind Coach by the Pull™, the signature coaching philosophy of Aspire to Give® Academy.

Not Pressure—But Purpose.

Rooted in the wisdom of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who once said, “Pull the string and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all,” this philosophy reflects how we guide young adults at life’s most defining moments—when they're facing uncertainty, transition, and the question,  "What's next?"

 Instead of pushing young adults toward outcomes, we gently pull them forward through Generous Inquiry - by asking the right questions, not giving the right answers.

-  What lights you up?
-  What difference do you want to make?
-  What strengths have been hiding in plain sight?

These are the questions that awaken purpose, unlock potential, and set the direction.

Coaching with Heart, Leading with Hope

At Aspire to Give® Academy, we believe every learner has gifts within them waiting to be drawn out. That’s why our Success Coaches walk alongside each learner with compassion, empathy, and intention.

With five key touchpoints in each course, learners are not just supported—they are seen, heard, and encouraged. Young adults are guided—not pushed—to connect the lessons to the real choices, challenges, and changes they’re facing.

Whether aspiring young adults striving to rise above circumstances, young veterans transitioning to  civilian life, or pathfinders seeking guidance and direction,, Coach by the Pull™ helps them discover who they are, why they matter, and where they’re headed.

The Philosophy That Pulls Us All Forward

“Coach by the Pull™” is more than a method. It’s a mindset. It’s coaching rooted in what we call the Aspiration to Give - the deeply human drive to grow, to evolve, and to serve something greater than oneself.

- When learners are guided with care…
- When they’re invited into reflection, not rushed into answers…
- When they’re pulled toward purpose, not pushed toward pressure…

That’s when transformation takes root.

This is why Coach by the Pull™ is embedded in our two-course Life Transition by Design™ program - because we know that lives don’t change through instruction.

They change through inspiration.

So, we don’t push.

We pull - with vision, with heart, and with hope.

Empty space, drag to resize
Created with